The Freekish Blues Coily Fuzz is a fuzz pedal based on a late-'60s fuzz, with the Arbiter Fuzz Face as the reference point, but voiced differently. Premier Guitar's reviewer summed up the intent: "The Coily Fuzz is based on a late-'60s fuzz (think Arbiter Fuzz Face) with a different voicing."1
What the reviewer found
Premier Guitar's reviewer came away positive, finding the pedal kept the appeal of the era while pushing past it: "The Coily had everything I like in pedals of that era, but with more thickness and bite at the same time."1
In practical terms, the review describes a fuzz that:
- sits low in noise even at extreme settings
- has more bark than late-'60s fuzzes
- combines thickness and bite so that it jumps out of the mix without additional EQ
- cleans up well with the guitar's volume control, which matters for players who ride their volume knob between clean and fuzz tones1
Controls and construction
The pedal's volume control is labeled Midnight Lamp. The reviewer found it ran hot and backed it off to bring the level down to a more reasonable place, so it is worth treating as a level control with plenty of headroom above unity.1
| Control | Label | What the review found |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | Midnight Lamp | Runs hot; the reviewer backed it off to reach a reasonable level1 |
Inside, the reviewer found a small circuit board with a clean layout, with the component values covered in black marker ink.1
The review unit was a pre-release version with handpainted graphics and unlabeled controls. The final version of the pedal has purple-ish lettering and a graphic of a laughing, bearded "Freek" with shades.1
Power
The Coily Fuzz runs on a 9-volt battery or a 9-volt adapter. The battery compartment is on the back of the pedal and flips open without a screwdriver, which the reviewer called a bonus for quick battery access. A 9-volt adapter jack sits alongside it for supply power.1
Price
Premier Guitar's review lists a street price of $185.1
Videos
Andertons Music Co
FreekishBluesFX
gearmanndude
Questions
Is the Freekish Blues Coily Fuzz true bypass?
Yes. The pedal has a hardwired true-bypass stomp switch, according to Premier Guitar's review. That means when the pedal is off, the signal passes through the switch without going through the fuzz circuit, which players who want the pedal out of the signal path when disengaged generally look for.
Does the Coily Fuzz run on a battery?
It can. There is a 9-volt battery compartment on the back of the pedal that flips open without a screwdriver, so the battery can be swapped quickly. The pedal also has a 9-volt adapter jack for powering it from a power supply.
How much does the Coily Fuzz cost?
Premier Guitar's review lists a street price of $185 as of its September 2026 review.
Is the Coily Fuzz based on a Fuzz Face?
Premier Guitar's reviewer describes it as based on a late-'60s fuzz, pointing to the Arbiter Fuzz Face as the reference point, but with a different voicing. The reviewer found it had the character of pedals from that era with more thickness and bite at the same time.
Sources (1)
- Freekish Blues Pedal Review: Freek Out, Coily & Betty, Premier Guitar, 2010-04-15
