The Caught By The Fuzz is a fuzz pedal from Funny Little Boxes. It is named after Supergrass's 1994 debut single Caught By The Fuzz. It launched in May 2025 at a preorder price of £99 GBP, with pedals already shipping at the time of the announcement12.
The circuit is deliberately simple: two cascaded R4558I opamps, the kind of chip you would find singly in a Tube Screamer, with no clipping diodes or other circuit extras. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson called it "such a smart fuzz - just dual cascaded opamps with 2 controls - but it still sounds amazing"34.
The controls: Fuzz and Volume
There are only two knobs, and both do straightforward work.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Fuzz | Sets the amount of gain. No output below about 8 o'clock; ramps up predictably, with plenty of gain by 3 o'clock4 |
| Volume | Sets output level. Plenty loud enough at the noon position4 |
Guitar.com's Richard Purvis found the two-knob layout works without a tone control: he described "a tidy bass/treble balance that will let you quickly forget the absence of a tone control", with even-handed mids and a tight but thick-grained fuzz carrying a Marshall-esque edge on hard-punched chords2.
How it sounds
At higher settings it behaves like a classic fuzz. Guitar.com's reviewer noted the circuit "suggests a classic noise box in the style of the early Fuzz Faces and Tone Benders", while calling it "an eminently sensible and disciplined fuzz"2. Turn the Fuzz knob down to around 9 or 10 o'clock and, in Purvis's words, "suddenly it's more like a low-gain overdrive", tonally transparent with extra body and sustain, closer to what you would expect from an overdrive than a fuzz2.
Guitar Pedal X's review described the sound as warm and richly textured, with the two opamp stages combining to give "an enormous range of gain and textures" without clipping diodes4. Karlsson also noted one practical difference from the company's earlier pedals: "I did have some placement challenges with the previous Funny Little Boxes pedals - where they could suffer from impedance and capacitance further along the chain", suggesting this one sits more easily on a board4.
One visual touch sets it apart: instead of a single status LED, it has a pair of blue LEDs that flash in sequence like the lights on a police car, a nod to the song's subject2.
Power and setup
The pedal runs on 9V DC through a negative-tip 2.1mm barrel connector, supply not included, and draws a maximum of 11mA1. There is no battery compartment1.
There is no battery option: a 9V DC center-negative supply is required, and it does not come in the box1.
What reviewers said
Guitar.com rated the pedal 9 out of 10 overall, with Purvis's verdict being "Just a great-sounding all-round fuzz", finding it natural and touch-sensitive at all gain levels and refined well beyond its Britpop theme2. Guitar Pedal X listed it among the year's notable new fuzz pedals, at £993.
Videos
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Bondo
Ed "The Shred" Clarke
Questions
Does Caught By The Fuzz run on a battery?
No. The pedal has no battery compartment, so it needs an external power supply. It runs on 9V DC through a negative-tip 2.1mm barrel connector, and the supply is not included with the pedal. A standard centre-negative pedal supply will do the job.
Does Caught By The Fuzz use clipping diodes?
No. The circuit is built around two R4558I opamps, the kind of chip found singly in a Tube Screamer, cascaded in pairs with no clipping diodes or other circuit extras. Guitar Pedal X found the two stages combine to give a wide range of gain and textures.
Where is Caught By The Fuzz made?
It is built in Norwich, England by Funny Little Boxes, a small UK pedal maker. Guitar.com's reviewer described it as the company's latest affordable UK-built stompbox.
What power supply does Caught By The Fuzz need?
A 9V DC, negative-tip 2.1mm barrel power supply, which is not included. The pedal has no battery compartment, so a supply is required. Maximum current draw is 11mA.
Who designed Caught By The Fuzz?
The pedal was designed by Andy of Funny Little Boxes. It is the company's fourth signature sound pedal, based on the sound of Supergrass's song Caught By The Fuzz.
How much current does Caught By The Fuzz draw?
Maximum current draw is 11mA, according to Guitar Pedal X's coverage of the launch.
Sources (4)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-05-26
- Funny Little Boxes Caught By The Fuzz review: Britpop in a box, Guitar.com, 2025-09-19
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-12-08
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-06-04