The Fuzzlord Effects HM-6 is a distortion pedal built as a modern tribute to the Boss HM-2, the circuit players call the "chainsaw" for its grinding, treble-heavy character. RockBoard's PedalPedia describes it as a distortion device built to honor the legacy of the original while evolving it for today's heaviest players, rebuilt for guitar and bass with heavy gain, a powerful active 3-band gyrator EQ, and a boostable full-frequency clean-blend circuit to retain clarity under extreme distortion1.
What sets the HM-6 apart from a straight HM-2 clone is that blend circuit. Where the original circuit can swallow your low end at high gain, the HM-6 lets you reinstate a boosted, full-frequency clean signal alongside the distortion, which Fuzzlord says is ideal for bass and downtuning2. It sits in the distortion family, aimed squarely at players who want that Swedish death metal grind.
What the HM-6 does
The HM-6 takes the HM-2's signature sound, the "unmistakable grind" as Fuzzlord puts it, and reimagines it with more gain on tap and a more flexible tone stack. The maker's own description of the gain control runs from gritty textures to what it calls "full-on chainsaw devastation"2.
The core of the pedal is a gyrator-based 3-band active EQ. Gyrator circuits use an op-amp and capacitor to simulate an inductor, which lets an EQ band cut or boost with the interactive feel of a passive tone stack but with active gain on each band. In the HM-6 that means bass, mid and treble controls that can each boost or cut, including the mid scoop the HM-2 is famous for21.
The clean blend is the other half of the design. Fuzzlord calls it a full-frequency boosted blend circuit, meaning the clean signal you blend back in is itself boosted and covers the full frequency range rather than a filtered or thinned version2. For a bass player, that is the difference between a distorted tone that still has fundamental low end and one that disappears into fizz.
The controls
The HM-6 has six controls: Volume, Gain (saturation), Clean Blend, Bass Boost/Cut, Mid Boost/Cut, and Treble Boost/Cut1. Fuzzlord's product page labels them with single letters:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| V (Volume) | Output volume control that can push an amp into overdrive with massive volume2 |
| G (Gain) | Distortion level, from gritty textures to full-on chainsaw devastation2 |
| C (Clean Blend) | Reinstates clean signal with a boosted, full-frequency blend that brings clarity and power, ideal for bass and downtuning2 |
| B (Bass Boost/Cut) | Active low band; sculpts low-end response, adding punch and rumble without losing definition2 |
| M (Mid Boost/Cut) | Active mid band; dial in the Swedish death metal scoop or push mids forward to cut through2 |
| T (Treble Boost/Cut) | Active treble band; shapes the top end from dark and brooding to razor-sharp and biting2 |
The volume control is worth noting: Fuzzlord describes it as capable of pushing an amp into overdrive, so the pedal can double as a volume boost into an already cooking amp rather than just matching levels2.
Power, switching and build
The HM-6 runs on a 9V DC center negative 2.1mm isolated power supply2. Fuzzlord specifies an isolated supply, so a daisy chain shared with other pedals is not what the maker intends. Current draw is listed as 60mA on the Fuzzlord product page2 and 58mA on the RockBoard PedalPedia entry1; the two sources disagree slightly, but either figure is modest enough for any multi-output power brick.
Switching is true bypass with soft switching, so the pedal is out of the signal path entirely when disengaged2.
The enclosure is a rugged powder coated box with UV printed graphics, measuring 120 x 94 x 42.5 mm2. It comes in three finishes2:
- Matte Black
- Purple Splatter
- Purple Splatter (Powder Coat Blemish B Stock)
Fuzzlord accepts returns within 3 days of delivery, with the buyer paying return shipping2. That is a much shorter window than most retailers offer, so test the pedal soon after it arrives.
Videos
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Questions
Is the Fuzzlord HM-6 true bypass?
Yes. Fuzzlord specifies true bypass with soft switching, so the pedal passes your dry signal unchanged when disengaged and the footswitch activates it without a loud mechanical click.
Does the Fuzzlord HM-6 work on bass?
Yes. Fuzzlord builds the HM-6 for guitar and bass, and the clean blend is described as ideal for bass and downtuning because the boosted, full-frequency clean signal keeps low-end definition under extreme distortion.
How much current does the Fuzzlord HM-6 draw?
Fuzzlord's product page lists a current draw of 60mA, while the RockBoard PedalPedia entry lists 58mA. Either way it needs a 9V DC center negative 2.1mm isolated power supply, so plan a dedicated outlet on your power brick.
What finishes does the Fuzzlord HM-6 come in?
It comes in three finishes: Matte Black, Purple Splatter, and Purple Splatter in a Powder Coat Blemish B Stock version. All use a rugged powder coated enclosure with UV printed graphics.
Sources (3)
- HM-6 by Fuzzlord Effects, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- HM-6 Distortion, Fuzzlord Effects, 2026-05-29
- MF-4 Fuzz, Fuzzlord Effects, 2026-06-01