The Fuzzlord Riff God is a distortion pedal from Fuzzlord Effects that puts a vintage Randall RG100 preamp on your pedalboard. Fuzzlord describes it as "a faithful recreation of the vintage Randall RG100 preamp," the solid-state amp the company credits as "a defining amplifier for some of the heaviest guitar tones of the 1990s in Sludge Metal" and a cult classic1. In pedal form, that circuit arrives with a full amp-style control set: gain, a three-band EQ plus presence, and a master volume.
Fuzzlord's own description of the sound is direct: "Built for massive gain, crushing low end, aggressive mids, and unforgiving solid-state attack"1. That places it squarely in high-gain territory rather than the gentler end of overdrive, and its amp-preamp design means it responds to how you play, not just what settings you dial in.
A Randall RG100 in a pedal
The Randall RG100 is the whole reason this pedal exists: Fuzzlord describes the circuit as "a faithful recreation of the vintage Randall RG100 preamp"1. The original amp was a solid-state design, and the Riff God carries that character over, which Fuzzlord sums up as "unforgiving solid-state attack" alongside "massive gain, crushing low end, aggressive mids"1.
For a player, the appeal is straightforward: the Riff God aims to deliver that specific amp's preamp behavior without hunting down a vintage Randall head. Because it is built as a preamp recreation rather than a generic distortion circuit, Fuzzlord says "the Riff God is designed to feel and respond like an amplifier giving your picking dynamics and guitar volume control a direct influence over the character of the distortion"1. In practice that means the pedal is not a set-and-forget wall of gain; how hard you pick and where your guitar's volume knob sits shape the distortion itself.
The controls
The Riff God carries six controls, laid out like an amp's front panel rather than a typical three-knob distortion. Fuzzlord's descriptions of each1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| MASTER | Sets the overall output level, with what Fuzzlord calls massive headroom and punishing force |
| GAIN | Controls the intensity of the RG100 inspired gain stage, from gritty, aggressive drive to full blown saturated sludge |
| PRES | Shapes presence and upper-end attack independently of the Treble control, for added bite and articulation |
| TREB | Adjusts high-frequency bite and clarity, from dark and ominous to sharp and cutting |
| MIDS | Shapes the midrange character of the RG100 circuit, from aggressive and forward to deep and scooped |
| BASS | Controls the low-end foundation, from tight and focused to earth-shaking sludge |
Two things stand out in that layout. First, the presence control works separately from the treble control, shaping presence and upper end attack independently from the Treble control for additional bite and articulation. Second, the MIDS control covers a wide range on purpose, from aggressive and forward to deep and scooped, since midrange character is central to how the RG100 circuit is perceived1.
Power and switching
The Riff God runs on 9V DC, center negative, through a 2.1 mm plug, and draws 55 mA1. Fuzzlord specifies an isolated power supply only, which rules out both a battery and sharing a daisy chain with other pedals.
There is no battery option. Fuzzlord lists the power requirement as "9 V center negative, 2.1 mm isolated power supply only"1, so the pedal needs its own isolated output on a power supply.
Switching is true bypass with relay based soft switching, which Fuzzlord describes as delivering "seamless transitions" between engaged and bypassed states1. With the pedal off, your signal passes through untouched.
Buying and physical details
The Riff God carries a list price of $269.001. The enclosure measures 120 x 94 x 42.5 mm, which Fuzzlord calls compact and pedalboard-friendly, and it wears a matte black powder coat with UV-printed artwork1. Fuzzlord's store terms accept returns within 3 days of delivery with the buyer paying return shipping, and international orders may incur customs fees that the buyer is responsible for1.
Fuzzlord Effects builds a range of heavy-gain pedals, including the Fuzzlord Drone Master, the Fuzzlord Nazareth Octave Distortion, and the Fuzzlord Nazareth Doomy Octave Distortion, of which the Riff God is the company's take on a classic solid-state amp preamp in pedal form12.
Videos
Fuzzlord Effects
Fuzzed Drones and Fuzzlord Effects
Questions
Does the Fuzzlord Riff God take a battery?
No. The Riff God runs on a 9V center negative power supply with a 2.1 mm plug, and Fuzzlord specifies an isolated power supply only. There is no battery option, so it needs a spot on a pedalboard power supply rather than a battery clip or a daisy chain.
Is the Fuzzlord Riff God true bypass?
Yes. Fuzzlord lists the Riff God's switching as true bypass with relay based soft switching. When the pedal is off, the signal passes through without processing, and the relay based footswitch is designed for seamless transitions between engaged and bypassed states.
How does the Riff God respond to the guitar's volume knob?
Fuzzlord says the Riff God is designed to feel and respond like an amplifier, giving your picking dynamics and guitar volume control a direct influence over the character of the distortion. Rolling back the guitar's volume or picking more softly changes how the distortion behaves, rather than just making it quieter.
Sources (2)
- Riff God Distortion, Fuzzlord Effects, 2026-08-08
- Fuzzlord Effects, Fuzzlord Effects
