A gated fuzz with a momentary delay
Gated fuzz is a sound many players chase deliberately: the signal gate clamps down so notes end abruptly rather than fading. Premier Guitar's reviewer put it in player terms: "For fans of these gated fuzzes (yeah, I'm one) an abrasive kronk followed by a failing fzzzt is a fine expressive tool"4. Gearnews' writer called it "that lovely gated fuzz tone that many players, including myself, love"5.
The delay side is what makes the pedal unusual. It is a short-timed delay triggered by holding the left momentary footswitch; release your foot and the delay goes away2. Depending on where the repeats knob sits, you can add anything from one repeat to "swirling, destructive oscillation, adding girth to the fuzz"2. Gearnews described the results as "really nice repeats to the fuzz, some you can almost get it to take off and sound like it's about to explode"5.
Premier Guitar's reviewer found the momentary delay does real musical work in a format that normally offers none: "This can add dynamics and variation to tones that, by design, have little of either"4.
The controls: two knobs, two footswitches and a toggle
The face of the pedal is sparse: two knobs, two footswitches and one toggle switch2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| V knob | Volume25 |
| R knob | Repeats: sets the delay from one repeat up to oscillation25 |
| Left footswitch | Momentary: hold to trigger the delay, release to remove it25 |
| Right footswitch | Turns the fuzz on and off2 |
| Toggle | Switches to a heavy, semi-mid scooped sound that Fuzzrocious says excels with chords and chugs1 |
| Internal trimpot | Adjusts the delay time if you do not like the factory setting2 |
The knobs are marked only "R" and "V", which Delicious Audio called "enigmatically marked"2. The letters decode simply: R is repeats, V is volume25.
The fuzz itself carries a bypassable tone control, part of Fuzzrocious's "free of tone tampering" approach to keeping the sound big and open1.
Can the delay run on its own?
Yes. The fuzz and the delay can each be used by themselves or together5, and Delicious Audio confirmed the delay works with the fuzz off2. Inside, the fuzz and delay components reside on separate boards, and the delay board is the same one Fuzzrocious uses in its Anomalies delay, built around a PT2399 chip4. Players who know the Anomalies will recognize the delay character; the Blast Furnace essentially bolts that circuit onto a gated fuzz and hands it to you on a momentary switch.
There is no battery compartment, so the pedal needs external power4.
A Lehigh Mining & Navigation collaboration
The Blast Furnace has an unusual origin for a fuzz pedal: it is a collaboration with Lehigh Mining & Navigation, an advertising and public relations group based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania2. Fuzzrocious formally announced it on May 1, 2017 at $180 USD1, and it went on sale June 18, 2017, exclusively through Chicago Music Exchange before reaching all dealers worldwide1.
Videos
Fuzzrocious Pedals
Chicago Music Exchange
Patrick Hunter
Questions
Can the Blast Furnace delay be used without the fuzz?
Yes. The fuzz and delay circuits sit on separate boards, and the delay can be used on its own with the fuzz off. The delay board is the same one Fuzzrocious uses in its Anomalies delay, built around a PT2399 chip. You can also run the fuzz alone, or both together.
What do the R and V knobs do on the Fuzzrocious Blast Furnace?
V is volume for the pedal. R is repeats, and it sets how the delay behaves when you hold the left footswitch: anywhere from a single repeat to swirling, destructive oscillation that adds girth to the fuzz tone. An internal trimpot adjusts the delay time itself.
What does the toggle switch do on the Blast Furnace?
The toggle switches the fuzz over to a heavy, semi-mid scooped sound that Fuzzrocious says excels with chords and chugs. In the other position the pedal runs its big, open gated fuzz tone with the tone control bypassed.
Does the Blast Furnace delay stay on when I release the footswitch?
No. The left footswitch is momentary: the delay only sounds while you hold it down. Removing your foot makes the delay go away, which makes it a performance tool for throwing repeats into a part on demand.
Sources (5)
- Fuzzrocious Pedals Announces the Blast Furnace, Premier Guitar, 2017-05-01
- New Pedal: Fuzzrocious Blast Furnace Gated Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2017-06-27
- Fuzzrocious Cat King & Blast Furnace Review, Guitar.com, 2018-11-14
- Fuzzrocious Blast Furnace Review, Premier Guitar, 2017-08-06
- Fuzzrocious Pedals' Blast Furnace: A hot new gated fuzz guitar pedal, gearnews.com, 2017-05-02
