The Fuzzrocious Heliotropic is a handbuilt bass fuzz stompbox designed to emulate and expand upon the edgy bass tones of the band Failure1. Builder Ryan Ratajski, a bassist himself, created it to reproduce the crushing fuzz heard on the basslines of Failure's songs "Heliotropic" and "Another Space Song"12. The pedal takes its name from the Failure song that inspired it3.
Premier Guitar's reviewer found it delivers on that goal, with "incredibly dense and vicious-sounding fuzz as soon as I hit the strings"1.
A bass fuzz built around Failure's tone
Failure's "Heliotropic" closes the band's album Fantastic Planet with a bass tone drenched in fuzz, and that specific sound is the whole reason this pedal exists. Ratajski built it as a fuzz device aimed squarely at that tonal target, rather than as a general-purpose fuzz1. Guitar.com described it at release as "a fuzz box that's designed to reproduce the crushing tones heard on the bassline of Failure's Heliotropic and Another Space Song"2.
While the Heliotropic was built with bassists in mind, Fuzzrocious claims it works well with guitars too2.
Premier Guitar's review summed up its verdict in three points:
"Gets very close to Failure's fuzz-drenched bass sound. Intense and unique. Great build."
The controls
The Heliotropic carries a quartet of knobs: pre-gain, sustain, volume, and tone1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Pre-gain | Controls the preamp level, letting you hit the input of the fuzz circuit with varying force1 |
| Sustain | Adds even more gain, providing anything from light crunch to wildly intense fuzz1 |
| Volume | Sets the output level1 |
| Tone | Shapes the frequency balance1 |
The pre-gain and sustain pairing is what gives the pedal its range. Pre-gain sets how hard the custom preamp drives the modified Big Muff-style fuzz circuit, while sustain adds gain inside the fuzz itself, so the same pedal can sit anywhere from a light crunch to wildly intense fuzz depending on how the two are set1.
Circuit, build, and warranty
The Heliotropic is based on a heavily modified Big Muff-style circuit coupled with a custom preamp design1. That puts it in the same family as Fuzzrocious's Gray Stache line of Big Muff-derived fuzzes, though voiced for the low end and Failure's specific sound rather than a straight Muff copy.
Everything is packed into a sturdy aluminum enclosure sporting a handpainted graphic, specifically a bare aluminum 1590BB box13. Fuzzrocious offers a lifetime guarantee for repair to the original buyer, with a small bench and shipping fee for anyone else3.
The Heliotropic requires a standard 9-volt adapter with a Boss-style connector. Batteries are not an option, so plan on a pedalboard power supply13.
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Questions
Does the Fuzzrocious Heliotropic work on guitar?
The pedal was built with bassists in mind, but Fuzzrocious claims it works well with guitars too. It was designed to reproduce the crushing bass fuzz tones heard on Failure's songs Heliotropic and Another Space Song, so its voicing is aimed first at the low end.
Can the Heliotropic run on a battery?
No. The pedal requires a standard 9-volt adapter with Boss-style power, and batteries are not an option. You will need a power supply or a pedalboard power unit to run it.
Is the Heliotropic true bypass?
Yes. The Heliotropic features true bypass switching, so when it is disengaged your signal passes through without the circuit coloring it.
What circuit is the Heliotropic based on?
It is based on a heavily modified Big Muff-style circuit coupled with a custom preamp design. The pre-gain knob controls the preamp level, letting you hit the input of the fuzz circuit with varying force.
What warranty does Fuzzrocious offer on the Heliotropic?
Fuzzrocious offers a lifetime guarantee for repair to the original buyer. For anyone other than the original buyer, repairs carry a small bench and shipping fee.
Sources (4)
- Fuzzrocious Heliotropic Bass Fuzz Review, Premier Guitar, 2013-08-26
- Fuzzrocious releases the Heliotropic, Guitar.com, 2018-12-12
- Fuzzrocious Pedals Introduces Heliotropic Stompbox, No Treble, 2012-08-27
- New Pedal: Fuzzrocious Grey Stache/Heliotropic Double Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2026-02-19
