The God Box Fuzz Fatale is a fuzz pedal and the signature pedal of Fuzz Box Girl, built for her by God Box. It is a silicon fuzz with an unusual control for the format: a fuzz bias knob on the outside of the enclosure, labeled Seduce, that lets the player change the character of the fuzz while playing rather than opening the pedal up with a screwdriver1.
The Seduce knob and what it does to the sound
The Seduce knob reduces the voltage feeding the circuit from 9V to about 4.5V. Starving a fuzz circuit of voltage changes how its transistors clip, and Griffith described the range it covers: "it'll go from a \"tone bender\" or \"sparkle drive\" type of bright sound to a very thick and sometimes synth-like sound" depending on how much low frequency goes into the circuit1.
A super-bright red LED changes with the Seduce knob, giving a visual indicator of the voltage change as it happens1.
Silicon, not germanium
The Fatale uses "two carefully chosen and matched up \"world standard\" HI GAIN silicon transistors". Griffith framed this as a stable and more "modern" approach to fuzz, a contrast with germanium-based designs whose bias point drifts with temperature1.
Where the circuit came from
The Fuzz Fatale is a new circuit, not a modification of God Box's existing designs, which include the God Complex, the Tesla and the Tesla 2. Griffith explained her thinking: "I didn't want to just bastardize one of the awesome circuits Carl had already made, so I wanted to come up with somethin[g new]". The design was a collaboration: "After sending him all of my ideas and Carl sending me his ideas based on those ideas, we eventually came up with the Fa[tale]"1.
She has also asked Carl Updegraff about the possibility of a versatile Fuzz Fatale octave fuzz as a follow-up1.
A limited run, not a production pedal
The original Fuzz Fatale was a limited run, not a standard production model. A possible production version would differ from it in several ways.
The limited run exists for a personal reason: it was organized to help Fuzz Box Girl with medical bills from a hit-and-run accident around Christmas. Each unit carries Fuzz Box Girl graphics and personalization, and the sales went to her, which she summed up as "the sales would help me out -- win win"1.
The original run is mostly hand wired. A possible production run was under discussion at the time of the interview, aimed at lowering the price without compromising the parts, and would differ from the limited units1:
- Built with a PCB rather than mostly hand wired
- More minimal graphics on a metal enclosure
- A few different internal components
- No swag or personalization1
Videos
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Questions
Who designed the God Box Fuzz Fatale?
The Fuzz Fatale was designed jointly by Fuzz Box Girl (Aaron Griffith) and Carl Updegraff of God Box. Griffith sent Updegraff her ideas, and Updegraff sent back his ideas built on those, and the two eventually arrived at the Fatale circuit through that back-and-forth process.
Is the Fuzz Fatale a modification of the God Complex or Tesla?
No. Griffith said she did not want to alter one of God Box's existing circuits, which include the God Complex, Tesla and Tesla 2, so the Fuzz Fatale is a new circuit developed from scratch by her and Carl Updegraff.
Does the Fuzz Fatale use silicon or germanium transistors?
Silicon. The pedal uses two carefully chosen and matched high gain silicon transistors, which Griffith described as a stable and more modern approach to fuzz compared with the temperature-sensitive germanium devices used in many classic fuzz designs.
Is the Fuzz Fatale a standard production pedal?
No. The original Fuzz Fatale was a limited run, mostly hand wired, with Fuzz Box Girl graphics and personalization on each unit. A possible production run was under discussion, which would use a PCB, more minimal graphics and a few different internal components.
Why was the Fuzz Fatale limited run made?
The limited run was organized to help Fuzz Box Girl with medical bills from a hit-and-run accident around Christmas. Sales of the pedals went to her, which she described as a win win: buyers got a personalized signature fuzz and she got help with the bills.
Sources (1)
- Fuzz Box Girl Discusses Her New Signature Fuzz Pedal from God Box, the Fuzz Fatale, Guitar World, 2012-07-16
