The Hell Horse is a co-branded fuzz and delay pedal from Haunted Labs and Dirty Haggard Audio. Its most distinctive feature is a two-band EQ section, which the maker describes as working "on two frequency bands rather than one: one in the high end and one in the low end," letting you shape the fuzz in ways most fuzz pedals cannot. It runs on 9V standard DC operation, with a power supply not included1.
What it does to your sound
The fuzz side is the core of the pedal, and the EQ section built around it is what sets the Hell Horse apart. The Tone control works on two frequency bands rather than one, one in the high end and one in the low end, boosting or cutting both simultaneously up to plus or minus 15dB. At 12 o'clock the EQ is flat, which also removes the Shift control from the circuit1.
The EQ section is the heart of what this pedal does to your sound. The Tone control boosts or cuts the two frequency bands simultaneously up to +/- 15dB, and at 12 O'clock the EQ is flat, which removes the Shift control from circuit. The Shift control selects the distance between the two affected frequencies: further apart if rotated clockwise, or closer together if rotated counter-clockwise21.
Controls
All six knobs sit on one panel, covering both effects and the EQ1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Fuzz | Sets the fuzz circuit1 |
| Delay Time | Controls delay length: all the way left is the longest time at approximately 460 milliseconds, all the way right is slapback at approximately 50 milliseconds. The number of repeats is hard-set and not user adjustable1 |
| Delay Mix | Controls how much delayed signal is mixed with the normal signal: all the way left is no added delay, all the way right is full volume delay and a fully saturated sound1 |
| Tone | Boosts or cuts the two frequency bands simultaneously up to plus or minus 15dB; flat at 12 o'clock1 |
| Shift | Selects the distance between the two affected frequencies: further apart clockwise, closer together counter-clockwise1 |
| Volume | Attenuates or boosts the output level; unity gain sits at approximately the 3 o'clock position as tested with single coil pickups1 |
The Hell Horse has no battery compartment. It runs on 9V standard DC operation and the power supply is not included, so plan on a 9V DC adapter or pedalboard supply1.
Where it came from
The Hell Horse is a co-branded pedal from Haunted Labs and Dirty Haggard Audio. The pedal's controls are Volume, which attenuates or boosts the output amplitude with unity gain at approximately the 3 o'clock position as tested with single coil pickups, plus the Tone and Shift EQ controls described above. It runs on 9V standard DC operation, with a power supply not included1.
Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio, covering the pedal's unveiling, framed the design as an unusual combination1:
"just unveiled a very original take on the fuzz + delay pedal, called the Hell Horse"1
Paolo De Gregorio, Delicious Audio1
Related pages
The Hell Horse sits at the crossing of two effect families: see Fuzz Pedals for the drive side and Delay Pedals for the echo side.
Videos
MrExcane
foreverbroke
Harsh Tones, Inc.
Questions
Is the Hell Horse true bypass?
Yes. The Hell Horse offers true bypass switching, so when the pedal is off your guitar signal passes through without the fuzz and delay circuits loading it down.
Does the Hell Horse take a battery?
No. The pedal has no battery compartment and runs on 9V standard DC operation, with a power supply not included. You will need a 9V DC adapter or a pedalboard power supply to use it.
How long is the delay on the Hell Horse?
The Delay Time knob runs from about 460 milliseconds at its longest, all the way left, down to a slapback setting of about 50 milliseconds all the way right. The number of repeats is hard-set and not user adjustable.
What chip does the Hell Horse delay use?
The delay is powered by the PT2399 chip, which Delicious Audio describes as often used for creative tape-style echo pedals. The pedal produces an analog-style echo of up to 460 milliseconds.
What do the Shift and Tone knobs do on the Hell Horse?
Tone boosts or cuts two frequency bands at once, one high and one low, up to plus or minus 15dB, and is flat at 12 o'clock. Shift selects how far apart those two affected frequencies sit: further apart clockwise, closer together counter-clockwise.
Who makes the Hell Horse?
The Hell Horse is a co-branded pedal from two boutique builders: Haunted Labs, from Charlotte, North Carolina, and Dirty Haggard Audio, from Portland, Oregon. It is engineered and manufactured in the USA.
Sources (2)
- Haunted Labs & Dirty Haggard Hell Horse Fuzz/EQ/Delay, Delicious Audio, 2022-10-18
- Haunted Labs Introduces the Hell Horse Fuzz Delay, Premier Guitar, 2020-12-11
