The Scorched Earth is a fuzz pedal from Haunted Labs, a builder based in North Carolina. Haunted Labs unveiled it on 31 October 2019, which was Halloween, and priced it at $1591. The company describes it as a "relic" fuzz that combines the best elements of vintage silicon fuzzes with modern tone shaping capabilities2.
Where a classic silicon fuzz gives you a fixed voice, the Scorched Earth puts the shaping in your hands. Delicious Audio describes it as a silicon fuzz with a versatile tone knob that can take it from vintage sounding to gnarly, and says it soaks your guitar in harmonically rich, seemingly endless sustain3. Guitar.com frames the design the same way: vintage silicon clipping hardware with a more modern approach to tone-shaping4.
A silicon fuzz with modern tone shaping
Silicon transistors came into fuzz pedals in the late 1960s as a replacement for germanium, and they are known for a brighter, more aggressive, more consistent clip than germanium circuits. The Scorched Earth sits in that lineage. MusicRadar called it "a 'relic' fuzz pedal with gnarly vintage silicon fire on its mind"1, and Guitar.com described its circuit as vintage silicon clipping hardware with a more modern approach to tone-shaping4.
The "relic" idea runs through the whole presentation. The pedal comes in what MusicRadar called "a nicely morbid painted enclosure with three controls"1, and Guitar World noted "some seriously spooky graphics"5. The launch date, Halloween, was part of the same theme1.
Haunted Labs says the pedal is completely designed in the USA using the highest quality parts available, and manufactured with the highest quality components2. MusicRadar confirmed the Scorched Earth is made in the USA1.
The company had form in this area before the Scorched Earth arrived. Earlier in 2019 Haunted Labs released the Carolina Reaper, a dual overdrive and fuzz pedal built with Cusack Music, and the Paranormal Fuzz V2, a three-knob silicon fuzz. The Scorched Earth followed those as a straight fuzz rather than a hybrid.
The controls: fuzz, tone and level
The control set is the classic three-knob fuzz layout. Guitar World put it plainly: "just fuzz, level and tone knobs"5, and Guitar.com called it "the tried-and-tested trio of tone, volume and fuzz controls on offer"4.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Fuzz | Sets the amount of fuzz, from lighter breakup to full saturation |
| Tone | Shapes the character, from creamy smoothness to biting and aggressive4 |
| Level | Sets the output volume of the pedal |
The tone knob is where the modern part of the design lives. Haunted Labs calls it the pedal's secret ingredient, "a deceptively simple 'tone' knob that morphs the pedal's character and focus"2. Delicious Audio echoed that, describing a versatile tone knob that can take the pedal from vintage sounding to gnarly3. Guitar.com's reviewer described the same sweep in playing terms: the tone knob can move the sound from creamy smoothness to a more biting, aggressive tone4.
For a player, that means one knob does the work that vintage fuzz owners often get from amp EQ, guitar tone controls, or circuit mods. Rolled one way the pedal leans toward the warmer, rounder vintage silicon sound; rolled the other it gets sharper and more cutting34.
Power, bypass and size
The Scorched Earth runs on standard 9V DC power14. The power supply is not included, and there is no battery compartment, so an external supply is required from day one2.
No battery compartment. The Scorched Earth needs a 9V DC power supply, which is not included with the pedal2.
The pedal is true bypass, so with the effect switched off your signal passes through unprocessed2. At 4.58" long by 3.58" wide by 1.95" high2, it is a standard-size stompbox rather than a mini enclosure, so plan pedalboard space accordingly.
Availability at launch
At launch, MusicRadar reported the pedal was available immediately through Haunted Labs1, while Guitar.com reported it was available to preorder with shipping expected in mid-November 20194. The two reports disagree on the exact availability, but both date from the launch window. MusicRadar also gave the price outside the US as £129 in the UK and approximately €145 in the EU, alongside the $159 US price1.
Videos
Devon Blue Whitaker (Devon Blue Whitaker music)
Delicious Audio
Questions
Does the Haunted Labs Scorched Earth take a battery?
No. The Scorched Earth has no battery compartment, so it runs only on an external power supply. It takes standard 9V DC operation, and the power supply is not included with the pedal, so you need to supply your own.
Is the Scorched Earth true bypass?
Yes. Haunted Labs lists the Scorched Earth as true bypass, meaning that when the pedal is switched off the signal passes through without processing. That suits players who want the pedal out of the chain entirely when it is not in use.
What power supply does the Scorched Earth need?
It runs on standard 9V DC power. MusicRadar's launch report says it takes 9V of DC power to get it going, and Guitar.com describes it as running on standard 9V power. The supply is not included, and there is no battery option.
Where is the Haunted Labs Scorched Earth made?
The Scorched Earth is engineered and manufactured in the USA. Haunted Labs is based in North Carolina, and the company describes the pedal as completely designed in the USA using the highest quality parts available.
Sources (5)
- Something wicked this way comes . . . It's Haunted Labs' Scorched Earth Fuzz, MusicRadar, 2019-10-31
- Haunted Labs Introduces the Scorched Earth Fuzz, Premier Guitar, 2019-10-31
- Haunted Labs Scorched Earth Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2020-09-18
- Haunted Labs’ Scorched Earth fuzz pedal has a “fiery core”, Guitar.com, 2019-11-01
- Haunted Labs' Scorched Earth offers fuzz tones "like mainlining hot magma into your bloodstream", Guitar World, 2019-10-31
