The Heavy Electronics Grind Fuzz is an analog fuzz and overdrive hybrid, a discrete circuit that the maker describes as creating "a massive result that boasts plenty of fuzz and sustain but allows tighter d[efinition]". At full gain it delivers what RockBoard's PedalPedia calls thundering fuzz drive, while at low gain it keeps warm, sweet nuances, and it is described as especially transparent and fair-handed to guitars, with excellent impedance response when paired with wah pedals1. For players torn between a fuzz and an overdrive, it sits deliberately in both camps.
How it works
Two features set the Grind Fuzz apart from a straightforward fuzz box.
The Swell function. Swell adds high-end gain and harmonics, and at high gain settings it becomes dynamic-compressive, responding to how hard the strings are attacked. At full gain, RockBoard's PedalPedia says the effect "can often sound like a slowly moving EQ (dark to bright) triggered each time you strike the strings", a sweeping quality that changes with each pick attack rather than sitting static under the notes1.
The side-adjust voltage pot. On the side of the enclosure sits a voltage pot that can be adjusted with a pick to drop the voltage and sag the entire circuit itself. Starving a fuzz circuit of voltage is a long-standing trick for looser, dying-battery character, and here it is built in as a control. RockBoard's PedalPedia notes that in extreme use "the pedal can become almost gated and unpredictable", which some players will treat as a feature for spiky, gated textures rather than a drawback1.
Power
The Grind Fuzz runs on 9V DC, center negative, and draws 3.5mA1. That is a very light load by pedal standards, so it fits comfortably on any regulated supply or daisy chain alongside the rest of a board.
Who uses it
In a 2024 video rig rundown for KEN mode guitarist Jesse Matthewson ahead of ArcTanGent 2024, MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley noted the Grind Fuzz is "one that Matthewson only uses as a pinch-hitter for bass", and that it did not travel with him to the festival2. So while the pedal is built around guitar, it has seen real bass duty, if only as a stand-in.
Videos
HeavyElectronics
Prymaxe
Curtis Kent
Questions
Is the Heavy Electronics Grind Fuzz analog or digital?
The Grind Fuzz is an analog pedal. RockBoard's PedalPedia listing for the pedal gives its circuit type as analog, which matters for players who build their board around analog signal paths or who want the response of a discrete transistor-based fuzz and overdrive circuit rather than a digital model.
What power supply does the Grind Fuzz need?
The Grind Fuzz runs on 9V DC with a center negative plug, the standard pedal supply format, and draws 3.5mA. That low current draw means almost any regulated pedal power supply output or daisy chain can run it alongside other pedals without trouble.
What does the Swell function do on the Grind Fuzz?
The Swell function adds high-end gain and harmonics, and at high gain settings it becomes dynamic-compressive. At full gain, the maker says the effect can often sound like a slowly moving EQ, dark to bright, triggered each time you strike the strings.
What does the side-adjust voltage pot do?
The side-adjust voltage pot can be adjusted with a pick to drop the voltage and sag the entire circuit itself. In extreme use, the maker says the pedal can become almost gated and unpredictable, which players can use as a texture rather than a fault.
Can the Grind Fuzz be used with bass?
It can, though apparently not as a first choice. In a 2024 MusicRadar rig rundown, Jesse Matthewson of KEN mode was shown with the pedal, and the report says he only uses it as a pinch-hitter for bass, and that it did not travel with him to ArcTanGent 2024.