The Hilbish Design Pessimiser is a signature distortion pedal developed with King Buzzo, frontman of the Melvins. What sets it apart from most distortion boxes is its Mix control, which blends your clean tone with the distorted tone, so you can go from completely clean to full on distortion and anything in between1. Around that core it adds a Boost gain control and a wide range 3-band active EQ, in a folded 14-gauge powder-coated steel enclosure21.
Hilbish Design unveiled the pedal in late February 2020 as its second collaboration with Buzz Osborne23. The maker's page currently lists it as "Coming Soon," with a sale price of $200.00 against an original price of $230.0014.
A distortion that blends clean and dirty tones
The Pessimiser's central idea is the parallel blend. Instead of only stacking gain on your signal, the Mix knob sets how much of the distorted tone sits alongside your clean tone. Hilbish Design describes the range plainly: "The Mix control lets you go from completely clean tones to full on distortion, and everything in between"1.
That blend is what makes the pedal usable beyond one sound. Pedal of the Day's 2021 review found it "will get you that King Buzzo sound, for sure, but can be dialed back for clean boost, slight overdrive and more, for a wide range of gorgeous, amp-driving glory"6. In other words, the same box covers boost, overdrive and full distortion territory, depending on where Boost and Mix are set.
Guitar.com reported at launch that the pedal's gain stage was based on Melvins' diverse guitar tones, spanning King Buzzo's entire career, and that the gain stage, mainly governed by the boost knob, ranges from a clean boost, to overdrive, to distortion, and begins to approach fuzz at its highest settings2.
The controls: Blast, Mix, Boost and a 3-band EQ
The control set is small but deep. Hilbish Design's own descriptions of each knob1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Blast | Volume control |
| Boost | Gain control, goes from light overdrive to over the top fuzz |
| Mix | Blend between clean and distorted tone |
| LOW | Bass boost/cut |
| MED | Middle boost/cut |
| HIGH AF | Treble boost/cut |
The EQ is a wide range 3-band active EQ with the ability to boost and cut, which Hilbish Design calls out as a feature in its own right1. Pedal of the Day's review noted the same three bands, Low, Med and High AF, each with boost and cut6.
Buzz Osborne himself pointed at the EQ when describing the pedal in a 2019 rig rundown, before the pedal had even been announced publicly: "It's a great box with a three-band EQ, and I believe it's the only distortion box that has that option"7. The active EQ is also what makes the pedal practical on instruments other than guitar, since low and mid cut can tame a bass or a synth's low end.
Power: 9V, 100mA, center negative
The Pessimiser runs on a 9V 100mA center negative supply only1.
The maker specifies a supply only, so there is no battery option, and at 100mA the pedal draws more current than many basic 9V outputs are rated for. Plan on a dedicated or well-powered output rather than sharing a low-current daisy chain.
Designed with King Buzzo of the Melvins
The Pessimiser is a collaboration pedal, developed and designed with the Melvins' King Buzzo to capture his unique distortion tones1. Guitar World described it as the second collaboration between Hilbish Design and Melvins frontman Buzz Osborne3, and Pedal of the Day likewise noted it was the second collaboration pedal they had seen from Hilbish Design6.
Buzz Osborne's own account of the project, from the 2019 rig rundown, is direct:
"Actually, I designed it with Hilbish Design, who also build my guitar amps."
The pedal is King Buzzo's signature distortion, a collaboration between Hilbish Design and Melvins frontman Buzz Osborne that Hilbish Design says was developed and designed with him to capture his distortion tones2. It was the second collaboration pedal from the maker, as Guitar.com reported at its unveiling6.
Is the Pessimiser a fuzz pedal?
No, it is a distortion pedal, though it reaches toward fuzz at its extremes. The Boost control goes from light overdrive to over the top fuzz16, and Guitar.com described the gain stage as ranging from a clean boost, to overdrive, to distortion, and beginning to approach fuzz at its highest settings2. If you want a dedicated fuzz circuit, the fuzz category covers those; the Pessimiser is better understood as a distortion with a wide gain range and a clean blend.
What reviewers said
Published coverage of the Pessimiser has been positive about its range. Pedal of the Day's review concluded that the pedal "works great on guitar, bass, synth, or as a studio effect," and that it will get you the King Buzzo sound while still dialing back to clean boost and slight overdrive6. Guitar.com and Guitar World both covered the launch as news of a notable collaboration, with Guitar.com highlighting the steel enclosure and the career-spanning gain stage23.
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Questions
Who designed the Hilbish Design Pessimiser?
The Pessimiser is a collaboration between Hilbish Design and King Buzzo, the frontman of the Melvins. Buzz Osborne says he designed it with Hilbish Design, who also build his guitar amps, and the pedal's gain stage was based on Melvins guitar tones spanning his entire career.
What does the Mix knob do on the Pessimiser?
The Mix control blends between your clean tone and the distorted tone. Hilbish Design says it lets you go from completely clean tones to full on distortion, and everything in between, so you can keep some of your original signal in the sound at any gain setting.
Can the Pessimiser be used with bass or synth?
Yes. Hilbish Design says to use it on guitar, bass, synth, or as a studio effect, and Pedal of the Day's review found the same. The 3-band active EQ with boost and cut on low, mid and treble helps it sit well on instruments other than guitar.
Does the Pessimiser run on a battery?
No. The Pessimiser takes a 9V 100mA center negative supply only, according to Hilbish Design, so it needs a power supply rather than a battery. Its 100mA current draw is also more than a basic daisy chain output may comfortably share.
Is the Pessimiser a fuzz pedal?
It is a distortion pedal, not a fuzz. The Boost gain control goes from light overdrive to over the top fuzz at the extreme settings, and Guitar.com describes the gain stage as ranging from clean boost through overdrive and distortion, approaching fuzz at its highest settings.
Sources (7)
- Pessimiser, Hilbish Design
- Hilbish Design unveils King Buzzo’s signature distortion, the Pessimiser, Guitar.com, 2020-02-26
- Melvins' King Buzzo and Hilbish Design bring the noise with new Pessimiser distortion pedal, Guitar World, 2020-03-04
- Deathimizer, Hilbish Design
- T-Fuzz - Hilbish Design, Hilbish Design
- Hilbish Design Pessimiser King Buzzo Distortion, Pedal of the Day, 2021-02-22
- Buzz Osborne, Stompbox Book (stompboxbook.com), 2019-09-01
Buzz Osborne