The Horrothia FX Lutz Fuzz is a fuzz pedal built around a two-transistor fuzz circuit, with a footswitchable transistor input boost and buffer stage in front of it. Delicious Audio describes it as offering "a modern twist on vintage-style fuzz", and the extra switching gives it a range of sounds well beyond a basic two-knob fuzz1.
A two-transistor fuzz with a switchable boost
At its core the Lutz is a two-transistor fuzz, a simple and long-established circuit approach. What sets it apart is the footswitchable transistor input boost and buffer stage: switching the Buffer On engages the buffer as a boost before the fuzz, adding more gain and sustain2.
The pedal carries three footswitches. Alongside the main bypass switch, which Horrothia describes as a military-grade "arcade style" footswitch, there is one for the extra gain stage and one for self-oscillation1. Delicious Audio's buying guide entry sums up the layout as "A modern twist on vintage-style fuzz with footswitches for extra gain stage and self-oscillation"3.
Controls and tone shaping
The Lutz piles tone-shaping options on top of the basic fuzz circuit:
- Bias: sets the voltage bias of the fuzz stage. Pedal of the Day suggests starting around 50% and using it to dial in how broken-up or distressed the tone is2.
- Voltage Sag: lowers the voltage and current fed to the circuit, simulating a dying battery, rolling off the top end and providing compression and squash2.
- Two 12-way high-pass filter switches: one before the fuzz and one after it, giving a 144-way filter matrix to hone in on a tone2.
- Two curly cable switches: on/off/on switches on the top edge that simulate the added dulling capacitance of a curly cable. The left switch simulates a shorter cable, the right a longer one, and the center position is off2.
- Cap Defeat footswitch: takes the power capacitor out of circuit, allowing the fuzz to self-oscillate at some settings, which can be used to dial in a drone note or for sonic experimentation2.
The Cap Defeat footswitch is not a sound-on-sound effect in the usual sense: it changes the circuit itself, and at some settings the pedal will self-oscillate until it is switched back2.
Power and bypass
The Lutz Fuzz runs on 9V from a center negative 2.1mm DC jack, the standard pedal PSU connector, so it will run from a typical pedalboard supply2. Bypassing is handled by a quiet relay bypass, which Pedal of the Day notes in its review2.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day's reviewer came away impressed by the pedal's range: "Not your run-of-the-mill fuzz pedal here, kiddos, this one has a huge range of sound, a couple surprises", adding that it includes "even a feature I've never seen before on any other pedal"2.
Delicious Audio added the Lutz to its article on the best crazy, weird and unusual fuzz pedals, and reported that the limited edition pedal sold out within hours of release, suggesting it may reappear on the used market or in a new batch1.
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Questions
Does the Horrothia Lutz Fuzz have true bypass?
Pedal of the Day's review describes the Lutz as having a quiet relay bypass, so the pedal switches with a relay rather than a simple mechanical switch. Horrothia's own product page describes the main bypass footswitch as a military-grade, arcade style footswitch, with two further footswitches alongside it for the extra gain stage and self-oscillation.
What power supply does the Lutz Fuzz need?
The Lutz Fuzz runs on 9V from a centre negative 2.1mm DC jack, which Pedal of the Day notes is the standard pedal PSU connector. Any standard centre negative 9V supply will suit it.
What do the curly cable switches do?
The Lutz has two on/off/on switches on its top edge that simulate the dulling capacitance a curly cable adds to a signal. The left switch simulates a shorter curly cable, the right a longer one, and the centre position turns the effect off.
What does the Voltage Sag control do?
Voltage Sag lowers the voltage and current fed to the fuzz circuit. Pedal of the Day describes it as simulating a dying battery, rolling off the top end and providing compression and squash.
What does the Cap Defeat footswitch do?
The Cap Defeat footswitch takes the power capacitor out of the circuit, which lets the fuzz self-oscillate at some settings. Players use it to dial in a drone note or for sonic experimentation.
How do the high-pass filter switches work on the Lutz Fuzz?
There are two 12-way high-pass filter switches, one placed before the fuzz circuit and one after it. Together they give a 144-way filter matrix for honing in on a tone.
Sources (3)
- Horrotia Lutz Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2024-11-14
- Horrothia FX Lutz Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2025-05-31
- The Best Crazy, Weird, And Unusual Fuzz Pedals In 2024, Delicious Audio, 2024-10-24
