The Hudson Electronics Blackbird is a limited edition octave fuzz pedal. Hudson Electronics describes it as "100% analogue, nasty, wild, octave fuzz," tuned to push the mids while keeping plenty of low end so it can mesh with bass as well as guitar. The maker positions it as loud and aggressive, aimed at glitchy leads, scuzzy blues riffs, psychedelic space jams and fuzzy freak-outs1.
Availability and status
The Blackbird is a discontinued, limited run. Hudson Electronics' product page now sits under its archived category, so the pedal is no longer available1. When European Musical Imports announced the pedal in September 2014 alongside the Overdrive 999 and the Buzzard, only 10 of each were available to the USA market through authorized dealers2.
With only 30 pieces built worldwide and 10 of those allocated to the US market at launch, the Blackbird rarely turns up secondhand. Hudson's archived listing means no new units exist.
Circuit and sound
Hudson Electronics traces the Blackbird's lineage to the 70s Japanese fuzz pedals from Shin-ei and Ibanez1. Premier Guitar's press release adds that it "uses the same analog octave generation method as many classic octave fuzzes from the '60s and '70s," the approach where the circuit generates the upper octave in the analog domain rather than with digital pitch tracking2.
The voicing is deliberately mid-forward. Hudson says the Blackbird was tuned to push the mids, with enough low end to sit well with a bass as well as a guitar, and describes its character as loud and aggressive1. Players looking at related circuits from the same maker can compare it with the BLUEBIRD, the FUZZ or the Full Range Bomb, and with other octave and fuzz designs on the Fuzz Pedals and Octave & Pitch Pedals pages.
Videos
Iga Massardi
GDG Isaac
Questions
Is the Hudson Electronics Blackbird still available?
No. Hudson Electronics lists the Blackbird under its archived category, meaning it is no longer available. It was a limited edition pedal from the start: 30 pieces worldwide, and when it was announced in September 2014 only 10 units were allocated to the US market through authorized dealers.
What kind of pedal is the Blackbird?
It is an octave fuzz, described by Hudson Electronics as 100% analog, nasty and wild. Premier Guitar's press release called it a 100% analog nasty, wild, octave fuzz that uses the same analog octave generation method as many classic octave fuzzes from the 1960s and 1970s.
Does the Blackbird work with bass guitar?
Hudson Electronics tuned the Blackbird to push the mids while keeping plenty of low end, which the maker says lets it mesh with bass as well as guitar. The pedal is described as loud and aggressive, suited to glitchy leads, scuzzy blues riffs, psychedelic space jams and fuzzy freak-outs.
Sources (3)
- BLACKBIRD, Hudson Electronics UK
- Hudson Electronics Launches New Pedal Lineup 2023, Premier Guitar, 2014-09-09
- Blackbird by Fantome, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
