The Ibanez 850 Fuzz Mini is a fuzz pedal from Ibanez that packs the Ibanez OD850 reissue circuit into a mini enclosure. MusicRadar describes it as "an adorable mini version of its recent reissue of the classic distortion box, the Ibanez OD850"1. The pedal was launched in 2017, ahead of the Winter NAMM show that year2, and has since been discontinued: as of June 2024, Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson found it no longer listed on the Ibanez website and marked it "Discontinued!"3.
What it is based on
The 850 Fuzz Mini carries the circuit of the OD850. TONEHOME describes the OD-850 as "actually a thick, organic fuzz based on the Ram's Head Big Muff circuit"41. MusicRadar traces the lineage further: "Originally a re-badged Maxon clone of a 1973 'violet' era Ram's Head Big Muff made for Ibanez with a couple of tweaks"1. In other words, the pedal belongs to the family of Big Muff-style fuzzes, in the same broad territory as the Ibanez FZMINI and other compact Muff-inspired designs cataloged by Guitar Pedal X3.
The original OD850 dates back to the 1970s. Gearnews called the reissue "A reissue of a popular '70s fuzz guitar pedal"5, and TONEHOME lists the OD-850 as rare today, with five narrow box versions having been available, the last of them from 1980 with a block logo and no power jack64. The original is now described by MusicRadar as "a collector's piece"1.
Controls and power
The pedal follows the classic three-knob Big Muff control layout. Guitar Pedal X describes the topology as "Variously labelled : Volume / Level | Tone | Sustain / Drive"3.
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Volume / Level | Output level |
| Tone | Tone shaping |
| Sustain / Drive | Amount of fuzz |
Because the enclosure is a mini pedal, there is no room for a battery. Gearnews noted at launch: "you'll need to power it from an external power supply, as it is too small to squeeze a battery in"2. MusicRadar confirms "it has modern features like a centre negative powerjack as well"1, so it runs from a standard pedalboard supply.
No battery: the mini enclosure only accepts an external power supply with a center negative plug2.
From the OD850 to discontinued
Kit Rae's history of Big Muff clones lists the pedal as the "OD-850 Fuzz Mini - (2017) OD-850 reissue in a mini sized enclosure"7, placing it squarely as a shrunk-down OD850 rather than a new design. Gearnews reported it as one of two dinky pedals Ibanez launched ahead of Winter NAMM 2017, alongside the Bigmini tuner21.
The pedal's run ended by mid-2024. The dated record shows that on 2024-06-21, the author found the Ibanez 850 no longer listed on the Ibanez website and therefore no longer being manufactured3.
What reviewers said
MusicRadar's review was warm on both looks and sound: "The matt orange is gorgeous and the sounds are to die for." The same review summed up its character with "Dime the sustain and disappear for days," and gave the overall verdict "Small but mighty!"1.
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Questions
Is the Ibanez 850 Fuzz Mini discontinued?
Yes. As of June 2024, Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson reported the pedal as discontinued, noting that it no longer appeared on the Ibanez website and was therefore no longer being manufactured. Players looking for one now are generally into the secondhand market.
Can the Ibanez 850 Fuzz Mini run on a battery?
No. The enclosure is too small to hold a battery, so the pedal has to be powered from an external supply. It takes a centre negative power jack, the same standard as most modern pedalboard power supplies.
What is the Ibanez 850 Fuzz Mini based on?
The circuit goes back to the Ibanez OD850, which TONEHOME describes as a thick, organic fuzz based on the Ram's Head Big Muff circuit. MusicRadar describes the original as a re-badged Maxon clone of a 1973 'violet' era Ram's Head Big Muff made for Ibanez with a couple of tweaks.
Where is the Ibanez 850 Fuzz Mini made?
Japan. Gearnews reported the pedal as Made in Japan in its coverage of the 2017 launch.
What did the Ibanez 850 Fuzz Mini cost?
Guitar Pedal X listed it at $89 USD. At the time of the 2017 launch, Gearnews reported a price of about 100 Euros.
Is the 850 Fuzz Mini the same as the OD850?
It is a mini-sized version of the OD850 reissue rather than a different circuit. Kit Rae describes it as the OD-850 reissue in a mini sized enclosure, and MusicRadar calls it a mini version of Ibanez's reissue of the classic distortion box.
Sources (7)
- Ibanez 850 Fuzz Mini review, MusicRadar, 2017-07-23
- Ibanez scale it down with 850 Fuzz Mini and BIGMINI Tuner pedals, gearnews.com, 2017-01-04
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-06-21
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME, 1980
- Ibanez reissues OD850 Overdrive for some '70s orange fuzz, gearnews.com, 2016-10-06
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME
- The Big Muff History, www.kitrae.net, 2017-01
