The Jen Fuzz FZ III is a vintage fuzz pedal made by Jen in Pescara, Italy in the mid 1970s. TONEHOME describes it as "a very gnarly pedal, which can be completely saturated or crisp and tight", placing it among the Italian-made fuzzes of that era alongside the JEN Jumbo Fuzz.1
What it does
The FZ III is built around a set of two silicon BC239C transistors and one BC238B transistor, a silicon design typical of its period. TONEHOME notes that the pedal "works well driven by a boost pedal in front of and an EQ behind it in order to further shape the tone", so players looking to get more out of one can pair it with a boost pedal ahead of it and an equalization pedal after it to shape the saturated or tighter sounds the circuit produces.1
Versions and availability
The FZ III was not sold only under the Jen name. According to TONEHOME, "The FZ III has been available under different brand names (FBT, JEN, JHS and Ricken's)", so examples found secondhand may carry one of those badges rather than Jen.1
The FZ III is a mid 1970s pedal and is no longer in production. A schematic for the circuit is available as a GIF file from TONEHOME.1
Videos
Joe Perkins
Pedal Sessions
littlefury
Sources (1)
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME
