JPTR FX Deluxe Warlow

The JPTR FX Deluxe Warlow is a limited-run fuzz pedal from German boutique builder JPTR FX. It takes the company's Warlow circuit and adds the octave-up section from another JPTR FX pedal, the Katastrophe, inside the same box. JPTR FX describes the result as "That crushing doom fuzz. That wild upper-octave bite. That sweet, sweet chaos," aimed at players who want thick walls of sludge or sizzling octave harmonics from one pedal¹.

The pedal is sold on pre-order, and JPTR FX states that only 100 units will be made¹. Like other JPTR FX products, it is ordered directly from the manufacturer and built in batches, so shipping follows the build schedule rather than stock on hand².

A doom fuzz with an octave-up circuit built in

The Deluxe Warlow is an upgraded version of the Warlow. JPTR FX's own words for the change: "We've taken the most beloved feature of the Katastrophe and baked it straight into an upgraded version of the Warlow"¹. In practice that means the fuzz signal can carry a second voice an octave above the fundamental, the kind of upper-register shriek associated with octave fuzzes, layered over the low, sludgy base tone.

The octave section is not set from the outside of the pedal. JPTR FX fits internal trimpots for BLEND, BASS and OCTUP, so the mix between fuzz and octave, the low-end response and the strength of the upper octave are all set by opening the enclosure and turning the trimmers¹. Players who want to change the balance at a gig without tools should note that before ordering.

The maker's description of the sound, in its own words:

The original Warlow

To understand what the Deluxe adds, it helps to know what the Warlow itself is. JPTR FX calls it "a premium-quality OP Amp 'Big Muff' pedal," an op-amp based take on the Big Muff circuit²³. Delicious Audio, which added the pedal to its guide to Big Muff-style fuzzes in June 2023, describes it as the builder's "take and dedicated interpretation of an op-amp based, Pi-style fuzzstortion/distortiofuzz," built with high-grade Burr-Brown chips and germanium clipping diodes that "bring about a very pronounced low end"³.

The current Warlow carries a Gate switch that, in the maker's words, "puts the circuit into a ugly, snarling gated fuzz for even nastier textures," plus a filter section that combines classic and "Proco Rat" filters⁴. Pedal of the Day's February 2024 review described it as "a premium-quality OP Amp Big Muff pedal that has been painstakingly rebuilt to deliver an even bigger, wider" sound, and noted a limited pink color release at the time⁵. The pedal ships via DDP (UPS/DHL) with no additional customs duties or hidden fees⁴.

The Warlow family and the limited runs

The Warlow has appeared in several forms, most of them in small numbers. The Deluxe sits at the end of a line that includes a compact version, a blackened special edition, a bare circuit board for DIY builders and anniversary editions⁶⁷².

The earliest version has its own collector story. Only 50 units of the original Warlow Version One were ever built, and JPTR FX describes them as "highly sought-after collector's items packed with high-grade boutique parts." The DIY PCB release reproduced that first circuit for home builders, with the maker recommending Burr-Brown chips alongside TAD or other high-grade boutique parts for the build⁶.

The TRVE WARLOW LIMITED 50, a handmade edition "sealed with blackened intent," brought "the same monstrous fuzz" in a black-metal-themed finish and sold out⁷. The 10th Anniversary edition marked "10 years of noise" for the company with a run of 20 pedals in Analog Magenta².

Ordering, upgrades and price

The Deluxe Warlow is a pre-order item at £129.00, with taxes included in the price¹. JPTR FX sells directly rather than through dealers, and builds every model in batches, so the wait depends on where an order falls in the build queue²⁸.

For US buyers, the price is listed in pounds sterling as stated by the maker; the Warlow line ships via DDP (UPS/DHL) with no additional customs duties or hidden fees⁴.

Videos

Click to load

Click to load

Click to load

Questions