KHDK Unicorn Blood

The KHDK Unicorn Blood is a limited edition octave fuzz pedal from KHDK, released in 2018 as a 100-piece series, with each pedal handwired in KHDK's custom shop¹. The circuit uses discrete transistors and germanium diodes, which KHDK credits for what it calls an authentic vintage fuzz tone, and the pedal carries a switchable octave mode on its own footswitch¹. KHDK describes it as "vintage-voiced yet modern," bringing what it calls the best tones of the 60s and 70s into the modern day¹.

What it does: germanium-diode fuzz with a switchable octave

The Unicorn Blood is two effects in one box: a fuzz circuit and an octave-up that you can switch in with a second footswitch. Gearnews noted there is a separate footswitch for each of the two effect channels, so you can bring the octave in and out on its own while the fuzz stays on⁴. Delicious Audio described it at launch as a limited series octave fuzz delivering an authentic vintage fuzz tone through its discrete transistors and germanium diodes, with three tone-affecting toggle switches alongside the knobs⁵.

Germanium diodes clip the signal differently than the silicon diodes in many later fuzz designs, and KHDK's choice of them plus discrete transistors is what it points to for the vintage character¹. Pedal of the Day, reviewing the second version of the pedal, summed up the family's sound as "vintage-voiced yet modern, this octave fuzz brings the best tones of the 60s and 70s into the modern day"⁶.

KHDK's own product page leans on the coffee theme hard, calling the pedal "a fuzz pedal like no other: trippy, hyper-versatile, a true miracle worker"¹. Take that as maker's voice rather than a neutral description; the circuit is a germanium-diode fuzz with a footswitchable octave and a full EQ section.

Controls and the Octatone knob

The control set mixes standard fuzz controls with EQ shaping and a dedicated octave tone control. KHDK's page gives the function of each one¹:

The Octatone knob is the control that matters most for the octave side of the pedal. High octave effects can get harsh and shrill, and Octatone works like a preset tone roll-off for the octave mode: you set it once, and it takes effect when you stomp the octave footswitch¹. Pedal of the Day put it the same way in its review of the Unicorn Blood II: "Once you activate the Octave footswitch, the Octatone control acts like the tone knob on your guitar"⁶.

KHDK also gives pickup guidance for the octave circuit: it works best with a neck pickup and the guitar's tone control set to low⁷. That matches how most octave-up fuzzes behave, since a hot, bright bridge pickup tends to push the octave into tracking problems and harshness.

Versions: Unicorn Blood and Unicorn Blood II

The original Unicorn Blood was limited to 100 pieces worldwide and, as Pedal of the Day put it, "became an instant collector's item"⁶. KHDK lists it as sold out⁷.

The Unicorn Blood II followed in 2020 as another limited edition. KHDK calls it "a space-themed brother to the original Unicorn Blood," covered in cosmic glitter, with what the maker describes as an even tighter fuzz plus modern features like true bypass, Octatone and additional EQ controls⁷. It carried a list price of $229.99 and shipped from KHDK's US shop⁷. Pedal of the Day reviewed it in June 2021 and found the versatility held up across styles: "From straightforward rock to doom-y, stoner metal to all-out walls of octave-laden fuzz, the versatility shines through"⁶.

Where it came from and what reviewers said

Delicious Audio's launch coverage emphasized the handwired construction and the three tone-affecting toggle switches as the features setting it apart from a plain vintage fuzz⁵.

Videos

Click to load

Click to load

Click to load

Questions