The kittycasterFX Groovy Wizard Fuzz Driver is a two-transistor fuzz pedal that covers a wider range than its name suggests: Guitar World's reviewer Trevor Curwen described its range as running "from clean boost territory to crunchy drive with a fuzzy harmonic edge, through to a satisfyingly fat, full-on sustain-y fuzz"1. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio put it another way: "The wide ranging controls go from boost to amp-like touch-sensitive overdrive all the way to raging fuzz!"2
The pedal arrived in a "super-cool retro wedge enclosure", as Guitar World's Jonathan Horsley put it when the company launched in April 2022, priced at $2993. It sits in the fuzz family but reaches into boost and overdrive territory along the way.
A fuzz driver from cleans to fuzz
What sets the Groovy Wizard apart from a straight fuzz is how it was designed to interact with the guitar. Delicious Audio says it "was specifically designed to extend the range of your guitar's volume control - from amazing cleans, to tight overdrive" and on to fuzz2. The same page describes "Groovy Wizard's open and transparent response lets the character of your guitar and amp shine through"2. In practice, that means rolling the guitar volume back should take you from cleans through drive to full fuzz without touching the pedal.
The controls: Volume, Gain, Presence and Contour
The Groovy Wizard has four knobs. Guitar World's news report listed them as "Volume, Gain, Presence and Contour"3, and Curwen's review noted "the expected Volume and Gain knobs" among them1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Output level1 |
| Gain | Amount of drive, from boost to fuzz1 |
| Presence | Sets high frequencies2 |
| Contour | Sets low frequencies2 |
The two bottom knobs work together: Delicious Audio notes they allow "for a scooped sound when both are set at high levels"2.
Germanium and silicon in a two-transistor circuit
Under the hood, the Groovy Wizard is "a two-transistor fuzz pedal that utilises both germanium and silicon transistors", in Curwen's words1. Delicious Audio describes the combination as "a PNP germanium transistor coupled with an NPN silicon transistor"2.
The circuit's lineage points to the 1960s. Delicious Audio says it is "Adapted and extended from a classic '60's two-transistor console preamp circuit originally associated with Jimi Hendrix", the classic two-transistor fuzz of the era famously used by Hendrix, as the pedal's graphics hint2. But the maker is explicit that this is not a copy: "the Groovy Wizard is not a mere clone, nor is it a fuzz face. The circuit was modified and voiced from the ground up"2.
Power: 9 to 18 volts
The pedal is designed to take advantage of higher voltage levels to increase headroom and dynamics, with 18-volt operation from your own power supply or two nine-volt batteries1. Guitar World's review lists the power requirement as a 9-18V DC adaptor, not supplied, or two 9V batteries, drawing 0.5 to 0.25mA1. Designer Howard Gee told the magazine that anything from five volts up to 18 will do, and that the pedal works fine on a standard nine-volt supply1.
The DC adaptor is not supplied with the pedal, and it can also run on two 9V batteries1.
Who makes it, and where
The Groovy Wizard Fuzz Driver is made by kittycasterFX, and it is priced at $2993.
kittycasterFX lists the Groovy Wizard Fuzz Driver at $2993.
What reviewers said
Guitar World's review is the main published verdict. Curwen's description of the pedal's sweep, from clean boost through crunchy drive with a fuzzy harmonic edge to a fat, sustain-y full-on fuzz, frames it as a pedal of unusually wide range for the fuzz category1. Delicious Audio's product page echoes that, describing a pedal that can deliver anything from transparent clean tones to dynamic overdrive and beyond2.
Questions
Is the Groovy Wizard a Fuzz Face clone?
No. Delicious Audio's product page states plainly that the Groovy Wizard is not a mere clone, nor is it a Fuzz Face. The circuit was modified and voiced from the ground up, adapted and extended from a classic '60s two-transistor console preamp circuit famously associated with Jimi Hendrix. It uses a PNP germanium transistor coupled with an NPN silicon transistor in a two-transistor design.
What do the Contour and Presence knobs do?
The two bottom knobs, Contour and Presence, respectively set low and high frequencies, according to Delicious Audio. Setting both at high levels allows for a scooped sound. Together with Volume and Gain, they give the pedal a four-knob layout that shapes its range from boost to fuzz.
What voltage can the Groovy Wizard take?
The pedal runs on a 9 to 18V DC adaptor, which is not supplied, or on two 9V batteries, drawing 0.5 to 0.25mA according to Guitar World. Designer Howard Gee says anything from five volts up to 18 will do. Higher voltage operation is designed to increase headroom and dynamics.
Where is the kittycasterFX Groovy Wizard made?
The Groovy Wizard is hand-made in Portland, Oregon, according to Delicious Audio's product page. Guitar World reported the pedal as US-built when kittycasterFX launched it in April 2022 alongside the Tremdriver.
Does the Groovy Wizard clean up with the guitar volume?
Yes, that is central to its design. Delicious Audio says the pedal was specifically designed to extend the range of your guitar's volume control, from amazing cleans to tight overdrive and on to fuzz, with an open and transparent response that lets the character of your guitar and amp shine through.
Who makes the Groovy Wizard Fuzz Driver?
The Groovy Wizard is made by kittycasterFX, a company formed in July 2020 by former Catalinbread designer Howard Gee with a founding team including Scott Miller, Steve Hamari, Boris Lutskovsky and Jean Mastaler. The company debuted in April 2022 with the Tremdriver and the Groovy Wizard.
Sources (3)
- KittycasterFX Tremdriver and Groovy Wizard review, Guitar World, 2023-01-11
- KittycasterFX Groovy Wizard Fuzz Driver, Delicious Audio, 2024-09-20
- Howard Gee's kittycasterFX makes its debut with Tremdriver preamp/harmonic tremolo and Groovy Wizard fuzz pedals, Guitar World, 2022-04-14
