The Lerxst Amps Snow Dog Octave Fuzz is a dual octave fuzz pedal designed with Alex Lifeson of Rush, part of the Lerxst line the guitarist built with Mojotone. It takes a thick wall of fuzz and layers an octave sound on top of it in classic style, with separate footswitches for each half so you can run the fuzz alone, the octave alone, or both together1.
What sets it apart from most octave fuzzes is a mini-toggle that changes the order of the two sections in the signal chain, so you can put the fuzz first or the octave first, and the two orders produce distinctly different octave fuzz sounds21. Lerxst launched it on April 4, 2024 as a limited edition of 500 units priced at $295, sold exclusively through Reverb34.
A silicon octave fuzz with a switchable order
The Snow Dog builds on a beloved silicon octave fuzz circuit from the early 1970s, updated for the needs of the modern player2. MusicRadar describes the circuit as a 1970s-style silicon fuzz with a wide sweep of gain3. The fuzz section has a wide gain range, running from subtly satisfying vintage fuzz sounds to thick sustain that can be dialed from pleasantly muffled to screaming leads with the turn of the tone knob2.
The octave half combines multiple semitones to create what Lerxst calls the pedal's "signature upper octave sheen"4. With the fuzz disengaged, the octave circuit can give quasi-synth tones, and without the fuzz it adds subtle synthy textures along with a slight gain boost34.
The order toggle is the pedal's distinguishing feature. Just like the companion By-Tor pedal, the order of the two sections can be changed via the toggle, resulting in two distinctly different octave fuzz sounds2. Guitar.com's reviewer Eric Dahl found a clear preference between them:
"My personal preference on this was to go fuzz first and the octave second as it opens up the sound a little more while the other way can feel a bit more compressed"
The controls
The Snow Dog is a dual-switch pedal, with one footswitch for the fuzz side and one for the octave side, sharing the same two-in-one configuration as the By-Tor31. Each side has its own control set:
| Control | Side | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Level | Fuzz | Sets the fuzz section's output level1 |
| Tone | Fuzz | Dials the fuzz from pleasantly muffled to screaming leads2 |
| Gain | Fuzz | Sets the fuzz gain, with a wide range up to scorching output24 |
| Level | Octave | Sets the octave section's output level31 |
| Gain | Octave | Sets the octave section's gain31 |
| Mini-toggle | Both | Chooses whether fuzz or octave comes first in the chain1 |
Because the two footswitches are independent, the fuzz can run on its own as a straight silicon fuzz, and the octave can run on its own for those quasi-synth tones34.
Origins and the Alex Lifeson collaboration
Lerxst is a collaborative endeavor between Alex Lifeson and Mojotone, the amp and effects company, and the Snow Dog is the Rush guitarist's latest signature pedal31. The name and the pairing are a Rush reference: the Snow Dog is the companion pedal to the Lerxst By-Tor, and the two pedals combine to reference the 1975 Rush track "By-Tor and The Snow Dog"1. The By-Tor, an overdrive and boost pedal, was the second announcement from Lifeson and his collaborators at Mojotone when it arrived in late 20235.
The Snow Dog launched on April 4, 2024 as a limited edition. Only 500 units were made, available exclusively via Reverb, and each included a tour pass signed by Lifeson himself34. It was priced at $295 and available while stocks lasted34.
The Snow Dog was a Reverb-exclusive at launch and, unlike the By-Tor, was not available on the Lerxst website as of August 2024, so it can be hard to find on the secondhand market1.
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Questions
Who designed the Lerxst Snow Dog with Lerxst Amps?
The Snow Dog is an Alex Lifeson signature pedal. Lerxst is a collaborative endeavor between Lifeson, the Rush guitarist, and Mojotone, and the pedal was designed with Lifeson as part of that partnership. It launched in April 2024 as a limited edition.
What circuit is the Snow Dog based on?
The circuit builds on a beloved silicon octave fuzz from the early 1970s, updated for the needs of the modern player. MusicRadar describes it as a 1970s-style silicon fuzz with a wide sweep of gain, with an octave section layered on top.
What does the toggle switch on the Snow Dog do?
The mini-toggle changes the order of the two sections, so you can run fuzz into octave or octave into fuzz. The two orders give distinctly different octave fuzz sounds, and reviewers found fuzz first opens the sound up while the reverse feels more compressed.
Is the Lerxst Snow Dog a limited edition?
Yes. Only 500 units were made, sold exclusively through Reverb, and each included a tour pass signed by Alex Lifeson. By August 2024 it was hard to find and was not listed on the Lerxst website, unlike the companion By-Tor pedal.
How much did the Snow Dog cost at launch?
The Snow Dog was priced at $295 when Lerxst announced it on April 4, 2024. It was available exclusively through Reverb while stocks lasted, with the run limited to 500 units.
Sources (5)
- Lerxst Snow Dog review, Guitar.com, 2024-08-12
- Lerxst Amps Snow Dog Octave Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2024-06-02
- “My introduction to fuzz was before I had any on my face”: Alex Lifeson takes his pedalboard journey back to the start with Lerxst's The Snow Dog, MusicRadar, 2024-04-04
- Lerxst’s new Snow Dog pedal “revisits the early part of Alex’s tone journey”, Guitar.com, 2024-04-04
- Alex Lifeson launches his first pedal, Guitar World, 2023-12-07
