The Mad Professor Fire Red Fuzz is an analog fuzz pedal made by Mad Professor, a Finnish builder whose range also includes overdrives and distortions such as the SIMBLE and the Mighty Red Distortion. It runs on silicon transistors rather than germanium, and it is not a clone: the RockBoard PedalPedia entry calls it "not another variation of a classic fuzz design but a unique pedal with its own character and extremely versatile Tone control"1.
The pedal's character comes largely from that Tone knob. Mad Professor describes the fuzz itself as having "a compressed, deep effect to allow equal sustain throughout the fretboard"1, and the Tone control was designed to move from mellow fuzz, through a slight mid cut, to a thin, bright fuzz1. Premier Guitar's reviewer called the silicon circuit "quite the chameleon, all thanks to an understated Tone control"2.
Controls and how to set it
The three knobs are Volume, Tone, and Fuzz. The Tone control is the one that changes the pedal's whole personality:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the output level |
| Tone | Sweeps from mellow liquid fuzz counterclockwise, through a slight mid cut at 12 o'clock, to a thinner, raspy fuzz clockwise3 |
| Fuzz | Sets the amount of fuzz |
MusicRadar's review describes the Tone sweep in detail: "the tone control produces that mellow liquid fuzz in the anticlockwise position, cutting the mids slightly at 12 o'clock and then producing a thinner, raspy fuzz at the clockwise end"3.
For players chasing a big, thick sound, Premier Guitar's demo used two settings worth trying:
- Deep, thick wall of fuzz: Volume at 10:00, Tone at 9:00, Fuzz at 4:002
- Biting lead fuzz: Volume at 10:00, Tone at 4:00, Fuzz at 1:302
The demo was recorded with an Ampeg AMG100 and a modified Epiphone Valve Junior stack with an Eminence Red Coat 12" speaker, through a Shure SM57 into a ProSonus Audiobox interface2.
Build and appearance
The pedal sits in what Premier Guitar called "a (heavily built) fire engine red box", noting it "would be exceptionally easy to identify on a dark stage"2. Mad Professor also builds a Hand-Wired Fire Red Fuzz version for players comparing the two.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's reviewer was positive about the pedal's range: "this pedal has to be one of the most versatile fuzzes I've played with, and I frequently found myself clicking it on, even with an array of other fuzzes and ODs at my feet"2.
"this pedal has to be one of the most versatile fuzzes I've played with, and I frequently found myself clicking it on, even with an array of other fuzzes and ODs at my feet."
Power and placement
At 2.5mA on 9V DC center negative, the Fire Red Fuzz draws little current, so it fits easily on a shared pedalboard supply1. Players comparing it against other gain pedals in the Mad Professor line can also look at the Stone Gray Distortion or the broader distortion pedals category.
Videos
ProGuitarShopDemos
Mad Professor Amplification
Mad Professor Amplification
Questions
What settings get a thick wall of fuzz from the Fire Red Fuzz?
In Premier Guitar's demo, a deep, thick wall of fuzz came from Volume at 10:00, Tone at 9:00, and Fuzz at 4:00. The same review also used Volume at 10:00, Tone at 4:00, and Fuzz at 1:30 for a biting lead fuzz tone, so the Tone knob does much of the shaping between those two sounds.
Is the Mad Professor Fire Red Fuzz based on a Fuzz Face or Big Muff?
No. The RockBoard PedalPedia entry describes it as not another variation of a classic fuzz design but a unique pedal with its own character. Premier Guitar likewise treats it as a silicon circuit with its own voice rather than a copy of a vintage design.
How much current does the Fire Red Fuzz draw?
It draws 2.5mA, running on 9V DC with a center negative plug. That is a light draw, so it shares a pedalboard power supply easily.
Where is the Mad Professor Fire Red Fuzz made?
Mad Professor is based in Finland, and Premier Guitar's review describes the Fire Red Fuzz as hailing from Finland's taiga forests and icy climes. The company also makes a wide range of overdrive and distortion pedals.
Sources (3)
- Fire Red Fuzz by Mad Professor, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Mad Professor Fire Red Fuzz Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2008-10-15
- Mad Professor Fire Red Fuzz review, MusicRadar, 2010-08-26
