The Majik Box Bipolar Fuzz is a dual-mode fuzz pedal built around two discrete circuits, each with its own character. Majik Box describes the two sides as producing sounds ranging from the company's representation of classic fuzz to extreme fuzz, and the pedal can run either side on its own or both together for a third tone1.
What it does
The Bipolar Fuzz's two circuits are the heart of the design. Used separately, each side covers its own part of the fuzz range; used together, they combine into a third tone that neither produces alone1. That gives the pedal three basic voices from one enclosure, which is unusual among fuzz pedals, most of which offer a single circuit with tone and bias-style controls.
A Lo-Fi switch adds another layer. Majik Box says it creates additional "sputtering" and "burping," the gated, spluttering textures players often associate with dying-battery fuzz behavior1.
"The Majik Box Bipolar Fuzz is a dual-mode fuzz pedal with two discrete circuits that produce sounds ranging from the company's representation of classic fuzz to extreme fuzz."
Build and switching
The pedal is hand-wired in California and offers true-bypass operation, so the circuits drop out of the signal chain completely when it is switched off1. True bypass matters on a pedalboard with many overdrive or distortion stages, where buffered pedals can accumulate.
Related Majik Box fuzz pedals
Majik Box also makes the Fuzz Universe Custom, another fuzz in the company's range. Players comparing the company's fuzz designs can read both pages side by side.
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Questions
What is the Majik Box Bipolar Fuzz?
It is a dual-mode fuzz pedal built with two discrete circuits. Each side can be used on its own, or the two can be run together for a third tone. Majik Box describes the range as running from its representation of classic fuzz to extreme fuzz, and a Lo-Fi switch adds sputtering and burping to the sound.
What does the Lo-Fi switch do?
According to Majik Box, the Lo-Fi switch creates additional sputtering and burping in the fuzz sound. That kind of texture is a common request from players chasing dying-battery or broken-circuit fuzz character, and on the Bipolar Fuzz it is available as a switch rather than a condition of the pedal's age or power supply.
Is the Majik Box Bipolar Fuzz true bypass?
Yes. Vintage Guitar magazine's news item on the pedal states that it offers true-bypass operation, meaning the fuzz circuits are removed from the signal path entirely when the pedal is off. The pedal is also hand-wired in California.
Sources (1)
- Majik Box Releases Bipolar Fuzz, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2013-12-03
