The Majik Box Paul Gilbert Fuzz Universe Custom is a clean boost and an overdrive pedal in one box, built by Majik Box for guitarist Paul Gilbert. Despite the name, it is not a fuzz pedal: Vintage Guitar put it plainly, calling it "a separate clean boost and an overdrive pedal in one box"1. It grew out of the standard Majik Box Paul Gilbert Fuzz Universe, which Majik Box developed for Gilbert and which Vintage Guitar called the maker's most popular offering1.
The Custom version exists for a specific reason. At Gilbert's request, Majik Box created it to reduce the usual pop and click heard when engaging a true bypass pedal, adding what the company calls a Quiet Click circuit1.
A clean boost and an overdrive in one box
The Fuzz Universe line started as a pedal developed for Gilbert by Majik Box, with a label designed by Gilbert himself3. Premier Guitar described the original as an overdrive with a built-in boost channel, "a little more complex than your average overdrive"2.
The Custom carries the same idea further. Its circuit combines Majik Box's Venom Boost with a modified Majik Box Body Blow, with the Body Blow side set to Gilbert's favorite settings: Modern voicing and a bassier low-cut, plus a custom modification12. For a player, that means two independent gain stages you can stack or run alone, one clean and one dirty.
The enclosure is a powder-coated aluminum chassis with Carling footswitches3, and the Custom's graphics are black on white, with a purple planet Saturn and Gilbert's autograph on the backside1.
The controls
Both channels have their own switching and volume control, so the boost and the overdrive can each be engaged on its own12.
| Control | Location | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Thrust 2 knob | Upper left | Chicken-head knob controlling the volume for the clean boost12 |
| Thrust 2 On/Off switch | Lower left | Engages the clean boost1 |
| Thrust 1 knob | Top row | Controls the volume of the overdrive channel12 |
| Thrust 1 On/Off switch | Lower right | Engages the overdrive channel2 |
| Drive knob | Top row | Controls the level of gain12 |
| Tone knob | Top row | Controls the EQ12 |
Inputs and outputs reside on each side of the unit12.
Power and connections
Powering the pedal up requires a center negative-tip adapter, and the 9-volt battery must be removed when using an AC adapter1. That is worth knowing before you build it into a pedalboard: leaving the battery in while running the adapter is not how the pedal is meant to be used.
The Fuzz Universe Custom uses a center negative-tip adapter, and the 9-volt battery must be removed when an AC adapter is connected1.
What the reviewers said
Vintage Guitar reviewed the Fuzz Universe Custom in its October 2013 issue and found it excels with a dirty amp, "producing rugged sounds with singing clarity"1. With a slightly dirty amp, the reviewer found the lead tones matched those on Gilbert's Fuzz Universe album, and described the pedal's character as smooth warmth, never harsh or heavy-metal sounding, with a tight and organic signal1.
Premier Guitar's reviewer, testing the original Fuzz Universe with a dirty Peavey JSX amp, found "the Fuzz Universe exudes all the tight and beefy smoothness that you hear in Paul's lead tones," with a bigger, focused dirty signal, singing articulation for single-note shredding, and fat power chords2. The same reviewer also found ultra smooth sounding gain, long-term sustain, and Santana-like overtones2.
The caveat from Premier Guitar: the pedal has a distinct ceiling with a cleaner amp. Even with the Drive maxed, the reviewer could not achieve nastier tones on a clean amp, so players after heavier distortion sounds will hit a limit2.
"The Fuzz Universe Custom is not a fuzz pedal, but a separate clean boost and an overdrive pedal in one box."
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Questions
Who designed the Majik Box Paul Gilbert Fuzz Universe?
The pedal was developed for Paul Gilbert by Majik Box, and the label was designed by Gilbert himself. The Custom version was created at Gilbert's request to reduce the pop and click heard when engaging a true bypass pedal.
Which Majik Box pedals is the Fuzz Universe Custom based on?
The circuit combines Majik Box's Venom Boost with a modified Majik Box Body Blow. The Body Blow side is set to Gilbert's favorite settings, Modern voicing and a bassier low-cut, plus a custom modification.
Can the boost and overdrive be used separately?
Yes. The Fuzz Universe Custom is a separate clean boost and an overdrive pedal in one box. Each channel has its own On/Off switch, so you can run the boost, the overdrive, or both together.
Does the Fuzz Universe Custom run on a battery?
It takes a 9-volt battery, but the battery must be removed when you power the pedal with an AC adapter. The adapter is a center negative-tip type.
What does the Quiet Click circuit do?
At Paul Gilbert's request, Majik Box created the Fuzz Universe Custom with a Quiet Click circuit to reduce the usual pop and click sound heard when engaging a true bypass pedal.
Is the Fuzz Universe Custom a fuzz pedal?
No. Despite the name, Vintage Guitar described it as a separate clean boost and an overdrive pedal in one box, and Premier Guitar noted the Fuzz Universe is not really a fuzz pedal.
Sources (3)
- Majik Box Paul Gilbert Fuzz Universe Custom, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2015-12-23
- Majik Box Paul Gilbert Fuzz Universe Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2010-12-16
- Majik Box Offers Custom Paul Gilbert Fuzz Universe, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2012-10-17
