The Malekko B:Assmaster from Malekko Heavy Industry is a hand-built clone of the Maestro Bass Brassmaster harmonic octave fuzz, an octave fuzz pedal aimed at bassists that, per Delicious Audio, performs equally well on guitars1. The original Maestro Brassmaster produced what BLAMMO! Electronics, who make their own take on the circuit, describe as "raw octave-up fuzz tones with glitchy expressive artifacts that could be blended against the original guitar signal"2. Malekko's version supplies the same classic fuzz tones as the original in a modern, rugged, and reliable package, and delivers the same octave overdrive and harmonic generation effect in a quiet, fully controllable pedal1.
Controls and mixing
The pedal's five controls provide complete control over the tone, overtones, harmonics and the mix of the dry and wet signal1. That dry/wet blend is central to how players use it. Jimmy Shaw of Metric and Broken Social Scene said:
"you’re able to mix in a super fuzzy sound, which is really cool because bass fuzz, as common as it is, is incredibly hard to do well."
An expression jack is available for the sensitivity control, a feature Delicious Audio's page notes as newly offered as of its April 10, 2023 update1. If you want to sweep that parameter by foot, an expression pedal is what plugs into that jack.
Power and bypass
The B:Assmaster runs on a 9V DC adapter with a negative tip or a 9V battery, and draws approximately 180mA1. That draw is worth noting when planning a board: it is higher than many single pedals take, so it may not sit happily on a shared daisy-chain output. The pedal is true bypass1.
With a current draw of approximately 180mA, check what your power supply's individual outputs deliver before adding the B:Assmaster to a daisy chain.
Who uses it
Flea's tech Tracy Robar described the pedal as part of Flea's rig: "We have our B:ASSMASTER here, which is Malekko. It's a great pedal, great fuzz, distortion pedal. That's his new favorite"1.
Where it sits in Malekko's fuzz range
The B:Assmaster is one of several fuzz and octave designs Malekko has put out. The company's earlier Barker Assmaster is also covered on this site, along with the compact Omicron Fuzz and the Wolftone Chaos. For the wider field, see the site's pages on fuzz pedals, octave and pitch pedals and bass pedals1.
Videos
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Malekko HeavyIndustry
Questions
Does the Malekko B:Assmaster work on guitar as well as bass?
Yes. Delicious Audio notes that although the pedal is aimed at bassists, it performs equally well on guitars. The circuit is a clone of the Maestro Bass Brassmaster harmonic octave fuzz, an octave-up fuzz design, and the five controls cover tone, overtones, harmonics and the mix of dry and wet signal, so guitar players can dial in the same octave fuzz tones bassists use.
Is the Malekko B:Assmaster true bypass?
Yes. According to Delicious Audio's product page, the B:Assmaster is true bypass, so when the pedal is off your signal passes through without going through the fuzz circuit.
What does the expression jack control on the B:Assmaster?
The expression jack controls the sensitivity control. Delicious Audio's page, updated April 10, 2023, notes that Malekko now offers an expression jack for the sensitivity control, letting you move that parameter with an expression pedal while you play.
Does the B:Assmaster mix the dry signal with the fuzz?
Yes. The pedal's five controls provide complete control over the tone, overtones, harmonics and the mix of the dry and wet signal. Bassist Jimmy Shaw of Metric and Broken Social Scene described being able to mix in a super fuzzy sound against the dry signal, which he called a hard thing to do well on bass fuzz.
How much current does the B:Assmaster draw?
Delicious Audio lists the current draw as approximately 180mA. The pedal runs on a 9V DC adapter with a negative tip or a 9V battery, and the relatively high draw means a standard daisy-chain supply may not be the best fit.
Sources (2)
- Malekko B:Assmaster Octave Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2023-04-10
- Brashmaster, BLAMMO! Electronics
