Malekko Diabolik

The Malekko Diabolik is an analog bass fuzz pedal from Malekko, built on the company's B:Assmaster circuit and tuned for bass players who want fuzz without losing the bottom of their sound. RockBoard's PedalPedia says it was tuned specifically to allow more low end to pass through both the Clean and Fuzz channels, with a range that runs from a subtle harmonic fuzz to extreme, mangled low end squash, and that it suits bass and guitar alike¹. Premier Guitar reviewed it as a bass fuzz and summed up its verdict as "Superb tones, beefy fuzz, compact footprint"².

What it does to your sound

The Diabolik is a harmonic fuzz, a family of designs that traces back to the Maestro Bass Brassmaster octave fuzz. The B:Assmaster, its direct ancestor, was inspired by that original Maestro pedal, and Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio notes that although the B:Assmaster is aimed at bassists, it performs equally well on guitars³. The Diabolik carries that approach forward in a smaller box.

The two channels are the heart of it. The Fuzz control determines the amount of fuzz², and per Pedal of the Day's review, the Fuzz knob adjusts the level of just the fuzz signal, with no effect on the clean signal, which the reviewer called out as a strength⁴. That means you can run a full clean bass tone underneath and dial in as much or as little fuzz on top as the part needs. Two of the controls, Fuzz and Clean, are developed straight from the original B:Assmaster circuit⁴.

On the B:Assmaster itself, Jimmy Shaw of Metric and Broken Social Scene described the appeal of that blend: "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 mixing fuzzy sound with dry signal"³.

Where it came from

The Diabolik is a Malekko design, refined while working with Justin on its signature sound¹. Premier Guitar's reviewer reported that Nathan Meldal-Johnsen wanted to build on the tonal advantages of another Malekko pedal but reduce the footprint size and simplify the controls, which is how the Diabolik relates to the B:Assmaster².

The B:Assmaster has a documented pedigree of its own. Flea's tech Tracy Robar described it in Flea's Red Hot Chili Peppers rig: "We have our B:ASSMASTER here, which is Malekko. It's a great pedal, great fuzz, distortion pedal. That's his new favorite"³. A Premier Guitar rig rundown of the band also listed the Malekko Bassmaster for fuzz and distortion⁵.

What reviewers said

• Premier Guitar's reviewer praised "superb tones, beefy fuzz, compact footprint" as the pedal's pros².
• Pedal of the Day's Joey D found "a ton of tonal possibilities," writing that "There are a ton of tonal possibilities, and better yet, it doesn't take up much room on the board," and reported it quickly became his go-to fuzz⁴.
• Premier Guitar noted the rugged blue and pink chassis "doesn't take up much more space than a bar of soap"².

Power and practical notes

The Diabolik runs on 9V DC, center negative, and draws 80mA¹. It can also operate on a battery². At 80mA, it draws more than many simple fuzzes, so it is worth matching it to a power supply output that can deliver that current rather than assuming any spare spot on a daisy chain will do.

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