The Malekko Heavy Industries Wolftone Chaos is a fuzz and distortion pedal built around tones players tend to describe as "ring-mod-like," ranging from radical to understated. It is a revival of the Studio Electronics Wolftone Chaos, which designer Todd Wolfgram and Studio Electronics introduced in the early 2000s, and Malekko brought back with Wolfgram's involvement1.
Controls and circuit
The pedal keeps things simple: three knobs controlling entropy, drive, and volume, and a true-bypass footswitch1. The entropy control is what sets the Chaos apart from a conventional fuzz, shaping the unstable, ring-mod-like character of the tone.
Under the hood, the circuit borrows from an unexpected place. Premier Guitar's reviewer noted what is inside1:
"Lurking inside you’ll find a transformer typically found in octave-up circuits like the Tycobrahe Octavia"1
The circuit also uses a lot of diodes. Despite that hardware, the pedal is not an octave-up unit, though the reviewer heard "almost octave-like fuzz with a really nice filtered afterglow" in its range of tones1.
One practical difference from most fuzz pedals: the Chaos does not gate unless you set it to do so, which means decayed notes ring out rather than cutting off abruptly1.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's review was strongly positive. The reviewer called its tones "Incredibly unique tones," and found the pedal "nails ring-modulated fuzz" while being "not a one-trick pony." The verdict was that the pedal offers "much more than a simple replication of the original tones," with versatility beyond what the original delivered1.
The reviewer's summary of the pedal's ambition:
"Like the original, the Wolftone Chaos is capable of tricks that make it more than just another fuzz with an unconventional voice."1
For players comparing it with related pedals, the Chaos sits apart from both conventional fuzz pedals and octave and pitch pedals: it borrows hardware from the latter to produce tones neither typically makes. Malekko also offers the Sloika MkII, a different approach to distortion in the same lineup1.
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Questions
Who designed the Malekko Wolftone Chaos?
The pedal comes from designer Todd Wolfgram. Wolfgram and Studio Electronics introduced the original Wolftone Helium and Chaos pedals in the early 2000s, and Malekko Heavy Industries later enlisted Wolfgram to bring back the Helium and the Chaos in pedal form.
Is the Wolftone Chaos true bypass?
Yes. The pedal uses a true-bypass footswitch, so when it is off, your guitar's signal passes through without the circuit loading it down.
Does the Wolftone Chaos take a battery?
The pedal has an internal battery connector, alongside a standard 9V connection jack for external power.
Is the Wolftone Chaos an octave-up pedal?
No. Although its circuit contains a transformer typically found in octave-up circuits like the Tycobrahe Octavia, the Wolftone Chaos is not an octave-up unit. Premier Guitar's reviewer noted it can produce almost octave-like fuzz tones, but it works differently.
What does the entropy knob do on the Wolftone Chaos?
The pedal has three knobs controlling entropy, drive, and volume. Premier Guitar's review describes the pedal's tones as ring-mod-like, and the entropy control shapes that character, ranging from radical to understated.
Sources (1)
- Malekko Wolftone Chaos Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2012-09-12
