The Mastro Valvola Love Buzz is a hybrid fuzz and distortion pedal for guitar and bass, made by the Italian builder Mastro Valvola. Its circuit mixes germanium and silicon components: the maker describes this as combining "the correct dynamics and well-defined granular effect typical of germanium with the grittiness and high sustain levels of silicon"1. It sits between the fuzz and distortion camps, and Mastro Valvola also makes the related OFF1, an octave fuzz filter pedal.
How it sounds and how it is controlled
The Love Buzz's defining feature is the interaction between its filter and fuzz controls. Mastro Valvola says "an endless variety of resonances can be achieved by synchronizing choices of timbre with use of the filter and fuzz controls," ranging from valve-distortion-style resonances to various fuzz timbres1. In practice, that means the filter is not a separate tone knob bolted on: it shapes the fuzz response itself, so the two controls are set together rather than independently.
On the resulting tone, the maker's description is that the pedal has a "highly sought-after response frequency which, even in cases of extreme saturation, maintains a constant sound presence capable of holding its own in a mix with other instruments"1. For a fuzz, holding its place in a mix at high saturation is the practical point: many fuzzes either wash out or crowd everything else out.
Guitar and bass, power and size
The input is specified for guitar and bass, so bass players can run the Love Buzz as a fuzz without a separate clean blend or preamp in front of it1. Power is a 9V supply drawing 10 mA, which any standard pedalboard supply can handle1. The enclosure measures 9 cm x 11 cm x 6.6 cm1.
The list price shown was 183,00 EUR2.
Videos
BassTheWorld.com
gearmanndude
Musicoff - Where Music Matters
Questions
Does the Mastro Valvola Love Buzz work with bass?
Yes. Mastro Valvola describes the Love Buzz as a hybrid fuzz and distortion pedal made for guitars and bass guitars, and the pedal's input is specified for guitar and bass. The maker also says the pedal keeps a constant sound presence that can hold its own in a mix with other instruments, even at extreme saturation, which is what a bass player needs from a fuzz.
Is the Love Buzz fully analog?
Yes. According to Mastro Valvola's product page, the Love Buzz uses a completely analog circuit. The fuzz character comes from a hybrid of germanium and silicon components, combining the dynamics and granular effect typical of germanium with the grittiness and high sustain levels of silicon.
Is the Love Buzz true bypass?
Yes. Mastro Valvola specifies a true bypass switch, so when the pedal is off your guitar's signal passes through without loading the input or coloring the tone.
How big is the Love Buzz pedal?
Mastro Valvola lists the Love Buzz at 9 cm x 11 cm x 6.6 cm, measured length by width by height. That is a compact enclosure that fits a standard pedalboard without taking up much room.
Sources (2)
- Mastro Valvola pedals, Mastro Valvola, 2023-12-12
- Love Buzz, Mastro Valvola, 2023-12-12
