The Mr Black Doomstick is a fuzz pedal from Mr Black, the Portland, Oregon-based pedal builder, built around a deliberately stripped-down idea: one knob and a built-in gate. Announced and released in March 2018, it was pitched at heavy players, with MusicRadar reporting that the brand had "gone seriously heavy" with it and that the DoomStick "promises pure, undistilled fuzz tones, with an aggressive fixed gate to keep noise at bay"1. Guitar.com called it "a one-knob wonder"2.
Controls: one dial, no tone control
The Doomstick's control layout is as simple as a pedal gets. There is a single, oversized knob, and it controls volume1. Guitar.com reported that the brand described the dial as "not sensitive" at all, and that the knob takes the fuzz from heavy to heavier2. There is no tone control and no fuzz or gain knob: the amount of fuzz is fixed, and the one dial sets how loud it comes out.
"Then to cap it all it only has one knob!"
The built-in gate
What sets the Doomstick apart from a plain one-knob fuzz is its gate. gearnews.com reported that Mr Black included a built-in gate effect to tame the fuzz and make it usable even at extreme settings3. MusicRadar described the same feature as "an aggressive fixed gate to keep noise at bay"1. The gate is fixed rather than adjustable, so it works automatically with the fuzz instead of being dialed in by the player.
What it sounds like and who it suits
The Doomstick was aimed squarely at heavy playing. Guitar.com described it as an aggressively gated fuzz aimed at drop tunings and heavy genres43. gearnews.com's reviewer Jef, naming it among his top five boutique fuzz pedals of 2018, wrote: "The tone of this pedal is perfect for stoner-style, down-tuned dirty riffs"4. He also found the price "pretty much spot on" and the demo "pretty impressive," and said the pedal was easy to get up and running, though not for the faint-hearted3. Of its simplicity, he wrote: "Perfection personified for a Luddite like me, you cannot get any simpler than that and so it was an instant love at first sight"4.
Price and availability
The DoomStick Fuzz was available from Mr Black Pedals for $89.95 when it launched, according to MusicRadar in March 20181. gearnews.com listed the same figure as an RRP of USD 89.9514.
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Questions
Does the Mr Black Doomstick have a tone control?
No. The Doomstick has a single knob, which controls volume. Guitar.com reported that the brand described the dial as not sensitive, taking the fuzz from heavy to heavier. There is no separate tone control; the character of the fuzz is fixed and the knob simply sets output level.
Does the Doomstick have a noise gate built in?
Yes. Mr Black built a gate into the pedal to tame the fuzz and keep it usable even at extreme settings. MusicRadar described it as an aggressive fixed gate to keep noise at bay. It is not adjustable; it works automatically alongside the fuzz circuit.
How much does the Mr Black Doomstick cost?
When it was released in March 2018, the DoomStick Fuzz was available for $89.95, a figure reported by both MusicRadar and gearnews.com, which listed it as an RRP of USD 89.95.
Is the Doomstick good for down-tuned riffs?
gearnews.com's reviewer Jef wrote that the pedal's tone is perfect for stoner-style, down-tuned dirty riffs. The pedal was announced as an aggressively gated fuzz aimed at drop tunings and heavy genres.
Is the Mr Black Doomstick Fuzz still in production?
The DoomStick Fuzz was reported as available in March 2018 from Mr Black Pedals. The sources on this page date from 2018, and none of them state whether the pedal remains in production today.
Sources (4)
- Hit your tone with Mr Black's DoomStick for none-more-heavy fuzz, MusicRadar, 2018-03-26
- The Doomstick Fuzz is a one-knob wonder, Guitar.com, 2018-03-26
- Mr Black Doomstick: Maximum fuzz with minimum fuss?, gearnews.com, 2018-03-26
- Top 5 Boutique Fuzz Pedals of 2018 by Mr Black, ZVex, Beetronics, KHDK, Earthquaker, gearnews.com, 2018-12-31
