MXR Hybrid Fuzz

The MXR Hybrid Fuzz is a compact fuzz pedal from MXR that channels the classic Fuzz Face Distortion sound with a twist: instead of choosing between the two transistor types that define the two eras of Fuzz Face circuits, it uses one of each. A silicon transistor and a germanium transistor sit in a single circuit, which MXR describes as combining "the snarling, high-gain aggression of a silicon transistor and the smooth, shaggy warmth of a germanium transistor"¹. The idea is to get both vintage germanium warmth and silicon-era aggression from one box with just two knobs.

The pedal was announced in June 2023 as part of MXR's Custom Shop line, with shipping from 26 June 2023²³. MXR now lists it as a legacy product, no longer in production¹.

One silicon transistor, one germanium transistor

The Fuzz Face circuit that the Hybrid Fuzz is based on has historically come in two flavors. Germanium versions are known for a warmer, smoother character; silicon versions for higher gain and a snarlier, more aggressive edge. The Hybrid Fuzz puts one of each transistor type in the same circuit so a player gets both voicings at once¹. In Sweetwater's demo video, MXR's Bryan Kehoe described the split this way: the germanium transistor gives "that kind of wild fuzzy gushness" while the silicon transistor "makes it more stable"⁹.

MXR says the transistors are not picked at random. Premier Guitar's review notes that MXR selects and matches transistors carefully for consistency, going through the same process it uses elsewhere for its fuzz pedals⁵. That matters with germanium in particular, since germanium transistors vary widely from unit to unit and are sensitive to temperature.

The hybrid approach is not unique to MXR. Foxrox's CC Hybrid was one of the first pedals to use one germanium and one silicon transistor in the classic Fuzz Face circuit¹⁰, and other makers have followed the same recipe, including the Mojo Hand FX Crosstown Hybrid Fuzz, the Stonegate FX Транзистор Hybrid Germanium/Silicon Fuzz Face and the Dingotone Germanium Hybrid Fuzz¹¹¹².

Controls: Output and Fuzz

The control set is as simple as fuzz gets, echoing the two-knob layout of the original Fuzz Faces⁵.

MXR says the two controls together generate a broad range of Fuzz Face Distortion tones¹. One detail from the Sweetwater demo: the knobs go to 11⁹. The suggested way to play it, in that demo, was to set both pedal knobs high and roll back the guitar's volume control to clean up the sound⁹.

That volume-knob cleanup is a built-in feature rather than a trick. MXR says the pedal is responsive to the guitar's volume control, cleaning up nicely when you roll it back¹. For players coming from other fuzzes, this is the behavior Fuzz Face circuits are known for, and it effectively makes the guitar's volume knob a third control.

Power and connections

The Hybrid Fuzz runs on one 9-volt battery, installed by removing the bottom plate, or on a 9-volt AC adapter such as the Dunlop ECB003/ECB003EU, or an MXR Brick Series power supply¹. The manual specifies 9 volts DC⁶, and the pedal draws only 2.5mA⁷, low enough that a battery lasts a long time and a shared power supply is not strained. The manual also lists a noise floor of -87 dBU⁶.

Connections are minimal: one 1/4" input on one side of the pedal and another 1/4" jack on the other side for output⁷. Bypass is True Hardwire, per the manual⁶; Premier Guitar's review described this as a concession to modernity compared with the originals⁵.

History: the Custom Shop edition

The Hybrid Fuzz arrived through MXR's Custom Shop, the same line that produced fuzzes like the MXR Custom Shop La Machine octave fuzz and the MXR Custom Shop Sub Machine, which carried over the La Machine's circuitry and octave-up mode¹³¹⁴. The line also included limited runs such as the MXR Custom Shop Brown Acid Fuzz, offered at $149 for a limited time in 2019¹⁵.

Announced on 6 June 2023, the Hybrid Fuzz opened for preorder at $169.99 with shipping from 26 June²³⁵. Guitar World noted its billing as a Fuzz Face variant, specifically, with controls for Volume and Fuzz only³. MusicRadar gave the launch price as £189 / $169 street⁷. The enclosure finish, which MXR calls a "super tripped out finish," comes from design studio One Horse Town¹.

The Hybrid Fuzz was designed for MXR by Jeorge Tripps⁵, the designer behind much of MXR's fuzz lineup, including pedals like the MXR Classic 108 Fuzz.

What reviewers said

Reviews were mixed on how well the hybrid idea came off. Premier Guitar's review framed the pedal as a straightforward, well-built take on the format, noting the true-bypass switching and the two-knob complement echoing the original Fuzz Faces⁵. Delicious Audio called it a noteworthy result of engineers modding vintage fuzz circuits to be at once classic and new¹².

Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson, comparing four germanium/silicon hybrid fuzzes in November 2023, was less enthusiastic about the MXR⁸:

He found it decent but less balanced than the other three pedals in the comparison, with an output he found less pleasing or harmonious overall⁸.

In Sweetwater's demo, presented by Bryan Kehoe with Brandon Ellis of the Black Dahlia Murder, the pedal was shown in a few practical settings: slamming its input with a compressor in front produced a splatty, garagey sound, and stacking it into a Timmy overdrive gave a smooth sound with crunch on top and a high roll-off character⁹.

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