The NRG Effects Mauler is a hand-built fuzz pedal with a vintage heart and a fuller voice than the classics it draws on. Paolo De Gregorio, writing on Delicious Audio, called it "a high-end, vintage-voiced fuzz" and described how it "gives it a more modern and full sonic flavor, by slightly emphasizing the mid and low frequencies." Where the old '60s units could sound thin, the Mauler pushes the low mids forward, which is where the pedal gets its name1.
Where the circuit comes from
Delicious Audio traces the Mauler's lineage to "the classic, aggressive but somewhat thin tone of the vintage fuzzes of the '60s (think Tone Bender and" Fuzz Face1. The two named circuits are closely related themselves: the Tone Bender Mk1.5 was, according to Delicious Audio, "the inspiration for the Fuzz Face"2. The Mauler is not presented as a copy of either, but as a reworking of that family of two-transistor-era fuzz tones with a modern low-mid emphasis.
The controls: Loud, Jaws, Maul, Meat and Feed
The Mauler's panel is small but each control does more than its label suggests.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Loud | Output level control1 |
| Jaws | Controls the bias of the transistor: gated fuzz at low levels, compressed and saturated fuzz at medium settings, and open, more dynamic fuzz at higher settings1 |
| Maul | Controls an input filter and the pedal's gain. It softens the response at lower levels and brightens it at higher ones for more attack. The top 10% of the knob's travel engages a pre-fuzz low-pass filter to tame the high end at high gain settings1 |
| Meat (switch) | Offers three bass EQ options: flat, boosted, or tamed for more focused tones1 |
| Feed (footswitch) | Triggers feedback1 |
The Maul knob is the gain and tone shaping control, not a master volume: its top range switches in a low-pass filter rather than adding more level, which is worth knowing when dialing in high-gain sounds.
Cleaning up with the guitar volume
Like many vintage-style fuzzes, the Mauler responds to what the guitar sends it. Delicious Audio notes that "your guitar volume is also an important control, allowing the circuit to deliver, when the volume is low, softer tones b" ordering on overdrive1. Rolled down, it behaves closer to an overdrive; wide open, it is a full fuzz.
The builder
NRG Effects is the work of Neil R. Grimes, described by Delicious Audio as "one-man pedal builder Neil R. Grimes from England's East Sussex"1. The Mauler sits alongside other NRG fuzz designs such as the NRG Effects Fuzzer.
Videos
NRG EFFECTS
NRG EFFECTS
Jackson Brooksby
Questions
Is the NRG Effects Mauler based on a Tone Bender or a Fuzz Face?
Neither circuit is named as a direct copy. Delicious Audio describes the Mauler as taking the classic, aggressive but somewhat thin tone of the vintage fuzzes of the '60s, naming both the Tone Bender and the Fuzz Face as reference points, then giving that tone a fuller, more modern flavor by emphasizing the mids and lows. The two families are related: the Tone Bender Mk1.5 was the inspiration for the Fuzz Face.
What does the Meat switch do on the Mauler?
The Meat switch offers three bass EQ options: flat, boosted, or tamed for more focused tones. It lets you set how much low-end the fuzz carries, from full-throttle thickness to a tighter voice that sits better in a band mix.
What does the Feed footswitch do?
The Feed footswitch triggers feedback. It is a second footswitch alongside the main one, so you can pull up self-oscillating fuzz sustain while playing, then release it when you want the note to stop.
Does the Mauler clean up with the guitar volume knob?
Yes. Delicious Audio notes that the guitar volume is an important control on the Mauler: with the guitar's volume rolled down, the circuit delivers softer tones bordering on overdrive, and it opens up into full fuzz as you turn up.
Who designed the NRG Effects Mauler?
The Mauler is built by Neil R. Grimes, a one-man pedal builder from England's East Sussex, working under the NRG Effects name.
Sources (2)
- NRG Effects Mauler Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2022-06-20
- New Pedal: Tampco All-Bender Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2022-02-21
