The Pine-Box Customs Wide is a fuzz pedal from Pine-Box Customs, announced in January 2021 as the final installment in the company's limited edition The Wild Series. Its defining feature is the circuit: five transistor gain stages that, in the words of Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio, "were combined to have the ability to destroy any amp it meets"1. That places it among the heavier, amp-destroying end of fuzz designs rather than the gentler vintage-style circuits.
What it does
The Wide is a fuzz in the destructive vein: five gain stages stacked to push an amp hard. Despite that depth of circuit, the external control layout is minimal. The pedal has only one knob, which gives you more or less fuzz1.
The real shaping happens inside. Under the hood there are several tonal controls, as well as bias and pre-gain controls that allow deep personalization of the fuzz tone1. For a player, that means the one-knob exterior is a starting point: the bias and pre-gain trims change how the transistors behave, and the internal tonal controls shape the voice of the fuzz before it reaches the single external knob.
| Control | Location | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Fuzz | External | The pedal's single knob, giving more or less fuzz1 |
| Tonal controls | Internal | Several controls that shape the voice of the fuzz1 |
| Bias | Internal | Adjusts the behavior of the transistors1 |
| Pre-gain | Internal | Sets how hard the gain stages are pushed1 |
Circuit and lineage
The Wide is the fourth pedal in The Wild Series, and it is a unique circuit rather than a copy. As Delicious Audio put it, "While parts of 'WIDE' can be found amongst its predecessors, it is the 4th and still a unique circuit"1. Players familiar with earlier Pine-Box fuzzes will recognize elements, but the five-stage design is its own thing.
Enclosure
The pedal takes its name from its format: the enclosure is sized extremely above average, long and skinny1. That elongated footprint is worth planning for on a pedalboard, since it departs from standard compact pedal dimensions.
The Wide was a limited edition release and the last of the four pedals in The Wild Series, so availability is tied to that original run1.
Pine-Box Customs has also collaborated with other builders on fuzz designs, including:
- Pine-Box Customs & Farm Pedals Bloodline Dual Fuzz
- Pine-Box Customs / Mask Audio Electronics Fever Dream
Videos
PINE-BOX CUSTOMS
Demos In The Dark
Questions
How many transistor stages does the Pine-Box Customs Wide have?
Five. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio described the Wide as a fuzz with five transistor gain stages, combined, in his words, to have the ability to destroy any amp it meets. That is a notably deep gain structure for a fuzz, and it is the circuit's defining feature.
Does the Pine-Box Customs Wide have internal bias controls?
Yes. Along with the single external knob, the Wide has several tonal controls under the hood, as well as bias and pre-gain controls that allow deep personalization of the fuzz tone. Opening the pedal up is the intended way to shape its sound beyond the basic more-or-less-fuzz control.
Is the Pine-Box Customs Wide a limited edition?
Yes. The Wide was part of Pine-Box Customs' limited edition Wild Series, and it was the final installment in that series of four pedals.
Is the Pine-Box Customs Wide a new circuit or a copy of an earlier Pine-Box fuzz?
It is a unique circuit. According to Delicious Audio, while parts of the Wide can be found amongst its predecessors, it is the fourth pedal in the series and still a unique circuit, not a reissue or a copy of an earlier Pine-Box fuzz.
Why is the Pine-Box Customs Wide enclosure so long and narrow?
The enclosure is sized extremely above average, long and skinny, in the words of Delicious Audio's announcement. The name Wide refers to that unusually wide, elongated format, which sets the pedal apart from standard compact fuzz boxes.
Sources (1)
- New Pedals: Pine-Box Customs Wide Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2021-01-12
