The Rare Buzz Effects Cyborg is a special limited edition of the company's Rat-style Snitch distortion, rebranded in the colors of the Ukrainian flag and sold in 2022 as a charity release during the invasion of Ukraine. Pedal of the Day described it as a high-gain distortion that encompasses many musical genres, with, in the reviewer's words, "the vintage grit you'd expect, and plenty of it"1.
What it does
The Cyborg is the Snitch circuit under a different name and look. Delicious Audio called the Cyborg "a special edition of the company's Rat'style Snitch," placing it in the family of Rat-style distortions, a circuit shape long associated with gritty, aggressive drive tones2. Pedal of the Day's reviewer put it in the high-gain camp, writing that "the Cyborg is a high-gain distortion that encompasses many musical genres"1.
Because it is a rebrand rather than a new circuit, the Cyborg's place on a board is the Snitch's: a distortion pedal for players after vintage-flavored grit at higher gain settings21.
The charity edition and where the money went
Rare Buzz Effects built the Cyborg to commemorate, in the company's words quoted by Delicious Audio, "the now famous Ukrainians on Snake Island," the Ukrainian defenders of the island early in the 2022 invasion2. The pedal carried the colors of the Ukrainian flag1.
The run was small and short:
- 170 units were built2
- All 170 sold over the course of a week2
- Sales gathered $10,000 for donations to the Ukraine cause2
- $1575 of that went to CARE.ORG2
Delicious Audio's report also mentions a $1500 figure going to AIRBNB.ORG; the two published accounts of the donation breakdown disagree, so both are given here as reported.
A further pedal stayed in the charity loop after the run ended. Delicious Audio reported that one buyer donated his Cyborg back to the company to be raffled off, with all proceeds going back to charities2.
The Snitch connection
For players hunting one of these today, the practical point is that the Cyborg is not a separate design. Pedal of the Day described it plainly: "Rare Buzz Effects has taken their Snitch Distortion and re-branded it with the colors of the Ukrainian flag"1. The standard Snitch is the version that remains findable, while the Cyborg itself is a 170-unit collector's piece from 20222.
Videos
Pedal of the Day
THE PEDAL COUPLE
Questions
Is the Rare Buzz Effects Cyborg still available?
No. The Cyborg was a special limited edition of 170 units, and Delicious Audio reported in June 2022 that all 170 had already sold out over the course of about a week. The pedal it is based on, the Rare Buzz Effects Snitch, is the one to look at if you want the circuit itself.
What is the connection between the Cyborg and the Snitch?
The Cyborg is a rebrand of the Snitch Distortion. Rare Buzz Effects took the Snitch circuit, dressed it in the colors of the Ukrainian flag, and sold it as a charity edition during the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Pedal of the Day described the Cyborg as a high-gain distortion that covers many musical genres.
Sources (2)
- Rare Buzz Effects Cyborg Ukrainian Distortion, Pedal of the Day, 2022-06-04
- Rare Buzz Effects Cyborg, Delicious Audio, 2022-06-10
