The Red Witch Hypostasia is a limited edition fuzz and overdrive pedal from New Zealand based effects maker Red Witch, designed by Ben Fulton. It combines a fuzz circuit and an overdrive circuit in one hand-wired box, giving three distinct sounds: fuzz on its own, overdrive on its own, and the two stacked together1. It was launched in June 2024 as part of Red Witch's hand-wired Nouveau series, and only 59 units were ever produced2.
The pedal is now sold out: Red Witch's product page lists it as Sold Out, and it was originally sold exclusively through redwitchpedals.com until the allocation was exhausted13.
Fuzz into overdrive in one hand-wired pedal
The Hypostasia's signal path feeds the guitar's signal into the fuzz circuit first, then into the overdrive circuit2. That ordering shapes how the two sides interact: the fuzz stage is driven by an input level control, and its output is then pushed into the overdrive stage, whose Drive control can be set anywhere from what MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley called a "tasteful rasp" to a "devastating roar"2.
Red Witch describes the range as running "from tasteful rhythm overdrive to full on, singing lead sounds (think 'American Woman'), from classic Clapton Beano era Rangemaster drive to Hendrixian walls of speakers tumbling to the ground"1. Bass Magazine's announcement called the combination "an almost limitless number of dirt based tonalities"3.
Each unit is hand-wired with through-hole components, which Bass Magazine said was chosen "to ensure the highest fidelity and durability"13. The enclosure carries four dials arranged along the top, with the top left of the box used as a gallery space for artwork, and a footswitch for engaging or bypassing the effect2.
The controls: Input, Fuzz, Drive and Volume
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Input | Sets the input level feeding the fuzz circuit, from sparkling cleans to a "wall of fuzz"12 |
| Fuzz | Adjusts the overall amount of fuzz12 |
| Drive | Adjusts the overall amount of drive affecting the signal1 |
| Volume | Master volume, sets the overall level of the pedal1 |
The Input control is the key to the pedal's range. Because it sets how hard the fuzz circuit is hit, it lets a player dial in cleans right through to wall-of-fuzz maximalism before the Fuzz and Drive controls shape what happens after that2.
A limited Nouveau series run of 59
The Hypostasia is part of Red Witch's limited edition Nouveau series, a line of hand-wired stompboxes2. Ben Fulton made only 59 of them, each hand-wired with through-hole components and hand-numbered, and once they were gone, no more were built12. Bass Magazine's announcement described it as a "handcrafted, true bypass pedal" limited to 59 units3.
At launch in June 2024 it was priced at $349, which MusicRadar noted was "not cheap"2. Red Witch's product page later listed it at 599 USD1. Shipping was free, with all orders sent via DHL international express tracked service at no charge12.
What reviewers said
MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley covered the launch in June 2024 and summed up the pedal's appeal:
"but goodness it is very pretty, and it sounds real nice"
Where it sits in the Red Witch range
The Hypostasia is one of several fuzz and dirt pedals from Red Witch. Other fuzzes in the range include the Fuzz God IV, the Fuzz God III, the Fuzz God II, the Fuzz God IIC, the Euphorium Fuzz, the OPIA Fuzz Engine, the GLASSIO Fuzz, the O Fortuna! Polychromatic Fuzz and the Fuzzotron. What sets the Hypostasia apart from these is its two-stage fuzz-into-overdrive design and its strictly limited 59-unit run213.
Videos
Red Witch Pedals
Questions
How many Red Witch Hypostasia pedals were made?
Only 59 were ever produced. The Hypostasia is part of Red Witch's limited edition Nouveau series, and each unit is hand-wired with through-hole components and hand-numbered by designer Ben Fulton.
Is the Red Witch Hypostasia true bypass?
Yes. Red Witch states the Hypostasia is true bypass, and both MusicRadar and Bass Magazine describe it as a true bypass design, so the signal passes through untouched when the effect is disengaged.
Who designed the Red Witch Hypostasia?
Ben Fulton, the designer behind Red Witch, a New Zealand based effects pedal company. Fulton prides himself on creating high-quality, innovative gear, and he hand-wired and hand-numbered each of the 59 Hypostasia units.
Does the fuzz or the overdrive come first in the Hypostasia?
The fuzz comes first. The signal path feeds the guitar into the fuzz circuit via an Input level control, and that signal is then fed into the overdrive circuit, whose Drive control sets how much drive is applied.
Is the Red Witch Hypostasia sold out?
Yes. Red Witch's product page lists the Hypostasia as sold out. It was sold exclusively through redwitchpedals.com until the allocation was exhausted, so finding one now means the secondhand market.
Sources (3)
- HYPOSTASIA Fuzz Overdrive, Red Witch Pedals
- “From tasteful rhythm overdrive to full on, singing lead sounds… Hendrixian walls of speakers tumbling to the ground”: Red Witch promises classic Beano-era Clapton, American Woman and more classic drive and fuzz tones with the Hypostasia, MusicRadar, 2024-06-25
- Red Witch Introduces the Limited Edition Hypostasia Fuzz Overdrive Amalgam Pedal, Bass Magazine, 2024-06-24
