The Boris: Fuzz for the People is a guitar fuzz pedal from Rocket Surgeon Labs, released in June 2017 at a street price of $219. Premier Guitar's announcement describes it as "a beastly guitar fuzz pedal," and its circuit's "roots lie in a particular four-transistor Russian circuit from the '90s," the Russian-built fuzz style familiar from that era. It sits in the wider family of fuzz pedals1.
Where it came from
The Boris runs on a 9V battery, which is included with the pedal1. Rocket Surgeon Labs describes it as the result of a specific design goal: "Von Füzzbrauer conquered this challenge and created the thick and massive sought after tones but without the sacrifice of being lost in the live mix"1.
Controls and the Doom / Nuclear switch
The pedal keeps a "classic three-knob triangle formation," the layout players know from vintage fuzz enclosures, with the volume and tone controls arranged around the footswitch1. Its signature feature is the Nuclear / Doom switch:
"Doom is your classic mids scoop for that thick wall of terror. Switch it to Nuclear to really cut through but still sound thick and heavy."
In practice, that switch is the difference between a scooped, heavy wall of fuzz and a voice that holds its place in a band mix1.
What it sounds like
The stated design goal was to keep the massive low-mid weight the Russian circuit is sought after for while staying audible on stage. As Premier Guitar put it, Dr. Von FüzzBrauer "conquered this challenge and created the thick and massive sought after tones but without the sacrifice of being lost in the live mix"1.
Power
The Boris runs on a 9V battery, which is included, or on standard external power, which is not. If you power it from a supply, you will need to provide your own.
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Questions
Does the Boris fuzz pedal come with a battery?
Yes. Rocket Surgeon Labs powers the Boris with a 9V battery, and a battery is included with the pedal. If you would rather run it from a power supply, the pedal also accepts standard external power, but a supply is not included in the box, so you would use whatever center-negative supply you already run on your board.
Can the Rocket Surgeon Labs Boris run on an external power supply?
Yes. Along with its included 9V battery, the Boris offers standard external power support. The external supply is not included, so plan to use your own pedalboard power. Because the Boris is hand-built in small numbers, check the maker's current specifications before wiring it into a shared supply.
What does the Doom / Nuclear switch do on the Boris?
It changes how the fuzz sits in a mix. Doom is described as a classic mids scoop, giving a thick wall of heavy tone. Switching to Nuclear keeps the thickness but lets the pedal cut through a live mix more easily. It is the pedal's main character control, set alongside the three-knob triangle layout.
How much does the Rocket Surgeon Labs Boris cost?
The Boris: Fuzz for the People carried a street price of $219 when it was released in June 2017. As a hand-built pedal, availability can vary, so the price may differ from retailers today.
Is the Boris a transistor or op-amp fuzz?
The Boris is a transistor-based fuzz. It uses four transistors, and its roots lie in a particular four-transistor Russian circuit from the 1990s. It also carries the classic high- and low-pass filter tonestack associated with that style of circuit.
Sources (1)
- Boris Fuzz Pedal Launch by Rocket Surgeon Labs, Premier Guitar, 2017-06-13