The Seratone is a bass fuzz pedal from Rocket Surgeon Labs, and it was the company's very first product when it launched in April 20171. It is a hand-built, hand-wired transistor/diode fuzz aimed squarely at bass players, promising what the launch materials called "powerful, aggressive, and focused earth shaking bass tones"1. The range it covers is wide for a four-knob box: as the press release put it, "Anything from fizzy and and synth-like to dark, thumpy, pulsing dub fuzz is quickly and easily achieved."1
Premier Guitar reviewed it in August 2021 and found it a straightforward, solid-feeling affair, finished in purple and green with a ray gun graphic2. The pedal spent two years in development before release3.
A bass fuzz from fizzy to dub
The Seratone is all about the fuzz: there is no clean blend, no second mode, just one fuzz circuit with tone shaping around it3. The circuit is built on transistor/diode topology, the classic approach behind many fuzz designs, and it was tuned specifically for bass rather than adapted from a guitar pedal1.
The controls are four dials: volume, lows, highs, and the pedal's namesake "mood" knob2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the output level2 |
| Lows | Passive low EQ, shapes the bottom end32 |
| Highs | Passive high EQ, shapes the top end32 |
| Mood | Shapes the character through mids manipulation2 |
The mood knob is the interesting one. Gearnews described it as controlling "how both the EQ filters work, modifying the signal before it reaches the last gain" stage3. In practice, that means the mood dial shifts the overall character of the fuzz, and Premier Guitar's reviewer found it "helped shape the, well, mood into the desired sweet spot through its mids manipulation"2. The low, mood, and high controls are described by the maker as highly interactive, so the knobs affect each other as you dial in a sound1.
The EQ section itself is a passive two-band high and low design3. With all three tone-shaping dials set at noon, Premier Guitar's reviewer reported "balanced natural- and alive-sounding grit that wasn't compre[ssed]" or thin2.
No clean blend, by design
The most notable thing the Seratone lacks is a clean blend, and that is intentional. Rocket Surgeon Labs contends that a clean blend would buffer the signal and make the fuzz circuit less organic and engaging2. The launch materials made the same argument, adding that the design works best with passive bass pickups, because the impedance of a passive instrument works better with the fuzz circuit's input stage31.
For players used to modern bass overdrives and fuzzes with a blend knob, this is the big difference: the Seratone does not have a clean/blend control. RSL contends that a clean blend would buffer the signal, rendering the fuzz circuit less organic and engaging12.
The Seratone is designed to work best with passive bass pickups. With an active bass, the impedance match into the fuzz circuit's input stage is not what the designer intended3.
Power: 9V battery or external supply
The Seratone runs on a 9V battery or an industry standard 9V adapter4. At launch, the battery was included in the box while the external power supply was not1. No current draw figure has been published, so if you run it on a pedalboard power supply, a standard 9V output is what the maker calls for.
Who makes it, and how it is built
The Seratone was designed and individually hand-crafted by John "Dr. Vatone" Contreras31. The circuits are all hand-wired, and each unit is tested before shipping3. Nordstrand Audio's product page says each one is handwired and individually tested "from start to finish by Dr. Vatone himself," and Nordstrand handled distribution at launch34. A related version of the pedal is sold through Nordstrand as the Nordstrand Audio Seratone4.
What reviewers said
Gearnews noted in 2017 that "There aren't many bass fuzz pedals to choose from, so it is good to see a new one on the market," and thought the official demo video "sounded really good"3. Premier Guitar's 2021 review was positive about the core sound, finding balanced, natural, alive-sounding grit at neutral settings2.
Price
At launch in April 2017 the Seratone carried a $249 street price in the US1, a figure Gearnews reported as the RRP plus shipping and taxes3 and Premier Guitar still listed as $249 street in its 2021 review2. Nordstrand Audio's product page lists the pedal at $219.00 as of October 20264.
Videos
Andy Irvine
Nordstrand Audio
Andy Irvine
Questions
Is the Rocket Surgeon Labs Seratone true bypass?
Yes. The Seratone uses true bypass switching, so it leaves your signal alone when the effect is not engaged. Both the original press release and Nordstrand Audio's product page confirm this.
Does the Seratone have a clean blend control?
No. Rocket Surgeon Labs deliberately left out a clean blend, arguing that a blend circuit would buffer the signal and make the fuzz less organic and engaging. Players who want their clean low end back will need to look elsewhere.
Does the Seratone come with a battery?
Yes. The original press release stated the pedal is 9V battery powered with the battery included, while the external power supply is not included. It also runs on an industry standard 9V adapter.
Who designed the Rocket Surgeon Labs Seratone?
The Seratone was designed and hand-crafted by John "Dr. Vatone" Contreras, who hand-wires and individually tests every circuit before it ships. The press materials describe it as built in his secret mountain lab.
How much does the Seratone cost?
At its 2017 launch the Seratone carried a $249 street price in the US, and Premier Guitar still listed $249 street in its 2021 review. Nordstrand Audio's current product page lists it at $219.00.
Sources (4)
- New Seratone Effect Pedal by Rocket Surgeon Lab, Premier Guitar, 2017-04-26
- Seratone Bass Fuzz Review: Rocket Surgeon Labs, Premier Guitar, 2017-08-03
- Seratone bass fuzz pedal: Rocket Surgeon aims to warm bass players' hearts, gearnews.com, 2017-04-27
- Seratone: Mood Altering Bass Fuzz, Nordstrand Audio
