The Rocket Surgeon Labs Seratone is a boutique fuzz pedal designed specifically for bass guitar, and it was the first offering from Rocket Surgeon Labs when it launched in April 2017. It is a hand-built, true-bypass dirt box built on transistor/diode circuitry, with a Mood knob that shapes the mids and a passive two-band EQ for lows and highs. It carried an RRP of USD 249 plus shipping and taxes at launch 1.
A boutique fuzz made for bass
The Seratone arrived as Rocket Surgeon's debut effort, and gearnews.com, covering the launch, described it as "a boutique fuzz effect designed specifically for your bass guitar." The pedal had been in development for two years before its release1. As the name suggests, the unit is all about the fuzz: it is a dedicated bass dirt pedal rather than a guitar fuzz adapted for bass, sitting alongside other designs collected on the site's Fuzz Pedals and Bass Pedals pages.
The controls: volume, lows, highs and mood
The pedal carries four dials: volume, lows, "mood," and highs2. The lows and highs form a passive two-band High and Low EQ section1, while the Mood knob is the pedal's signature control. According to gearnews.com, it "controls how both the EQ filters work, modifying the signal before it reaches the last gain" stage1. Premier Guitar's reviewer found that "the mood dial helped shape the, well, mood into the desired sweet spot through its mids manipulation"2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Output level2 |
| Lows | Low band of the passive two-band EQ1 |
| Highs | High band of the passive two-band EQ1 |
| Mood | Shapes how both EQ filters work, modifying the signal before the last gain stage; works the mids12 |
One control the Seratone does not have is a clean blend. Both publications note its absence, and Rocket Surgeon Labs contends that a clean blend would buffer the signal, rendering the fuzz circuit less organic and engaging2. For players used to blending a clean bass signal under a fuzz, that is a deliberate design stance rather than an oversight.
Designer and development
The pedal is hand-made by John "Dr Vatone" Contreras1. The circuits are all hand-wired by Contreras, who also tests each one "rigourously" before shipping them out, per gearnews.com1. Premier Guitar likewise called the Seratone hand-built2.
What the reviewer said
Premier Guitar's review was warm about the sound while noting the price: "Warm overtones and fuzz delish are abundant with the pricey but nicey Seratone, so if you have the means, check it out"2. gearnews.com's writer thought the official demo video "sounded really good," and added, "I love the graphics, but then again I have a bit of a raygun fetish. The lurid green and purple colour scheme is lush"1.
Videos
Nordstrand Audio
Nordstrand Audio
Just Bass It
Questions
What does the Mood knob do on the Seratone?
The Mood knob controls how both of the EQ filters work, modifying the signal before it reaches the last gain stage. Premier Guitar's reviewer described it as shaping the mood into the desired sweet spot through its mids manipulation, which is where the pedal gets its name.
Is the Seratone Mood Altering Fuzz hand-built?
Yes. The circuits are all hand-wired by John "Dr Vatone" Contreras, who also tests each unit rigorously before shipping it out. Premier Guitar likewise described the Seratone as hand-built.
Is the Seratone Mood Altering Fuzz true bypass?
Yes. Gearnews reports that the Seratone is a true-bypass pedal, so it will not alter your signal when it is not engaged.
Why does the Seratone have no clean blend knob?
Rocket Surgeon Labs contends that a clean blend would buffer the signal, rendering the fuzz circuit less organic and engaging. So the pedal deliberately ships without a clean blend control, and the same absence is noted by both Premier Guitar and Gearnews.
Who is Dr Vatone?
Dr Vatone is the nickname of John Contreras, the builder behind Rocket Surgeon Labs. He hand-wires and tests each Seratone circuit before it ships.
Sources (2)
- Seratone bass fuzz pedal: Rocket Surgeon aims to warm bass players' hearts, gearnews.com, 2017-04-27
- Seratone Bass Fuzz Review: Rocket Surgeon Labs, Premier Guitar, 2017-08-03
