The Roger Mayer Axis Fuzz is a silicon fuzz pedal designed by Roger Mayer, the effects builder best known for his work with Jimi Hendrix. Mayer developed it in early 1967 to give Hendrix what he calls an additional series of tone colors, and Hendrix used the original Axis on the 1968 recording Axis Bold as Love, which Mayer's site describes as a landmark recording12. Unlike many fuzzes associated with that era, it is not a Fuzz Face design: Mayer states that it uses a discrete circuit configuration completely unlike the Fuzz Face, and that it is best described as a fuzz rather than a distortion1.
A silicon fuzz that is not a Fuzz Face
The Axis is built from both PNP and NPN silicon low noise transistors in what Mayer calls a unique configuration. According to his product page, that design is temperature stable and free from radio interference, with more output level and sustain than his Classic Fuzz1. The unit also has a high input impedance, which Mayer says keeps the guitar's character and quality of tone while providing great sustain1.
That silicon design sets it apart from the germanium-based fuzzes of the 1960s, which were famously sensitive to temperature. Mayer's own summary of the circuit is blunt1:
"Electronically the Axis uses a discrete circuit configuration that is completely unlike the simple and crude Fuzz Face configuration."
Asked how it compares to the Fuzz Face despite that thickness of sound, Mayer told GuitarPlayer in 2022: "It sounds different to a Fuzz Face."4
History and Hendrix
The Axis Fuzz was developed in early 1967 specifically for Hendrix1. JHS Pedals' history of Hendrix's gear counts it among Mayer's own circuits, "which Roger Mayer called the Axis Fuzz"3. In the early 1980s, Mayer sold the Axis Fuzz, the Metal Fuzz and the Mongoose using the same "rocket" enclosure as his Octavia, according to GuitarPlayer's classic gear feature by Dave Hunter5.
Roger Mayer states that Jimi Hendrix used the original Axis on the landmark recording "Axis Bold as Love"2. The pedal's high input impedance is designed to keep the guitar's character and quality of tone while providing great sustain1.
What it sounds like
Mayer's own materials describe it as fuzz rather than distortion1. Retailer and kit maker Jeds Peds, which sells an Axis Fuzz DIY kit and notes it was "used by the main man Mr Hendrix," describes the sound this way:
"A very thick, much improved Fuzz Face. Oozes bottom end, responsive to picking dynamics and the guitars volume knob."
That responsiveness to the guitar's volume knob and to picking dynamics is the classic appeal of this family of fuzzes: backing off the guitar's volume cleans the sound up, and digging in pushes it into heavier fuzz.
Related Roger Mayer fuzzes
| Pedal | Relationship to the Axis |
|---|---|
| Classic Fuzz | The Axis offers more output level and sustain, and is temperature stable and free from radio interference, per Mayer1 |
| Stone Fuzz | Another fuzz in Mayer's current range2 |
| Spitfire | Revamped alongside the Axis in the 2022 releases4 |
| Voodoo-Axe | Mayer's page for it notes Hendrix used the original Axis on Axis Bold as Love2 |
Videos
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Guitar Village
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Questions
Is the Roger Mayer Axis Fuzz based on the Fuzz Face?
No. Roger Mayer states that the Axis uses a discrete circuit configuration that is completely unlike the simple and crude Fuzz Face circuit. It is described as a fuzz rather than a distortion, and Mayer himself has said it sounds different to a Fuzz Face, even though some players describe its character as a thicker, improved take on that style of fuzz.
Did Jimi Hendrix use the Axis Fuzz?
Yes. Roger Mayer developed the Axis Fuzz in early 1967 to give an additional series of tone colours for Jimi Hendrix, and according to Roger Mayer's own pages Hendrix used the original Axis on the landmark 1968 recording Axis Bold as Love.
Is the Roger Mayer Axis Fuzz still made?
Yes. Roger Mayer's site states that the original Axis Fuzz is still in production today. A revamped version was also released in April 2022 as part of a group of four pedals based on Mayer's designs in a more pedalboard-friendly casing.
Does the Axis Fuzz use silicon or germanium transistors?
Silicon. The circuit uses both PNP and NPN silicon low noise transistors in a unique configuration that Roger Mayer describes as temperature stable and free from radio interference, with more output level and sustain than his Classic Fuzz.
What is the difference between the Axis Fuzz and the Classic Fuzz?
Roger Mayer says the Axis design is temperature stable, free from radio interference, and offers more output level and sustain than the Classic Fuzz. The Axis is also a different circuit from the Fuzz Face style, though Jeds Peds describes its sound as a very thick, much improved Fuzz Face that oozes bottom end.
Sources (6)
- Guitar Effects Pedals by Roger Mayer, Roger Mayer
- Guitar Effects Pedals by Roger Mayer, Roger Mayer (roger-mayer.co.uk), 1968
- THE TECHNOLOGY OF JIMI HENDRIX, JHS Pedals
- What Might Hendrix's Pedalboard Look Like If He Were Alive Today? Roger Mayer Reveals His Thoughts and Talks New Jimi-Inspired Effects Pedals, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2022-04-01
- Classic Gear: Roger Mayer's Octavia Pedal, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2021-11-02
- Axis Fuzz, Jeds Peds
