The RYRA Fuzz A-Matic is a germanium fuzz pedal made in the USA, built on the Fuzz Face circuit1. It was one of three pedals RYRA unveiled in October 2018, boutique takes on the Tube Screamer, Fuzz Face and Big Muff, following the company's The Klone Pedal1. Delicious Audio described it simply as "their Germanium fuzz, the Fuzz A-Matic" when a demo video appeared in April 20182.
Circuit and sound
The Fuzz A-Matic follows the Fuzz Face design, the two-knob germanium fuzz circuit, and is equipped with NOS germanium transistors, meaning new-old-stock parts1. For players new to fuzz, germanium versions are the older style of the circuit and are known for cleaning up with the guitar's volume knob; the Fuzz A-Matic's reviewer found exactly that kind of response.
Guitar.com's Chris Vinnicombe compared it directly with a Big Muff, the higher-gain four-knob fuzz RYRA also covered in the same release as the Tri-Pi Muff. He found the Fuzz A-Matic less gainy than the Muff and more responsive to the guitar's onboard controls, and described its character this way1:
"Again it's fat and gritty and musical, offering cranked-tweed and garage-psych tones with the fuzz control around noon"
He also noted that the noise level jumps up a fair bit as the gain comes up, one of the trade-offs he weighed against the Muff in gain, noise and overall voicing1.
Controls
The pedal keeps the Fuzz Face layout of two knobs1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the pedal's output level |
| Fuzz | Sets the amount of fuzz |
Bypass and practical notes
The Fuzz A-Matic is true bypass. Reviewing it alongside the 808 and Tri-Pi Muff, Vinnicombe wrote, "All three stompboxes here are true-bypass so look elsewhere for a buffer," meaning the pedal adds no buffering of its own and players who want one would add it separately1.
Videos
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Mike Hermans
HarryAndAGuitar
Questions
Is the RYRA Fuzz A-Matic true bypass?
Yes. Guitar.com's Chris Vinnicombe, reviewing the Fuzz A-Matic alongside RYRA's 808 and Tri-Pi Muff, noted that all three stompboxes are true bypass, with no buffer in the signal path. Players who want a buffer on their board would need to add one separately.
Does the Fuzz A-Matic use germanium transistors?
Yes. According to Guitar.com's review, the Fuzz A-Matic is equipped with NOS germanium transistors, meaning new-old-stock parts. Delicious Audio also described it as RYRA's germanium fuzz when posting a demo video of the pedal in April 2018.
Where is the RYRA Fuzz A-Matic made?
The Fuzz A-Matic is made in the USA, as Guitar.com's review of the pedal states. RYRA is the maker, and the Fuzz A-Matic was one of three pedals the company unveiled in October 2018, alongside the 808 and the Tri-Pi Muff.
What controls does the Fuzz A-Matic have?
The Fuzz A-Matic keeps things simple with two controls: volume and fuzz. Guitar.com's review lists the control set as volume and fuzz, in keeping with the Fuzz Face circuit the pedal is based on.
How does the Fuzz A-Matic compare with a Big Muff?
Guitar.com's Chris Vinnicombe found the Fuzz A-Matic less gainy than the Muff and more responsive to the guitar's onboard controls. He described it as fat, gritty and musical, offering cranked-tweed and garage-psych tones with the fuzz control around noon, and Jimi-style tones when cranked, though he noted the noise level jumps up a fair bit.
Sources (2)
- RYRA 808, Fuzz A-Matic & Tri-Pi Muff Review, Guitar.com, 2018-10-26
- RYRA Fuzz A-Matic, Delicious Audio, 2018-04-04
