Irvine's Fuzz is a handmade fuzz pedal from Montreal builder Screwed Circuitz, presented by the builder as a "lo-fi fuzz with a wide tone range and endless sustain." Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio described it as "an aggressive, creative and unusual fuzz with some peculiar features," and noted that the pedal has some sonic affinities with the Big Muff, though it is its own design rather than a copy1.
The peculiarity is the Wobble effect. A second footswitch, separate from the fuzz switching, triggers a square tremolo or stutter modulation placed before the distortion stage, so the chopped signal is then pushed through the fuzz. Its speed is set with the Wobble knob. The builder's own explanation: "As an added feature, we decided to include a wobble effect with an adjustable rate just because we love it!"1
Controls and switching
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Wobble knob | Sets the speed of the square tremolo/stutter modulation1 |
| Fuzz footswitch | Engages or bypasses the fuzz1 |
| Wobble footswitch | Triggers the Wobble effect, added before the distortion1 |
A red LED indicates whether you are in true bypass, fuzz or wobble mode, so the three states are easy to read at a glance on a dark stage1.
The pedal runs on 9v with any polarity, "to make your life easier," as the builder puts it. Either polarity of 9v supply will work, which removes the usual worry about matching a supply to the pedal1.
The enclosure art
The graphic on the enclosure has a family story behind it. The builder explains: "The design for our enclosure was inspired by an old photograph of my great-great-grand-father from Ireland. This is my homage to ancestors from Shanagolden, Limerick"1.
What reviewers said
Delicious Audio's write-up, published in April 2022, came down in favor of the pedal. As De Gregorio put it: "if a lo-fi fuzz with a wide tone range and endless sustain inspires your creative process to compose something unique," he strongly suggests Irvine's Fuzz1.
Videos
Pete Thorn
sp3ct3rs d3mos
Questions
What does the Wobble effect do on Irvine's Fuzz?
The Wobble effect is an added feature on Irvine's Fuzz. Triggered by the second footswitch, it places a square tremolo or stutter modulation before the distortion stage, so the chopped signal is then pushed through the fuzz. The speed of the modulation is controlled with the Wobble knob, and the builder included it, in their words, 'just because we love it!'
Is Screwed Circuitz Irvine's Fuzz true bypass?
Yes. The pedal runs in true bypass when off, and a red LED indicates whether you are in true bypass, fuzz or wobble mode. The pedal has two footswitches: one for the fuzz itself and one that triggers the Wobble effect.
Can I use any polarity power supply with Irvine's Fuzz?
The pedal runs on 9v with any polarity, which the builder describes as making your life easier. That means either a center negative or center positive 9v supply will work, so it should sit happily alongside whatever power supply you already run on your board.
Is Irvine's Fuzz a Big Muff clone?
No. Delicious Audio notes that the pedal has some sonic affinities with the Big Muff, but it is presented as its own design: an aggressive, creative and unusual fuzz with peculiar features, including the built-in Wobble effect. It is not described as a copy of the Big Muff circuit.
Can I use the fuzz and Wobble separately?
Yes. The Wobble effect has its own footswitch, separate from the fuzz switching, and the red LED shows whether you are in true bypass, fuzz or wobble mode. That lets you run the fuzz on its own, the Wobble on its own, or both together.
Sources (1)
- Screwed Circuitz Irvine's Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2022-04-11