The Shin-ei Super Fuzz is a fuzz pedal from Japanese maker Shin-Ei. Its distinguishing feature is an upper octave overtone layered over the fuzz tone, so single notes come out with a ringing octave-above edge on top of the distortion. Writing in Guitar World, Huw Price described it plainly: "Japanese manufacturer Shin-ei created the Super Fuzz, which generated an upper octave overtone"1.
Where you have heard it
The pedal has a documented place in rock history. "you can hear Pete Townshend using one on The Who's Live At Leeds"1, which puts the Super Fuzz on one of The Who's live recordings.
The Super Fuzz family
The Super Fuzz name covers a family of Shin-ei designs rather than a single box, and the circuit has been revisited by the maker and by other builders many times since. Related Shin-ei pedals covered on Tonebox include:
- Shin-ei Companion Super Fuzz
- Shin-ei FY-6 Super Fuzz
- Shin-ei Rands Super Fuzz FY-6
- Shin-ei Astron FY-6 Super Fuzz
- Shin-Ei FY-2 Companion Fuzz
- Shin Ei 6TR Fuzz Wah
The design's reach goes beyond Shin-ei's own boxes. Reporting on the EarthQuaker Devices Sunn O))) HalfLife, gearnews noted that "maxing out the control transforms the pedal into a raging, vintage Shin-Ei Super Fuzz-style beast"2, an example of how modern builders still reach for the Super Fuzz sound as a reference point. For more pedals in this vein, see the Fuzz Pedals page.
Videos
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Sources (2)
- Fuzz pedals: how the wildest drive of all conquered the radio, Guitar World, 2023-06-14
- EQD Sunn O))) HalfLife: Compact Doom!, gearnews.com, 2026-06-17
