The Sitek Wuffy is a high-gain distortion pedal from Sitek Guitar Electronics, handmade in Gdynia, Poland, and announced in September 201912. It is an all-analog drive unit built around four cascading gain stages, and Sitek describes its character as "rich harmonic content [and] long and creamy sustain"13. Guitar.com summed up its personality in three words: "growling, aggressive and ferocious"1.
The Wuffy is a high-gain distortion pedal from Sitek Guitar Electronics, the latest entry in the company's Sound Muses series3. Sitek describes its tone as growling, aggressive and ferocious, with lupine artwork that sets the stage for it1. MusicRadar reports it offers "rich harmonic content, long and creamy sustain" and a wide variety of tones3.
A high-gain distortion with four gain stages
Where many distortion pedals clip the signal once or twice, the Wuffy runs it through four cascading gain stages, which is how it reaches high-gain territory while staying fully analog12. Guitar World noted that it does all this with low current consumption, drawing just 4mA2.
The four-stage design also gives the pedal a wide tonal range. According to Guitar.com, the scoop and tone controls together "can take the Wuffy from thick and woolly all the way to shrieking highs, or from a distortion to a full-fledged fuzz"1. That last part matters for players comparing categories: the Wuffy sits on the border between a distortion and a fuzz, and the controls decide which side of that line you land on.
The controls
The front panel is straightforward, with four knobs and a switch13:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Sets the output volume3 |
| Drive | Sets the amount of gain3 |
| Scoop | A cut/boost midrange control: clockwise scoops out the mids, anticlockwise thickens the tone3 |
| Tone | Dials in more treble or bass3 |
| Clipping switch | Changes the clipping diodes to offer a different shape of distortion3 |
Guitar Pedal X lists the clipping switch positions as [I] Open/No Clipping and [II] Clipping Diodes Engaged4. With the diodes out of the circuit, the gain stages do the work on their own; with them engaged, the clipping shape changes. MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley described the scoop control as effectively a cut/boost midrange control, noting that turning it clockwise scoops the mids in a late '80s metal style3.
If you hear a crackle when turning the tone knob, that is a feature, not a bug. MusicRadar reports the crackle is intentional behavior of the control3.
The effect is switched on and off with a DeMont Smooth-Click footswitch3.
Power, bypass, and price
The Wuffy runs on a 9V battery or a DC input, and its true bypass switching leaves your clean signal alone when the pedal is off23. At 4mA it is an easy pedal to power alongside the rest of a board2.
On price, the press reports differ slightly. Guitar World listed the Wuffy at $165 at announcement2. MusicRadar priced it at €140, about $155 at the time3, and Guitar.com reported a retail price of €1501. All three date from the September 2019 launch, so treat them as launch pricing rather than a current figure.
Where it came from
The Wuffy comes from Sitek Guitar Electronics, the builder behind the Pandora Fuzz, which the company unveiled before the Wuffy joined the Sound Muses series23. Sitek later added the Sitek Cocoa Distortion, an opamp-based distortion with Soft and Hard clipping modes, to its range.
Videos
Sitek Guitar Electronics
Peter “Danish Pete” Honoré
Bartosz Bazok Zelek
Questions
Can the Sitek Wuffy run on a battery?
Yes. The Wuffy is powered by a 9V battery or a DC input, so it works either way. Its current draw is low, at just 4mA, so a battery lasts a long time and it is also easy on a pedalboard power supply.
Is the Sitek Wuffy true bypass?
Yes. The Wuffy uses true bypass switching, so when the effect is off your signal passes through without coloring the tone. The effect is engaged and disengaged with a DeMont Smooth-Click footswitch.
Where is the Sitek Wuffy made?
The Wuffy is handmade in Gdynia, Poland, by Sitek Guitar Electronics. It is part of the company's Sound Muses series of pedals, which also includes the Pandora Fuzz that preceded it in April 2019.
Why does the Wuffy tone knob crackle?
According to MusicRadar, a crackle when turning the tone knob is a feature, not a bug. Sitek designed it that way, so hearing some crackle as you sweep the control is normal behavior for the pedal rather than a fault.
Sources (4)
- Sitek's Wuffy Distortion is a little red overdriving pedal, Guitar.com, 2019-09-06
- Sitek's Wuffy is a beast of a distortion box, Guitar World, 2019-09-05
- Sitek's Wuffy distortion pedal promises to have plenty of bark, MusicRadar, 2019-09-06
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2021-08-23
