The Skreddy BC109 Fuzz is a high gain fuzz pedal, described by its maker as a "ripping high gain fuzz"123. Underneath the extra controls, Skreddy's Marc describes it as "an angry, raw, vintage-style Fuzzface style fuzz with extra controls and tweaks"4. It sits in the maker's fuzz line alongside pedals like the Pink Flesh and Martian Tarantula1.
The controls: Fuzz, Volume, Bias, Voice and Hot
The BC109 Fuzz carries five controls, each doing a distinct job:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Fuzz | Sets the gain for the whole pedal; gets milder and darker as you turn it down4 |
| Volume | Gives a lot more output volume than most classic fuzzes, with unity gain around noon and plenty of boost beyond that4 |
| Bias | Takes you from buzzy and low-fi to clear, louder, and more present; sometimes referred to as a "MIDS" control4 |
| Voice | Runs from bright and articulate to smooth and syrupy, with the upper-harmonic emphasis heard in classic fuzz recordings; works like an extra guitar tone control4 |
| Hot | Adds either a little or a lot of resistance to the input4 |
Hot, humbuckers and other effects
The Hot control and the pedal's adjustable input resistance are what let the BC109 Fuzz work with pickups and pedals that often trouble a fuzz. Skreddy says the "adjustable input resistance lets it work great with humbuckers and get along with other effects too"4. Hot specifically "adds either a little or a lot of resistance to the input in order to keep a humbucker pickup from swamping the circuit" and causing a gated attack, and it also helps the pedal work with other effects like wahs and buffered pedals4.
Output level compared with classic fuzzes
Skreddy is explicit that this is a louder fuzz than the vintage designs it draws on: the Volume knob "gives you a LOT more output volume than most classic fuzzes, with unity gain around noon and plenty of boost beyond that"4. In practice that means the pedal can push an amp or downstream pedals harder than a typical Fuzzface-style unit, which usually runs near unity across much of its Volume travel.
Videos
ciclosonico
Bluesful
Wilson Effects
Questions
What does the Hot control do on the Skreddy BC109 Fuzz?
Hot adds either a little or a lot of resistance to the input. That keeps a humbucker pickup from swamping the circuit and causing a gated attack, and it also helps the pedal work with other effects such as wahs and buffered pedals.
Does the Skreddy BC109 Fuzz work with humbuckers?
Yes. Skreddy says the adjustable input resistance lets it work great with humbuckers and get along with other effects too. The Hot control is where you set that input resistance, adding a little or a lot to keep a humbucker from swamping the circuit.
What does the Bias knob do on the BC109 Fuzz?
Bias takes you from buzzy and low-fi to clear, louder, and more present. Skreddy notes it is sometimes referred to as a MIDS control, since it shapes the midrange character of the fuzz.
Is the BC109 Fuzz louder than a classic fuzz?
Skreddy says the Volume control gives a lot more output volume than most classic fuzzes, with unity gain around noon and plenty of boost beyond that.
Sources (5)
- Fuzz | Pink Flesh | Skreddy Pedals, Skreddy Pedals
- Fuzzface Variants, Skreddy Pedals
- Fuzzface Variants, Skreddy Pedals
- Fuzz | BC109 Fuzz | Skreddy Pedals, Skreddy Pedals
- Fuzz | Martian Tarantula | Skreddy Pedals, Skreddy Pedals
