The SolidGoldFX If 6 Was 9 is a silicon fuzz pedal built around two BC183 transistors12. Canadian pedal brand SolidGoldFX introduced the MKII version at NAMM 2022 as a new and improved take on its original If 6 Was 9 BC183, which the maker says launched at least 10 years earlier13. It is available now for $1994.
What sets it apart from a stock Fuzz Face is control. Where a classic Fuzz Face offers only Fuzz and Volume, the If 6 Was 9 MKII adds a Bias knob, a Volts knob, a Saturate control and a three-way Body switch, so a player can tune the fuzz's operating point, internal voltage and input level from the top of the pedal. MusicRadar's reviewer described it as "another silicon Fuzz Face - but with even more biasing"5.
What it does to your sound
SolidGoldFX describes the tone of the If 6 Was 9 BC183 MKII as "smooth and refined, without falling apart on chords or with loads of sustain on single-note work"1. Guitar.com characterized the pedal's character as "a happy medium between the potentially mushy compression of germanium and the brash sawmill-like fuzz of silicon"3.
The original If 6 Was 9 BC183CC used a pair of new-old-stock BC183 transistors, which Vintage Guitar reported are high-gain silicon devices, with vintage-spec carbon-comp resistors the magazine said enhance the warmth of the core circuit67. An independent technical analysis of the circuit found it to be essentially a silicon Fuzz Face schematic with small caps across the collector-base junctions of the transistors, an external bias control and a switch between two input caps7.
The controls
The MKII carries five knobs and two toggles. Here is what each one does, as described by SolidGoldFX and the press coverage of the MKII:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Fuzz | Sets the amount of distortion in the signal4 |
| Volume | Controls the output level3 |
| Bias | Varies the output BC183's collector voltage, giving tones from compressed and nasty to big and bold1 |
| Volts | Selects internal voltages between 5V and 15V DC; with Bias, tunes the fuzz without relying on a battery48 |
| Saturate | Trims the circuit's input for better cleanup or impedance matching1 |
| Body switch | Three-way toggle selecting Fat (left), Treble Boost (center) or Classic (right) voicings2 |
| Tone switch | Chooses between tight and thick fuzz voicings1 |
The Bias knob is the heart of the pedal's flexibility. Guitar World notes it "helps to move between a wealth of fuzz tones"8, and Delicious Audio reports it replaces the bias toggle found on the MKI, varying the voltage to open up a range of tones from compressed to bold2.
The Saturate control is new to the MKII. Guitar.com reports it trims input gain, "thus enabling it to coincide with a wah pedal"3, and gearnews.com adds that it gives better cleanup or better impedance matching with whatever sits in front of the fuzz9. For players who have fought the impedance interaction between a wah and a vintage-style fuzz, that is the control aimed at the problem.
Power: 9V in, 5 to 15V inside
The MKII runs on an optional 9V DC power supply1. Inside, a variable voltage pump supplies anywhere from 5 to 15VDC from that single 9V source1. The Volts knob sets where in that range the transistors sit, which changes the fuzz's headroom and character the same way a dying battery does on a vintage Fuzz Face, but without actually relying on a battery43.
SolidGoldFX states that use of an improper power supply will void the pedal's warranty. The warranty is limited, covers three years against defective parts and faulty workmanship, applies only to the original owner, and is not transferable1.
From the original BC183 to the MKII
The original If 6 Was 9 BC183 launched at least 10 years before the MKII's May 2022 introduction13. Vintage Guitar covered the original in September 2013 as "the company's take on the late-'60s/early-'70s Fuzz Face," noting its external Bias control and a two-way Tone switch as the versatility boosters over a stock Fuzz Face6.
The MKII, unveiled at NAMM 2022, brought a list of changes gearnews.com summed up as "top-mounted jacks, a soft-relay footswitch, a variable voltage pump and a more wah friendly fuzz design"9. Guitar.com noted the top-mounted jacks make for a more compact, pedalboard-friendly design3. The bias toggle became a Bias knob, the two-way Tone switch became a three-way Body switch with Fat, Treble Boost and Classic modes, and the Saturate control was added23.
Side by side, the two versions look like this:
| Original If 6 Was 9 BC183 | If 6 Was 9 BC183 MKII | |
|---|---|---|
| Transistors | Pair of new-old-stock BC183s6 | Two BC183s1 |
| Bias | External bias control6 | Bias knob varying the output transistor's collector voltage1 |
| Voicing switch | Two-way Tone switch6 | Three-way Body switch: Fat, Treble Boost, Classic69 |
| Input trim | Not fitted | Saturate control1 |
| Voltage control | Not fitted | Volts knob, 5 to 15VDC internal82 |
| Jacks | Side-mounted era layout | Top-mounted9 |
| Footswitch | Standard | Soft-relay / soft-touch true bypass98 |
Where it sits among SolidGoldFX fuzzes
The If 6 Was 9 is one of several fuzzes in the SolidGoldFX range. The company also makes the SolidGoldFX 76 MKII octave fuzz, the SolidGoldFX Imperial MKII, the SolidGoldFX Spanish Castle Dual Fuzz and, as of September 2026, the SolidGoldFX Fuzzbox, a Tone Bender Mk II-style fuzz. Where those pedals chase other vintage circuits, the If 6 Was 9 stays on the Fuzz Face template and widens its adjustability.
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Questions
What transistors are in the SolidGoldFX If 6 Was 9?
Both the original and the MKII are built around two BC183 silicon transistors. The original used a pair of new-old-stock BC183s, and SolidGoldFX says it put two BC183 transistors in each MKII as well. The BC183 is a high-gain silicon transistor, which gives the pedal its Fuzz Face-style character.
Does the If 6 Was 9 work with a wah in front of it?
The MKII is designed to. Its Saturate control trims the circuit's input gain, which Guitar.com reports enables it to coincide with a wah pedal, and gearnews.com describes the MKII as a more wah friendly fuzz design. Trimming the input also improves cleanup and impedance matching with other pedals.
What changed between the If 6 Was 9 and the MKII?
The MKII, introduced at NAMM 2022, adds top-mounted jacks, a soft-relay footswitch, a variable voltage pump and a more wah friendly design. The bias toggle of the original becomes a Bias knob, and a new Saturate control trims the input for better cleanup and impedance matching. The Tone switch becomes a three-way Body switch.
Is the If 6 Was 9 true bypass?
Yes. The MKII uses soft-touch true bypass switching with top-mounted jacks, according to SolidGoldFX's product page, and Guitar World likewise describes a soft-touch true bypass footswitch. Earlier coverage also refers to a soft-relay footswitch on the MKII.
How much current does the If 6 Was 9 MKII draw?
SolidGoldFX lists the MKII at 20 mA current draw, powered by an optional 9V DC power supply with a 2.1 mm center-negative plug. Inside the pedal, a variable voltage pump supplies anywhere from 5 to 15VDC from that single 9V source.
Sources (9)
- IF 6 WAS 9, SolidGoldFX
- Pedal Update: SolidGoldFX If 6 Was 9 MKII, Delicious Audio, 2022-05-31
- NAMM 2022: SolidGoldFX reinvents its Fuzz Face-inspired If 6 Was 9 Pedal with smart controls, Guitar.com, 2022-06-01
- NAMM 2022: SolidGoldFX refreshes its Fuzz Face-inspired If 6 Was 9, adding a host of player and wah-friendly updates, MusicRadar, 2022-05-31
- “Even without its connection to the studio, it's simply a killer fuzz pedal”: EarthQuaker Devices Dirt Transmitter, MusicRadar, 2025-07-23
- SolidGoldFX Launches If 6 Was 9/BC183CC Fuzz, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2013-09-18
- Guitar FX Layouts: SolidGoldFx If 6 Was 9 BC183CC, tagboardeffects.blogspot.com (Guitar FX Layouts), 2023-01-18
- SolidGoldFX aims to harness “legendary tones of yesteryear” in new-and-improved If 6 Was 9 MkII fuzz pedal, Guitar World, 2022-06-03
- NAMM 2022: SolidGoldFX If 6 Was 9 BC183 MK II Fuzz, gearnews.com, 2022-05-31
