The SoundBrut FU Varitone Fuzz is a silicon fuzz pedal from the Swedish maker SoundBrut, built around a six-way varitone switch that selects between six different mid-cut fuzz voicings. SoundBrut describes it as "a modern voiced silicon fuzz pedal that incorporates SoundBrut's custom tone stack," and says the six voicings "provide a variety of fuzz tones, ranging from fizzy to buzzy." The pedal was announced in June 2018 and debuted at Summer NAMM 2018, held June 28 to 30 in Nashville.1
The controls
The FU Varitone Fuzz keeps its panel simple: three knobs and the varitone switch that gives the pedal its name.1
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Output level |
| Gain | MusicRadar reports it "ranges from sharp drive to well-rounded fuzz sounds"2 |
| Tone | Tone shaping1 |
| Varitone switch | A "specifically tuned 6-way varitone switch for 6 fuzz voicings"2 |
The varitone switch is the pedal's distinguishing feature: six carved mid-cut voicings in one box, from fizzy to buzzy, so a player can dial in a voice to suit the amp and the song rather than working with a single fixed fuzz tone. SoundBrut also claims that "chords maintain clarity, even at high gain settings," which addresses the common fuzz complaint of chord definition falling apart as the gain comes up.1
Power and bypass
The pedal runs on 9V DC power and does not operate on a battery, so it needs a power supply or isolated output on a pedalboard. Switching is true bypass, meaning the fuzz circuit is taken out of the signal path entirely when the pedal is off.1
No battery compartment: the FU Varitone Fuzz runs on 9V DC power only.1
Price and availability
At the time of the announcement, no price had been set. MusicPlayers.com reported "Pricing and release date TBA" in June 2018,1 and MusicRadar, writing from the show, reported "As we write, price and release date are TBC."2
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Questions
Is the SoundBrut FU Varitone Fuzz true bypass?
Yes. SoundBrut's announcement describes the FU Varitone Fuzz as having true bypass switching, so when the pedal is off, your guitar's signal passes straight through to the amp without the fuzz circuit in the way.
Does the FU Varitone Fuzz take a battery?
No. The pedal runs on 9V DC power only, with no battery operation, according to the press release that introduced it. Plan for a power supply on your board rather than relying on a battery.
Is the FU Varitone Fuzz a silicon fuzz?
Yes. Both MusicPlayers.com and MusicRadar describe it as a silicon fuzz, meaning it uses silicon transistors rather than germanium. SoundBrut describes it as a modern voiced silicon fuzz pedal with the company's custom tone stack.
How much does the SoundBrut FU Varitone Fuzz cost?
No price was given when the pedal was announced. MusicPlayers.com reported pricing and release date as TBA in June 2018, and MusicRadar likewise reported price and release date as TBC at the time of the Summer NAMM 2018 show.
Sources (2)
- SoundBrut introduces FU Varitone Fuzz pedal at Summer NAMM 2018, MusicPlayers.com, 2018-06-25
- Summer NAMM 2018: SoundBrut unleashes its latest fuzzbox, and it's a big FU, MusicRadar, 2018-06-27
