The Soundslice FX X-Ray Box is a fuzz handmade in Victoriaville, Canada1. It is based on the Burns Buzzaround, a pedal from the '60s, but Soundslice FX is clear that this variation of that classic is not an authentic clone: it is a modern reinterpretation with highly interactive controls1. Premier Guitar's reviewers likewise described it as a Burns Buzzaround-inspired box2.
Where the Buzzaround fits
The Buzzaround design sits in the same family as the Tone Bender. Paolo De Gregorio, writing about the X-Ray Box, describes the Buzzaround as not too dissimilar from the Tone Bender but heavier sounding1. The independent history site fuzzboxes.org goes further, saying that Sola Sound used a circuit for their Tone Bender MKIII that was very likely to have been based on the earlier Buzzaround design, modified to include a tone control3.
The controls
The original Buzzaround had three knobs; the X-Ray Box adds a fourth, Volume out, which allows for extra flexibility in how the pedal interacts with other effects and your amp1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Balance | Interactive with the Volume pot; both can control the total output1 |
| Timbre | A voltage divider that kills the signal when turned all the way down but boosts the fuzz sound past 121 |
| Sustain | A voltage divider, like the Timbre control1 |
| Volume out | The added fourth knob; lets you dial in the max output from the last transistor at a lower level, which you cannot do with the three-knob version1 |
The Sustain and Timbre controls being voltage dividers means that while they kill the signal when turned all the way down, they also push the fuzz sound harder as they come up1.
Power
The Buzzaround is a positive ground circuit, which normally makes it awkward on a modern pedalboard. The X-Ray Box adds a voltage inverter, so you can treat this positive ground effect like any other common pedal1.
Because of the built-in voltage inverter, the X-Ray Box can share a standard supply with the rest of a board, unlike a straight positive ground fuzz1.
Compared with a Fuzz Face or Tone Bender
De Gregorio's description places the X-Ray Box between the two classics: it is not nearly as bass heavy as the Fuzz Face and it is capable of getting even more fuzz saturation than the Tone Bender, but it can be tamed into classic controlled fuzz tones1.
Videos
Harsh Tones, Inc.
Questions
Is the Soundslice FX X-Ray Box a clone of the Burns Buzzaround?
No. Soundslice FX describes it as inspired by the Burns Buzzaround, a pedal from the '60s, but the company is explicit that this variation of that classic is not an authentic clone. It is a modern reinterpretation with highly interactive controls, replacing the rare original transistors with two AC125 and one ASY37S n.o.s. transistors and adding a fourth Volume out knob the original did not have.
Does the X-Ray Box work with a standard negative-ground power supply?
Yes. The Buzzaround design is a positive ground circuit, which normally rules out sharing a supply with common pedals, but the X-Ray Box adds a voltage inverter. That means you can treat this positive ground effect like any other common pedal and run it from a standard negative-ground supply alongside the rest of a board.
What transistors are inside the X-Ray Box?
The circuit uses two AC125 and one ASY37S n.o.s. (new old stock) transistors, replacing the rare original transistors of the Burns Buzzaround design it is based on.
How does the X-Ray Box compare with a Fuzz Face or Tone Bender?
Paolo De Gregorio of Delicious Audio describes it as not nearly as bass heavy as the Fuzz Face and capable of getting even more fuzz saturation than the Tone Bender, while still being able to be tamed into classic controlled fuzz tones. The Buzzaround lineage itself is described as not too dissimilar from the Tone Bender but heavier sounding.
Where is the Soundslice FX X-Ray Box made?
It is a fuzz handmade in Victoriaville, Canada.
Sources (3)
- Soundslice FX X-Ray Box (Buzzaround Fuzz), Delicious Audio, 2023-02-15
- The Fuzz Boxes That Fuel PG Staff’s Meanest Musical Moments, Premier Guitar, 2025-05-12
- Baldwin-Burns Buzzaround • Fuzzboxes, fuzzboxes.org, 2021-05-13
