The SSD Devices EVA Fuzz is a fuzz pedal built around a NOS germanium transistor and a silicon transistor, with a preamp section taken from the Roland Space Echo added alongside the fuzz circuit. In the Living Room Gear Demos video, it was demonstrated with a Gibson CS R4 guitar into a Tone King 20th Anniversary Imperial amp1.
What it is and where it comes from
The fuzz side of the EVA draws on two well-known circuits: the Fuzz Factory and the sound of the Black Russian Big Muff. The preamp side comes from the Roland Space Echo, the tape echo machine famous for its variable tape speed with fixed heads. Combining a fuzz with a Space Echo preamp stage is what sets the EVA apart from other fuzz pedals12.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Filter toggle | Up position gives a woolier, less filtered fuzz; default down position gives a more aggressive tone |
| Center toggle | Three-way boost for the silicon stage |
| Second knob | Alters transistor bias, changing the character of the fuzz: silicon to the left, germanium to the right |
| Third knob | Fuzz volume |
| Fourth knob | Boost volume for the Space Echo preamp |
The bias knob is the heart of the pedal's tonal range, letting a player move between the silicon and germanium flavors of the fuzz rather than committing to one transistor type1.
The toggles sit proud of the enclosure, and the manufacturer described them as a "gnarly-looking missile toggle." SSD Devices offered an optional red cover to prevent accidental switching mid-set.
What reviewers heard
In the Living Room Gear Demos video covered by Delicious Audio, the EVA was described as "a big and articulate fuzz that's interesting tonally, but controllable and not too crazy, with full response, not scooped like a muff or too uncontrollable like a Fuzz Face." The demo used a Gibson CS R4 guitar into a Tone King 20th Anniversary Imperial amp1.
Availability
A 2016 white/gray unit was listed for sale on Reverb as of the March 2017 coverage. Players comparing the EVA with other dirt pedals may also want to read about overdrive pedals and distortion pedals, or the boost pedals that the Space Echo preamp stage resembles in function1.
Videos
Eirik Stordrange
POSTGUITAR
POSTGUITAR
Questions
What transistors does the SSD Devices EVA Fuzz use?
The EVA Fuzz is described as a NOS germanium transistor and silicon transistor powered fuzz. The bias knob shifts the character of the fuzz between the two, with silicon to the left and germanium to the right, and the center toggle is a three-way boost for the silicon stage.
What does the filter toggle do on the EVA Fuzz?
The filter toggle changes how much filtering the fuzz applies. In the up position it gives a woolier, less filtered fuzz, while the default down position gives a more aggressive tone. Because the toggles sit where a foot can knock them, SSD Devices offered an optional red cover to prevent accidental switching.
What is the Space Echo preamp section in the EVA Fuzz?
The EVA Fuzz takes the preamp section of the Roland Space Echo, the classic tape echo machine, and builds it in as a boost stage with its own volume knob. It sits alongside the fuzz circuit, which is based on the Fuzz Factory and the sound of the Black Russian Big Muff.
Where is the SSD Devices EVA Fuzz made?
According to the demo coverage, the pedal was soldered in the UK and the enclosure printed in the US. A 2016 white/grey unit was listed for sale on Reverb.
What is the red cover on the EVA Fuzz for?
The red cover is an optional accessory that prevents accidental switching of the toggle switches, which the manufacturer described as a gnarly-looking missile toggle. It keeps the filter and boost settings where you set them on stage.
Sources (2)
- SSD Devices EVA Fuzz (demo), Delicious Audio, 2017-03-13
- Experience a tape echo machine w/Strymon dTape Technology, Strymon (Damage Control, LLC), 2010-07-15
