The Stomp Under Foot Sonic Warfare is a silicon fuzz pedal with a Fuzz Face pedigree, closely related to the '90s Colorsound Fuzz Box. It uses just two BC109 transistors and a small handful of capacitors and resistors, and it carries a single variable fuzz control with the volume fixed at maximum. Premier Guitar reviewed it in August 2021 at a street price of $1451.
The fuzz control
The Sonic Warfare's control layout is deliberately minimal. Premier Guitar put it plainly: "Basically, the Sonic Warfare is a fuzz with the volume fixed at maximum with a variable fuzz control. As such, unity gain occurs far down the knob's range"1. In practice, that means the pedal runs hot through most of the knob's travel, and the low end of the sweep is where you match your clean level. There is no separate volume knob to balance it against.
Circuit lineage
The Sonic Warfare's family tree runs back through some of the earliest fuzz designs. Premier Guitar traces it to the '90s Colorsound Fuzz Box, which was derived from the Jennings Fuzz of the late '60s, itself a simplified cousin of the Fuzz Face, the Tone Bender "MK 1.5," and the Vox Distortion Booster1. If you know those circuits, the Sonic Warfare's two-transistor, minimal-parts approach will feel familiar. It sits alongside other Stomp Under Foot fuzzes such as the Sonic Generator, the Silver Foxx, and the Red Menace.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's reviewer was enthusiastic about the pedal's character and its response to playing dynamics1:
"Delicious silicon fuzz, punky and harmonically rich. Wonderfully simple. Dynamically responsive for a silicon fuzz."
The same review described the pedal as "a meaty, many-hued fuzz that's highly responsive to guitar volume changes and picking dynamics, providing a spectrum of sonic color"1. For a silicon design, dynamic response is the headline: rolling back the guitar's volume and varying pick attack shape the fuzz rather than just quieting it. The reviewer also credited the builder directly, noting "how much nuance Matt from Stomp Under Foot has extracted from this silicon version" of the circuit1.
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Questions
What circuit is the Stomp Under Foot Sonic Warfare based on?
Premier Guitar's review describes the Sonic Warfare as closely related to the '90s Colorsound Fuzz Box, which itself was derived from the Jennings Fuzz of the late '60s. That Jennings design was a simplified cousin of the Fuzz Face, the Tone Bender "MK 1.5," and the Vox Distortion Booster, so the Sonic Warfare sits in the same family tree as some of the earliest fuzz pedals.
Is the Sonic Warfare a silicon or germanium fuzz?
It is a silicon fuzz. Premier Guitar's review calls it "a silicon fuzz with a Fuzz Face pedigree," and notes that Matt from Stomp Under Foot extracted a great deal of nuance from this silicon version of the circuit. Silicon transistors are generally more temperature stable than germanium, which matters on a pedalboard.
Does the Sonic Warfare have a volume knob?
No. Premier Guitar describes it as a fuzz with the volume fixed at maximum and a variable fuzz control. Because of that, unity gain happens far down the knob's range, and most of the sweep takes you well above the level of your clean signal.
What transistors does the Sonic Warfare use?
The circuit uses two BC109 transistors. Premier Guitar describes the design as elegantly simple, with just those two transistors and a small number of capacitors and resistors on the board.
How does the Sonic Warfare respond to guitar volume changes?
Premier Guitar found it highly responsive to guitar volume changes and picking dynamics, providing a spectrum of sonic color. Rolling back your guitar's volume control cleans the fuzz up, and picking harder or softer shifts its character, which is unusual praise for a silicon design.
Sources (1)
- Stomp Under Foot Sonic Warfare Review, Premier Guitar, 2015-09-24
