Stone Deaf Rise & Shine

The Stone Deaf Rise & Shine is a fuzz pedal that puts three effects in one box: a silicon fuzz, an octave-up fuzz, and a tremolo/vibrato that Stone Deaf calls Octapulse, which modulates the octave itself rather than the whole signal. Stone Deaf describes it as blending "octave up fuzz, classic fuzz and dynamic octapulse tremolo / vibrato to open up new soundscapes," and positions it for guitar, bass, and synthesizer¹. It is a digitally controlled analog pedal: the fuzz and octave-up come from a discrete transistor circuit with an analog octave, while the digital side handles tap tempo, subdivisions, and pattern control²³.

The pedal was Stone Deaf's first new pedal in three years when it launched in December 2023, and it is now in its last batch before discontinuation, so players wanting one new are looking at remaining stock¹².

An octave fuzz with tremolo on the octave

What makes the Rise & Shine unusual among fuzz pedals is where the tremolo sits. Delicious Audio's write-up calls it "at its heart a classic octave-up fuzz, but integrated with a dynamic octapulse tremolo"⁵. Because the modulation targets the octave layer, the fuzz body can stay steady while the upper octave pulses on top of it, which is a different effect from a standard tremolo placed after a fuzz.

Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson grouped it with the "TremFuzz" format, comparing it to pedals like the Chase Bliss Ayahuasca, Catalinbread Antichthon, and Subdecay Harmonic Antagonizer². Stone Deaf also says the fuzz has two voices, "like having two fuzz pedals in one unit"¹.

The build is a machined, anodized, laser-engraved enclosure with solid aluminum knobs⁶⁷, and the footswitches are a custom soft-touch optical system rated for 10 million presses⁸⁷. Luke Hilton, owner of Stone Deaf FX, told Guitar Pedal X: "I invented a new optical footswitch system for this new range which again hasn't been done before in the same format"².

The controls and modes

Four knobs handle the core sound: Volume, Tone, Mix (a wet/dry blend), and Fuzz saturation⁸⁵. The Tone control is a tilt EQ, and Gearnews notes it offers high or low pass filtering³⁸. Two push buttons under the knobs deal with the tremolo, activating it and controlling its functions⁵, and a Voice switch selects between a Bright tone (orange) and a Fat tone (cyan)⁸.

The Mode button cycles through five positions, each color-coded⁸:

In Mode 4, each 0.5 second press of the Mode button cycles the tap division through whole, half, triplet, or quarter values⁸. Mode 5 opens up custom tapped patterns, which Delicious Audio highlights as a step beyond simple subdivision control⁵. There are two footswitches, one to engage the fuzz and one to engage the analog octave and tremolo, plus an expression/tap tempo socket on the side⁶.

Power and bypass

The Rise & Shine runs on a standard Boss-style 9V DC supply with a negative tip, drawing 100mA, and Stone Deaf asks for more than that if your supply can provide it¹². The maker is firm about power quality:

Switching is true bypass, though Stone Deaf notes that some rigs, for example a VOX AC30 style amp setup, may need a buffer if there is an impedance mismatch¹. The pedal carries a one-year warranty against defects from purchase, non-transferable, with 30-day returns on unused items in original packaging¹.

History and versions

Stone Deaf FX announced the Rise & Shine in December 2023 as its first pedal in three years, initially available as a pre-order with shipping expected mid-January 2024²³. At launch it carried a MAP/RRP of $285 in the US, with Guitar World reporting shipping included in the $285 US and £315 EU prices, and £265 for UK customers²⁴. By May 2024 Guitar Pedal X listed it at £265 / $285⁶, and Guitar.com's April 2026 review noted it at £218⁹. As of October 2026, Stone Deaf's own page shows £218 with a £185 sale price on the final batch¹.

The circuit took three years to develop, according to Delicious Audio, which also credits it with "plenty of tweakability"⁵. Guitar Pedal X's round-up of trem-fuzzes praised the "beautiful intricate enamel facia" and "some really smart controls"⁶.

What reviewers said

Published coverage was positive. Guitar Pedal X named it among the best new fuzz pedals of 2023, calling it a "fantastic fresh take on an Octave Fuzz with modulation of the octave"¹⁰, and its full review judged it "very reasonably priced considering the quality and level of detail"⁸. Pedal of the Day highlighted the build quality and found the pedal user-friendly despite its depth: "Every step has been taken to ensure that you won't be" overwhelmed by the controls⁷. Guitar World quoted the maker's own framing of the pedal as "a harmonious blend of vintage tones and contemporary technology, opening up a world of new sonic possibilities"⁴, and Guitar.com's 2026 review cited it as offering "a range of unique fuzz and tremolo tricks"⁹.

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