The Stonegate FX Ugly Fuzz is a fuzz pedal built on the Russian Big Muff circuit from the 90s, the version of the Muff design that came out of Electro-Harmonix's Russian-built era. It gives a player the classic Muff-style fuzz voice with one addition most Muffs do not have: a three-position Mids switch that shapes the middle of the tone, from a hump to a scoop to flat.1
Controls
The Ugly Fuzz keeps the familiar Muff layout of Volume, Fuzz/Sustain and Tone controls, and adds the Mids switch as a toggle with three positions. In the Up position, you get a Mid-Hump; in the Down position, a Mid-Scoop; in the middle, the mids are flat.1
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the pedal's output level1 |
| Fuzz/Sustain | Sets the amount of fuzz and sustain1 |
| Tone | Shapes the overall tone1 |
| Mids switch (Up) | Mid-Hump1 |
| Mids switch (middle) | Flat mids1 |
| Mids switch (Down) | Mid-Scoop1 |
Pedal of the Day's reviewer put the switch at the center of the pedal's appeal1:
"What boosts this guy into another level is the Mids switch."
The reviewer found that the switch adds new sounds and dimension to the fuzz tone, with each of its three modes having its own voice.1
Circuit and components
The circuit is based on the Russian Big Muff from the 90s, and the build uses 1% metal film resistors.1 Stonegate FX also builds other fuzz designs, including the Stonegate FX Hybrid Germanium/Silicon Fuzz Face.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day reviewed the Ugly Fuzz in March 2020 and came away with a picture of a very flexible Muff-style pedal. The reviewer described its range this way1:
"will doom on a dime, then crush some metal sounds, roll back to overdrive and, of course, completely Muff out"1
That puts it in territory players of distortion pedals and overdrive pedals also reach for, though at its core, as the review put it, "we're talking about FUZZ". The reviewer's verdict on the name: "The Ugly Fuzz from Stonegate FX is aptly named, though only for its grit and presence."1
Videos
Pedal of the Day
Questions
Is the Stonegate FX Ugly Fuzz true bypass?
Yes. Pedal of the Day's review describes the Ugly Fuzz as a true bypass pedal, so when it is switched off your guitar's signal passes through without the fuzz circuit loading it down.
What circuit is the Ugly Fuzz based on?
Pedal of the Day reports that the Ugly Fuzz is based on the Russian Big Muff circuit from the 90s, the Electro-Harmonix version of the Muff built in Russia that players prize for its own take on the classic fuzz sound.
What do the Mids switch positions do?
The Mids switch is a three-position toggle. In the Up position you get a Mid-Hump, in the Down position a Mid-Scoop, and in the middle the mids are flat. Pedal of the Day called the switch the feature that boosts the pedal into another level.
Who makes the Ugly Fuzz?
The Ugly Fuzz is made by Stonegate FX, a builder whose fuzz pedals also include the Hybrid Germanium/Silicon Fuzz Face and, more recently, The Figure Filter Fuzz.
Sources (1)
- Stonegate FX Ugly Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2020-03-17
