The Sundance Electric Clean Fuzz is a small-batch distortion and fuzz pedal built for both guitar and bass. Delicious Audio, announcing the pedal in April 2022, described it as "a super versatile distortion/fuzz pedal that is killer for both guitar and bass," and said the Clean Fuzz is Sundance Electric's take on the much sought-after "versatile fuzz" design1. Its range runs, in the builder's words, "from sweet dirty boost all the way to thick creamy fuzz and distortion"1, which puts it in territory shared by fuzz pedals, distortion pedals, and boost pedals.
From dirty boost to thick fuzz
The pedal's signature control is the Clean knob. According to the builder's notes, it "controls the amount of clipping from the diodes and in turn sounds like adding clean signal on top of your dirty tone which in some ways feels like adding more headroom"1. Pedal of the Day described the same idea as mixing your dry signal with the dirt2.
The two ends of the knob give noticeably different characters:
- Clean knob maxed out: a sweet boosted tone, with splashes of fuzz breaking through as you dig into the strings3
- Clean knob all the way down: a thicker, more compressed fuzz that Pedal of the Day called "killer for lead tones and punching out of the mix"3
Between those poles, the Gain knob sets the amount of gain and fuzz, and the Volume knob controls output level1. Pedal of the Day's 2022 review of the original version summed it up as "a super versatile distortion/fuzz" aimed at working "wonders on both guitar and bass"2.
The diode toggle: germanium or silicon
A toggle switch on the top panel changes the clipping diodes, switching between germanium on its own or a silicon plus germanium pair12. The builder describes the two settings this way:
- Germanium: more compressed, great for noisier fuzz1
- Silicon: more open, good for boost and overdrive-like tones1
Pedal of the Day framed the switch as a way of getting "more sonic flavoring" from the same circuit2. For players who like to shape a fuzz's compression and openness, it is the pedal's main tonal alternative to simply rolling the Gain knob.
Touch response and the guitar's volume knob
The Clean Fuzz is designed to be played, not just set. The builder says the pedal "works really well with your volume knob"1, and Pedal of the Day's 2022 review noted that it "works with the instrument's Volume knob for a wide range of sounds"2. Of the V2, the same site wrote: "The Clean Fuzz is very touch sensitive and reacts to your playing, volume, and tone controls in an amazing way"3. Players who clean up a fuzz by backing off the guitar's volume will find that behavior built into the design.
Power and practicalities
The pedal runs on standard 9V center negative power1, so it shares a supply with most modern pedalboards. Switching is true bypass with soft click switching1.
Pedal of the Day reviewed the pedal in January 2022 under the name Sundance Electronics Clean Fuzz2, and later covered a Clean Fuzz V2 in January 20232. The V2 review describes the same core design, with the Clean knob and its boosted and compressed extremes3.
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Questions
What does the Clean knob do on the Sundance Electric Clean Fuzz?
The Clean knob controls the amount of clipping from the diodes, which sounds like adding clean signal on top of your dirty tone, in some ways like adding more headroom. Maxed out you get a sweet boosted tone with splashes of fuzz as you dig in; all the way down you get a thicker, more compressed fuzz suited to lead tones.
What is the difference between the germanium and silicon diode settings?
A toggle switch lets you choose germanium diodes or a silicon plus germanium pair. The germanium setting is more compressed and works well for noisier fuzz, while the silicon setting is more open and suits boost and overdrive-like tones.
Is the Sundance Clean Fuzz true bypass?
Yes. The pedal uses true bypass with soft click switching, according to the builder's product page.
What power does the Sundance Clean Fuzz use?
It runs on standard 9V center negative power, the same supply most pedalboards already use.
Does the Clean Fuzz respond to the guitar's volume knob?
Yes. The builder says the pedal works really well with your guitar's volume knob, and Pedal of the Day found the Clean Fuzz V2 very touch sensitive, reacting to your playing, volume, and tone controls.
Sources (3)
- New Pedal: Sundance Electric Clean Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2022-04-27
- Sundance Electronics Clean Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2022-01-24
- Sundance Electric Cassidy, Pedal of the Day, 2023-01-26
