The Sunset Effects Apollo Deluxe Fuzz is a fuzz pedal built on the Green Russian Muff Fuzz circuit, one of the best-known fuzz designs among players who want a big, thick fuzz voice. Sunset Effects kept that foundation and added its own controls, including a Mid knob in the EQ section and a clipping diode switch that toggles between Silicon and LED options1.
Controls and how they shape the sound
The pedal's controls give it a wider spread than the two-knob fuzzes it descends from1:
- Fuzz: a spectrum that runs from slightly overdriven to a beefy, buzzsaw-type fuzz1
- Tone: a range that can get nice and low, even a bit sludgy1
- Mid: added to the EQ section, letting the player shape the mids directly1
- Clipping switch: toggles between Silicon and LED diode options1
Reviewing the pedal for Pedal of the Day, the reviewer described what the circuit delivers at its core:
Mike B, writing at Pedal of the Day, described the sound as "a really warm, rich fuzz sound" and noted that it stayed that way consistently through his testing1
On the Mid control, he wrote that "the addition of this control seems to really open up the sonic possibilities immensely, and make for a much broader range" of tones, adding that any dirt pedal with a Mid control in the EQ section is a plus1.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day's review is the main published account of the Apollo Deluxe Fuzz. Mike B found the warmth of the fuzz held up across the control range, and that the Fuzz knob's sweep from light overdrive to full buzzsaw fuzz, combined with the low-reaching Tone and the Mid control, made the pedal far more flexible than its circuit basis alone would suggest1.
Related fuzz pedals
Players comparing fuzzes in this family may also want to look at the Apollo Approved Steam Roller, a two-knob Germanium fuzz pedal, or browse the wider range of Fuzz Pedals on the site.
Videos
Pedal of the Day
Questions
What pedal is the Apollo Deluxe Fuzz based on?
The Apollo Deluxe Fuzz is based on the Green Russian Muff Fuzz circuit. Sunset Effects kept that foundation and added its own touches, including a Mid control in the EQ section and a clipping diode switch that toggles between Silicon and LED options, which broadens the range of tones available compared with the original design.
What transistors does the Apollo Deluxe Fuzz use?
The Apollo Deluxe Fuzz uses BC549c transistors. In a fuzz circuit the transistors shape much of the pedal's character, and reviewer Mike B at Pedal of the Day described the resulting sound as a warm, rich fuzz that stayed that way even with the Fuzz and Tone controls cranked high.
What does the clipping switch do on the Apollo Deluxe?
The clipping diode switch on the top of the pedal toggles between Silicon and LED clipping options. Each diode type clips the signal differently, so the switch gives the player two distinct flavors of breakup from the same fuzz circuit, on top of the range already offered by the Fuzz, Tone and Mid controls.
What does the Mid control add to the Apollo Deluxe?
The Mid control sits in the EQ section and lets the player shape the middle frequencies directly. Reviewer Mike B at Pedal of the Day wrote that its addition seemed to open up the sonic possibilities immensely and made for a much broader range of tones, calling any dirt pedal with a Mid control a plus.
Sources (1)
- Sunset Effects Apollo Deluxe Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2015-06-08
