The SynapticGroove SlackJaw is an OD/Boost/Fuzz pedal, announced in February 2014, that covers a wide stretch of gain territory in one handmade box. SynapticGroove describes its voice range as "from nearly clean boost to warm saturation to hairy fuzz without tone coloration or signal degradation", aimed at players of every genre without complication1. It sits where overdrive pedals, boost pedals and fuzz pedals overlap, and the switches let you pick which of those jobs it does.
Controls
The SlackJaw keeps its front panel simple: two knobs and two switches.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Output level for matching or pushing your amp |
| Gain | Amount of drive, from boost toward fuzz |
| Three-way switch | Selects compression, boost or saturation |
| Two-way switch | Bass boost/reduce |
The Level and Gain controls are there, in SynapticGroove's words, to make "dialing in perfect tone painless"1. The three-way switch is the pedal's character control: compression, boost or saturation changes how the circuit behaves around your playing dynamics. The two-way switch shapes the low end, letting you add or cut bass depending on the guitar and amp.
Pickups and amps
SynapticGroove says the SlackJaw handles "single coils, humbuckers and solid state or tube amps with equality"1. In practice that means the same settings should behave predictably whether you plug in a Strat-style single-coil guitar or a humbucker-equipped instrument, and whether the amp on the other end has tubes or not.
Build and price
The pedal is 100% handmade in the U.S.A. and carries what the announcement calls "a robust hand-sanded/hand-painted enclosure"1. It carried a street price of $239.00 when it was announced in February 20141.
The SlackJaw was announced in February 2014. The $239.00 street price is the figure given at announcement, and pricing may have changed since.
Videos
SynapticGroove
Questions
Is the SynapticGroove SlackJaw true bypass?
Yes. The SlackJaw is a true-bypass pedal, so when it is switched off your guitar's signal passes through without going through the fuzz circuit. That helps keep your clean tone untouched on a pedalboard where the pedal sits idle.
Where is the SynapticGroove SlackJaw made?
The SlackJaw is 100% handmade in the U.S.A., according to the announcement of the pedal. SynapticGroove also describes the enclosure as robust and hand-sanded and hand-painted, so each unit is finished by hand as well as built by hand.
Does the SlackJaw work with humbuckers and single coils?
Yes. SynapticGroove says the SlackJaw handles single coils, humbuckers and solid state or tube amps with equality, meaning the pedal is voiced to work with either pickup type and with either kind of amplifier without needing to be re-tuned for each.
What does the three-way switch on the SlackJaw do?
The three-way switch selects between compression, boost and saturation. Together with the two-way bass boost/reduce switch and the Level and Gain knobs, it shapes how far the pedal moves from clean boost toward fuzz.
How much does the SynapticGroove SlackJaw cost?
The SlackJaw carried a street price of $239.00 when SynapticGroove announced the pedal in February 2014.
Sources (1)
- SynapticGroove Announces the SlackJaw Fuzz Pedal, Premier Guitar, 2014-02-18