Tex Mex Effects Crushed Velvet Germanium Fuzz Pedal

The Crushed Velvet Germanium Fuzz Pedal is a fuzz from Tex Mex Effects, described by Guitar World as "a vintage style germanium fuzz with a bass switch and external bias control." Germanium fuzzes are the old-school branch of the fuzz family: instead of silicon, the circuit uses germanium transistors, the components behind the classic fuzz sounds of the 1960s. The Crushed Velvet follows that recipe with three vintage N.O.S. (new old stock) germanium transistors, meaning unused original-period parts, each tested for gain, current leakage and low noise before it goes into a pedal¹.

What it does and how it is controlled

The pedal's two distinguishing controls are the bass switch and the external bias control. The bias control is the one germanium fuzz players tend to look for: it adjusts the operating point of the transistors, which changes how the fuzz responds to playing dynamics and where it sits between a smooth sustain and a spittier, gated character. The bass switch shapes the low end going into the fuzz, which matters because fuzz circuits can thin out or overload on low strings depending on the setting¹.

The circuit is built from carefully selected through-hole components, the larger style of parts wired through the board rather than surface-mounted, and the enclosure carries a hand-applied paint job. Switching is true bypass, so the pedal is removed from the signal path entirely when off¹.

Availability and price

Tex Mex Effects unveiled the Crushed Velvet in March 2018, and Guitar World reported at the time that the pedal was available for $195, with a demo by Paul Riario¹.

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