The ThorpyFX Shaftesbury Duo Fuzz is a fuzz pedal that recreates the original Rose Morris Duo Fuzz, an octave fuzz first released in the late 1960s. Rose Morris, which owns the Shaftesbury imprint, collaborated with ThorpyFX to meticulously recreate the pedal, working from an original Shaftesbury DuoFuzz held in its permanent collection12. The pedal combines two unique fuzz effect voicings, selected by a switch, and is offered in both its original big box glory and in a more pedalboard friendly compact enclosure3.
The Duo Fuzz design was developed by the Shin-Ei corporation in Japan, which knew it as the FY-6, and it was made in several guises for a large number of different companies, including under the Univox name4. ThorpyFX says the original has fallen into the hands of revered modern players and been used by legendary guitarists from the likes of Genesis and The Who3.
Two fuzz voicings from a germanium circuit
The Duo Fuzz is an octave fuzz with two distinct flavors, which Guitar World's reviewer Trevor Curwen calls Tone 1 and Tone 24. In his words:
"This is octave fuzz with seemingly just the right proportion of the upper octave embedded in the fuzz"
The Heritage Edition uses a pair of NOS germanium diodes1, which Guitar World's review also notes as its clipping type4. The Compact Edition instead makes use of a pair of near identical Schottky diodes2. Both editions follow the authentic, lower-output silicon Super-Fuzz sound, with slightly lower output profiles and volume exactly in line with the originals2. The circuit board is laid out just like the original units13.
The controls: Balance, Expander and Tone
ThorpyFX describes three main controls, plus the voicing switch and a bypass footswitch42:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Balance | Controls the pedal's output volume, either to match your level to the bypass signal, or push the front end of your amp harder for extra grit51 |
| Expander | Adds more gain and saturation to the fuzz sound, for a thicker, sustained tone51 |
| Tone | Drastically changes the sound of the pedal from bright and cutting to wooly and warm3 |
| Tone 1/2 switch | Selects between the two fuzz flavors4 |
| Bypass footswitch | Engages and bypasses the pedal4 |
The Tone control is where the Duo Fuzz gets its name. On the Heritage Edition it is a slider, while on the standard pedal it is a footswitch, a feature ThorpyFX says has never before been seen on a Duo Fuzz15. On the Compact Edition, Guitar Pedal X lists the controls as Balance (level), Expander (fuzz intensity), a Tone footswitch with Flat / Scooped settings, and an On/Off footswitch2.
A Rose Morris Duo Fuzz recreation in two editions
The original Duo Fuzz was released in the heyday of guitar effects pedal inventions and distributed by Rose Morris, which had a showroom in Shaftesbury Avenue, the London street that gave the Shaftesbury brand its name34. Rose Morris, which owns the Shaftesbury imprint, commissioned ThorpyFX to recreate the pedal, working from an original Shaftesbury Duo Fuzz in its permanent collection, and the recreation was sold in two editions2.
- Heritage Edition: A fully period-correct vintage reproduction with the same circuitboard and sizing of the original, priced at £349 at launch, using NOS germanium diodes21.
- Compact Edition: A smaller, pedalboard-friendly enclosure priced at £249 at launch, using Schottky diodes2.
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson called the project finely executed:
"If you're in the market for an original spec Super Fuzz - then the Shaftesbury is as good as any, and it of course has that Thorpy quality stamp on it."
Guitar World's review of the Heritage Edition lists "two distinct tones" among its reasons to buy, and Curwen suggests the Standard Edition's size and footswitching flexibility will be the go-to for adding this particular fuzz flavor to a rig4.
Power and origin
ThorpyFX specifies standard 9V power at 20mA, center negative3. Guitar World's review of the Heritage Edition lists power as a 9V battery or a 9V adaptor, not supplied, drawing 120mA4; the maker and reviewer figures disagree on current draw, so check your power supply against both. The pedal is fully handmade in the UK1, a detail Guitar World's review confirms4.
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Questions
Is the ThorpyFX Shaftesbury Duo Fuzz the same as the Univox Duo Fuzz?
It is the same family of circuit. The Duo Fuzz design was developed by the Shin-Ei corporation in Japan, which knew it as the FY-6, and it was made in several guises for a large number of different companies, including the Univox name. ThorpyFX's version recreates the Rose Morris Shaftesbury-branded original.
What is the difference between the Compact and Heritage editions?
The Heritage Edition is a fully period-correct vintage reproduction with the same circuitboard and sizing as the original, and it uses a pair of NOS germanium diodes. The Compact Edition is a more pedalboard-friendly enclosure using a pair of near identical Schottky diodes. Both follow the authentic, lower-output silicon Super-Fuzz sound.
What power supply does the Shaftesbury Duo Fuzz need?
ThorpyFX specifies standard 9V power at 20mA, centre negative. Guitar World's review of the Heritage Edition lists power as a 9V battery or a 9V adaptor, not supplied, drawing 120mA. The maker and reviewer figures differ on current draw.
Where is the Shaftesbury Duo Fuzz made?
ThorpyFX describes the pedal as fully handmade in the UK, and Guitar World's review of the Heritage Edition also lists its origin as the UK.
What does the Expander knob do?
According to ThorpyFX, the Expander knob lets you add more gain and saturation to the fuzz sound, for a thicker, sustained tone. Guitar Pedal X describes it as the fuzz intensity control on the Compact Edition.
Sources (5)
- Shaftesbury Duo Fuzz Heritage Edition, thorpyfx.com
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-02-14
- Shaftesbury Duo Fuzz, ThorpyFX
- Shaftesbury Duo Fuzz Heritage Edition review, Guitar World, 2025-08-06
- Shaftesbury Duo Fuzz, ThorpyFX
