The ToneTuga FX ToneTuga Salvage Fuzz is a fuzz pedal with four knobs: Fuzz, High and Low EQ, plus a fourth control. Delicious Audio described it as "a four-knob fuzz that's extremely peculiar and very versatile"1. It came out of an unusual origin: in June 2020, when pandemic plant closures were limiting the availability of pedal components, Mike from ToneTuga FX challenged himself to build a new fuzz using only salvaged scraps and parts he had on hand1.
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson wrote that the designer "was compelled to innovate, and engineer a sort of feedback circuit which doubled and layered up the fuzz texture"2. That layered approach is what sets the Salvage Fuzz apart from a straightforward one-knob fuzz.
What it does
The Fuzz knob has an unusually wide range. At zero it still produces what Delicious Audio called "a pleasant distortion", turning it up slowly adds a layer of fuzz on top, and at maximum you get "a filthy fuzz with subtle traces of your original signal"1. In other words, the pedal never fully leaves your clean tone behind, even at its most aggressive.
The two-band EQ shapes that texture in both directions:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Fuzz | Distortion at zero, adding fuzz as it rises, up to full fuzz with traces of the original signal1 |
| High | Settings from 8 to 10 give a Prog Rock-esque "Pushed Cleans"1 |
| Low | Settings from 1 to 3 deliver heavy bass content, described as "amp shaking"1 |
Delicious Audio summed up the range of tones this way: "Semi Clean Clarity, Filthy Texas Blues, and Experimental Dirt are all achievable within the Salvage Fuzz"1.
"Semi Clean Clarity, Filthy Texas Blues, and Experimental Dirt are all achievable within the Salvage Fuzz"
Guitar Pedal X, reviewing the pedal in December 2020, found "incredible range on the Fuzz dial from subtle to very full-on" and called the two-band EQ "handy"2.
"incredible range on the Fuzz dial from subtle to very full-on"
For a player, that range breaks down into a few broad territories:
- Semi-clean, pushed tones with the Fuzz low and the High EQ set high1
- Bluesy, filthy textures in the middle of the Fuzz sweep1
- Full-on experimental dirt at maximum Fuzz, with the original signal still faintly present1
- Heavy, bass-forward settings with the Low EQ low on its dial1
Where it came from
The pedal's name tells its story. In June 2020, the closing of many plants due to the pandemic was limiting the availability of components used for making pedals. Mike from ToneTuga FX decided to challenge himself to make a pedal using only the salvaged scraps and parts he had on hand, and the Salvage Fuzz was the result1.
The Salvage Fuzz grew out of a one-off challenge during the 2020 component shortage, built from salvaged scraps and parts on hand rather than a standard parts run1.
Delicious Audio published its write-up of the new pedal on 20 November 20201, and Guitar Pedal X included it in its look at the year's new fuzz pedals that December2.
Videos
Mike Hermans
Jonathan Robinson
Jonathan Robinson
Sources (2)
- ToneTuga Salvage Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2020-11-20
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2020-12-18