The Tru-Fi Sammy Fuzz is a fuzz pedal that re-creates the Sam Ash Fuzzz Boxx, an American fuzz from the 1960s. Tru-Fi describes it as a reissue that keeps the original's silicon transistors, its old-school wedge housing and even the original color, and says it "re-creates the gnarly fuzz from the era of peace and love"1. It is built by Dunlop, a detail that matters to players who know how scarce and expensive originals have become: a build document for the circuit notes that originals "will get upward of $800" on eBay when one appears2.
Controls
The Sammy Fuzz has three knobs, in the pattern of the original:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Attack | Controls the amount of fuzz1 |
| Tone | The EQ1 |
| Volume | Adds up to 42dB of volume boost1 |
Tru-Fi's suggested starting point is a clean amp with all three controls at 12 o'clock, which the maker says "provides a classic buzzy tone with a light treble peak"1. The 42dB of boost on the Volume knob is enough to push an amp well past its clean setting, so the pedal can work as much as a booster as a standalone fuzz.
Power and practical details
The Sammy Fuzz is deliberately faithful to the original, and that shows in its power arrangements1:
Because there is no AC adapter option and no LED, this is a battery-only pedal. If you run it on a pedalboard with a shared power supply, it will not take a standard DC feed, and there is no light to warn you when the battery is dying.
One more quirk carried over from the original: "The Fuzzz Boxx's Input and Output jacks are reversed"1. Plug your guitar into the jack marked Output and run the jack marked Input to your amp, or the pedal will not pass signal the way you expect. It is the kind of thing that catches players out the first time they wire one up.
Where the design came from
The Fuzzz Boxx dates to the mid-1960s. According to Analog Man's technical write-up of the related AstroTone, the circuit was "made by the Astro Amp company in '66 - '67"4, in a handmade sandcast case with a sheet aluminum bottom plate4. Tru-Fi's own account says the pedal was rebranded the following year and took on its wedge-shaped enclosure, and that it "was one of the first American fuzz pedals to employ a Tone knob"1. That Tone control is the main thing that sets the design apart from many fuzzes of its era, which offered only a fuzz level and level control.
The Sammy Fuzz sits in a wider Tru-Fi fuzz range that includes the Tru-Fi Floyd Fuzz, the Tru-Fi Zonked Machine and the Tru-Fi Zosa Fuzz. If you are comparing silicon-era reissues against germanium designs, the fuzz pedal type page lays out the differences.
Videos
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Questions
Does the Tru-Fi Sammy Fuzz take an AC adapter?
No. Like the original Sam Ash Fuzzz Boxx it re-creates, the Sammy Fuzz runs on a 9-volt battery only and has no AC adapter option. There is also no LED to tell you the pedal is on, so it is worth checking your cable routing if the fuzz suddenly disappears from your signal.
Is the Tru-Fi Sammy Fuzz true bypass?
Yes. Tru-Fi describes the Sammy Fuzz as a true-bypass pedal, manufactured by Dunlop to the exact specifications of the original Fuzzz Boxx.
Why are the input and output jacks reversed on the Sammy Fuzz?
The reversed jack layout is part of the original design that the reissue keeps. Tru-Fi notes that the Fuzzz Boxx's Input and Output jacks are reversed, so your guitar cable goes into the jack marked Output and your amp side connects to the one marked Input.
Does the Sammy Fuzz use silicon or germanium transistors?
Silicon. Tru-Fi lists silicon transistors among the original features the re-creation keeps, along with the wedge housing and the original color.
Who makes the Tru-Fi Sammy Fuzz?
The pedal is made by Tru-Fi and manufactured by Dunlop to the exact specifications of the original Sam Ash Fuzzz Boxx.
Does the Sammy Fuzz have an LED?
No. Tru-Fi states that the Fuzzz Boxx has no LED or AC adapter option, just like the original pedal from the 1960s.
Sources (4)
- Tru-Fi Sammy Fuzz Guitar Pedal, tru-fi.com
- Fzzz Bxxx Build Doc, GuitarPCB.com, 2023
- Tru-Fi Floyd Fuzz guitar pedal in multiple versions of the EH Bug Muff design, Tru-Fi
- Vintage Effect Pot Repair, Analog Man (analogman.com), 2015
