The Tru-Fi Super Fuzz Version 2 is a fuzz pedal from Tru-Fi that re-creates the Univox Super Fuzz, which the maker describes as "a unique aggressive fuzz that is very retro"1. Version 2 adds a switchable octave: as the maker puts it, "you can get the Unique Super Fuzz Octave tinge of Ring Modulatation sound....and then flip the switch and its TIGHT NAST"1. It sits in the octave fuzz family alongside other fuzz types covered on the site's Fuzz Pedals page.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Balance | Volume1 |
| Expander | Fuzz amount1 |
| Tone | Blend pot replacing the classic two-position tone switch1 |
| Octave switch | Switchable octave; flipping it removes the octave artifacts for a tight, nasty fuzz1 |
The tone control is the most visible change from the original design. Where the old Super-Fuzz offered only a two-position selector, the Version 2 uses a blend pot, so the player can sweep continuously between the two voicings. Premier Guitar, reviewing a related Super Fuzz design, described the appeal of that change as "the ability to move through a variable EQ filter range rather than only select a 1kHz filter (as on the old Super-Fuzz)"2.
The octave circuit
Tru-Fi explains the octave behavior in two parts. First, "the full-wave rectification of the circuit produces an upper octave as well as a slight lower octave," which the maker says adds compression and a mild ring modulator effect1. Second, the fuzz tone itself "is an octave fuzz using two germanium diodes to produce the square wave clipping"1. The octave switch lets a player keep that character or bypass it entirely.
The maker sums up the result in its own words: "In the end this will give you more tone's and make your guitar just explode with nasty fat tone !"1
Univox Super Fuzz origins
The Univox Super Fuzz is a documented design. The Guitar FX Layouts project published a verified layout of the Unicord/Univox Super-Fuzz built "per the factory schematic found on Univox.org"3, and that layout also added "the 10k trimmer for controlling the octave fuzz"3. Aion FX, an independent builder, describes the fuzz stage of this circuit family as "a near-exact replica of the Univox Superfuzz," with two tone modes similar to the original's filters4. The broader Super Fuzz circuit family includes several notable variations: "the Univox Super Fuzz, the Ibanez Standard Fuzz, and the FY-6 Super Fuzz by Yamaha," according to Tru-Fi's own history article5. Builders discussing the Guitar FX Layouts project also note that the Ace Tone FM-2 is a related design: "it's a Superfuzz variant - similar in many respects, but not a clone"6.
The Version 2 differs from the original Univox design in two ways: the octave can be switched out, and the two-position tone switch has become a blend pot. Players comparing it to a vintage Super Fuzz should expect those changes.
Videos
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Questions
Is the Tru-Fi Super Fuzz based on the Univox Super Fuzz?
Yes. Tru-Fi describes the pedal as a re-creation of the Univox Super Fuzz, which the maker calls a unique, aggressive and very retro fuzz. The Univox circuit itself is well documented: the Guitar FX Layouts project worked from the factory schematic found on Univox.org, and Aion FX describes the fuzz stage of this design as a near-exact replica of the Univox Superfuzz.
What does the Expander knob do?
The Expander knob sets the fuzz amount. Along with the Balance control for volume, the tone blend and the octave switch, it is one of the pedal's main controls, letting you dial how much fuzz saturation the circuit produces.
How is the tone control different from the original two-position switch?
Tru-Fi took the classic two-position tone switch of the original and made it a blend pot. Premier Guitar noted the same advantage in this design family: the ability to move through a variable EQ filter range rather than only selecting a 1kHz filter as on the old Super-Fuzz.
What kind of diodes does it use for clipping?
The fuzz tone is an octave fuzz that uses two germanium diodes to produce square wave clipping, according to Tru-Fi. Combined with the circuit's full-wave rectification, this is what generates the octave content the pedal is known for.
Sources (6)
- Tru-Fi Super Fuzz Version 2 Guitar Pedal, tru-fi.com
- EarthQuaker Devices Fuzz Master General Review, Premier Guitar, 2015-09-04
- Guitar FX Layouts: Unicord/Univox Super-Fuzz, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2013-12-21
- Hypercube Fuzz Distortion / BOSS® FZ-2 Hyper Fuzz, Aion FX, 2021-05-28
- The Super Fuzz, tru-fi.com
- Guitar FX Layouts: Univox Super Fuzz, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2012-01-25
