The Gold Standard Fuzz is a fuzz pedal from Vaux Flores, a small builder based in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a three-transistor fuzz adapted from the company's own Number 24 design, but with a different set of transistors and set bias controls that give it a slightly different sound than its sibling. The pedal provides approximately 12dB of gain and is hand-built in small batches in a professionally powder-coated enclosure1. It belongs to the broader family of fuzz pedals, the roughest-edged relatives of overdrive pedals and distortion pedals.
Circuit and sound
The Gold Standard is a 3-transistor fuzz adapted from VauxFlores' Number 24, with a different set of transistors and set bias controls for a slightly different sound1. Bias controls on a fuzz shape how the transistors clip the signal, which changes the texture of the distortion, from a smoother sustain to a spitting, unstable edge. The set bias approach here means the character is fixed by the builder rather than exposed as a knob.
Pedal of the Day's reviewer, Mike B, described the result in vivid terms1:
"Awesome buzzsaw fuzz, tons of oscillation and sustain for days, this is one fuzz that will take you on a different sonic"1
Mike B, Pedal of the Day1
He called it "a thick, mean, buzz saw, in-your-face fuzz box" and noted that random chirps, bleeps and other strange sounds are part of the intentional overall sound1. Players who want that kind of unstable, oscillating character from a fuzz will find it here; those who want a tight, polite overdrive will not.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Tone knob | Adjusts tone |
| Tone switch | Makes the pedal equally capable of handling both guitar and bass, as well as viola, electric banjo, iPad, amplified river currents and more1 |
The Tone switch is the pedal's most distinctive control. Because it retunes how the fuzz handles different instruments, the same pedal can sit under a guitar or a bass without a separate bass pedal version1.
Power and bypass
The Gold Standard Fuzz is powered by a center-negative 9v power supply, which is not included. A regulated, Boss-style power supply is recommended1. The pedal uses true bypass switching, so its circuit is removed from the signal path when off1.
No power supply is included with the pedal. Use a regulated, Boss-style 9v center-negative supply as the review recommends1.
Where it came from
The Gold Standard came from Vaux Flores, a small builder whose pedals have been covered by the effects press. The company's later work includes the Vaux Flores Number 231.
Videos
Travis Johns
Travis Johns
Travis Johns
Questions
Is the Vaux Flores Gold Standard Fuzz true bypass?
Yes. The Gold Standard Fuzz uses true bypass switching, so when the pedal is off, your guitar's signal passes through without the fuzz circuit loading it. That matters on a pedalboard where several pedals sit between the guitar and the amp, since it keeps the clean tone intact when the fuzz is not engaged.
Does the Vaux Flores Gold Standard Fuzz work with bass?
Yes. Pedal of the Day's review notes that the Tone switch makes the pedal equally capable of handling both guitar and bass, and the reviewer suggested it could work with other instruments too, from viola to amplified river currents. The Tone knob and Tone switch together shape how the fuzz sits with different instruments.
What power supply does the Gold Standard Fuzz need?
The Gold Standard Fuzz runs on a center-negative 9v power supply, which is not included with the pedal. A regulated, Boss-style power supply is recommended. Use an isolated supply output rather than a daisy chain to keep the fuzz quiet and stable.
Where is the Vaux Flores Gold Standard Fuzz made?
The Gold Standard Fuzz is hand-built in small batches in Baltimore, Maryland, by Vaux Flores. The design itself came from Costa Rica: the review describes it as one of the last Costa Rican designed VauxFlores pedals, with the prototype completed shortly before the designer left the country.
Sources (1)
- Vaux Flores Gold Standard Fuzz, Pedal of the Day (pedal-of-the-day.com), 2014-05-11
