The Throttlepack Fuzz is a fuzz pedal from Vntage Tone, built around a Sovtek Muff style design and inspired by Big Muffs. Eric del Rey, writing on Pedal of the Day, described the enclosure as "this weird-looking-kinda-cold-war-Russian-aircraft box", and the aviation theme carries through to every control name on the pedal1.
Where it comes from
The pedal came out of a collaboration between the maker and del Rey, who wrote that "the guys at Vintage Tone and I got together and designed this monster fuzz". His starting point was familiarity with the Muff family of fuzzes: "I love big muffs in general, but I never was really satisfied with them"1. The result is a Sovtek Muff-ish design rather than a straight copy of any single Big Muff version1.
The controls
The Throttlepack renames the standard fuzz control set to fit its aircraft theme1:
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Speed | Volume1 |
| Circuit Breaker | Gain1 |
| Full-Pulse | Tone1 |
| Direction | Mids selector switch1 |
| On-Off | On-off switch1 |
The Direction switch is the one control that has no counterpart on a basic three-knob fuzz: it selects the midrange character, which matters on a Muff style circuit since that family is known for scooped mids1.
What it sounds like
Del Rey's verdict on the pedal's sound was emphatic: "It has the most woolly, full, rich, and big fuzz sounds I ever heard"1. That description fits the Sovtek Muff lineage, which players associate with thick, woolly fuzz tones1.
Questions
What circuit is the Vntage Tone Throttlepack Fuzz based on?
The Throttlepack is a fuzz built on a Sovtek Muff style design, with inspiration drawn from Big Muffs. Eric del Rey, writing on Pedal of the Day, described it as a Sovtek Muff-ish fuzz and said he loved Big Muffs in general but was never fully satisfied with them, which is what led to designing this pedal with Vntage Tone.
What do the Speed, Circuit Breaker, and Full-Pulse knobs do?
The knob names follow the pedal's aircraft theme rather than standard labels. Speed is the volume control, Circuit Breaker is the gain control, and Full-Pulse is the tone control. There is also an On-Off switch on the pedal.
What does the Direction switch do on the Throttlepack?
Direction is a mids selector switch. It lets the player choose between midrange settings, shaping how the fuzz sits in a mix, alongside the volume, gain and tone controls.
Is the Throttlepack Fuzz a Big Muff clone?
It is closer to a Sovtek Muff style design than a straight Big Muff copy. Pedal of the Day described it as a Sovtek Muff-ish fuzz inspired by Big Muffs, designed together with Vntage Tone as a take on that circuit rather than an exact replica.
Sources (1)
- Throttlepack Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2016-01-28
