The Way Huge Havalina Germanium Fuzz is a three-knob fuzz pedal from Way Huge, designed by Jeorge Tripps and built around hand-selected Russian germanium transistors12. It is an analog fuzz in the Tone Bender vein: MusicRadar's Trevor Curwen called it "a three-transistor germanium-powered fuzz box inspired by a vintage 1960s design" and "essentially a pedal in the Tone Bender vein, but not a clone"3. It shipped in March 2014 at a street price of $11912.
For a player, that means a vintage-flavored fuzz rather than a modern high-gain monster. Pedal of the Day found it "not designed for wild, uncontrolled, 8-bit-type chaos" but better suited to vintage and overdriven-leaning fuzz tones4. It also responds to your guitar's volume knob: Curwen wrote that "it cleans up wonderfully from your volume control, with a complete range of expression straight from your guitar"3.
What it sounds like and how to control it
The Havalina keeps to a simple three-knob layout: Volume, Tone and Fuzz54. Pedal of the Day found those three controls "produce and wide array of fuzziness, ranging from a mellow sonic crunch to a swarm of bees-type fuzz"4.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Fuzz | Lower settings give overdriven tones; turned up it delivers thick fuzz3 |
| Tone | A passive circuit covering a wide range, getting sizzly in the top end3 |
| Volume | Sets the output level4 |
The tone control is the one to spend time with. Premier Guitar called it "a very powerful sound-shaping tool"1, and the circuit behind it is a vintage-style passive tone circuit, which Pedal of the Day said makes the pedal "gritty but smooth and buttery at the same time"4. JHS Pedals' blog described the overall character as "a big, burly, piggish tone" capturing the classic ColorSound tone from the '70s6.
The Tone Bender connection
The Havalina's three-transistor, three-knob construction points to the Sola Sound Tone Bender MKI as its ancestor. Premier Guitar noted that its "three-transistor, tri-knob construction suggest inspiration by way of a Sola Sound Tone Bender"1. JHS Pedals is more specific: "This is Jeorge Tripps' take on the 3 knob ColorSound Tonebender germanium fuzz"6.
The original Tone Benders were themselves three-transistor fuzz circuits, based on Gibson's 1962 Maestro Fuzz-Tone7. Inside the Havalina, Premier Guitar found the circuit "populated by three hat-shaped Russian germanium transistors and five outsized yellow capacitors"1, a nod to the parts used in the vintage units it draws on.
Build, power and switching
The pedal is built around what Premier Guitar called a "brick-house anodized aluminum enclosure"1. Inside, a two-tiered circuit board array separates the I/O jack and DC power from the analog fuzz circuit itself1.
Power comes from a 9V jack on top of the unit, and there is a one-click battery compartment on the bottom1. Switching is handled by a quiet relay, which Premier Guitar listed among the pedal's "up-to-date design touches"1.
Jim Dunlop lists a Havalina Germanium Fuzz parts set (model WHE403-PARTS) for builders, alongside its warranty information8. If you are buying rather than building, the assembled pedal is the standard version.
What reviewers said
Published reviews were positive about the pedal's range, with a consistent caveat about what kind of fuzz it is134.
- MusicRadar's Trevor Curwen: "A new flavour of Tone Bender-style fuzz - but a tasty one nonetheless!"3
- Premier Guitar listed "surprising range of fuzz voices" among the pedal's pros1
- Pedal of the Day: "this is a fun fuzz that will get you groovin' with fat, vintage tones to rock your amp and your face"4
The common thread is that the Havalina rewards players who want vintage and overdriven fuzz textures rather than extreme, gated chaos. Curwen's finding that it cleans up from the guitar's volume control3 fits that character: it behaves like a vintage germanium fuzz, responding to playing dynamics and guitar controls.
Where it sits in the Way Huge lineup
The Havalina is built around a brick-house anodized aluminum enclosure1, with a two-tiered circuit board array inside: the top board is dedicated to the I/O jack and DC power, and the larger board carries the analog fuzz circuit itself1. Its tone knob is a very powerful sound-shaping tool16, and the pedal delivers what one reviewer described as "a big, burly, piggish tone" capturing the classic ColorSound tone from the '70s6. Among Way Huge's other fuzz offerings, such as the Swollen Pickle and the Russian Pickle, the Havalina stands out for its surprising range of fuzz voices1.
Videos
Premier Guitar
jimdunlopusa
gearmanndude
Questions
Does the Way Huge Havalina take a battery?
Yes. Premier Guitar's review notes a one-click battery compartment on the bottom of the unit, alongside a 9V jack on top for a power supply. You can run it either way.
Is the Way Huge Havalina a germanium fuzz?
Yes. It is a three-transistor germanium fuzz. Premier Guitar found the circuit populated by three hat-shaped Russian germanium transistors, and Guitar World reported at launch that it was designed around hand-selected Russian germanium transistors.
Who designed the Way Huge Havalina?
Jeorge Tripps, who designs every Way Huge pedal and is the founder of the original Way Huge. The Havalina is his take on the three-knob ColorSound Tone Bender germanium fuzz.
Does the Havalina use true bypass?
No. Its switching is handled by a quiet relay, which Premier Guitar listed among the pedal's up-to-date design touches, rather than a true-bypass switch.
What is the Havalina based on?
It is essentially a pedal in the Tone Bender vein, but not a clone, according to MusicRadar. JHS Pedals describes it more specifically as Jeorge Tripps' take on the three-knob ColorSound Tone Bender germanium fuzz.
Sources (8)
- Way Huge Havalina Review, Premier Guitar, 2014-09-05
- NAMM 2014: Jim Dunlop Introduces Way Huge Havalina Germanium Fuzz Pedal, Guitar World, 2014-01-28
- Way Huge Havalina Germanium Fuzz review, MusicRadar, 2015-02-27
- Way Huge Electronics Havalina™ Germanium Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2016-06-07
- WAY HUGE® HAVALINA™ GERMANIUM FUZZ, Jim Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
- MY FAVORITE WAY HUGE PEDALS, JHS Pedals
- Gary Hurst Tone Bender 'MKI' • Fuzzboxes, fuzzboxes.org, 2021-05-20
- WAY HUGE® FAT SANDWICH™ HARMONIC SATURATOR, Jim Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
