ZVEX Fuzz Factory 7

The ZVEX Fuzz Factory 7 is a seven-knob germanium fuzz pedal from ZVEX, a version of the company's Fuzz Factory circuit with two stomp switches and a nine-position rotary switch for low-end control¹. Where the original Fuzz Factory is famous for squealing, sputtering and shrieking, the FF7 keeps that character and adds a passive tone control with its own switch to roll off high end when needed²³⁴.

The current edition uses two NOS 1960s GT308 germanium transistors sourced from Ukraine, set into a little window and backlit so you can watch them at work³. ZVEX lists the hand-painted version at $499.00 and the Fuzz Factory 7 USA Vexter at $429.00, with identical parts inside both⁵⁴.

What it does

Guitar.com described the pedal bluntly at its launch: "Squealing, sputtering and shrieking, the ZVEX Fuzz Factory 7 is a box of noise disguised as a fuzz pedal"⁶. Like the original Fuzz Factory, released in 1995⁷, the circuit can be dialed in as a conventional fuzz or pushed into oscillation, gated sputter and self- feedback textures. MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley noted the Drive control is there for "setting the gain and dialling in the Fuzz Factory 7 as though it were your common or garden variety" fuzz, with a Volume knob for controlling overall output⁸.

The FF7 keeps the original's recommended settings, such as Velcro Fuzz and Radio Fuzz, so players moving from a standard Fuzz Factory can find the same documented sounds⁹. What separates it from the five-knob original is the Fat rotary switch and the tone control, both covered below.

The controls

The pedal carries seven knobs and two stomp switches¹. Guitar Pedal X lists the full set as Tone, Volume, Gate, Comp, Drive, Stab (Stability / Starve), and Fat, plus a Tone Bypass footswitch and a Bypass footswitch¹⁰.

The two stomp switches are the main bypass and a tone bypass for switching the passive tone control in and out¹⁰.

The nine-position Fat switch

Where the Fat Fuzz Factory has a 3-position toggle, the FF7 has a nine-position rotary switch, and ZVEX says it covers enormous sonic territory, from earthshaking low frequencies to "dog whistle" (figuratively) high frequencies⁵. In the original 2013 announcement, Z.Vex described it as a fatness switch with 9 positions and 9 levels of sub depth, letting the player control the oscillation range and bass content of the fuzz signal and tailor it for the bass response of their rig¹. Guitar Pedal X's reviewer described the Fat control as a 9-position rotary selector "which one assumes switches in different capacitor values"¹³.

The tone control

The Fuzz Factory 7 also has a passive tone control with its own switch to roll off high end if needed³⁴². Delicious Audio described the Tone knob as associated with the TONE stomp switch for rolling off the high end of the fuzz⁹. This is the control that most separates the FF7 from the standard Fuzz Factory, where high-end management is left to the amp and the guitar's tone knob.

History and versions

The Fuzz Factory circuit, designed by Zachary Vex, first appeared in 1995⁷¹². The Fuzz Factory 7 arrived as a new version of the Fuzz Factory with 7 knobs and two stomp switches, and Z.Vex called it the flagship of the line at the time¹. The original FF7 was inspired by a supply of black glass germanium transistors from the mid-fifties, made originally by Amperex, hand-painted and backlit in a window on the enclosure²¹¹⁴.

Since then the pedal has appeared in several transistor and finish configurations:

The Silicon version replaced the stock transistors with silicon ones, which ZVEX said makes a "brighter, tighter and more synthetic-sounding" fuzz¹². The Russian version, which ZVEX said became the new standard-issue Fuzz Factory 7, used GT308V germanium transistors that ZVEX said were found in a warehouse in Russia; ZVEX said vintage transistors "turn on" a lot faster than others, resulting in different fuzz and oscillation textures and response²¹⁵. The current edition's GT308 transistors come from Ukraine³.

Limited and hand-painted editions

Alongside the standard hand-painted and Vexter versions, the FF7 has appeared in small limited runs. The Abbey Road Fuzz Factory 7, announced in September 2019 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' album, was a run of just 12 pieces at USD 469 RRP, each with controls for tone, volume, gate, comp, drive and stab¹⁴¹⁶. Gearnews noted there had been a few limited edition Fuzz Factory 7 models before it, like the Russian and the Silicon¹⁶.

ZVEX also sells one-of-a-kind hand-painted pedals through its custom store, such as the Fuzz Factory 7 G011 painted by Lisa McGrath (LJM) at $579.00 and the Laura Bennett Fuzz Factory 7 G012 at $599.00, both now sold out³¹⁷. The Engraved FF7, in a utilitarian Raw-style enclosure, is also sold out¹⁸. On hand-painted pedals, colors and details may vary, and all hand-painted pedals include a lifetime warranty⁵.

What reviewers said

Gearnews called the Silicon FF7 "a hard to tame pedal" for players who like to tweak and make velcro fuzz tones that sound organic and dynamic¹²³. MusicRadar's FX Files on the Fuzz Factory noted the transistors are "set into a little window and backlit," a signature of the FF7 presentation¹⁴³. On price, MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley wrote of the USA Vexter launch that "At $399, it ain't cheap"⁸; ZVEX's current list for that edition is $429.00⁴.

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