ZVEX Russian Fuzz Factory 7

The ZVEX Russian Fuzz Factory 7 is a limited edition of the ZVEX Fuzz Factory 7, the seven-knob flagship fuzz from ZVex. Announced in August 2018, it swaps the FF7's stock germanium transistors for two rare Russian GT308V germanium transistors, which ZVEX says were found in a warehouse in Russia¹². MusicRadar described the result as a more "bipolar" take on the Fuzz Factory tone, in a pedal with, in their words, "a ridiculously cute cat on the enclosure"¹.

Like every Fuzz Factory, it is a fuzz pedal that can also squeal, sputter and self-oscillate. Guitar.com called the FF7 line "a box of noise disguised as a fuzz pedal," and the Russian edition keeps the circuit's full range of gated, velcro and shrieking textures³⁴. ZVEX says the vintage transistors "turn on" a lot faster than others, resulting in different fuzz and oscillation textures and response². It listed for $469 when it shipped in August 2018²¹.

What it does

The Russian Fuzz Factory 7 is a germanium fuzz with the FF7's full control set. Where a standard Fuzz Factory has five knobs, the FF7 earns its seven with seven dials to shape the sound, one of which is the nine-position rotary Fat switch that selects the fundamental tone of the fuzz⁴. In the middle of the controls is a Lexan window revealing the pair of germanium transistors, which MusicRadar notes are "set into a little window and backlit, so that you can properly appreciate them as you rip"⁶⁷.

The pedal is aimed at players who want a fuzz that goes beyond conventional gain. Guitar World describes the FF7 as "a stompbox for taking electric guitar tone off the beaten track," noting that it might squeal and make strange noises, which is part of the charm⁶⁴. The Russian edition's GT308V transistors change the character: per ZVEX, they turn on faster than other transistors, which shifts the fuzz and oscillation textures and the response¹. Gearnews' demo video shows ZVex playing a Pixies tune and a touch of Smashing Pumpkins through it⁸.

The controls

The control layout is unchanged from the previous FF7 edition. Guitar.com lists the controls as Gate, Comp, Drive, Volume, Tone, Fat and Stab, "exactly as they were on the previous edition"²⁴. MusicRadar's walkthrough of the FF7 USA Vexter, which shares the same layout, explains what each does⁹.

The Russian edition also carries a three-position toggle alongside the nine-position rotary switch, plus the switchable passive tone control to roll off high end¹. The Tone control has its own dedicated stomp switch, giving the pedal two footswitches: one for bypass, one for tone⁹¹¹.

The nine-position rotary is the FF7's defining feature. ZVEX says that where the Fat Fuzz Factory has a three-position toggle, the FF7's rotary "covers enormous sonic territory, from earthshaking low frequencies to 'dog whistle' (figuratively) high frequencies"¹². Guitar Pedal X describes the Fat control as a nine-position rotary selector which, in their reviewer's assumption, switches in different capacitor values¹³. Gearnews' Jef expected plenty of variety from it on the Russian edition⁸.

The circuit also retains the original Fuzz Factory's recommended settings, including Velcro Fuzz and Radio Fuzz¹⁴. Velcro Fuzz is the sputtering, ripping texture the circuit is known for; Radio Fuzz is a thin, radio-like tone. Both are reached by setting Gate, Comp and Stab toward their unstable extremes.

History and versions

The Fuzz Factory 7 was announced in July 2013 by Z.Vex Effects as "a new version of the Fuzz Factory with 7 knobs and two stomp switches," positioned as the company's flagship¹¹. The original Fuzz Factory circuit, designed by Zachary Vex, dates back further and remains what MusicRadar calls a pedalboard staple¹⁰¹.

The FF7 line has since appeared in several editions:

The Russian edition was unveiled in August 2018 alongside the silicon version, the two variations on the FF7 design appearing together¹⁹. Delicious Audio notes the silicon version replaces the stock transistors with silicon ones, while the Russian employs the two rare GT308V germanium components¹⁹. Gearnews called the Russian and the Silicon "a few limited edition Fuzz Factory 7 models" when the Abbey Road edition followed in 2019¹⁶.

Limited and hand-painted editions

The Russian Fuzz Factory 7 is a hand-painted pedal: Stompbox Book documents the standard Russian FF7 design being hand-painted by ZVex artists, one color and part at a time⁵. ZVEX states that colors and details may vary on hand-painted pedals, and that hand-painted pedals include a lifetime warranty¹².

One-of-a-kind painted FF7s appear regularly in ZVEX's custom store. The Fuzz Factory 7 G011, a one-of-a-kind hand-painted pedal by Lisa McGrath (LJM), listed at $579.00 and is sold out⁴. The Laura Bennett Fuzz Factory 7 G012, a one-of-a-kind hand-painted pedal by Laura Bennett, listed at $599.00 and is also sold out; its parts are otherwise identical to the Fuzz Factory 7¹⁵. Both share the standard FF7 dimensions of 4.80" x 3.64" x 2.10" (LxWxH)⁴¹⁵.

For players who want the circuit at a lower price, the Vexter editions carry UV printed art instead of hand painting, with parts inside identical to the hand-painted model¹⁸. Guitar Pedal X describes the Fuzz Factory 7 Vexter as "a very slightly lower cost version of the Fuzz Factory 7 (i.e. not hand-painted)," while noting it was still not readily available outside the USA²⁰. Current ZVEX list prices are $429.00 for the USA Vexter and $499.00 for the hand-painted Fuzz Factory 7¹⁸¹².

The FF7 has also appeared in special runs beyond the standard editions. Z.Vex has offered limited editions including the Russian FF7, hand-painted by ZVex artists one color and part at a time in the standard design, and a limited-edition Silicon Fuzz Factory 7 Mod⁴. There have also been one-of-a-kind hand-painted pedals, such as a custom painted FF7 made in July 2013, a G011 edition painted by Lisa McGrath (LJM), and a G012 edition painted by Laura Bennett, both now sold out¹⁴¹⁵⁵. The FF7's circuit is built around two NOS 1960s GT308 germanium transistors sourced from Ukraine⁴. On hand-painted pedals, Z.Vex notes that colors and details may vary¹².

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