Dan Auerbach is the guitarist and singer of The Black Keys, and the British Pedal Company describes him as a classic fuzz collector1. His sound is built around fuzz pedals, vintage guitars, and a multi-amp stage setup, and in 2026 that sound reached pedal form through a signature collaboration with Warm Audio, the Black Keys Peach Fuzz2.
Fuzz at the heart of The Black Keys sound
Fuzz is the effect most associated with Auerbach's playing. Coda Effects' technical analysis of The Black Keys' tone reports that "Dan Auerbach, the guitarist/singer, uses a lot of fuzz effects, and especially a green russian Big Muff, and a Earthquaker Devices Hoof (a Big Muff variant with some interesting modifications as we will see later)"3. Guitar.com likewise identifies "the green Russian Big Muff owned by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach"6.
His fuzz collection goes further than those two:
- Green Russian Big Muff36
- EarthQuaker Devices Hoof, a modified Big Muff variant3
- Univox Super-Fuzz, which Premier Guitar notes he shares with Pete Townshend as a user4
- British Pedal Company Shatterbox, which the maker reports he picked up in 202271
MusicRadar's 2014 boutique fuzz pedal shootout placed The Black Keys in this context, noting "bands such as The Black Keys using some gnarly fuzz-driven tones"8. Auerbach's fuzz tones have also traveled in the other direction, into other makers' designs: Bigfoot Engineering's King Fuzz and King Fuzz Mini are both described by RockBoard PedalPedia as "inspired by the organic guitar tones of Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys)"910, and MusicRadar's review of the King Fuzz says "its vintage-voiced dirt aims to replicate The Black Keys man Dan Auerbach's epic fuzz tones, and it has a freakin' lion on the front!"11.
Guitars and amps on stage
Premier Guitar's 2021 rig rundown, filmed by Chris Kies and Dan Johnson, detailed the guitars Auerbach was using on tour, several of them tied to specific songs5.
| Guitar | Details | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Harmony H78 | Most of the two-piece sections of the show5 | |
| '64 Guild Thunderbird | Mostly original, bridge pickup restored by Lindy Fralin; his current favorite | 5 |
| Black National | Piezo in the bridge, fiberglass body, crunchy single-coils, Bigsby | "Howlin' for You"5 |
| Harmony Stratotone | Acquired nearly stripped, new Lindy Fralin P-90s, Bigsby, tuned to open G | "Run Right Back"5 |
| White Supro | Almost identical to his National | Most of the songs on Brothers5 |
He strings every one of them the same way: Premier Guitar reports that "Dan uses SIT .011 - .050 gauge strings on all of the guitars"5.
On the amplification side, the rundown describes a three-amp setup, with his effects running through all three amps except one piece: "a Fulltone Tube Tape Echo which only goes through the Marshall"5. For players chasing that part of his sound, the tape echo sits in the delay family.
The Warm Audio Peach Fuzz signature pedal
In 2026 Auerbach's fuzz sound became a pedal. Guitar Pedal X reported that Warm Audio "released compact versions of existing pedals plus the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach signature Peach Fuzz"12, and Warm Audio describes the pedal as "a collaboration between Warm Audio and The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach, reimagining one of the most sought-after and beloved fuzz pedals of all time"2.
Warm Audio's own description of the pedal's character and build:
"A small but mighty fuzz pedal that goes from mellow to mayhem real quick, Peach Fuzz uses NOS 2N3565 Fairchild transistors, Germanium 1N34A diodes, carbon resistors, and premium film capacitors to deliver authentic vintage fuzz."
Guitar Pedal X identifies the pedal as a take on the Foxx Tone Machine, calling it "the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach signature Peach Fuzz"12. For Auerbach, it is the first pedal built in collaboration with his own fuzz sound as the brief, where the Bigfoot Engineering King Fuzz and King Fuzz Mini were instead third-party pedals inspired by his tones910.
News
Questions
What fuzz pedal does Dan Auerbach use?
Dan Auerbach uses a lot of fuzz effects. Coda Effects reports he especially plays a green Russian Big Muff and an EarthQuaker Devices Hoof, a Big Muff variant with modifications. Premier Guitar also notes he uses a Super-Fuzz, and in 2022 he picked up a British Pedal Company Shatterbox.
Does Dan Auerbach use a Univox Super-Fuzz?
Yes. Premier Guitar's review of the EarthQuaker Devices Fuzz Master General, a pedal based on the Super-Fuzz circuit, notes that Pete Townshend and Dan Auerbach both use Super-Fuzzes.
What guitar did Dan Auerbach use on Brothers?
According to Premier Guitar's 2021 rig rundown, Auerbach plays a white Supro that is almost identical to his National, and he uses it for most of the songs on Brothers.
What echo does Dan Auerbach use?
A Fulltone Tube Tape Echo. Premier Guitar's rig rundown reports that his effects run through all three of his amps except the Tube Tape Echo, which only goes through the Marshall.
What strings does Dan Auerbach use?
SIT strings in .011 to .050 gauge, on all of his guitars, according to Premier Guitar's 2021 rig rundown.
What guitar does Dan Auerbach play on "Howlin' for You"?
A black National with a piezo in the bridge, a fiberglass body, crunchy single-coils, and a Bigsby. Premier Guitar's rig rundown identifies it as his guitar for "Howlin' for You".
Sources (12)
- Dan Auerbach, British Pedal Company, 2022
- Warm Audio The Black Keys Peach Fuzz Guitar Effects Pedal, Warm Audio
- Coda Effects, Coda Effects, 2015-09
- EarthQuaker Devices Fuzz Master General Review, Premier Guitar, 2015-09-04
- Rig Rundown: The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach, Premier Guitar, 2012-04-02
- Watch how the EarthQuaker Devices Hoof got fuzz famous, Guitar.com, 2018-04-19
- British Pedal Company, British Pedal Company
- VIDEO: Boutique fuzz pedal shootout, MusicRadar, 2014-11-11
- King Fuzz by Bigfoot Engineering, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- King Fuzz Mini by Bigfoot Engineering, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Bigfoot Engineering King Fuzz review, MusicRadar, 2013-10-18
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-10-02