MXR M84 Bass Fuzz Deluxe review

Add some more scuzz to your thumping

  • £158
  • $219.99
The MXR M84 Bass Fuzz Deluxe offers awesome, reliable bass distortion.

MusicRadar Verdict

For low-end dirt, this is simply the perfect choice.

Pros

  • +

    Fantastic distorted sounds; usability; excellent note stability.

Cons

  • -

    Quite light, so needs to be on a pedalboard.

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Getting quality distortion on bass has never been an easy thing to achieve unless you're happy with cranking up your amp's front end and trusting your speakers to handle it.

But if you want something that's more sophisticated and adjustable then a bass fuzz unit is the answer. Sadly, many still have problems in working on certain notes, tending to oscillate between the actual note and the harmonic it generates. If only we could have something that didn't do that… enter the Bass Fuzz Deluxe.

Compact and efficient, the Deluxe's bypass switch is backed by four rotary controls. These offer adjustment to the level of both the clean (dry) signal and the effected (wet) signal so that you can match or boost one against the other.

Sounds

The tone control works on the fuzz sound alone to smooth things out a bit or to rough them up just as you wish. The fuzz control regulates the amount of effect you deliver so overall there's plenty of adjustment to hand and all the sounds produced across the pedal's range are solid, usable and without silly extremes.

As for note stability, this is stunningly good - it can even handle harmonics and full chords without 'wandering'.