DRW Ge Fuzz Ace review

Another ace fuzz face?

  • £129
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The bias control adjusts the input impedance, useful for matching it to various pickup types

MusicRadar Verdict

If you want a Fuzz Face-type pedal, this has the sound and is compact, robust and reasonably priced, with the ability to focus its fatness with the shape knob.

Pros

  • +

    Germanium transistors. Bias control. Great tones.

Cons

  • -

    Battery power only.

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Based on a classic Arbiter Fuzz Face, with a few original tweaks, the Ge Fuzz Ace features germanium transistors - not the typical NKT275s, but a type that DRW believes have not previously been used in this design.

"The experience is typically vintage germanium Fuzz Face with amp-like overdrive up to a sweet singing fuzz"

These PNP transistors would need reversed polarity to run from a standard 9V power adaptor, so the pedal eschews a power socket for battery power only.

Besides standard fuzz and level controls, you get bias - which adjusts the input impedance, useful for matching it to various pickup types - and shape, which dials in some midrange boost.

The experience is typically vintage germanium Fuzz Face with amp-like overdrive at low levels of the fuzz knob, up to a sweet singing fuzz with an aggressive trebly edge, cleaning up smoothly with guitar volume.

Trevor Curwen

Trevor Curwen has played guitar for several decades – he's also mimed it on the UK's Top of the Pops. Much of his working life, though, has been spent behind the mixing desk, during which time he has built up a solid collection of the guitars, amps and pedals needed to cover just about any studio session. He writes pedal reviews for Guitarist and has contributed to Total Guitar, MusicRadar and Future Music among others.