Introduction

Fuzz pedals have a special place in the hearts of guitar players. The effect can produce raw and rich tones, which have influenced the music scene of rock, punk, and alternative genres for many years.

In this article, we'll guide you through the world of fuzz effects, showcasing the ten best fuzz pedals currently available on our website. From vintage-inspired favorites to innovations, these pedals provide an array of textures and sounds that can elevate your music-making experience.

Whether you're a fuzz enthusiast or just starting to delve into this type of effect, our list caters to all levels. Let’s explore together and find the best fuzz pedal to enhance your tone once and for all.

All the pedals on the list are available in our online store. Make sure to also check out our complete selection of fuzz pedals!

A Brief History of the Fuzz Pedal

The fuzz sound we love today dates back to the invention of the guitar pedal itself. First appearing in the 1950s, the effect was initially a product of unintentional equipment malfunctions.

Legend says that Willie Kizart's (Jackie Brenston's band guitarist) amplifier once fell out of a car and got damaged. Kizart attempted to repair the equipment by stuffing it with newspaper, which resulted in a heavily distorted, fuzzy sound. It shows that, sometimes, even undesirable sound artifacts can lead to significant innovations in music.

Link Wray recreated the effect shortly after by piercing holes in his amplifier's speaker cone. You can hear the effect on the song "Rumble.”

However, the effect only caught on in the early 1960s. That's when Gibson introduced the first fuzz pedal to the world. This unit defined the decade’s sound, with bands such as The Kinks and Rolling Stones being early adopters of the technology.

As time passed, newer flavors of fuzz were born. Nowadays, we have a virtually endless sound palette: the possibilities are endless, from classic-inspired pedals such as the Mojo Hand FX 1979 to innovations such as the Death By Audio Soundwave Breakdown.

As with any effect category, choosing the best fuzz pedal for your setup can be tricky. Below, we will cover the top 10 best fuzz pedals on the market today.

Top 10 Best Fuzz Pedals in 2024

Mojo Hand FX 1979 - The Best Fuzz Pedal for Grunge

The Mojo Hand FX 1979 takes inspiration from the late 70s high gain Big Muffs, a staple in styles such as grunge: think Billy Corgan tones in the Smashing Pumpkins. The flagship characteristic of the 1979 is that it features op-amps instead of transistors. 

What's nice about this pedal is that, despite being true to the classic Big Muff sound, it has a few extra parameters that make it even more reliable. For example, the tone knob can give your mids a boost and help your guitar cut through the wall of noise in a band setting, solving a well-known problem that the original Big Muff had.

You can bypass the tone circuit, allowing a sound closer to the original EHX unit.

The Mojo Hand FX 1979 is best for:

• Grunge guitar players.
• Late 70s to 90s music styles.
• Those looking for an op-amp big muff-style fuzz with extra parameters.

Listen below to the Mojo Hand FX 1979 in action:

Haunted Labs Paranormal V2 - A High-Gain, Silicon Fuzz Pedal

Death by Audio Fuzz War - Best "Chaotic" Fuzz Tones

"Chaotic" is the best word to describe the Fuzz War. Designed by Death by Audio, it is a pedal for those who don't mind getting their tone really dirty.

The pedal was inspired by the garage rock of the late 60s, and pays homage to the sound of bands such as The Stooges. Despite this, the Fuzz War has a few modern components that make it more reliable than its vintage counterparts.

Ty Segall, the guitar player, is well-known for using the Fuzz War in his punk-esque songs. This pedal is not what we call versatile, but if you enjoy that vibe, you will definitely have fun with it.

The Death By Audio Fuzz War is best for:

• Garage rock and protopunk-inspired styles.
• Dirty power-chord riffs and heavily distorted tones.

Dirty Haggard Fuzz Without Emotion - A Blend Between Silicon and Germanium Style Fuzz

With such a suggestive name for a fuzz pedal, the Fuzz Without Emotion blends two all-time favorite types of circuits, silicon and germanium, allowing for highly unique tones.

This pedal is a collaboration between Dirty Haggard and the guitar player Brad Fry from the band Pissed Jeans. If you're familiar with the act, you know that most of their songs are in the noise rock/garage rock territory, making the Fuzz Without Emotion a prime choice for rawer playing styles.

This fuzz pedal works well in a band setting, thanks to its built-in midrange EQ that covers 360Hz to 1.6kHz and can cut/boost up to 16dB, allowing for high versatility whether you're playing power chord bases or piercing solos.

The Dirty Haggard Fuzz Without Emotion is best for:

• Noise rock and garage rock.
• Those who can't decide between getting a silicon or a german fuzz.
• Added versatility.

Cusack Music Screamer Fuzz V3 - An Hybrid Between an Overdrive and a Fuzz

The Cusack Music Screamer Fuzz is an excellent hybrid pedal. It can produce fuzzy sounds and light to heavy overdrive tones in the style of the classic T-808/Screamer (as the name implies).

Furthermore, the pedal also has a built-in clip toggle switch that lets you choose between silicon, schottky, and asymmetrical LED clipping styles. Such features make the Screamer Fuzz the most versatile pedal on the list.

The V3 edition also adds a low-pass tone control, which is useful when avoiding muddy tones in band settings.

The Cusack Music Screamer Fuzz is best for:

• Guitar players that are looking for versatility, as the pedal functions both as a fuzz and an overdrive.
• Virtually any music and playing styles, thanks to its customizable parameters.

MMK Electrics Norris - An Hybrid Between a Muff and a Fuzz Face

The Norris Fuzz has a curious characteristic: it is an hybrid between a Muff and a Fuzz Face. It's rare to see such a combination in the wild, but it works surprisingly well.

With a simple build featuring only two aviation-inspired knobs (Throttle and Stall), the Norris Fuzz is as straight to the point as a pedal can be, but it stills allows for unparalleled tone control.

The amount of tone control is, in fact, the characteristic that sets this fuzz apart from the others. While it might not be as versatile enough to enter high-gain territory, it performs exceedingly well in more traditional styles such as blues rock.

The MMK Electrics Norris Fuzz is best for:

• Blues rock players.
• Minimalist setups, thanks to its superb tone control capabilities.

Death By Audio Octave Clang V2 - A Superb Experimental Octave Fuzz

This type of pedal can be divisive, but no fuzz pedal list is complete without an octave fuzz. The coveted Death By Audio Octave Clang V2 was out of production for a long time, but it has recently returned with an updated version.

The Octave Clang is not for everyone, as it is a highly experimental pedal. Despite that, it features several parameters, such as an absurd +39dB gain knob and a built-in bias control accessible via the backplate.

As the name implies, you can crank the pedal an octave up via the built-in footswitch. This handy feature makes your solos stand out in a band setting.

The Death By Audio Octave Clang V2 is best for:

• Experimental playing styles.
• Garage rock, punk, and anything in between.

Cusack Music Sub Fuzz - An Hybrid Analog Sub-Octave Generator and Fuzz

The Cusack Music Sub Fuzz is its own thing, as in addition to being a distortion unit, it can generate sub-octave analog tones up to three octaves below what you're playing.

The Sub Fuzz’s sound is earthshaking when the lower octaves are engaged. The pedal shines when paired with humbucker pickups and drop tunings, making it an excellent option for genres such as stoner rock and doom metal.

Apart from the guitar, the Sub Fuzz is also usable on bass and keys to help you achieve bottom-heavy yet distorted basslines.

The Cusack Music Sub Fuzz is best for:

• Stoner rock and doom metal.
• Drop tunings.
• Guitar, bass, and keys.

Mid-Fi Electronics Demo Tape Fuzz - A Full-Blown Lo-Fi Fuzz Pedal

The Mid-Fi Electronics Demo Tape Fuzz is all about that ragged, lo-fi sound: it simulates the distortion achieved by plugging your guitar (or any other instrument) directly into a 4-track mixer.

Surprisingly, it sounds terrific. The pedal allows you to achieve that classic "home-recording" type of distortion but in a more controlled manner. It resembles Jack White's achievement in The White Stripes' first record.

If you're into that kind of "garagey," rough vibe, we suggest you also look at similar Mid-Fi Electronics pedals on our website.

The Mid-Fi Electronics Demo Tape Fuzz is best for:

• Garage rock, lo-fi, and punk.
• Fans of raw, crude-sounding records.

Dirty Haggard Tone Benzer - A Minimalist, Classic Bender-Style Fuzz

The last entry on our list is the Dirty Haggard Tone Bender. It is a classic, minimalist fuzz inspired by the Bender-style pedals of the 60s and 70s. With only two knobs, it doesn't get simpler than that.

Despite its basic construction, this pedal packs high-quality components: a blend of vintage germanium (BC108 and MP35) and silicon transistors. If you want a versatile pedal for any genre with tons of tone control that you can plug in and start playing, the Tone Benzer is a superb choice.

The Dirty Haggard Tone Benzer is best for:

• Virtually any music genre.
• Minimalism-inclined players looking for a plug-and-play fuzz.

Conclusion

These are the ten best fuzz pedals currently available in our shop. The options are diverse and will serve various music genres and playing styles. Nonetheless, three fuzz pedals on the list caught our attention thanks to their reliability, versatility, and value for the price. Here are our top picks:

Top Picks - The 3 Best Fuzz Pedals in 2024

Cusack Music Screamer Fuzz V3

The Screamer Fuzz V3 is the best pedal on the list, thanks to its versatility and ability to work both as a fuzz and an overdrive. With the added clip toggle switch, this unit is a prime choice for any music genre.

Mojo Hand FX 1979

Inspired by the classic Muff-style fuzz sound of the 1970s, this pedal stays true to its vintage origins while being incredibly convenient and versatile thanks to its several quality-of-life features.

MMK Electrics Norris

The MMK Electrics Norris is an hybrid between two distinctive styles of fuzz (Muff and FuzzFace). This pedal is one of our favorites on the list, thanks to the amount of tone control and playability it offers.

Interested in exploring more? Make sure to check out our dedicated fuzz pedals section!

Bonus: Use the code IASN10 at checkout for an extra 10% discount!