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12 Degrees of Saturation : 2020 Key Distortion Categories Edition

12 Degrees of SaturationAmptweakerAMT EffectsAnarchy AudioBearfoot FXBig Ear PedalsBig Tone Music BreweryBlackhawk AmplifiersBossBrown Sound DistortionBYOCCarcharias EffectsCatalinbreadCoda EffectsDanelectroDecibelicsDigiTechDistortionDOD EffectsDr ScientistDriveDrunk BeaverDual-DriveDunwich AmplificationEarthbound AudioEarthQuaker DevicesFeaturedFree Fall DiverFriedman EffectsFunction F(X)Fuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionJackson AudioJAM PedalsJohn K Vintage GuitarsKeeley EngineeringLawrence Petross DesignLoop Hole PedalsMarshall Style DistortionMenatoneMetal DistortionMI EffectsMidValleyFXMooerMulti-DriveMXROneControlOpAmp FuzzPelican NoiseworksPepers' PedalsRat Style FuzzRedbeard EffectsReuss EffectsREVV AmplificationSinvertekSuhrThorpyFXVFE PedalsVox Style DistortionWamplerXIX Tech FXXotic Effects+-
2020GPX12DgreesSaturationDistortionEdition700V2.jpg

This edition comes rather hot on the heels of the recent 12 Degrees of Overdrive version as many readers’ inquiries questioned a couple of missing categories there - which I explained would rather figure within the Distortion contingent which is present here in all its glory!

 

As always, these is some considerable amount of grey science at play here - best typified by the Big Muff and Rat circuits - which are both very much distortions as well as fuzz varieties. I have 3 x 12 ...

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28 of the Best Compact Rat-Style Fuzz/Distortion Pedals - 2020 Ultimate Selection

Acid Age ElectronicsAion ElectronicsAnimals PedalBasic AudioBBE SoundBest in ClassBig Ear PedalsBig Tone Music BreweryBigToneMusicBreweryBYOCCatalinbreadChicago StompworkscmatmodsDistortionDr ScientistEarthbound AudioElectro-HarmonixFoxpedalFreakshow EffectsFuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGreer AmpsIbanezJAM PedalsJHS PedalsJohn LandgraffMagnetic EffectsMojo Hand FXOpAmp FuzzPettyjohn ElectronicsRat Style FuzzReuss EffectsStomp Under FootThorpyFXVFE PedalsWalrus Audio+-
2020GPX28CompactRats700V2.jpg

Most should know by now that I’m a huge Rat aficionado - and for me Rat doesn’t just mean those original ProCo Rat varieties but all the different derivatives - direct and indirect - old and new, classics, rarities and outliers. This category is titled ’Rat-Style’ so there’s a few Rat-adjacent pedals here too which share some of the core fundamentals and bring to mind some key associations with that well-known highly textured frequency profile.

 

For me at a fundamental level there are 3 ...

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9 of the Best Compact Doom Drone Sludge Stoner Fuzz Pedals!

Big Muff Style FuzzBlackhawk AmplifiersD*A*M EffectsEarthbound AudioFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGreenhouse EffectsMidValleyFXMinotaur Sonic TerrorsNine of SwordsOccvlt PedalsOpAmp FuzzOscillating FuzzSilicon FuzzSunmachine Effects+-
2020GPX9DoomSludgeFuzz700V3.jpg

It turns out that I’m quite the fan of deep and dark sludgy fuzzes. This post was actually inspired by a YouTube demo of the Slomatics Belfast Fuzz Machine Edition of the celebrated single-knob D*A*M M-13 Meathead.

 

I so liked the demo that I then started looking out for fuzzes that got me into similar territory - before realising that I actually already had a couple of my own - the Greenhouse Sludgehammer and Occvlt Furious Dope.

 

And since I started writing this piece I ...

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9 x Purple Means Fuzz!

BJFECarl MartinColoursEarthbound AudioFuzzFuzz Face Style FuzzGermanium FuzzJAM PedalsKR Musical ProductsMXROctave FuzzReuss EffectsRocket Surgeon LabsSilicon FuzzTone Bender Style FuzzVahlbruch FX+-
2019GPX9PurpleMeansFuzz700.jpg

Yet another Pedal Primary Colour Wheel derived article - I must surely be running out of these colour-associated varieties soon. In my original piece I recalled the alliteration of Lovepedal’s Purple Plexi which made that the most obvious Purple Pedal association, yet I also mentioned how Jimi Hendrix had inspired a number of Purple Fuzz Pedals. This is as distinct from the Violet Ram’s Head Muff - which is associated with a slightly different hue. Here the colour Purple is that colour best ...

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16 of the Best Rat Style Fuzz/Distortion Pedals

1981 InventionsAnimals PedalBasic AudioBuild Your Own CloneBYOCCaroline Guitar CompanyDr ScientistEarthbound AudioElectro-HarmonixFoxpedalFuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionJAM PedalsLone Wolf AudioMagnetic EffectsOpAmp FuzzProCoRatRat Style FuzzThorpyFXVFE PedalsWalrus Audio+-
2019GPX16Rats700-min.jpg

I think that the Rat style is possibly my favourite style of dirt pedal. It really depends how distinctly you classify all the Marshall pedals I have versus the already 8 Rat-style pedals in the collection (Actually 10 really, but 7 in the top 16 feature).

 

So my current all-time Rat-style champ is not always associated with the genre even though it is a full-throttle OmpAmp-driven fuzzstortion chaos machine - I am of course referring to Dr Scientist’s formidable Frazz Dazzler ...

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Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal Pedal Considerations and Alternatives

Abominable ElectronicsAnarchy AudioArionBehringerBossBuild Your Own CloneBYOCDistortionDOD EffectsDunn EffectsDunwich AmplificationEarthbound AudioKeeleyKMA AudioLone Wolf AudioMetal DistortionTC ElectronicWalrus AudioWren and CuffXIX Tech FX+-
2018GPXBossHM2Clones700-min.jpg

In the wake of the new and admittedly really cool Waza Craft Edition of the Metal Zone - the MT-2w, there were nonetheless lots of Boss fans who were super surprised that Boss had seen fit to do a Waza edition of a pedal that has been in continuous production since its release in 1991, versus the long-discontinued cult favourite HM-2 (1983-1992) which is likely its most popular pedal on the second-hand market, and which likely also has the most number of clones in that marketplace.

 

The...

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9 of the Best Larger Enclosure Fuzz Pedals Pt I

Beetronics FXBig Muff Style FuzzDeath By AudioEarthbound AudioFunction F(X)FuzzFuzz-Drive and FuzzstortionGated and Velcro FuzzGermanium FuzzModulated FuzzOctave FuzzOddball FuzzOld Blood Noise EndeavorsOpAmp FuzzOscillating FuzzProCoRainger FXRatRat Style FuzzSilicon FuzzStone Deaf EffectsThorpyFX+-
2018GPXLargerFuzzPedals700V2-min.jpg

I have indicated several times in my posts that I love Compact Enclosure pedals the best, but I also have an affinity for Mini pedals - particularly Mini Boost, Compressors, Fuzz and Overdrive. I never thought it was likely to happen, but for my preferred Klone pedal I went from an original Mini Tumnus up to the Deluxe version, but that slot is now taken by the diminutive Decibelics Golden Horse - which I prefer to both of the Tumni!

 

I have also indicated many times that I’m not ...

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