Voodoo Lab Superfuzz

Takes time to dial in, but worth it to have a range of effect.

Good range of fuzz effect, from all drive to complete slush.

On/off switch works less than 1/2 the time. Battery held in place by tension of circuit board--just asking for trouble. I don't use it often (just for deep-background tracks) and I don't play live anymore, so I just beat on it until it clicks.

Been playing since 1970. LP, Blueshawk, 335, Strat, and Tele into tubes (Traynor, Fender, and Marshall).

I bought this in early '05 - new - don't remember the price. The resonance and tone controls are unique. I was able to get some sounds that made me smile fairly easily.

set up: strat >>>>> dunlop Q zone >>>> Carl Martin compressor>>>> fuzz >>>>> Keeley mod Boss blues driver. >>>>> million year old ibanez analog delay box >>>>> tweed bassman. I found some good sounds at practice volume - warm, etc. But did not cut at gig volume in a bars/clubs where the sound bounces around. This has been the same deal with a lot of other fuzzes.

solid. I like Voodoo stuff - I use a pedal power ( heavy use - 5 yrs ) also used a sparkle drive for a while. Good products.

have played 40 yrs - for past 10 in a pop, R+B, etc. cover band.

OTHER GEAR I OWN: everything you can imagine. Even my kitchen cabinets are overflowing with stomp boxes.

I use a fuzz in maybe 5 songs per night. I have settled on my black cat OD 1. This sounds nasty and brittle at rehearsal levels and wonderful at gig volumes. ( Don's 'helpful hint' of the day: a good fuzz will sound brittle, edgy, and annoying in front of your tweed with the volume level at 3 - but cranked it is divine. ) I learned this fast ( took me about 20 years ) - that's why I picked up my black cats ( I have 2 ) for $30 on ebay - people listen to them at low volume and dump them cheap.

If I were into recording there would be a lot of good uses for the voodoo fuzz, muff, Home brew UFO, etc ) but at high volume the OD-1 is the one.

The two main controls Volume and Attack (drive) do most of the work. The other 2 are subtle so if you like the sound of this unit you shouldn't have to mess with it very much.

I've had lots of fuzzes, 60's Faces reissues, Big Muffs, those awful Boss abortions etc.

You could be forgiven from some reviews for expecting this unit to sound like a compressor or tubescreamer and nothing like a fuzz box. Well you would be wrong. This is an excellent unit. It cleans up with the guitar volume (a must), works great with pre or power amp distortion, "does it" with a Strat and for me is the best fuzz I have used. I get all the rasp I want and it can destroy chords too. With serious amp distortion and feedback think Hendrix live.
PLEASE just ignore those dreadfull audio clips on the Voodoo Lab web site. They do not represent anything like the sounds I get.

No problems. This place will always be a forum for those who have been unlucky - a fact of life.

If you can't get classic sounds out of this box its down to you or your gear.

Doesn't always work when it's supposed to.

This is a follow-up to an earlier review. After only a few months of using this at home to get used to the various sounds I could get, I took this pedal out on a gig where a vintage fuzz sound was vital. After a soundcheck we played the gig and at the critical moment I stepped on the switch and NOTHING !!! Back at home I checked the pedal out further and it has about a 50/50 chance of working properly when you step on it. Sorry, but that's not good enough. Needless to say, this pedal will NEVER be used on a gig again as I can't afford to look bad due to equipment failure.

I lose no matter what. If I have to send the pedal back I get stuck paying some more money. If I have it repaired locally I get stuck paying some more money. Even if it is repaired by VL can I count on it in the future ?

Sounded good while it was working but you cannot gig with a pedal that may or may not work when you step on it. VL has had too many issues with the switches. Get a new supplier or get a new design. These pedals aren't the cheapest to buy so the quality should be alot better.

It took about 10 min to figure out where the good sounds were. Start with the basic fuzz of the pedal it was designed after then go from there.

Sound's good with my tube amps not as good with the solid states.My classic 50 and Groove tubes solo 150 like pedals so that helps.Net real noisy for a fuzz box. It sounds good with fenders and gibsons.

Just got it we will see.

Havent need them .

I play rock music perfect for the stuff I do. I have been playing for along time. This pedal has alot to offer not just your every day BIGMUFF. I is a tonal treat for me I give it a 9 cause I can say nothing is perfect.

I think dialing in any fuzz pedal takes patience, tolerance and determination.

I like fuzz for that little rasp that sits on the top of the notes. This fuzz came alive for me when I used the sag power supply on my pedal power 2. Set at half way it take the hiss away and makes this fuzz real sweet. Works well with a tube screamer in front of it too. I'm playing an American Strat - pedals - 67 Fender Vibrolux Reverb.

So far so good.

Email is slow but they answer the phone.

I really like electric blues with fuzz and some vibe. This fuzz will stay in my collection.

Four knobs, all of which are very powerful. Each knob indidually is easy to figure out. The work, and ultimately fun, comes from figuring out all the possibilities there are by making subtle or huge changes in every knob. Spend a few hours experimenting and you will find loads of great sounds. The LED is a great convenience that the older pedals and many reissues lack, as is the power supply option.

If you only want the retro fuzzface sound this may not be the pedal for you-either buy a reissue or spend the bucks for the original. If you are looking for a pedal that can give vintage sounds and much more this is your pedal. There are great sounds ranging from slight grit to smooth leads. The best part is this pedal remains a 'fuzz' pedal throughout the spectrum. Don't expect a bluesy overdrive or a heavy metal distortion. You need to use this pedal for what it was intended. I liken this pedal to a Mesa Boogie. Tweaking each of the four knobs can make a huge change in the final sound. So spend some time experimenting. Very quiet for a fuzz and very loud. Loads of EQing possibilities too.

I have Voodoo Lab Pedal Power, Microvibe, and Proctavia and all are very solid and reliable pedals. Some people have written about switching problems but Voodoo Lab is great about fixing that too. Can't blame VL if their supplier sends them junk.

I have emailed and phoned them qith questions about their various pedals and have found them to always be eager and willing to answer . They explain things well and are very knowledgeable.

If you are looking for a solid and versatile fuzz pedal this is a great choice at a great price. I do lots of session work and need to be able to get sounds from the past, but also enjoy being able to get some new sounds too. I run this pedal with a Fender 62 reissue Strat through Mesa Boogie Mark I and III amps and it sounds great every time. Voodoo Lab makes some great pedals that are very dependable and reasonably priced. Most of all, their stuff sounds great.

The pedal is basic and easy to use. Just take one minute to read what each knob does and experiment.

I like the sound of this pedal and use it to gether with other fuzzes and distortions to create a variety of sounds. The pedal alone just has one basic sound, but I like it.

Within a couple of months of buying this pedal the switch started to give me problems. It wouldn't engage the effect every time I hit the switch and it would often just go silent. I was on tour overseas and didn't have a back-up but I like the sound of the pedal so I had to get the pedal fixed on the road. I watched the tech guy and noticed that the foot switch is a six pole model and not the nine pole one that is purported as being "true by-pass".

This pedal sounds good to me and if the switch breaks again I'll put the cash down to fix it again. It sounds different than and works well with my other fuzz pedals and has become a part of my sound I'm using now. I just wish I didn't have to suffer playing a couple of live shows when the switch crapped out on me. It really sucks when you go to engage the fuzz for a climactic moment and the sound cuts out entirely... If I didn't like the sound of it so much, it would have ended up under the wheel of the bus that night.

This pedal is not easy to get a good sound, at least that is in my opinion. This pedal is some what versitile in it's own terms, but doesn't cover from this end to that end of the sound.

4 knobs, if you were to get this pedal today or whenever, you would need some series of serious knob turning to do, not easy like others would say.

The product manual is so useful, it's probably the best manual out there, one orange page, but explains alot of what you'll get.

I've also heard that, Voodoo Lab didn't have LEDs installed in some of their earlier products, but i doubt it for this particular model.

True-Bypass, Analog, small sized, and very light.

I use American made 2001 Fender Stratocaster (stock pickups) with Fender Hot Rod Deville 212.

Wasn't at all happy with the heavy distortion that this wonderful amp gave me, so obiviously i searched for a fuzz and distortion pedal.

The Database Submission page asks me if this product is noisy and if the effect is weak or do they always sound great.

This product is so quiet, but it's very natural, unlike them distortion boxes with built in noise gate. I even maxed the product and put the HRDeville to 7-9, with EQ controls to max, through a Fender Strat. No noise when i don't play, it's amazing, although i can't say much about when i'm playing, i ain't a very good picker :).

This effect is strong, and it sounds almost alive, it's not dead or compressed, it's alive.

I was hoping to get Johnny Winter, Jimi Hendrix, Smashing Pumpkins, and alot of other artist's sound for lead and rhythm, but could not extactly get it. It could do some though, but not even close to being a fuzz.

It was about the same when played through my friend's Gibson Studio, Musicman Axis Sport, Unknown Ibanez guitar through a HRDeville 212.



I'm giving it a 9, not based on my tastes, playing skills, gear or whatever.

The product alone is good for what it actually does, and it deserves a 9. It should have been a 10, however it's not a fuzz pedal, it's a distortion pedal, with a very slight fuzz and with an awesome, natural, and strong sound.

I would depend on this pedal, and use it on a gig without a backup.

Strong case.

But i've only had it for two monthes(never gigged, and never tested in the rehersal space) and finally sold it, so i can't say.

I play any music, this thing even does metal well, very well. It does slightly distorted stuff well. For shredding, some settings are not good. For blues, it's a good match.

I've played for about 6 years now.

If it was stolen or lost, i would buy it again, but in the future. I've sold this to my friend,

I love how it's very strong and natural sounding, but i hate the price and also i extremely hate the fact that this pedal isn't a fuzz, considering a nameless distortion box(50$) could do the same (but slighly without the strong and natural sound).

However, it's my own fault for being a dumbshit for buying it even after playing through it for 15 minutes.

I compared this product with Electro Harmonix Big Muff Pi NYC and Sovtek Re-Issues, Double Muff, Guyatone Fuzz, BOSS DS-1 Taiwanese, and 6 other boxes which i do not care for at all in the same sound room on the same day.

Superfuzz was the strongest and natural sounding unit from those products, and most expensive too.

I wished that this product or (in the future) had a similar sounding pedal but with MORE fuzz qualities. I hope Voodoo Lab/Digital music looks at this database and makes changes, because that would be just super.

It doesn't get a 10, well that's based on what my tastes are, and i don't think it's fair to give any poor grades, but still it needs improvment if they continue to catagorize this pedal as a fuzz pedal.

It just can't do it fully, it somewhat does that Spanish Castle rhythm type of sound, but....

Mixing it with the overdrive/dis channel/pedal made it smoother but still didn't make it fuzz.

this is an easy pedal to use, of course, if youre wanting it to be simple. if you want to explore the sounds of this beast then your in for some tweaking time.

Im using an epiphone les paul(killer by the way), through a solid state behringer. this thing works best through a slighty driven channel, its a very versatile pedal with a LARGE number of sounds available. It should be noted that the tone control is not actually the high end cutter everyone is used to, its actually a midrange control, makin it easy to get a nice smooth scooped sound, or a honky midrange monster, this a very unique, and useful feature. the resonance control is something i leave about 12 oclock most of the time, unless im goin for something specific for a song. True bypass all the way. the only hitch is its a little noisy, but hey, ITS A FUZZZ. If i could give you a few songs/artists, to equate this pedal with i would say hmmm... the live version of how many more times,dead leaves dirty ground,spirit,white stripes(yes),early page, cream, hendrix, and definitly some jeff beck.
Hell yes.

this things quite sturdy, im not sure if its TANK like but yeah i wouldnt bring a backup, were poor c'mon. The switch is built to last and the Led is tough. strong knobs, and aluminum enclosure. i dont think this is a germanium device,they wouldve written that all over the add if it was, so i wouldnt worry about aural consistancy in hot/cold enviroments. The only thing with this category would be that you have to take 4 screws off to get to the batter,but i use an adapter so thats not a problem. i mean c'mon people buy an adapter, theyll save a ton of trouble and cash, i like my One-spot.

havent dealt with them but ive heard there great.

A proverbial FUZZ monster with plenty of bite, and very subtle tones if you want. When i first got it, i was dissapointed, but after about a day with tweakin my amp and the knobs, im soo glad i got it. Buy it people if youre in the market for some ass-kickin fuzz

the superfuzz has four knobs. in my experience w/guitar effects pedals, anything over three dials usually means trouble re:finding the sweet spots w/out a couple hours of aggravated knob-twiddling. this was simply not the case w/the superfuzz; i honest-to-christ have yet to find a "bad" sound from this device. all four potentiometers work beautifully w/each other. i've owned a few higher priced, impeccable reputation fuzzboxes (which shall remain nameless) that were a total pain in the arse to find the exact (& i do mean EXACT) locations that the dials had to be in to get one (yes, only ONE!) good sound. the superfuzz is truly the way all signal-clippers should operate. a sheer joy to use.

set-up: gibson s-1 w/lindy fralin p-90s > superfuzz > custom-built 3-watt tube amp. effects powered by voodoo labs pedal power 2, everything connected w/george l's cables. i actually have other pedals in the chain, but they are rather numerous, constantly changing, & not relevant to this review. what IS relevant to this review is the beautiful, beautiful sound coming out of my amplifier whenever the superfuzz is powered up. either i got the best unit to ever leave the doors of voodoo labs, or i just don't know what the hell the other reviewers on this site are looking for in a fuzzbox. some have griped that it doesn't replicate the sound of the original superfuzz; voodoo labs makes no claim that they are even attempting to do so. indeed, right on the box it says that it is a re-creation of the 1968 jordan bosstone. i'm sure a few wise-acres out there are asking "well, does it sound like a 1968 jordan bosstone?" sorry, i don't have one handy for an a/b comparison. here's the thing... i'm not caught up in bowing down to hallowed tones of yesteryear & sticking my fingers in my ears & kicking & screaming if it doesn't sound like jimi or eddie or stevie ray. all i know is that the superfuzz ROCKS. the sounds from this pedal are why i've had a 25+ year romance w/electric guitar. so i guess what it boils down to is this: who ya gonna believe- them or me?

again, i've seen on this page, & reviews of other voodoo labs pedals, that the ratings for VL stuff has taken a beating in this category too. i would have to imagine the guys who've had bad luck w/the quality of VL products aren't making their stories up. & let's face it, paying for something & then having it malfunction sucks. anyway, i own three voodoo labs items. all three get a fairly good amount of use. thus far, nothing has occured w/any of them to make me think i'm gonna be looking over my shoulder to make sure they're still working. so, at the risk of looking like i'm typing up a press kit for voodoo labs, here comes another 10.

i got mine used, so did not deal w/voodoo labs. i used to live near petaluma CA a few years ago. people there are pretty friendly, as i recall. wouldn't be surprised if josh fiden (main man at VL) is too.

i waited a long time after purchasing my superfuzz before writing this review. why? well, for one reason i wanted to avoid the so-called "honeymoon syndrome". but the other reason was cuz i couldn't beliieve that other owners of this pedal could be so un-impressed & i wanted to give the superfuzz every opportunity to fail-- that it would not work well in conjunction w/other pedals (phasers, flangers, delay, etc.). that it would eventually become "old hat". that it would spontaneously combust. well, here we are several months down the road & not one of those things has happened. & my opinion of the superfuzz has changed not one iota. i love it.

due to the extensive permutations of the four knobs (vol/ resonance/ tone/ fuzz) it takes a bit of trial and error. there are a lot of usable sounds, but it's not straightforward like say a boss pedal.

i play - gibson sg> boss tu2 floortuner> proco rat2> (insert fuzz of choice here!)> electro harmonix small stone phaser> boss dd3 delay> marshall superlead mk2> 4x12 cab. this pedal is not noisy at all, and is true bypass. it takes a while to get a good sound with, and to be honest i was extremely disappointed with it when i tried it at home through a wee practice amp. it sounded weak. then i tried it through my marshall - BAM! it obviously needs to be pushing a good tube amp, because with this set up it sounds awesome. really thick heavy fuzz, probably even thicker than my bigmuff, and with more low end than you could imagine possible. single notes absolutely sing out too so it's perfect for solos. great sustain too. i'd say it's darker and more focussed than a big muff, and has a more modern sound than a fuzzface. it sounds like a slightly less fuzzy zvex maybe. i play heavy rock along the lines of sabbath/ melvins/ kyuss and it's perfect for that sound. i'd imagine it nails a good smashing pumpkins and all. very loud pedal - sounds very tasty with delay and phaser.

no worries so far

overall i'll say a nine,(because i am sure there is a ten somewhere out there and i just haven't found it yet) - but i would hasten to add it sounds best through a loud tube amp. i considered selling it initially, but not now. if you want super-bassy fuzz with great clarity this is a good choise.

4 knobs. Resonance is sort of a low bass boost. The Tone knob only starts to have an effect at the extreme positions, which are around 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock. Anything in the middle is really subtle.

If you want a classic '60s fuzz, this isn't what you want. This is a far more refined pedal. There is virtually no sputter, grit, or coarseness. It's all smooth, warm, and almost too fat. I only run the resonance around 11 o'clock, with the tone dialed back around 8 or 9 o'clock, and with the attack around 3 o'clock. It's a very touch-sensitive pedal in terms of tone, but it does have a compressed feel to it. Pretty good sustain, though if you play a lot of bends that take your strings away from your pickups' pole pieces, this pedal is very sensitive to that, and has some drop out. I can get it to sound like Armageddon in a box just using my Mexi Strat with the neck pickup selected and the tone rolled off.

Seems to be well built, no problems yet.

Never had to use customer support.

For what I paid, I'm happy with it. Definitely not what I was looking for in terms of a fuzztone, but it has its own modern, smoooth fuzz character.

Being a fuzz pedal with four knobs you won't get a headache tweaking it.

I bought this for a Princeton Reverb I was supposed to get off eBay but that's another story, stay away from new sellers. I was hoping for a real shitty buzzy sound like those Morricone soundtracks/horror films/Cramps but to my surprise it sounded exactly like the distortion built into my Peavey Bandit 65. Not crappy enough. It didn't seem to have enough of the "what the fuck's wrong with that amp" factor. From reading around I guess I'm looking for a Maestro FZ 1. I wish I could rate this one a zero, then I'd keep it.

Seems sturdy enough. I've read here about switching problems but that wouldn't deter me from buying from them again. If I wanted a chorus pedal, I'd get their Analog Chorus.

Couldn't say.

Had to return it. Didn't make me feel like a Speghetti Western anti-hero. You may want something different for tone and out of life but then you couldn't possibly be as epic as I am. Dulcinea...
Hear it yourself:http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=031223205708024165090004989368/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/153510/

Three knobs. All the knob ranges make sense and change the sound. Not like some other "turn to ten" pedals where you can't change the sound. The battery is hidden in the box and must be changed using a screw driver. Maybe a bad thing when changing at the gig opn stage but really: Who is going to a gig with an 2 year old battery? Therefore it will be twice as strong as other boxes!

When I tried it first at home I was impressed what fat tone came out of my 50 watt 1 x 12" all transistor combo (Hughes & Kettner). The amp alone sounds pretty harsh with few bass ()not my sound at all :-(

With the pedal before it turns into a favulous amp. The bottem boost of the pedal does a great job here. I bought this fuzz cause i do not like the classic fuzz too much cause they sound too "crispy" and not powerful enough.

But when I went to my band with a 120 watt Kitty Hawk Junior Top with 4 x 12" Vintage Laney Box the pedal sounded a littlebit too brown, like a compressed "muddy" marshal (hope you understand me?)

Overall a nice pedal but it seems to depend on the amp. Therefore a rating of 8 as I still prefer it over other fuzzes.

Looks unbreakable. Just the knobs could be "kicked off". No problems yet.

Most I play Rock and Punkrock. 1991s Gibson SG. For Punk its not very useful but it could rock for you if it's your choice.

The manual is a folded piece of 8 1/2 x 11 paper with some explanation of the knobs. Perhaps Boss goes too far in providing sample settings, etc... but they can be fun while you're still in honeymoon period with a new piece gear.

That being said, it's a FUZZBOX, stupid. No manual required. Just your ears.

I sat and fiddled with it all night after I bought it. Was getting some boss tones out of it. Went into rehearsal the next day and it performed totally differently. High volumes made totally new sounds out of it. Also, as a fuzz pedal, it compresses your sound a bit. This clamped down my dynamics in soloing. Unlike the night before, where I heard nuanced sounds and bizarre cracklings.

Bottom line, whether you have a manual or not, it's gonna take sometime to get this puppy juuu-u-u-u-st right.

Fender Princeton Chorus (hecho en mexico, solid state), gibson SG (two pickups, circa 1990), dunlop wah, ART tube mp, boss tremolo/pan, boss stereo volume pedal... now this.

Some noise at high-gain. Whaddaya want? It's a clone of the Jordan Bosstone. Want classic fuzz? You're gonna get some classic noise with it.

This thing generates a RAD fuzz. It feels like gravel driveways in barefeet. Makes you shift uncomfortably in your seat, to and fro, to and fro. When I tried it out at the guy's house, I tuned up and then punched it in and BLAM! I was transported to a day long ago. I must say, that the inherent tone of my guitar was swallowed up by the fuzz quality. This is more like a facelift. But as far as facelifts go, if you like down and dirty fuzz tones (a la, Jimmy Page in that cool early live footage of Zep from the DVD, communication breakdown on Danish tv)... you owe it to yourself to check this OUT.

I have gotten varied results from the Resonance knob, but I read someone's post about ten inch speakers diminishing the effect. I have 10" speakers. So I'll simply re-state that fact. And ask anyone that has bashed this knob in previous post to check their cone diameter.

Seems like it is built like a tank. People have complained about irregular reliability, especially with switches. Mine was used and the dude I bought it from was very discerning about his gear. He was selling it cause he wanted octave fuzz. I felt very reassured buying form this guy that there wouldn't be any popping or failing switches.

I have been right so far (two weeks)

no opinion

playing fifteen years. rock and classic sounds. loud amps, distortion washes. Crazy Horse, Radiohead, Pearl Jam.

If it was stolen, I'd watch the classifieds for another one at the right price. I can't afford a new one.

Fairly staightforward. As others have commented, the resonance knob is barely detectable.

I play '52 & '62 reissue Telecasters(the latter with Texas Specials),Les Paul Junior>Budda Bud-wah>Fulltone FD2>Soul Bender>Demeter Tremulator>EH Memory Man Deluxe>Fender Pro Junior(tweed)>Gibson GA15RV.I like a Mick Ronson/early Jimmy Page type of tone.Perhaps the Superfuzz is more suited to humbuckers-I couldn't get anywhere near the sustain I wanted out of it with my guitars. Rather blatty and uninspiring, really.

Reading the other reviews here, it's obviously no secret that VL have a problem with quality control.Upon getting the pedal home, I noticed that when the volume was turned all the way down, the pedal still emitted a signal.I called them and sent it to them(at my expense as I recall)When the pedal came back, the problem was less apparent, but there was still signal when the volume was turned off.AAAAGGGHHH!!! Probably something I could live with, but it definitely didn't inspire confidence in them.I also bought a Micro Vibe around the same time on which the switch failed almost immediately.Would definitely not gig without a backup-probably wouldn't take it on a gig at all to be honest.

The person I spoke to was articulate and friendly-no problem there.

My advice is simple-save your money and buy a Fulltone Soul Bender.

Updating my prior review...I got my pedal back from Voodoo Lab and they appear to have replaced whatever was causing the horrible popping. All's well that ends well. If the pedal doesn't prove reliable (or does for that matter) for an extended period of time I will once again update this review.

This pedal has great tone. I love its nastiness and its wide spectrum of fuzz tones. I would highly recommend it. It's a fun pedal to play through! Perhaps I got a bad pedal and had a rough experience with support at Voodoo Lab, but for now I am happy. No hard feelings.

It's pretty easy to use once you get used to what the resonance and tone knobs control. The resonance knob is a bass boost. The tone knob essentially controls the mids. If Voodoo Lab had labeled them as such it might have cleared up any concerns.

I really like the way this pedal sounds, although it is closer to an overdrive sound than a fuzz face clone. That said, the Superfuzz has loads of gain and can get a wide range of fuzz sounds using the resonance and tone controls. If you crank up the tone and roll back the resonance, you can get a very "garage-y"--for lack of a better word--tone. Think the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. If you roll back the tone and crank up the resonance, you get a classic metal sound--sorta Masters of Reality era Black Sabbath. I have a 335 plugged into a Marshall Ed1 Compressor, Vox wah, TS9, Superfuzz, and Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe into a reissue Ampeg Jet 15 watt class A tube amp. All are powered with a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 1.

Here's where the problem lies. After having the pedal for about 7 months, whenever you stepped on the switch a loud popping sound would shake the amp and everything in a 10 mile radius. Moving to customer support...

I contacted Voodoo Lab about the popping and they were very friendly and offered to fix what they diagnosed as a bad switch if I sent them the pedal. After I received the pedal back it worked great for another 3 weeks, then the popping came back. I contacted Voodoo Lab, again, and they were quite friendly, again, and I was told to send them the pedal back and that the switch must have failed again. I was assured that this was a rare occurance and that they would fix the pedal...again. A couple of weeks later my pedal arrives, I hook it up and the damn thing pops just like the last 2 times I sent it back to be repaired. I contacted Voodoo Lab for the third time and was put on the phone with the technician who "repaired" the pedal the second time. Now, the invoice that I received with the second repair stated that they had replaced the bad switch and that the pedal had been given a "full test". The technician told me that he had been given instructions to replace the switch, which he did, even though he was unable to get it to fail. Apparently, the problem with my pedal lies somewhere other than with the switch. However, if anyone had given the pedal a "full test" they would clearly have recognized the problem. Especially since engaging the switch, even with the pedal's volume turned completely off, creates a pop so loud it could wake the dead. The technician asked me to send the pedal back again and said that they would give the pedal a thorough testing and if they problem couldn't be resolved they would send me a new pedal. I'm writing this review before I receive the pedal back for the third time. If the pedal is fixed and is reliable for a period of time I will update my review with more positive numbers. However, I think it's fair to let everyone know my experience hasn't been stellar.

Like I stated earlier, I really like the way this pedal sounds when it's engaged. However, the switching on and off isn't great. Hopefully, I will receive the pedal back from Voodoo Lab and it will work as fabulously as when I first bought it. But, 3 strikes and you're out. Voodoo Lab will lose a good customer--afterall I have a Micro Vibe and Pedal Power--if the problem isn't resolved this last time.

Not like yout typical fuzz or distortion it has slightly different named controls. Obviously volume, but there is Resonance, Tone and Attack.
The resonance provides sub freqs. While this gives only a little change when up to 3:00 to 5:00 it really adds balls. All the way down gives you a mid range sound.
With the tone the fuzz sound is actually shifted by this. You here a slight tonal change but you really hear more of a fuzz character change.
Attack is like the usual distortion control but more of a fuzz character change like the tone control.
I give it a 10 because you would never get lost in a bad sound.

I use a Marshall Plexi reissue and a Vox Ac-30 reissue. Gibson Les Paul and a Fender Telecaster. It is great with the Marshall but kicks serious ass with the Vox. If you are looking for a pedal to saturate your AC-30 this would be a great one. I was getting that heavy Smashing Pumpkins kind of fuzz out of the Vox.
This is a very clean Fuzz/distortion sounding pedal. One of the cleanest distortion or fuzz pedals I have heard.
I use delay,wah wah and phase and they all work fine with the Super Fuzz on both amps and guitars.

Although I have not really had it out there yet in the club/bar battlefield that even Boss pedals get destroyed in, but this seems very solid. Better then a Boss for sure.

I have dealt with this company before on other devices they make and they are very helpful.

I play heavy alternative style rock. Kind of industrial to grunge rock sound I guess.
I have been playing for 15 yrs.
I would buy it again if I lost it.
I really like how the tone and attack give you different fuzz sounds.
I find it a very inspiring device.
I just think this is a really great pedal. I think it is really underreated. It is very very clean distortion/fuzz pedal. I seldom write thes reviews but I was so impressed with such a clean cool sounding pedal I had to say something.

Pretty simple really. Resonance is a kind of bass boost, the rest are pretty damn obvious. As for getting a good sound, that depends what you're using it for, but that's for the next section.

When I first got this unit, I tried it several times as a stand alone overdrive, and was never happy with the results. But just recently I discovered this pedals' true calling. I'm currently using a G&L ASAT Classic (all those shopping for a tele, do yourself a favor and skip the overpriced and shoddy Fenders, get yourself an ASAT)through a late 70's Marshall JMP 50 watt head, 2X12 cab w/greenbacks...pause for breath. Anyway, after setting the amp for a great crunchy rhythm tone - not too overdriven, still punchy and articulate - I tried the Superfuzz as a lead boost, volume at about 4, res. all the way up, tone all the way down, and attack at about half..WOW! I was trying to match the tone Nils Lofgren used for his lead on "Youngstown" on Bruce and the E-Street Band's "Live in NYC." I got pretty damn close. It is a more compressed type of sound, so those looking for nuanced and subtle leads might want to look elsewhere. But if you want to drive a single-coil bridge pu into howling searing lead tones then this is a winner.

Never a problem, very solid, true bypass

Never had to find out.

I play blues and rock, some country tinged stuff. This is a one use pedal for me. Not good for every lead I'd want to play, again not for the subtle leads, just for the scorchers. That's why it gets an 8 and not higher, one sound - but one very cool sound.

easy enough...resonance knob sounds differint with different amps (practice amps you cant tell anything, and live through loud amps it gives a slight bass boost.)tone knob actualy controls the mid.

if you are expecting univox super fuzz-type sounds, you will be quite dissapointed. NO sustain, and a brittle attack. I use it for bass now, and it works great. its got a big volume boost with the level up,but I cant get a useful guitar tone out of it

I toured Europe with it and it held up nicely...

THIS IS NOT A SUPER FUZZ REISSUE !! go buy a prescription outbox , or a black cat, or Boss hyper fuzz if your lookin fo that. thi pedal makes a great bass overdrive, or a good solo boost for guitar solos

Controls are straightforward, but this unit takes a fair amount of tweaking to get your desired tone. This is mostly due to the fact that there is such a wide range of gain and volume.

I use it with a '69 twin w/JBLs and a '69 princeton reverb. The tone can get very buzzy with the twin if the bright switch is on. Otherwise, it is very compatible with fender amps. I play single coils only, and the superfuzz retains single coil note definition - doesn't muddy it up.

At very low gain settings (barely on at all) the superfuzz gives a very natural tube like overdrive that I prefer to any other OD I've ever heard. The highs are very crisp and the bottom end gets just a bit fuzzy like a speaker breaking up. I use it in this mode almost exclusively.

When the gain is cranked, it gets very fuzzy, which is less usefull for the music I play (country/rock, alt country) but lesser settings give a raw, angry sound that is fun sometimes.

TRUE BYPASS!!

NO problems thus far... had it for about 9 months

Never dealt with...

I have been pleased with this pedal. I don't feel it's very versatile. Not to say it doesn't offer a wide range of tones- it's just that the gain gets very fuzzy and brittle at high setting which limit its usefullness. With a darker sounding amp this may not be a problem.

I recommend this pedal especially for its low-gain functionality.

Hey, it's a pedal ..... what'a some of you guys mean that it's hard
to use? yeah okay, so the knobs are too close - but at least the overall size of the box doesn't take up a lot of pedalboard either - so, deal with it and be happy man!

Hmmm, .... well, i certainly dig the way this pedal sounds - that's why i bought it - duh! i generaly have a disdain for fuzz type pedals-i've never really liked them. but, this one is different - it's more usable to me - way more varience in tone scuplting and gain offerings. i agree with the comment that it goes from a hip OD tone to a Fuzz and that it's drenched in '70's voicing. i tend to use it more as an OD because it's so different as an OD compared to OD pedals in general. i like it's toothy snarl when fuzzing - it's so smooth at the same time and not out of control. i haven't found a bad setting on it for my needs. i also dig this pedal because if i had to have only one dirt box this would be it - it covers more distortion
playground than any other pedal i've used - and it's a great value at the same time .... bonus! i use three Marshalls but only two of them with this pedal (JTM45 & 50wt. plexi - both reissues and recently converted to original specs by Don Butler at Toneman.com) my third Marshall is the SL-X .... no need for the Superfuzz with this puppy.
i use two different cabs - 2x12 with greenbacks or a 4x12 with greenbacks. one test i use when i demo a dirt box pedal is to try to get the Rolling Stones "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" tone. that tone man ..... there's always been something about it that sounds so easy to capture but is a bugger to nail down ..... go for it- i dare you too. anyhow, i came within a really very close exacting replica of that sound with the Superfuzz. of course, it also takes the right guitar too - for me i used my PRS McCarty with both pu's on and sometimes only the neck pu - i prefer the neck pu only. anyhow, i'll stop here because i can go on and on about this pedal. enough said - i like the pedal - it's a winner and a keeper.

Mine has been great so far - no probs. i know there have been some probs others have experienced - that's to be expected with any product that's mass produced. the cool thing is that they're a caring company and will take care of you.

No direct dealing with them - have had no need for such. others already attest to their quick and professional service - they won't leave you hanging it appears.

I dig this pedal in many ways because it allows me to cover a lot of
sonic ground. i'm a multi style player with a strong emphasis in rock-fusion, blues-fusion, etc. my fave players are the likes of:
Larry Carlton, Robben Ford, Frank Gambale, Eric Johnson, Pat Metheny,
Jimi Page, Joe Perry, .... you get the idea by now. this pedal will let me pay homage to any of these guys dirt tone - however, not always
exactly but never disappointing either. i also own and use the VL SparkleDrive and love it as well. i have it placed after the SuperFuzz and will use both in tandem at times for a sheering steroidic tubescreamer tone - with the tone sculpting on the SF and the refinement the SD offers, it makes for some very hip OD designing.
even though this review is all about the SuperFuzz, i highly suggest
placing the SparkleDrive along side it for an unbeatable setup.

Real easy. Attack = fuzz amount (if it's all the way down there's no sound, so for minimal fuzz settings it still has to be up slightly)The resonance control can be confusing, but as stated in other posts, it boosts low bass frequencies. Since I'm playing it through a deluxe reverb, it has almost no effect on the sound. I'll rate it a 7 since it does have these idiosychrocies.

I'm playing an old 3 pu teisco solidbody through the superfuzz, an EH memory man, and into a 76 deluxe reverb (with weber c-12NT speaker, so sweet...). Noise? All I hear is amazing fuzz tone. IMO, this is the best fuzz/distortion I've ever tried. I used to have a zvex fuzz probe, way too much fuzz for my style (surf, punk, blues all rolled into a big flaming ball o' mayhem). I traded it for the superfuzz (and $150) and can honestly say I don't regret it a bit. The superfuzz has all the cut and bite I found lacking in the zvex. (Disclaimer: zvex = great pedal, just different) However, the most amazing thing about it is how you can clearly here every note in a chord. In this sense, it almost has an overdrive feel to it, but much more raw and distorted. The tone control is unbelievable as well. Unlike the average tone control (turn down to gradually reduce sound to bassy mush), it's actually a mid cut/boost. 12 o' clock is flat: turn to left to scoop mids for a more metal/hard rock tone, turn to right to boost mids for a more old school, grainy, tweed type sound. With the mids cut, I can get my cheap made-in-the-60's guitar and small fender amp to do a decent Deftones impression at bedroom volumes. With the mids boosted, it's awesome for Blues Explosion riffs and general raw garage stuff. The bite on this thing is also great, with the neck pickup I get bassy, hollower notes that still cut through. All this great sound, plus true bypass, LED, and 9v input, for about $80 in the used market. Voodoo Lab knows how to maximize efficiency.

I can only see the underside of the circuit board so I don't know what's going on in terms of internal components, but it has a sturdy metal footswitch and aluminum box. I got it used and have only had it for two weeks, but it looks pretty tough to me.

Check the other reviews of VL stuff. One guy mentioned getting a personal response fromt the head of the company after posting an angry negative review. Not bad for being one of the bigger companies in the business.

This is a perfect match for my style of raw, distorted blues, punk, and even rockabilly stuff. I've been playing for 10 years and also own a VL bosstone fuzz (same as superfuzz but without tone controls. I'm selling it for $60 + shipping. E-mail me if you want it) a vibrolux reverb, and a Mosrite Ventures model (too bad about those small frets, but it sure is purty') If it disappeared I would definitely find another. Love everything about it. I guess the only thing I wish it had was point to point construction (it's a pc board) but all the cool boss and ibanez stuff from 20 years ago is still holding up. Buy one. If you're into the stuff I am, you'll love it.

after a few minutes it's clear what you can do-no manual w/this(used)...it's not a one-trick pony.

nothing's a '10'-not OD/fuzzes,anyway,as they will sound totally different with various amps,guitars,players,etc.this pedal will turn into a sort of tube screamer with the tone up and the attack down.i like the resonance control up w/smaller amps,in this case a sundown A-36 and an ampeg rocket 2...doesn't seem to be overly 'buzzy'-more 'splatty' with the attack up and tone down.i can see how others may not dig it, but i do-it's a fuzz,after all!

who knows? i also have a VL tremolo with a funky switch i'm hoping they will fix if i send it to them-the way these are made,the components don't seem easily accessable and i wouldn't try to get in there...the superfuzz seems OK so far,but i won't rate it for reliability.i think they are built to be dependable overall

email's in the past have been returned-i had a question about a pedal power unit i also have that was answered quickly enough.we'll see about the trem switch problem...

i had a VL bosstone which this is apparently based on-it was cool,but to gooey for me-this cuts more for an amp with a little preamp distortion-the bosstone to me is better w/a squeaky-clean fender,which i generally don't use.the SF can sound like a less over the top zvex fuzz factory,or a more over the top tube screamer if you want it to-it's a good pedal.

This is a follow up to my previous review. After the review was posted I was contacted via email by the president of the Digital Music Corp. He addressed all my problems one by one in the email. It was no "Dear John" letter they send to everyone. I believe very few companies today would take the time to do this, so I felt the need to pass along the info I recieved.

The "Resonance control" is a sub-harmonic boost according to the company. I was informed that the bass boosting effects of the control may not be completely audible through a 10" speaker set up. So take note, the pedal works best through a larger speaker (4 x 12" cab?). So although it does not help my situation I know that the control has a function. The "click" I experienced became a very loud "pop". The company offered to fix the "pop" for free as the problem is most likley a faulty switch. However, there may always be a small "click" because Voodoo Lab opted for true bypass switching instead of electronic (like Boss's system). Supposedly it lets the true clean sound of the guitar make it to the amp.

Still built like a tank.

This is where I really wanted to make my revision. The extra you pay for the pedal is well worth what you get in customer support. I never expected to get any response for my last review, much less from the President of Voodoo Lab. I would give this catagory an 11 if that was an option.
THERE IS A MANUAL that comes with the Superfuzz. Mine wasn't included in the package. Voodoo Lab sent me a manual and some picks for compensation. Very nice!

Great customer support!

Its a decent 70's distortion pedal. I think thats the only good thing I have to say for the Superfizz (not a typo). I just though I should submit a warning for potential buyers...This thing has NO instruction manual!!! At least the one I recieved did not. However, Voodoo Lab WAS kind enough to include a brochure on their other pedals. How thoughtful. Its pretty easy to get a classic distortion sound for the unit (look at the other reviews). But I can't figure out what the hell the "resonance" control is for. Voodoo Lab claims its some kinda mid range frequency control. I really don't hear much of a difference with it off or all the way up! You can go from muddy to sizzle with the "tone" control alone. One more little gripe. The battery is only accessible by the removal of four small screws (with a philips screwdriver) and a back plate! Even Crybaby wah pedals can have their back plate removed by hand!

I play through a Yngwie Malmsteen strat and a Fender Blues DeVille tube amp. Various other effects but usually don't use them with this one. I can get a good Hendrix/Deep Purple sound from the box. Nails the classic distortion sound of the 70's. Thats the only reason I didn't send it back. The switching (bypass to effect) unit makes a horrible, audible "click" when I tap the button. You can cover this up some if you are playing hard enough when you switch it. The Superfuzz can't hold a candle to Boss's switching system!!!

Seems sturdy. If the "click" messes up a live show too much I will get to test the reliability when it hits a wall!

Never tried. Probaly should give them a call about my pet "click".

This effect has SUCH great potential. I didn't play on one before I bought it (beauty of mail order). It was an impulse buy. The knobs are extremely close together, a hassle for adjustments. I have been playing almost every genre of music for the last 9 years. In my oppinion Boss and even low quality DOD pedals are superior to this one. Quiet switching and about $50 cheaper than the Superfuzz for similar models! I haven't spent much time with it. But usually I have an effect figured out after an hour or so. Not the case here. If it was stolen I would just be pissed for losing the $130. Contact me if you have any suggestions for me or problems with my review.

There are volume, resonance, tone and attack controls. While the Superfuzz is a little more complicated than some units, its still veryeasy to get a good sound out of it.

The Superfuzz is definitely one of the best fuzz units I have ever heard. Unlike fuzzfaces and other fuzz units, the resonance control on the Superfuzz allows to to get a fat, warm fuzz tone at lower volumes. The unit also has alot of gain. By contrast, the fuzz channel on my Fulltone Ultimate Octave has less gain. The sounds produced by the Superfuzz are definitely in the Hendrix/Jeff Beck/Eric Johnson territory and have a real '60s & early '70s vibe. The fuzz tone is really smooth and is not trashy sounding. The unit definitely sounds the best with a good tube amp as opposed to solid state.

This is the first Voodoo Lab pedal I have owned, but it seems well built.

The Superfuzz is an excellant fuzz pedal and perfect for getting some of those Hendrix sounds with a Strat and a tube amp. I have been playing guitar since at least 1968 and this unit does a great job of producing that vintage '60s/'70s fuzz sound and provides more gain than other units. The addition of the resonance control makes a big difference IMHO, since you can get a smooth sounding fuzz with enough low end so that you don't get that tinny fuzz tone at lower volumes.

The Superfuzz may be worthy of a 10, but I am almost certain that some of the expensive boutique fuzz units may be at least a little better.

Instead of one tone knob it has two, one marked resonance which is a bass boost, and one marked tone, which controls the midrange. Still, it's very simple to use, and most of the sounds are useable.

I use this with a Telecaster, Ampeg Reverborocket, and sometimes a Voodoo Lab Tremolo, Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe or Vox Wah. It's a little bit noisy at times but it's a fuzz. Probably less noisy than any other fuzz I've used. This is the best fuzz I've ever tried. It's incredibly flexible;it's no problem to get anything from Yardbirds sizzle to "American Woman" ooze to Hendrix warmth to Mudhoney Vintage Superfuzz shreik. It is the most musical fuzz I've tried. Compared to it my Fulltone '70 pedal sounds stodgy, and my Sovtek Big Muff sounds like a big fart. This pedal has some of the articulation of non-fuzz distortions while still retaining the fuzz weirdness. It also has tons of sustain.

I would count on it. My other Voodoo Lab pedals serve me well aside from the fact that the suck down batteries.

Never tried, never needed it.

I play punkish, psychedelic bluesy rock, and this pedal matches my style very well. I my sound to be fuzzy and still be able to hear what I'm playing, and this does the trick. I've been playing for 15 years and though I'm not a gearhed, I buy a few distortion and fuzz pedals every year and this is one of the best. It's purely a fuzztone, no tubelike sounds, but it's able to get just about any fuzz sound you would want. I think it helps me make music. If it were lost or stolen I would replace it.