T hird Man
Bumble Buzz
You may be familiar with Third Man
Records, the record label founded by Jack
White. You may not be familiar with the
Bumble Buzz, a meticulously handcrafted
fuzz pedal that looks like a giant
rectangular bumble bee that could double
as a coaster at Buffalo Wild Wings. Built by
Chris Young of Union Tube & Transistor, the
Bumble Buzz turns your guitar into a flying,
stinging insect with an attitude problem.
The Bumble Buzz really rips, and it does
so with minimal effort. If you’re looking for
awesome fuzz without the learning curve
that comes with pesky knobs, track one
of these down and start throwing down
some vicious tracks. If you want to add
some extra sting to the mix, combine the
Bumble Buzz and the Tentacle or Purple
Octopus for the ultimate knobless octave
fuzz tone. If you’re a Jack White or White
Stripes fanatic and you don’t have this in
your arsenal, be sure to add it, lest the
legitimacy of your fanhood be questioned.
26
TONE TALK //
If you’re a fuzzhead, get one so you can
always have the most unique gem out of
any collection.
The world can be a complicated place.
Every day brings a new challenge, whether
it be with our personal lives, careers, health,
or the limited edition Taco Bell item that
was just on the menu a week ago but is
no longer available. We are constantly
navigating peaks and valleys in life, and
these derivations are determined by a wide
range of variables in constant motion. So
why not simplify things when you have
the control to do so? I challenge you to
incorporate at least one knobless pedal into
your guitar rig. Let it inspire you. It’s not
the number of knobs on the pedal, it’s the
amount of fight in the dog . . . or something
like that. You get what I’m saying. Forget
about tweaking knobs, and focus on the
thing you love doing most—making music
and sharing it with others to make the
world a better place.
Keep It Simple Stupid: Knobless Pedals that Can Transform Your Rig