FROM THE BUILDER’S MIND
FUNCTION F(X)
variants, but we didn’t want to stray at all
from the core Clusterfuzz circuit. In the end,
we decided to streamline the tweakability
while keeping the circuit otherwise
unaltered. This allowed for a reduction in
hardware, a tighter PCB, and ultimately a
smaller pedal without changing that classic
Clusterfuzz sound.
CLUSTERFUZZ JR.
Like many other circuit designers, my goal
with the original Clusterfuzz was to capture
“that sound in my head” that I just couldn’t
coax out of any drive or fuzz pedals I’d
tried in the past. The closest thing I could
find was a ProCo Turbo Rat, which also
has the benefit of sounding good at both
low volume and stage volume. So, I set
out to design something that would react
like a Rat, but with transistors instead of
an op amp. I also wanted a final product
that could be tweaked to sound like an
exploding amplifier. After many failed
starts, the Clusterfuzz finally emerged.
Player feedback was almost entirely
positive, but a fair number of guys were
asking if we could make it in a smaller
footprint. There’s always that person who
wants to get just “one more” pedal on
his or her board, and we can sympathize
with that. We banged through a couple of
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FROM THE BUILDER’S MIND
//
Function f(x) Clusterfuzz Jr.
The Clusterfuzz Jr. ended up being similar
to the earliest complete Clusterfuzz
prototype, which had only four knobs (no
toggle or rotary switches). The circle is
complete, so to speak, and some players
out there will appreciate the relative
simplicity of the Clusterfuzz Jr.’s controls.
We dropped the Filter switch, consolidated
clipping options to three choices (LED,
silicon, and no diodes), and converted the
8-Bit knob to a toggle switch that gives
the same response as if the 8-Bit knob
was either fully counter-clockwise (tight,
focused fuzz) or fully clockwise (glitchy,
crazy, exploding amp sound). The tones are
all in there, just configured differently. And
we used the same clickless relay-based true
bypassing system that’s in all our pedals.
Scaling down the hardware, in addition to
allowing for a smaller pedal, also allowed
us to scale down the retail price, which is
always a good thing.
—Forrest Whitesides
ToneReport.com
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