STONE DEAF FX
FIG FUMB
REVIEW BY DAVID A. EVANS
STREET PRICE $225.00
Fee-fi-Fig-Fumb—I hear the
sound of an English fuzz.
That’s right, Stone Deaf’s
new Fig Fumb fuzz pedal
is loud enough to be heard
“across the pond.” But it’s
also outfitted with a very
useful EQ and noise gate.
Not only is the Fig Fumb
one of the loudest fuzzes
I’ve yet tested, it’s also one
of the sturdiest. Seriously,
this thing could double as a
747’s chock in the morning
and still make it to the show
that night.
As I said, the Fig Fumb is
loud. It has the power to
make one’s amp roar. In
fact, I had to turn down my
amplifier to its lowest level
simply to avoid bothering
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GEAR REVIEW
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the neighbors. The fuzz
isn’t exactly messy, nor is it
noisy, but it’s not going to
provide the ultra-smooth,
cello-like tones that some
people treasure. What the
Fig Fumb offers is a raw,
somewhat gritty sound with
a bit of electric edginess
which, in my mind, connotes
pure, unadulterated rock
’n’ roll.
However, loudness is only
the first of the pedal’s
virtues. At lower levels,
the Fig Fumb provided a
comfortable amount of
compression, which helped
me to tease out some notes
for a little longer than they
would otherwise ring out.
It was a nice touch. At the
Stone Deaf FX Fig Fumb
high levels, the Fig Fumb
provided a crazy amount
of sustain. I struck a note
and let it ring out for 25
seconds, which is more
than enough for my needs.
Fretted notes rang out for
a little less time, but they
were admirably long.
Of course, I’ve said all of
this without really touching
on the fuzz when it’s
filtered, and that by playing
with the filters a person can
get thin fuzz, AM radio fuzz,
and even a sound that’s a
bit like the thrumming of a
Uni-Vibe.
Stone Deaf calls the Fig
Fumb a “paracentric fuzz
filter.” Don’t get hung up on
the terminology, because