Tone Report Weekly Issue 144 | Page 58

FRANTONE ELECTRONICS PEACHFUZZ REVIEW BY YOEL KREISLER STREET PRICE $295.00 Frantone is somewhat of a poster child for the boutique movement of the early ‘90s. Her all-original designs have achieved an almost mythical status since her disappearance from the industry around 2009, but she is now back in full swing, producing her classic pedals in all of their original girth and glory. I had the opportunity to review the return of her flagship pedal, the Peachfuzz, which is still the same hairy beast it was before Frantone went on hiatus. What was once a pubescent Peachfuzz has grown into a full on beard by now, so let’s dive in to what makes this classic 58 GEAR REVIEW // circuit so great. FROM ADOLESCENCE TO MANHOOD For those of you who don’t know, the Peachfuzz has been commonly associated tonally with the Big Muff, because of its wide and girthy sonic structure. Circuitwise, the Peachfuzz sits somewhere in between fuzz and distortion, utilizing three op amps as its main gain generators. The tone sits somewhere between a Big Muff, a Pete Cornish G-2, and a Klon. It’s got the girth and swathing lows of a good Triangle Big Muff, with the low and low-mid butter and weight of a G-2. What Frantone Electronics Peachfuzz the problem is with both of these pedals is the high end, which on certain settings with the Tone knob can be a bit congested or unclear. The Peachfuzz’s high end sounds almost Klon-like, and reacts in the same way to your dynamics. Klons are known for their top end air, and touch-sensitivity. The Peachfuzz’s tone control seems specifically tuned to not only cut out highs (like the filter circuit on a Big Muff), but to maintain clarity at almost every setting, which is an incredible feat. Even at further ends of the pot which would be eardrum piercingly bright with a Big Muff or a Klon