Bad Passenger Fuzz MKII

This was the perfect pedal for my afford-a-board. Running in at less than $100 I think this might be the best bang for your buck when it comes to getting a hard clipping fuzz.

Each fuzz is its own thing and this one is no different. I welcome the simplicity of not worrying about tone shaping. I just wanted a character fuzz and this one has its own voice. The dip switch lets me get a different sound when I want a solo or rhythm.

Fuzzes are finicky things; the guitar, the amp, even the cables can have an effect on the tonal response. I ran this pedal with a Strat, through a Dr. Z Maz 18 and was impressed that it sounded good with any pickup selection on lead runs, but it had a tendency to sound a bit too muddy with any chord more complicated than a power chord. The lack of any sweepable EQ, instead relying on a switch to change the frequency response might make ‘simple-rig’ people happy but I found it constraining. Worth a try though, as most fuzzes I’ve played would get 1 or 2 stars.

I am a bear of very little brain, hence I appreciate pedals that have few controls. This has a toggle switch and a single knob. Simple. Even the graphic design is pleasingly minimal - no graphics like Coop vomited over the box, just a big blocky typeface. How does it sound? It can sound bright and tinny or buzzy, fuzzy, dark and dirty. This differs from the MK1 because you can choose full gain regardless of the volume level, for maximum fzzzkrrrrzzz. That's better, right? The tech specs say something about cascaded transistors, but I fear the technical so we'll disregard that. This can grind and churn in a fuzzgazey way or sound more like a classic rawk fuzz, but why would you want that, hippy? Overall: a fine fuzz.