The venerable Fuzz pedal is one of the earliest guitar effects dating back to around 1962. Like many things in music it was probably as much an accident as anything else, but it's no stretch to say that distortion changed the face of popular guitar music. The Park Fuzz Sound is a vintage-inspired Germanium Fuzz pedal that spans a range of fuzz tones characteristic of these early devices. Early fuzz pedals use Germanium transistors...we'll because Germanium was the material used in early semiconductors (the first commercialized semiconductors were developed in the mid-fifties). While Silicon has replaced Germanium as the semiconductor element, Germanium is felt to have a rounder, warmer tone than Silicon. Germanium is also temperature sensitive and more difficult to consistently manufacture than Silicon, which is why it fell out of favor for mass production. But guitar players like old vintage stuff with a back story, and Germanium fuzzes will be out there as long as the material is available. 

While some vintage fuzz boxes are known for their bright fizzy tone and others their angry swarm of bees sound, the Park Fuzz does a commendable job of covering a lot of this territory. The treble/bass control is responsible for this wide array of tones, and if you are not crazy about a particular type of fuzz sound, the Park Fuzz Tone won't box you in. Run the Fuzz Gain on the low side and the distortion is very much amp-like, something Germanium transistors are known for. Crank it up and you'll get the buzz, fizz and ripping notes that gave the Fuzz Pedal its name. 

Everybody needs a Fuzz Pedal sometime, and for a true Germanium Fuzz pedal the Earthquaker Park Fuzz Sound is reasonably priced, and extremely flexible. 

In the words of Earthquaker Devices ...

Vintage Germanium Fuzz Tone

Park Amplifiers and EarthQuaker Devices have teamed up to bring you a faithful recreation of the original Park Fuzz Sound! While it retains the original sounds, there are several modern upgrades to improve performance, reduce extraneous background noise and add versatility:

• Metal film resistors and caps for quieter performance

• NOS matched germanium transistors for consistent, reliable tones

• Wider fuzz range, more than twice the original

• Smaller footprint, true bypass switching with LED indication and power supply compatible

1. Volume: This is the level control, louder to the right, quieter to the left.

2. Treble/Bass: This is the tone control, thicker tones to the right, brighter to the left.

3. Fuzz: This is the gain control, more fuzz to the right, less to the left.