When we put together our year–end list of the most popular pedals on Reverb back in December, there was a surprising lack of fuzz boxes represented in the ranks of hip delays and must–have overdrives.
The reason for this likely has to do with the simple nature of fuzz circuits. Fuzzes are relatively easy to build and rely more on specific component selection and construction than on any real technical innovation.
That's not to say there aren't super innovative fuzz pedals (several are represented below), but it does mean that virtually any new garage–dwelling pedal operation can build a compelling fuzz. Some companies — like D*A*M or Jext Telez — specialize in the format, offering a nuanced lineup of historic recreations and new designs.
There are, as a result, a lot of different fuzzes out there, which makes for a more diffused market than many other pedal categories. In the small–shop, boutique realm especially, the appeal of an individual pedal usually has more to do with intangible sonic characteristics than it does a specific feature set, further fueling fuzzheads' never–ending quest for the next great addition to their boards.
To shine some light on that corner of the pedal world, today we're presenting the most popular boutique fuzz pedals on Reverb based on the last year of total sales for used and brand new units.
| Fuzz Pedal | Avg. Used Price | New Price | From User Reviews | ||
| 1 |  |
JHS Muffuletta Fuzz | $174.25 | $230.00 | "A must have pedal if you are a fuzz fan." |
| 2 |  |
Zvex Fuzz Factory | $121.95 | $200.00 | "An insane pedal. The one pedal on your board you will constantly be experimenting with." |
| 3 |  |
EarthQuaker Devices Bit Commander | $127.93 | $175.00 | "My favorite way to use it currently is like a vintage octave fuzz." |
| 4 |  |
Thorpy Muffroom/Fallout Cloud Fuzz | $253.18 | $400.00 | "The genius is in the EQ. The bass control allows it to get mega doomy/fuzzy, or dial it back almost into a distortion." |
| 5 |  |
Chase Bliss Brothers Analog Gain Stage | $330.77 | $350.00 | "Super versatile drive that does it all in a small footprint. I sold my entire drive section for this one pedal and it does everything I need." |
| 6 |  |
EarthQuaker Devices Hoof | $109.54 | $165.00 | "Super thick and heavy but still with definition and clarity." |
| 7 |  |
Jext Telez White Pedal | $190.75 | $240.00 | "Really colorful fuzz and overdrive tones unique to this pedal...Classic Harrison and Richards lead/riff tones." |
| 8 |  |
Keeley Monterey Rotary Fuzz Vibe | $219.44 | $300.00 | "The only problem is there are too many good combinations between the fuzz and modulations I can't decide where to leave the settings." |
| 9 |  |
Wampler Velvet Fuzz | $124.59 | $200.00 | "This one provides enough versatility to alleviate the need for multiple [fuzz] pedals." |
| 10 |  |
EarthQuaker Devices Cloven Hoof | $128.17 | $175.00 | "I slightly prefer it to the regular hoof as it is brighter and less compressed at lower fuzz settings." |
| 11 |  |
Black Arts Toneworks Pharaoh | $121.38 | $170.00 | "The Pharaoh has a wide range of tones from smooth germanium fuzz to full-assault silicon clipping. " |
| 12 |  |
Vick Audio '73 Ram's Head | $89.24 | $130.00 | "This pedal will nail David Gilmour tones. " |
| 13 |  |
Analogman Sun Face Fuzz NKT 275 | $441.70 | $225.00 | "Big but intricate, thick but defined, crunchy with vocal tonality, angry but sunkissedly chilled. " |
| 14 |  |
Death By Audio Fuzz War | $129.59 | $180.00 | "This pedal has more gain between 7 and 9 o'clock than all of my other pedals combined..." |
| 15 |  |
Fulltone Octafuzz | $100.11 | $125.00 | "I just kept smiling when I was playing it. Instant Hendrix fuzz on either setting." |
| 16 |  |
Red Witch Fuzz God II | $120.62 | $250.00 | "Definitely for those who like turning knobs and making weird noises." |
| 17 |  |
JHS Mini Foot Fuzz | $82.72 | $135.00 | "Could work as your only distortion if you were going for an all mini pedalboard." |
| 18 |  |
Old Blood Noise Endeavors Haunt Fuzz | $145.56 | $180.00 | "Fantastic for window rattling, drop d, power chord madness." |
| 19 |  |
Walrus Audio Jupiter | $117.67 | $180.00 | "It's familiar, yet unique, colorful, and real easy to dial in serious tone." |
| 20 |  |
EarthQuaker Devices Hoof Reaper | $211.93 | $295.00 | "This pedal has been exceptional for exploring fuzzy soundscapes and the octave up is really fun to play with." |
Takeaways:
The JHS Muffaletta claims the top spot a year and a half after its release. It's easy to understand the appeal of this pedal: it crams six different muff-styled circuits into one analog box, making it a great starting point for anyone just getting into this whole fuzz thing.
The Chase Bliss Audio Brothers is really more than a fuzz pedal, combining a myriad of overdrive, fuzz, and boost effects with a whole slew of highly tweakable parameters, as is Chase Bliss' calling card. We opted to include it here since many guitarists cite its fuzz tones as a key selling point.
The fourth-ranked Fallout Cloud pedal from Thorpy used to be called the Muffroom Cloud. We've combined sales for both versions here. If the user reviews here on Reverb are any indication, it seems that a glowing review from That Pedal Show on YouTube helped spur interest in this fuzz.
Non-boutique fuzz pedals that would have ranked on this list include the Way Huge Swollen Pickle, DOD Carcosa, and several different versions of the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff.