This is the flagship Z. Vex pedal, a five-knob wonder that often expresses itself whether you are playing or not. It can be set to oscillate at any pitch, and depending on your guitar's volume control (which becomes a mix control) will intermodulate with your guitar's signal to form "partially tuned" radio effects. It can squeeze the tone of the fuzz to a velcro-like rip or sustain for days.
This 5 knob wonder is much more than a fuzz pedal. It can generate it's own tones with crazy self-oscillations that have to be heard to be believed. These are so cool that Billy Gibbons BOUGHT a dozen to give away as Christmas presents.
This fuzz uses 2 hand selected germanium transistors, but is not a copy of any other fuzz. This pedal can get extreme distortion tones with complex, rich-sounding harmonics with excellent clarity. The fuzz sounds can be used for both leads and chords. At certain settings you can get theremin-like howls and screams!
The 5 knobs are labeled but each one controls a multitude of
possible combinations of sounds.
VOLUME : Output level. Careful! This pedal is WAY LOUD even at 1/4 of the way up.
GATE : Squelches noise after end of sustain. Turn up to eliminate squeals, hiss and buzz, (but that's the fun of the pedal) or use to tune in the exact feedback pitch.
COMPRESS : adds attack characteristic when turned to the left, softer to the right, and suddenly pinches tone when all the way to the right. Also use to tune-in fat, feedbacky fuzz.
DRIVE : Increases distortion when used as a "normal" fuzz, or adjusts feedback pitch and tonal thickness.
STABILITY : Use to control feedback pitch also. Keep it up most of the way normally or fuzz gets softer.
Sample settings of Hi Compression fuzz, Smooth fuzz, Velcro fuzz, Cleanish hi octave intermodulation, and radio fuzz are included in the manual.
WARNING : Many settings on this pedal squeal. But that is my favorite use of the pedal! Your volume and tone controls on the guitar along with the notes on the guitar can change the feedback squeals for interactive crazyness.
Purchased and used by David Sylvian, Robert Fripp, Semi Sonic, David Torn, Lloyd Cole, Silverchair, Billy F. Gibbons and more.
Since 2005 these come with LED and power jack!
More info on the Fuzz Factory.
List price is $299, now $249.
