D*A*M Meathead M-13 review

D*A*M (aka Differential Audio Manifestationz) is a small boutique effects manufacturer based in the rock 'n' roll heartland of, er, South Yorkshire. Helmed by fuzz geek David A Main (initials 'DAM' - hey, wait a minute!) the company hand-builds a range of germanium- and silicon-transistor-driven stompboxes.

Our Meathead M-13 is a single control 'silicon fuzz machine', but how much aural pleasure can you possibly extract with one control? Well, as just a few minutes with the Meathead M-13 prove, the simplest pedals can sound the best.

The Dirt control gradually increases the volume and intensity of the fuzz tone. Until we plugged in the Meathead, we were convinced that germanium fuzz was king of the castle; now, we're torn.

The Meathead's silicon-driven old-school rock tone is the balls: it's like early Led Zep, Black Sabbath and, well, you get the idea; the M-13 is versatile. Dropping your guitar's volume knob sucks out some bottom end for more of a '60s garage fuzz tone.

£159 is a fair old wedge for a small box with one knob, but that's not all you're getting here. A real flesh-and-blood bloke armed with a soldering iron hunched over a workbench and built the Meathead M-13 from the best possible components.

If we had to put a price on that attention to detail and the tone it achieves, it wouldn't be as little as £159.