DRW Si Fuzz Ace review

A new fuzz flavour

  • £129
  • €185
  • $199
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The two control interface makes operation simple

MusicRadar Verdict

With a different feature set and voice, the Si is a solid alternative to the Ge, and it's good to have a choice.

Pros

  • +

    Nice lower midrange fuzz sounds. Fat, round character.

Cons

  • -

    Doesn't clean up by guitar volume as well.

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There are three fuzz options in the DRW range. The germanium transistor-based Ge Fuzz, the Ge Fuzz Ace Plus (£129) adds an extra transistor to the design with the aim of creating a more intense fuzz, delivered via just two front-panel knobs: level and the aptly-named crank.

"This is the Fuzz Face revisited, based around a set of NPN Silicon transistors"

Then there's this Si Fuzz Ace, again with two knobs: fuzz and level. This is the Fuzz Face revisited, based around a set of NPN Silicon transistors (that DRW believes are unused in this type of design), meaning that it's possible to run the pedal from a standard 9V adaptor as well as a battery.

The Si's natural sound has a little more in the lower midrange and seems gainier, yielding a fatter and rounded character akin to what you'd get from turning up the Ge's bias and shape knobs. Clean-up by guitar volume doesn't work as well as with the Ge, but for full-on fuzz it's just as great.

Trevor Curwen

Trevor Curwen has played guitar for several decades – he's also mimed it on the UK's Top of the Pops. Much of his working life, though, has been spent behind the mixing desk, during which time he has built up a solid collection of the guitars, amps and pedals needed to cover just about any studio session. He writes pedal reviews for Guitarist and has contributed to Total Guitar, MusicRadar and Future Music among others.