MusicRadar Verdict
Sweet-sounding fuzz, but it doesn't come cheap.
Pros
- +
Expressive fuzz. Cleans up really well.
Cons
- -
You have to find the sweet spot.
MusicRadar's got your back
Designing a vintage-sounding fuzz pedal - as Greek firm JAM's handmade Fuzz Phrase claims to be - has a lot to do with choosing the right transistors and matching them.
"We liked the sound best with the level knob on max while dialling in the dirt at mid settings"
For this Fuzz Face-style pedal, JAM has chosen the rare CV7003, military-spec version of the OC44 germanium transistor, which it says is consistent and heat-resistant (germanium transistors can be susceptible to temperature changes) - more so than the more commonly used AC128 and NKT275.
We liked the sound best with the level knob on max while dialling in the dirt with the gain knob through a nice overdrive at mid settings to the last bit of travel, which brings out the top end and a richer fuzz.
It's about finding the sweet spot, though, and edging the gain back worked for us, although running it flat-out and controlling things with your guitar volume may be the way to go, as it cleans up really well.
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.
“I knew since I first listened to the music that it was gonna be big - because the music was incredible”: Charli XCX's Brat mastering engineer Idania Valencia on finalising a modern classic
“He stopped writing, I think, because he just ran out. He had used that guitar neck up. He did everything and anything that neck could do”: Sammy Hagar explains Eddie Van Halen's lost years
“After every take, Mutt would say, ‘Check the tuning, man!’ This went on and on for almost a year. One day, I just gave him the guitar and said, ‘You tune it. I can’t take this anymore!’”: How legendary producer Mutt Lange drove the Cars half-mad