The Firefly from JHS Pedals caught my eye well before it’s release, and I was just itching to give it a spin in the old home studio. Low and behold, it finally appeared on my doorstep, and I was anxious and excited as I tore the package open. Looking sleek and sophisticated from the get-go, I knew the Firefly was gonna win me over about 3 seconds after I plugged it in. This is JHS’ take on the Tonebender MKIII, a classic fuzz pedal from the late ’60’s, and although I’ve never played an original, I’ve seen some videos, and the Firefly does a pretty good job keeping up with the MKIII, for sure. I dig crazy fuzzes and ring mods and wacky sonic inventions as much as the next guy, but there’s always been that certain straight-up fuzz sound that I have been looking for, and I think I may have finally found it.
The Volume controls the volume; enough said. Big, boosting volume on this thing, though, beware when you turn it past noon. The EQ on my pedal seems to be backwards, as the highs disappear as I turn the knob to the RIGHT, not the LEFT like usual. In any case, I actually prefer the setting here to be Lower, even though the High can probably cut through a bit more, I dig the fatty tone produced by backing off the upper frequencies, especially when mixed with the Bias knob. This little treasure controls the power going to the germanium AC128 transistors located inside the pedal, which gives you great control over the sound output overall. Plus, you can use your guitar’s Volume knob to ease back on the fuzz if you wish, or crank it to 11 and push your amp into overdrive. Everything from slightly buzzed overtones to raging classic rock and stoner metal, the Firefly has got all your basic fuzz needs covered, and covered well.
All in all, the Firefly Fuzz sounds great. It’s not gonna make your ears bleed or drive people out of your coffee shop gig, but it will help you lay down some heavy, fuzzy sounds again and again. The control you have with it, too, is something unique in itself, especially that Bias knob, which really lets you dial it in. Thanks to Josh and all at JHS Pedals for sending this guy for review, couldn’t be happier to try out an awesome pedal!
Submitted by Mike B, Website
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