Last fall, we reviewed an incredible fuzz pedal from Retro Mechanical Labs, the Electron Fuzz Custom, and it really rocked our faces. Recently, Johnathan at RML made a special, potentially one-off version of this pedal called the Mini, featuring a gorgeous wooden enclosure and a rare, vintage voltage meter. We knew we had to have it, and the result is one of the most beautiful pedals we’ve had the pleasure to lay our eyes on. We’ll let the photo and the video speak for themselves, but as far as the ins and outs of the pedal, check out the review we did the first time around:
Sometimes during this crazy pedal review hobby I have, I come across a pedal that is super-unique and unlike anything I’ve yet come across, and today’s review is for a pedal of just that nature. Retro Mechanical Labs are known for the crazy awesome fuzz and drive pedals they produce, but the Electron Fuzz Custom is an entirely different beast than most fuzzes I’ve heard to this point. Boasting numerous control knobs and crazy tonal structures, this pedal is not for the faint of heart, or for anyone that has neighbors.
If you can’t tell by looking at it, maybe the names of the controls will convince you that this is a scary and powerful pedal. We start off with the Hurt knob, which is essentially a treble boost control, adding more bright crunch into the mix. Pain sounds lovely, too, and it adjusts the amount of fuzz, getting stronger and louder as you turn up the dial. Output controls the volume of the pedal, but also interacts with the first two controls, for either a lower-gain fuzz sound, or an all-out ear-bleeding fuzz factory when cranked up. The FB Noise controls the feedback for the Electron Custom, making crazy octave sounds as it increases, quite a fun and unpredictable portion of this pedal.
There’s also a Low/Cut switch, which adds or takes away the low end spectrum, for a higher-frequency fuzz tone. The big whammy on this pedal is the x1000 footswitch, which absolutely blasts your fuzz sound into the outer reaches of space…and probably your eardrums, too. Be careful when using this switch, and experiment at low volumes to start off with, or you could blow out your amp or cabinet’s speakers, and suffer some hearing loss as well (well, more than you probably already have, I suppose).
As I said earlier, this pedal is a beast of a fuzz, sometimes untamable and most of the time unpredictable, there’s a bit of a learning curve here to get this fuzz under control. Once you do, though, the possibilities open up, and it can become a true powerhouse weapon in your sonic arsenal. For more excellent fuzz and distortion gear, make sure to visit Retro Mechanical Labs’ site – you might have to wait a while to get a pedal after you order it, but it will definitely be worth it!
Submitted by Mike B, Website
Demo Rock pedalboard by West Coast Pedalboard
