Mar 2, 2012

Brown Fuzz by Lotus Pedal Designs Effect Pedal Demo

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http://www.lotuspedaldesigns.com and http://www.klhcustomrelics.com and http://www.bulletcable.com

Based on the classic 60′s fuzz face circuit, the Brown Fuzz by Lotus Pedals increases the stakes by adding a Saturation knob which allows you to dial in the fuzz tone to suit your needs. If you ask me, at certain settings, the Brown Fuzz gets into Big Muff territory. It can be extremely gritty and fuzzy and noisy if you want it to be or you can dial it back a bit…. it all depends on your personal tastes.

Now, I played almost strictly rhythm with this pedal because Lotus Pedals did an awesome demo of some lead work, which I have linked to the end of this demo. Check it out!

Now, for a few concerns based on my tastes:

For starters, the amount of volume drop off with the saturation knob may be a hassle if you are constantly changing settings on your pedals for different songs when playing live. If you leave it at one setting, then this probably will not be a problem at all But you may ask why I didn’t try it with the saturation fully clockwise….. the volume was too low, even with the volume cranked and didn’t record well.

The only other concern I had was that overall, the full range of the knobs are not always useable….. specifically at lower fuzz settings. It gets a little too muffled sometimes and just kind of lacks punch the more you turn the fuzz knob counter-clockwise.

Now, I am not saying this is a bad pedal, not in any sense. I actually LOVED the way it sounded when it was almost fully cranked…. it sounded so similar to a Big Muff ala Billy Corgan or Kevin Shields…..it was just juicy and gritty. The volume rollback was excellent and it sounds amazing on leads. However, if I see or hear something that may be a concern, I like to say something…… in the end, it’s just my opinion.

**WARNING- SOAP BOX**

I guess, in the end, you have to remember that I am not working for a store and trying to make you purchase the pedals the store carries. I don’t make a dime if you do or don’t decide to buy a pedal that I demo. I don’t make a wage by doing this, which I think keeps me honest. I stay independent because I can then demo whatever pedals I want to and can tell you what I actually think of them. I have had others state that I love every pedal I demo…. well, yes, I mostly do….. but you must also remember that I CHOOSE what I want to demo. I have turned companies down that wanted to send me pedals and I have actually sent a few pedals back. Why, you ask? Because at the end of the day, sure, many come to see an intro pic to a demo or hear one of my ridiculous puns,I totally get that….. but many also want my opinion. If I continued to demo just whatever I could get my hands on, there is a reputation on the line, albeit a small one I’m just trying to stay honest and deliver my legitimate opinions….. love ‘em or hate ‘em I strive to bring you pedals that you ordinarily would not come across or get to hear AND that are deserving of your time to watch or listen to a demo because they are actually really cool pedals.

**END SOAP BOX**

Each Lotus Pedal is custom-designed and hand-made with the finest electrical components available for many years of excellent performance. 3PDT true bypass switching, Neutrik jacks, Alpha pots, and military-grade Teflon-coated wiring make sure your Lotus Pedal will keep rocking for years to come.

Gear used:

KLH custom relics fuzzcaster

Univox Ripper

Visual Sound Workhorse Stallion

Lots of Bullet Cable

Sennheiser e906

Fuzzbox Cocktail- Brown Cow