| Build Quality: |  |
| Hardware: |  |
| Electronics: | |
| Sound: | |
| Value: | |
| Average: | |
Pros:
- Outrageous sounds
- Simple modes
- Flexible and effective tone control
Cons:
- Not for everybody
- Treble booster is slightly thin when used alone
Chaos is a term that is rarely associated with positive feelings. You think of it and suddenly your brain reimagines all sorts of disorders you have seen in the past. You will recall everything that does not seem to follow the general rules and acts completely crazy. Chaos is uncontrollable and that is its very charm. Yeah, you heard me, chaos has charm and it can be extremely captivating. This term bears particular significance to those musicians you love mad effects that crash everything on their way and engulf the music in a complete mess. Such disorder can be experienced by countless fuzz pedals out there, but the majority of them sound basically the same and it is really easy to get bored with them. With that being said, there are brands out there that stand out with their unique stompboxes. They always put together the units that can take you to a parallel universe where distinctiveness is the only virtue. Death by Audio is just like that – it satisfies all the requirements of its customers and releases pedals that have a character of their own. Today we are going to talk about their Fuzz War – a simple, yet powerful piece of electronics. If you want to indulge in fuzz wars and explore the world beyond traditional understandings, then keep on reading!
Features
Death by Audio Fuzz War is not like anything we have seen before. I do not mean to say that its qualities cannot be replicated, I am just saying that all of its properties make up a beast that really stands out among the crowd. The brand has chosen the path of simplicity, so do not expect any extraordinary features in here. Yet the options this baby creates are truly usable during daily practices or gigs. Fuzz War has cool design that captivates your eyes from the first glance. It has the graphics that expresses the peculiarities of the effect and displays its recklessness. Huge knobs on the surface indicate right away that you will not have to search for the controls with your fingers – there are right there and accessible even if you are blindfolded. More importantly, Fuzz War is hand-built, meaning that its insides are put together with a lot of attention and carefulness. The brand guarantees that the enclosure is indestructible so you can crash it as much as you want. This way your baby will be with you for the years to come and keep you a company even during the darkest times. What else could we want from our favorite stompboxes? I will leave the answer to you.
Let’s not forget that Fuzz War from Death by Audio can be powered with a single 9V battery or an adapter. The current draw is only 1mA, so you do not have to worry about your batteries being drained in seconds. Its analog circuitry delivers the widest and the most organic fuzz out there, letting you choose between different levels of madness. As you can see, sometimes even simplicity can be the key to magnificent sounds!
Controls
The control section looks exactly the same as you would expect from a badass fuzz pedal. It has encoders that are really fancy to me. Plus, they have a wide range and deliver different sonic results with each turn. This is true with the majority of fuzz pedals, but it is better to take it slow and explore the full scope of options. Especially with Fuzz War, as it is designed to create boost, distortion and fuzz – all at the different levels of settings.
The tiny encoder shoved in the top part of the pedal is Volume. As it is with every electronic device out there, this one modifies the overall level of the output and lets you sync it with the rest of the chain. Then we have a bigger knob, i.e. Fuzz that alters the amount of the effect. As you turn it clockwise slowly, you can achieve tonal shift, boost, distortion and finally fuzz at extreme settings. The third control we have here is Tone, which accentuates lower frequencies or adds treble to your sound. Finally, we have a footswitch with a complementary LED, so that you know whether your pedal is activated or not.
Fuzz War Sound
It is rare to find an effects pedal that covers different frequencies equally. Some are better with trebles, some shine with low-end, while others put the emphasis on the mid-range. Fuzz War from Death by Audio is a sort of fuzz pedal that scoops the mids and accentuates either high or low end. It has very defined and texture on the lower side, making your fuzz sound extremely cool and prominent. The high end opens up the tone and delivers the distortion with more snarl and grit. Depending on what settings you choose, you will get different levels of fuzz, yet this pedal really shines when cranked up to the maximum. It has high-gain that is saturated with girth and gnarl. It simply is the beast that delivers earth cracking sounds. Fuzz War works wonderfully with bass as well, so you can grab it freely and start exploring. The distinctiveness of this one lies in the ability to produce an extremely characteristic fuzz that will shine through any mix. Though some players might miss some mids, that is probably a matter of preference.
Conclusion
To summarize everything said above, Death by Audio Fuzz War is one of the best boutique fuzz pedals out there. It has rugged enclosure that will not break apart regardless of the abuse. Its interior is hand-crafted with meticulous approach, which is exactly what you here once you plug this bad boy in. If you are someone who loves high-gain fuzz, you will fall in love with this one in a matter of seconds. Your setup and sounds will thank you once you incorporate this bad boy in your rig. And who knows, maybe Fuzz War is all you ever need! Good luck!
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