The Readbeard Effects Hairy Squid is a modern take on the rare but semi-obscure vintage Barnes and Mullins 70s Fuzz, currently selling used on Reverb.com for just under one grand USD.
The original was made by Colorsound and based on the Jumbo Tonebender circuit which is similar to a Big Muff circuit.
The Readbeard take on the circuit (which as usual benefited from the collaboration with Adrian from ThorpyFX) expands the rather limited sonic palette of the original by adding three clipping modes, selectable via a toggle switch:
A : Silicone Mode delivers creamy, smoother vintage muff-style sounds
B : LED Mode offers a bigger, modern sound with more headroom and longer sustain
C : Germanium Mode distinguishes itself for an edgier tone reminiscent of the Tonebender
The three knobs are very interactive and reflect the Muff’s controls, with “Gain” replacing “Sustain” but essentially doing the same thing, and are much more useable throughout their sweep than in the Barnes and Mullins unit.
So, after all is said and done, the Hairy Squid is actually a lot more than a ’70s fuzz clone/variant and more like a 3-mode fuzz voiced after some classic vintage pedals, including the ’70s.
Check it out in the demos below.
Readbeard Effects Hairy Squid, Builder’s Notes
What’s better than your favourite fuzz pedal? How about 3 of your favourite fuzz pedals… in one!
At Redbeard Effects we love all things fuzzy – vintage, modern, and everything in between. For our first dedicated fuzz pedal, we toyed with various modes of clipping to fine tune the sounds we love the most. We wanted to create a fuzz pedal that catered to a whole spectrum of sounds… so we jammed three of our favourites into one killer stompbox!
The 3-way toggle switch gives you the following options :
A : Silicone Mode (Think creamy, smoother vintage ‘muff’ sounds a la Gilmour)
B : LED Mode (Massive modern headroom, loud & crazy sustain)
C : Germanium Mode (Edgier, ‘bender’-esque tone)Check out the Hairy Squid and find all your favourite fuzz tones in one box!
Features
- Three Fuzz Pedals in one
- Switchable Clipping modes – Silicone, Germanium and LED
- 100% Analogue Circuit
- True Bypass
- What’s in the box :
- Our signature ‘Coffee Bag’ packaging | 2 x Redbeard Effects Stickers | Redbeard Effects PCB Keyring
- Like all our pedals, the Hairy Squid was dreamt up, designed, engineered, built, tested and packaged in the UK by hand.
