The Expandora Forbidden Fuzz, built by the US company that bought the name of the cult vintage Expandora pedal, which was one of the first ultra-flexibly dirt boxes, made in Japan – is a fuzz circuit built from a rib of that original (and evidently inspiring) circuit.
With four knobs (including Tone and Voltz) and two tone-altering toggle switches, this is a fuzz pedal that can do a lot.
With both toggles to the left, you get the same fuzz tone of the company’s Expandora Vintage Reissue, while turning down the Fuzz and Voltz knobs will deliver the same sputtery tone of their Expandora Fuzz.
The Voltz knob changes the voltage fed to the circuit, creating more instability and gated tones at lower levels and fuller and more sustaining fuzz when turned all the way up.
Turning the Tone switch to the right engages the Level and Tone knobs, activating an additional gain stage and tone sculpting feature, while the Fat switch adds exactly what the name promises: a lower frequency punch.
Have a listen to what it can do in the videos below.
Expandora Forbidden Fuzz
When we started seeing customers buying a second Expandora to strictly keep on the Fuzz mode, we decided to make a new Fuzz pedal to scratch that itch. But once we got through the alchemy of mixing up a new Fuzz circuit, we wound up with so much more! A monster Fuzz machine with amazing tone sculpting capabilities!
?With both toggle switches to the left, you start off with the Fuzz tone of the Expandora Vintage Reissue. Dime the Fuzz and Voltz knobs and you get the same glorious glitchy Expandora Fuzz. Turn down the Voltz knob, and you get a variable sweep of stability injected into the Fuzz. Turn the Voltz all the way to the left, and you get a singing, sustaining fuzz that is to die for!
?Slap that Tone switch to the right to engage the Level and Tone knobs. This activates the Tone stack, and kicks in an additional Gain stage. The Level and Fuzz knob are now working together to provide complete control over the amount and type of Fuzz. The Tone control is so interactive that there are incredible and useful tones throughout the entire range of the knob.
?The FAT switch adds a meaty punch to the gut under any of the above settings. And unlike many other Fuzz pedals, this one is super responsive to riding the volume control on your guitar. Roll back the juice for some tasty articulate rhythm work. Then roll on the meat for soaring Fuzzerific solos!
