This week, we look at the STRICH Jimi Fuzz and the STRICH Super Riot High Gain Distortion pedals. STRICH has introduced both effects units, offering players options for classic, rich fuzz tones and modern, intense high-gain distortion.
STRICH Stompboxes Overview
STRICH kindly sent us two affordable pedals to review, so we put both to the test. The stompboxes include the Jimi Fuzz, a retro-style analog fuzz with modern features, and the Super Riot, which is a high-gain modern distortion with plenty of tone sculpting options.
We recently reviewed their Stereo Looper pedal, which we thought offered good value for money.
For both reviews, we used the STRICH MINI 15 pedalboard, which we will review separately very soon. These pedals will require an external power supply and do not run from batteries.
Below is a brief overview of each pedal, outlining key features and what to expect. My first impression of each pedal was how well-made they are, as they feel robust and have well-applied, high-quality paint jobs. All the knobs and switches feel solid, and the controls have a smooth feel.
They come with integrated rubber feet to prevent them from slipping around and a full-sized piece of stick velcro as an optional pad, which can be applied when using them on a pedalboard. This is custom-cut to fit the rear of the pedal exactly and is self-adhesive —no mess, no fuss, and no scissors required.
Each pedal comes well presented in a high-quality box with a magnetic lid and a basic printed manual. You won’t need to read the manual, as they are dead simple to use.
Jimi Fuzz: Authentic Vintage Tone
The Jimi Fuzz pedal is designed to capture “authentic fuzz magic,” promising a unique and rich sonic experience. It features a versatile trio of controls— Vol, GAIN, and TONE — that allow musicians to shape their sound from a subtle, warm texture to a roaring, intense fuzz.
For optimal signal integrity, the Jimi Fuzz features True Bypass, which ensures minimal tone loss when the effect is disengaged, and an indicator light to confirm the pedal’s status.
Super Riot: Roaring High-Gain Distortion
For players seeking a heavier, more intense sound, the Super Riot High Gain Distortion pedal offers a “super rock” experience. This pedal is built for precise sound control and features a full set of dedicated VOLUME, TONE, and GAIN knobs.
A standout feature is the inclusion of three switchable modes — Soft, Tense, and Normal — that provide additional flexibility for shaping the distortion character. Like the Jimi Fuzz, the Super Riot maintains signal quality with a True Bypass design.
Jimi Fuzz Review
The Jimi Fuzz is very easy to dial in, and I started with a Plexi-style tube amp with some gain, as I would typically use a fuzz pedal into a dirty amp channel. For this review, I used a vintage-flavoured ’50s-style Telecaster with Bareknuckle pickups, as I wanted to see how noisy the fuzz would be and how well it reacted to my guitar’s volume knob.
Having a bright yellow casing really makes the labelling of each control stand out, and the bright red LED lets you know the fuzz is engaged, so full marks for ease of use. I’m glad they avoided the blinding blue LEDs, as those things are annoying.
The controls are all straightforward to dial in, and having a Tone control on a fuzz is useful, as you can back off the high-end frequencies if needed. The voice is not a true Fuzz Face-style fuzz, though it does have a more vintage tone than many modern high-gain fuzz pedals. I’m a fuzz pedal addict and own somewhere around 50 or so fuzz pedals, and this one is actually a lot better than I thought it would be for the price.
’60s Style Fuzz
It doesn’t react to the guitar’s volume knob like a Fuzz Face, and it prefers the volume up, where it sounds fuller and warmer. If you back off the volume on your guitar, it reacts a little, but the change isn’t drastic. I’ve included a video demonstration from another review to give you an idea of what to expect.
Tone
The controls all work well, and I tend to keep them all on full, as I’m accustomed to playing fuzz pedals full tilt and using my guitar to control the fuzz/gain intensity. I tried it into a clean amp as well, where the fuzz becomes a bit more ‘bitey’ and wild, so for me at least, I prefer the fuzz into an amp with some gain already, as it rounds off the fuzz nicely. Having a Tone stack allows you to easily take some high-end out, so it would work with either setup.
If you turn the Fuzz knob down a little, you can experiment with the voice, and the Volume control lets you balance the output to taste. There are certainly some great fuzz tones in this pedal, and I could go from ’60s style fuzz tones to more full-on Alt Rock and Grunge-style dirt tones using the Jimi Fuzz. Don’t let the name of this fuzz pigeonhole you into using this just for vintage fuzz tones.
I would say it isn’t an exact clone of a particular vintage fuzz unit, which in some ways is good. I had no expectations, other than that it is more vintage in style, and it does a good approximation of earlier fuzz tones and all for a very affordable price point. Having a fuzz that will run from an external power supply is useful, and having a tone stack is also a huge bonus.
A No Brainer Fuzz?
This fuzz pedal will be great for any musician on a budget who needs a vintage-style fuzz with modern updates and ease of use. This fuzz isn’t fussy like vintage units, and with some experimentation, it can dial in very usable fuzz tones that cover a fair bit of ground.
It isn’t super hot or crazy like some of the boutique fuzz pedals on the market. Yet, it is a killer fuzz for the money, and if you have never owned a fuzz pedal, this is a great starting point to experiment with. I think, for the price point, it is very hard to beat, and I could easily gig and record with this fuzz pedal.
I had a hard time putting this one away, as it is a lot of fun to play through. Lots of great fuzz tones, some vintage flavour, and modern features. What’s not to like?
Verdict: If I had to score this, it would be a 9 out of 10, as it offers a whole heap of fun for not very much money, and the quality is excellent all around.
MSRP – $33.99 /£29.99
Available at Amazon US STRICH Store
Available at Amazon UK STRICH Store
Super Riot Review
Next up is the Super Riot, a modern high-gain distortion pedal —think a modded Plexi-style amp in the style of boutique amp builders, including Bogner and Suhr.
Funnily enough, this one is very much inspired by the Suhr Riot pedal, which I happen to own, so that I could A/B the two pedals side by side at stage volume. First impression: the pedal is very dark blue, and the black labelling on the controls is much harder to read than on the Jimi Fuzz.
Build quality and overall feel are of the same high standard as the Jimi Fuzz, and I would gig with this pedal as it feels robust and sturdy.
High Gain Fun
I could compare this to my Suhr Riot pedal, and, apart from a slightly different knob layout, the main controls are virtually identical. Volume, Tone, and Gain do all the main work, and these are then affected by the three-position Soft, Tense, and Normal switch.
A very useful pedal if you want amp-like gain and lots of it, so it works well into a clean amp and will complement a dirty amp just as well. You could use it, for example, as an extra amp channel, by setting it up with a clean/dirty amp that has channel switching, as your third and fourth option. Or you can use it straight up as a high-gain distortion pedal.
I liked that it is not fizzy, and I also managed to replicate all the tones of my Suhr Riot pedal by using my ears (don’t just set the knobs to the same positions and expect an exact clone of the Suhr Riot, as potentiometer tolerances will not be the same) and it does a very good job of sounding like a cranked modded boutique amp.
If you like that modded Marshall-like amp tone, which is more in line with American high-gain, then you will enjoy playing through this pedal.
Should You Buy One?
If you need a modern, high-gain distortion pedal and you like the Suhr Riot, this is an affordable option with essentially the same DNA, just without the FXLink switch (Suhr uses this for remote control of the pedal).
It has lots of drive options, and having three voices makes this distortion very versatile.
Verdict:Â 9 out of 10. Â It would be a solid 10 out of 10 if the writing were readable on a dark stage, so marked down for being hard to read.
MSRP – $33.99 /£29.99
Available at Amazon US STRICH Store
Available at Amazon UK STRICH Store
More Information
#STRICH #Jimi Fuzz #Super Riot #Guitar Pedal Review #Guitar FXÂ
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