We look at the new Behringer Fuzz Bender and ask if it is worth the money. This is one of the first pedals from Behringer’s latest classic effect pedals line that has just launched. Should you buy one?
Behringer Fuzz Bender
Craving that classic fuzz sound? We put Behringer’s new Fuzz Bender to the test. Find out if it delivers the legendary tone and value you’re looking for.
If you are interested in guitar fuzz pedals, you should have seen the new Behringer Fuzz Bender launch, based on a vintage Tone Bender fuzz.
They describe the pedal as a vintage-inspired fuzz pedal that captures the essence of the psychedelic 60s. Its all-analog circuit, powered by a pair of vintage transistors, delivers authentic fuzz tones that have shaped the sound of rock music for decades.
Should you buy one?
We ordered the new Fuzz Bender from Andertons in the UK, and it has just arrived, so we have had a short time to get to grips with some of the basics this vintage-inspired fuzz pedal offers. First impressions are that the build quality is excellent and includes a rock-solid cast housing that feels sturdy.
The pedal is smaller than a regular vintage Tone Bender, which makes sense as those old pedals are unwieldy compared to modern effect pedals. It also has an LED indicator, a 9V power supply input, true bypass switching, and the input and output jacks on the top, orientated the correct way round for modern pedals.
The pedal will also run from a standard 9V battery (not supplied), so we used this method to power our unit. Controls consist of Level, Attack, and a two-position switch labeled Orig and Mod. The original is based on the rare Tone Bender 1.5, and the mod is based on version 2 of the Tone Bender circuit. This latter position gives a ‘cocked wah’ tone to the fuzz.
Sounds
It certainly has that Tone Bender feel, and in the original mode, it is pretty bass-heavy. You must compensate for this with your amp’s eq settings, as there is no tone stack. Whereas the mod may be better for band situations as it cuts through a little more, it does add a little hiss to the signal path.
Having owned many fuzz pedals, I know that ‘hiss’ comes with the territory, so it was no surprise, and many vintage pedals are far noisier than this new Behringer one.
Overall, there are a lot of very useable fuzz tones in this pedal, and I have only scratched the surface of what this pedal is capable of. The controls are very interactive, and when you wind your amp volume up to band levels, it comes alive. Bedroom players may not experience the same full dynamic range of this fuzz, as some amp volume does help.
This fuzz pedal has a lot to offer for the price point.
It may not be quite as dynamic as a boutique fuzz pedal, but you have to consider the price of these Behringer effects. If you are a fuzz aficionado, you could turn your nose up at these and miss out on all the fun. However, if you want a Tone Bender voiced fuzz pedal, you can happily gig with it, and it has modern features, including true bypass and external power.
Verdict
I highly recommend this latest Behringer pedal, as the build quality is high. I liked the two voice options, which make this fuzz quite flexible. Then, it all comes down to how you set your controls and where you dial your amp in. The simplicity of this pedal is its strength, and all the modern upgrades make it integrate nicely with modern pedal rigs.
The fuzz circuit uses a mixture of through-hole components and SMD, which is to be expected for a mass-produced pedal and one that is so affordable. We counted six SMD 2N3904s transistors so that it would be a little fiddly to mod certain aspects of this circuit. However, a lot of the capacitors are through-hole.
If Behringer can keep making pedals of this quality for such a low price point, it will be hard for many players to ignore them.
I would rate the pedal a solid 5 out of 5 as a general score, as it offers so much for such a low price point.
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2 thoughts on “REVIEW: Behringer Fuzz Bender: First Look – Should you buy one?”
Thanks for the awesome review! I’ve just ordered one, as it sounds perfect for what I want from a vintage fuzz, and its so cheap!
Yeah, they are certainly great for the price. Have fun with it when it arrives