Vox VFZ-1 Two-Transistor Silicon Fuzz Pedal
The VFZ-1 revisits the 1960s two-transistor fuzz circuit and brings it up to date. Silicon transistors deliver the aggression and warmth of the original Mk 1.5 without the behaviour that made germanium unpredictable.
- Circuit: classic 2-transistor fuzz, calibrated silicon rather than germanium
- Stability: no temperature drift, no high noise floor, no performance inconsistency
- Tone Cut: rolls off high frequencies
- Bass Cut: reins in low-end aggression
- Crunch and Fuzz toggle: Crunch gives low-gain overdrive tones like rolling back a guitar volume
- High input impedance so it works anywhere in the signal chain
- Compact rugged enclosure built for a pedalboard
- Volume and Fuzz as the core controls, with the cuts and the toggle on top
Vintage, sustain-laden fuzz with the temperature drift and noise floor of the germanium era left behind.
The VFZ-1 revisits one of the most revered fuzz circuits ever made, bringing the woolly growl of the 1960s two-transistor design firmly into the modern era. Precisely calibrated silicon circuits re-create the aggression and warmth of the original Mk 1.5, leaving behind the performance inconsistencies that came with germanium.
Germanium tone, silicon stability
The warmth and grit of the Mk 1.5 circuit have inspired guitarists for decades, and this is a redesigned, enhanced version of that tone. Gone are the temperature drift and the high noise floor of the original models. The silicon transistors are matched so the fuzz stays as dynamic and soulful as the pedal it descends from, with modern reliability and durability.
Tone sculpting beyond Volume and Fuzz
Vox was not content to reissue the circuit alone. Beyond the standard Volume and Fuzz controls you get Tone Cut to roll off high frequencies and Bass Cut to rein in low-end aggression. A Crunch and Fuzz toggle opens up low-gain overdrive tones similar to rolling back a guitar's volume knob.
Put it anywhere in the chain
High input impedance means the presence of the VFZ-1 is felt no matter where it sits on the board, which matters with fuzz circuits more than with most effects. The enclosure is compact and rigid, ready for a working pedalboard.
At a glance
- Vintage-style fuzz with a classic 2-transistor circuit
- Silicon transistors for germanium-like warmth with low noise
- Crunch mode for rolled-back overdrive tones
- Bass Cut and Tone Cut for wide-ranging shaping
- High input impedance for flexible positioning
- Compact, rigid construction