Review: Ox Fuzz Dark

The Ox Fuzz Dark is a modified Fuzz Face based fuzz with tons of low end. It simply has a knob for fuzz and for volume. For being such a simple fuzz, this thing is pretty flexible. Jump on past the break to read more about it's sounds and hear it for yourself!




Hardware


There's not really much to say here, the Ox Fuzz is built with incredible quality. It has a volume control and fuzz control. The fuzz control has a huge range from dark and doom-bringing to a more mild drive. This thing only runs on batteries however, so make sure you unplug the input jack once you're done using it. Also the Ox has a very glossy finish so if you're a perfectionist who likes to keep their pedals mint, keep a microfiber cloth handy  to wipe off smudges.

The Sounds


I found the gain range on this fuzz to be surprisingly big, really anything to a slight fuzzy break up to saturated, crunchy and of course dark fuzz. All the way through the gain range the fuzz finds a sweet spot between abrasive and smooth, you'd be hard pressed to get a bad sound out of this thing. For those looking to get into fuzz wanting a darker voicing, this would be at the top of my list. It never gets too crazy, just warm and fuzzy. Even those looking to play stoner and doom metal/rock will find this thing has plenty of gain but may want a boost just to put it over the edge for a little extra saturation. Well enough of my description, I'll let these sound clips do the rest.

Ox Fuzz w/ Chords by Mike Fetting

Here I dialed the fuzz in at 1:00 to show how well this thing can do lower gain chord work. This is also using the neck pickup of my guitar (Dimarzio Tone Zone)

OX Fuzz Fu Manchu by Mike Fetting

Here the fuzz and volume are maxed out. I'm playing a Fu Manchu riff

OX Fuzz High Gain by Mike Fetting

This clip shows how the OX deals with faster playing and how huge it makes power chords sound. Fuzz and volume are maxed

Final Verdict


This OX that I'm playing was loaned to me by an awesome ILF member (MiddleEarthCrisis) but after playing I feel I might need one for myself. It's really easy to get a great fuzz tone out of this thing, whether you're going for something like doom/metal (my kind of style) or maybe something lighter and creamier, this box can definitely handle it. I don't even miss having a tone control when I use it, it's just dialed in perfectly. The lack battery only operation is kind of a bummer but sometimes that's how fuzzes sound best. If you like fuzz at all, I'd highly recommend you at least check out the OX Fuzz Dark (or any of the other OX Fuzz offerings depending on your tonal preference).