Dan Aurebach is a charismatic fellow who conquered the hearts of many, young and old, and if you want to get your guitar to sound like his, check out our list of fuzz pedal recommendations below.
Here are our reviews for the 4 best Black Keys fuzz pedals on the market:
Donner Fuzz Pedal
The first fuzz pedal we’re reviewing comes from Donner. These guys have established quite a reputation for their quality gear, although they’re most famous for budget and medium-priced guitar tech. Their fuzz pedal is very plain and straightforward, so it’s your safest bet if you are a beginner or simply wish to tame your usual distortion a bit.
As far as plain fuzz pedals go, this one’s outfitted with only two control knobs – the first one is for the volume (which is quite self explanatory) and the second one is for “tone” or the tone’s warmth or muddiness. The casing is made of exceptionally durable aluminum materials, so you can rest assured that it will remain intact no matter what you dish at it.
Among other features there’s the true bypass which will allow you to override your chain’s signal if anything went awry, and the LED indicator light which shows the current working state of this effect pedal.
The best thing about Donner’s fuzz pedal is that it’s very, very affordable. It belongs to the bottom bracket of the “budget” price point category and holds a superb value for the buck. Even though you shouldn’t consider it if you are a professional or intermediate level musician, we can safely guarantee that you are going to be satisfied with it in any other case.
Pros:
- Very affordable
- Convenient features
- Beginner-friendly settings
- Plain and durable design
Cons:
- Just OK performance
- Not for professionals and intermediate level guitarists
Electro Harmonix Soul Food Fuzz Pedal
Electro Harmonix is one of the world-class leaders in the guitar tech world, and their Soul Food effects pedal can be whatever you want it to be. It’s basically a fuzz/drive pedal that has the potential of competing with distortion pedals if adjusted properly.
The boosted rails provide plenty of headroom, and the overall sound you’ll get will be as defined as possible. In fact, it’s Soul Food’s sheer versatility that allows you to define the tone in whichever way you want, be it a rat-like drive, plain fuzz, or semi-heavy distortion.
The Soul Food is a very responsive pedal, which means that you’ll actually hear the differences in sound when you tweak the knobs. Speaking of which, there are only three knobs onboard, which means that this fuzz pedal is rather plain in nature – the volume, drive, and treble.
Furthermore, the casing of Soul Food pedal is very durable, as it’s made of sturdy, stable materials. It’s built to last, and it’s safe to say that you’ll use it for years to come. Best of all, the true and buffered bypass modes are switchable, so you don’t have to rely on just one. This just might be one of the best Black Keys fuzz pedals for the money.
Pros:
- Decently affordable
- Durable, rugged design
- Selectable true or buffered bypass
- Defined tone and plenty of headroom
- Incredible value for the buck
Cons:
- Not exactly ideal for beginners due to high responsiveness
Death By Audio Fuzz War Effect Pedal
In essence, Death By Audio’s Fuzz War pedal is a punchy, plain fuzz effect pedal. It comes outfitted with only two control knobs (fuzz and tone), so it’s not exactly versatile, but it will get you the tone you want, and beyond if you know how to use it.
People often compare the Death by Audio pedal (see full specs) to the Big Muff due to its exquisite fuzziness, but most remark that Fuzz War stays on a more gentle side. The mids are pronounced and the basses are quite strong, not to mention the exceptional responsiveness, so it’s great for single-coil guitars, although it would work pretty awesomely in symbiosis with humbucking pickups. The only downside is that it’s not the cheapest pedal, but then again it’s worth every dime.
Pros:
- Extremely fuzzy
- Great value for the buck
- Simple controls
- Pronounced mids and heavy basses
Cons:
- Pricey
MXR M236 Super Badass Variac Fuzz Pedal
The last fuzz pedal in our review is MXR’s M236 Super Badass Variac Fuzz Guitar effect pedal and it’s easily among the best Black Keys fuzz pedals you’ll find around.
The MXR M236 pedal (see full specs) features a selectable voltage which allows you to specify the amount of headroom and clarity you need, but its performance is something that makes it so good. Basically, this is a versatile pedal which features four control knobs – the tone, variac, output, and gain.
The sound you’ll get from this fuzz pedal is characterized with incredible warmth, impeccable clarity, and outstanding definition. So, in summary, if you’re looking to get “as fuzzy as possible,” this is the pedal you want to get. Even though it does cost a bit, its value is through the roof.
Pros:
- Exceptional sound quality
- Plenty of versatility
- Durable casing
- Beginner-friendly features
Cons:
- Could be pricey
Black Keys Fuzz Pedals Conclusion
This concludes our list of the best Black Keys fuzz pedal models – we hope you liked what you saw, and we wish you all the luck in finding the ideal fuzz pedal. Dan’s tone is very unique and defined, but it can be achieved with any of the aforementioned pedals. Good luck!
