Z.Vex Fuzz Factory Vexter
Muse in a box.
£179 at guitarguitar.co.uk | £195 at thomann.de
The Fuzz Factory first came out in 1995, offering a very unique, noisy and chaotic take on the classic fuzz circuits that came before. The original pedals are still made by hand in Minnesota, U.S.A., in small batches with custom hand-painted graphics. In 2004 Z.Vex Effects introduced the more affordable Vexter Series Fuzz Factory, with printed graphics and a shorter warranty period.
Sound
The Vexter series has an identical circuit to the original units (still available for sale at significantly higher prices) and will sound the same. Any differences between the two versions will be due to parts tolerances.
The Fuzz Factory is best known for being Matt Bellamy’s main source of gain on Muse’s Origin of Symmetry album. The Fuzz Factory can be heard throughout the entire album, most notably in Plug In Baby. The intro to the song features the distinct oscillating chaos caused by turning down the Stability knob. If you max out the drive and stability, set the compression around 9 o’clock and turn down the noise gate, you can make almost any guitar and amp combination sound like Plug in Baby!
The pedal may seem daunting at first. It boils down to setting the Drive and Compression to taste. Then adjust the Gate from left to right until the noise levels are acceptable. Z.Vex recommend keeping the Stability control all the way to the right. It can be used to produce an out-of-control oscillating wall of sound. In the intro to Plug In Baby, you can hear the white noise of the Fuzz Factory, as the Stability knob is slowly turned clockwise.
Overall, it is less versatile than an EHX Big Muff or the FZ1W by Boss, particularly when it comes to smooth fuzz sounds and huge rhythm tones. That’s just not what it was designed for.
Build Quality
There is no difference in build quality between the hand-painted and the Vexter Series pedals. The circuit is hand wired in both cases and would be easy to repair if necessary. The horizontal orientation can make it awkward to place on a pedalboard, but a vertical version of the Fuzz Factory is also available.
Another notable feature of the Fuzz Factory is that it draws a measly 4mA of current. This means that a typical 9v battery will likely last you for several years!
Bottom Line
The Z.Vex Fuzz Factory is a legendary and instantly recognizable effect that will last you a lifetime. The fuzz tones it delivers are iconic, largely thanks to Matt Bellamy of Muse. The initial learning curve aside, it will be the most fun you will have with a fuzz pedal.