Five O'clock Fuzz by Outlaw Effects Review

Recently the fine folks over at Outlaw Effects released two new pedals to their line of ultra compact pedals: The Boiler Maker Boost, which not only acts as a clean boost but also acts as an adjustable treble or bass boost, and the Five O'clock Fuzz. I was given the Five O'clock Fuzz to review by the guys at Outlaw. Here is what I found out:

It's Got Some Hair

This fuzz is not exactly subtle. Yes, there are settings that aren't "over the top", but you are not going to find "just a hint of fuzz" here. Even with the sustain knob rolled all the way back, you get a nasty (in a good way) fuzzy sound. It only gets better from there. The more you roll the sustain up, the more hair this pedal grows. Every step along the way there are settings that are useful and enjoyable. The effect gives a slight compression and heaps of sustain. Its squishy, but not too squishy. My favorite thing about any fuzz pedal is its ability to cover up many of my mistakes. Sloppy playing just adds more nasty (again, in a good way) noise. As long as your fingers find the right notes most of the time, you aren't just noodling around, you will start channeling your inner Jimi.

Its Not Just a Muff Clone

If there was one pedal that I'd compare this pedal to, it would be the Muff. The familiar three knobs of EHX's Big Muff Pi are here. The thunderous, fuzzy grunts are definitely more Muff than Fuzz Face. I'm not the expert on fuzz pedals. There are only a few that I really got to know well. I've run through the gambit of the MXR line of Jimi fuzzes. I've only messed around with the big red Fuzz Face and the signature models. Not a big fan of those. The moment I sat down with a custom strat and a vintage voiced tube amp and the EHX Muff Pi w/ Tone Wicker, I was in love. The original Big Muff sounds are some of the best (in my opinion), but the tone wicker circuit and tone bypass switches make the white BMP my favorite choice for fuzz. So this pedal is much more in the vain of a muff, but its tone knob actually matters. With a sweep of the tone, you get classic muff-ish sounds to crunchy, fuzzy, super-distorted (almost Metal Muff) sounds, to crisp (as crisp as a fuzz can be), bright and piercing tones.

Its A Killer Deal

So the Five O'clock Fuzz is one of the better fuzzes that I've had the privileged to play through. What might surprise you is that it is also one of the most inexpensive fuzzes as well. Most the EHX fuzzes are over 50 bucks, and the MXL/Dulop pedals all look to be about 80 or higher. There is the Satisfaction that runs about $55, but I was slightly underwhelmed by what I could do with it. There are some options for fuzz under $50, like the Danelectric FAB and the Cool Cat fuzz. EHX also make a Micro Muff (with just a volume knob). If you look at eBay, you also find Donner/ENO/Mooer pedals that might rival this one for cost and function, but that is purely speculation on my part. There are also brands like Joyo and Biyang that offer fuzzes under $50. I can't speak for those. I can say that I was surprised by what all I could do with this little pedal.

The Ugly Side

I can't speak too harshly of this pedal. I had a great time playing it. The remarks that I've made about this size pedal still stand. However, I can't fault the sound and functionality of the pedal due to the space-saving design. The foam rubber pad lost the Velcro off the bottom as soon as I tried to move it on my board. That is honestly my biggest gripe. So maybe Outlaw can learn something from Joyo in this case, by including a precisely cut piece of Velcro to attach to a flat, bare and completely smooth bottom of the case. Speaking of the case, the graphic on this particular one is a little silly. The stash is trendy, I get that, but the "stubble" just doesn't do it for me. Honestly, I think a stencil of a grizzly cowboy or something would have been preferable to literally giving this pedal a Five O'clock shadow. Other than that, good job on this pedal guys!