Beetronics FX has launched a $99 fuzz pedal that is housed in a can of tuna. Sadly, all the fish inside has been removed – it’s not good for the circuit – but it should be food for thought before you throw that a can in the recycling, and sate your appetite for gnarly, old-school fuzz tones.
We are used to unorthodox designs from Beetronics. The guitar effects pedal specialist’s CEO Filipe Pampuri doesn’t do ordinary.
Even so, a fuzz in a can is not something you see every day – at least not in 2024. But when Pampuri first started out, it wasn’t unusual for him to reappropriate a tuna can for an enclosure.
He made it a specialty, not only striking a blow for the circular economy but teaching the next generation of stompbox designers who they, too, could use an old can as an enclosure, with Pampuri hosting classes in his native Brazil in how you could turn your trash into tone.
The Tuna Fuzz is built in this spirit, and makes the most of its format. There’s no point room to overthink the circuit when the enclosure would would contain just enough for a sandwich, and Pampuri keeps things simple here with a single “Stinker” knob.
With the level of fuzz preset, the Stinker knob controls output volume. If there’s too much fuzz on the menu just roll the volume control back on the electric guitar – or use a volume pedal in front of the Tuna Fuzz – and it’ll clean up nicely.
If you look through the plastic back cover of the pedal you’ll see a little ‘Tunabee’ design on the PCB.
There is no room for a battery inside so you’ll need 9V DC from a pedalboard power supply, and that’s pretty much everything you need to know about this.
Well, except it is worth remembering that this is just $99 and while the first batch has sold out Beetronics is taking orders for the next – and that a tuna could make for a compact addition to the pedalboard.
“One of the goals of this project was to offer an affordable price so that everyone could own a Beetronics pedal,” says the brand. “For that reason, the pedal will be sold exclusively on Beetronics for a sweet $99.99.” So you know where to head to sign up for one…
