
ZVEX Z.Vex Vexter Series Fuzz Factory
Massive fuzz in a hand-silkscreened aluminum chassis.
The Vexter Fuzz Factory from ZVex is a 5-knob fuzz pedal with 2 NOS '60s germanium transistors, and it comes in a hand-polished aluminum chassis with hand-silkscreened, 2-color text. Though ... read more
63
Artists use this
Found 0 artists

In an April 2004 issue of Guitarist magazine, John Frusciante talks about using the ZVex Fuzz Factory pedal on his studio album *Shadows ... more

This hand-painted and assembled ZVex Vexter Fuzz Factory Guitar Effect Pedal has been used extensively by Matthew Bellamy. It can be seen... more

Frank Iero put this photo on the Instagram with caption :"rad mail day today! psyched on this @zvexeffects fuzz factory" more

If you zoom in on this picture of one of Annie's old pedalboard, shows that she owns one of the ZVex Vexter Series Fuzz Factory Guitar Ef... more

At 4:03 in this live Paramore video, one can see a ZVex Vexter Series Fuzz Factory pedal on Taylor York's pedalboard. more
Reviews
Trusted musician and artist reviews for Z.Vex Vexter Series Fuzz Factory
Based on 23 Reviews

this pedal is the mordern fuzz face,by that i mean people will be making and talking about for the next 50 years!
Ok,so I just made two of these and I'm absolutely loving the Fuzz Factory,I've always been a bit trad when it came to fuzzes but when I got asked to make one recently for someone and tested it I comu fall in love with it,I just had to have one of that space age oscillation fuzz on my broad,...a great modern fuzz I think Jimi Hendrix would have adored had it been available in the 60s,I think that pritty much say it all!
ZVeX Fuzz Factory
My first pedal, very good for beefing up solos and if you love big sounds you will love this.

Not for the faint of heart, the Fuzz Factory is a versatile beast that requires attention and patience
Warning: DO NOT TURN THIS PEDAL ON IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE MANUAL! This pedal is an insanely cool piece of analog goodness that won't hesitate to punish a bad knob turn. But the reward of a good setting, oh the reward, so worth it. This is not your daddy's big muff. This is a sputtering, self-oscillating, unpredictable sack of goodness. It can do more than an awkward sputter (Though it can do it too), I've used it for a heavy distortion as well. The tamer settings are nice, but the craziness is where Mr. Vex's handiwork shines. The stab knob has the power to turn your notes into arpeggios, and even create interesting octavia style effects. If you can imagine a crazy fuzz in your head, you will hear it in the Fuzz Factory. A good memory or settings list is key for unlocking this pedals potential. I recommend these lists, courtesy of TGP: http://smg.photobucket.com/user/onetubetone/media/Page1-2.jpg.html http://smg.photobucket.com/user/onetubetone/media/Page2-2.jpg.html http://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/my-take-on-a-zvex-fuzz-factory-settings-list.176319/
This thread is chock full of information. Happy fuzzing!

Whoa there!
This pedal is sheer and utter ridiculousness. It is capable of both soaring and gorgeous singing tone for solos as well as INSANE and EVIL chugging tones when scaled back. Oh, yeah, and it can sound like it's going to blow your amp up as well as everything else on the block whilst oscilating to and from outer space. This pedal is a MONSTER of a fuzz. I use it regularly in the studio up against an earthquaker Bit Commander and the two go from bitter rivals to great friends. I mention the other because both reflect a class of pedal that is incredibly difficult to tame, but when done effectively can muster amazing results. I ended up pulling this pedal off of my live board, however, as the compromise between usable live volume and controllable oscillation was too hard for me to find or depend upon. I still use this guy when recording, but when I want to be consistent with a single live take, this pedal definitely requires some TLC.

A giant among fuzzboxes
So loud I have to keep the pedal volume below 12 to keep from blowing out my amp (not that I'm complaining). A bit dry on most settings by itself, but sounds great with a tube screamer earlier in the chain. All in all, an amazing fuzz pedal.

Awesome effect, i played a lot of muse covers and this effect brings it to a higher level.
Awesome effect, i played a lot of muse covers and this effect brings it to a higher level.

Insanity in a stompbox
To be honest, I got this one because of it's extensive use on Muse's Origin of Symmetry. Of course all I did at first was turn knobs here and there to make crazy radio-like sounds, but once I sat down to get some actual tones from it I was pleasantly surprised. It can do anything from velcro fuzz to sweet metal tones.
That being said, it did take me some time to get a thick guitar tone out of it. Definitely doable, just takes a bit more work. Oh, and it seems to be really sensitive to temperature and humidity changes so it's definitely not set-and-forget. Still, it's the only pedal I haven't sold even after going fully digital.

Nasty monster of a pedal
When you hold the reigns using this pedal, you can achieve a variety of controlled fuzz tones, but if you are looking for something more wild and outlandish, just turn down the stab on the pedal and you'll witness a whole other side of this pedal that is terrifyingly amazing.
4
Community Gear Photos
2
Videos Uploaded


Details
Description
Massive fuzz in a hand-silkscreened aluminum chassis.
The Vexter Fuzz Factory from ZVex is a 5-knob fuzz pedal with 2 NOS '60s germanium transistors, and it comes in a hand-polished aluminum chassis with hand-silkscreened, 2-color text. Though the circuit isn't modeled after any one specific classic fuzz, it delivers tones straight out of the 1960s. These 5 knobs control the Fuzz Factory's parameters at various operating levels, letting you shape your own personalized fuzz effect.
ZVex designed the Fuzz Factory to consume less energy than other effects pedals. When on, the Fuzz Factory's current is less than 3 mA. This fuzz pedal is hand-painted and assembled, and each is unique.
Fuzz Factory Controls
Volume: Output level
Gate: Squelches noise after end of sustain. Turn to the right to eliminate squeals, hiss, and buzz, stopping just as they disappear, or use to tune in exact feedback pitch. Turning to the left opens gate.
Compress: Adds attack characteristic when turned to the left, which gets softer to right, and suddenly pinches tone when all the way right. Also tunes in fat, feedbacky fuzz. Lower the Stability and see what happens to this control.
Drive: Increases distortion when used as a "normal" fuzz and adjusts feedback pitch and tonal thickness.
Stability: Use to control feedback pitch. This is one of the more finicky controls, so it will take some experimentation to get it right.
Specifications
- Made with 2 new old stock '60s germanium transistors
- Volume, Gate, Compress, Drive, and Stability controls
Tim uses the Fuzz Factory on guitars and synths. Utilizing it on a bus to parallel process it with the dry signal.