Fender Hammertone Reverb Pedal - Premium Guitar Effects Pedal for Electric Guitarists | Perfect for Studio Recording & Live Performances

The Hammertone series from Fender seems to be a bit divisive amongst pedal enthusiasts. Some people seem to dismiss them as re-branded imports, while others appreciate the relatively low price point and interesting control options.My impressions of the Hammertone Fuzz are mostly positive. I would describe it more of what you'd imagine a vintage 60's or 70's type of fuzz from a Tone Bender or Fuzz Face sounds like. It is NOT a super-heavy, saturated fuzz like a Big Muff, and I understood that going in. You get knobs for volume, tone, and fuzz, plus a mod switch that adds an octave effect (more on that in a minute).In terms of the aesthetics/build, it's not my favorite design. The hammered gray finish is okay, but the "FUZZ" lettering is sort of lazy and uninspired. Some people find the knobs difficult to use, but I appreciate that they evoke Fender amps and are something different. Also, each pedal in the series has a different LED color (Fuzz is purple), which is a nice touch if you have more than one of them.I probably would be giving a four-star review, but for two factors that push this one into more "recommendable" territory. First, the pedal changes character dramatically at different gain ranges. On lower gain settings, it's wooly and almost drive-like. Once the gain gets to about 7 or higher, the fuzz effect becomes more "splatty" and gated. It's a very responsive and fun type of fuzz to play, even if it's far from the only fuzz pedal to behave this way. (The DOD Carcosa I already have arguably covers the same territory and a lot more). But it is interesting that you can make the fuzz gate out simply by turning up the gain, even though the pedal does not have a bias control.Second, Fender included an internal trim pot that is like a second tone control affecting high frequencies. I will probably experiment with this a bit - the pedal is arguably just a little too dark out of the box. But it's a nice touch to see that additional functionality included in a sub-$100 pedal.All that being said, the Octave function was a slight disappointment for me. It sounded okay in demos, but once I actually plugged the pedal in, I found it to be a lot more subtle than I expected. It certainly isn't like a Blue Box or Octavia where the octave is up-front and prominent in the sound. It seems to stand out more in the lower-gain, brighter settings, and disappears a bit when you have it set to do a gated fuzz.I think this a very good fuzz pedal. It's not a "must-own" fuzz, and it certainly isn't "discovering new lands" with the sonic territory it explores. But at this price point, and for the sounds it offers, I cannot find much fault with it. And the thing about fuzz pedals is that people who are into fuzzes...tend to own more than one. It's worth a look if you're looking to a vintage-style fuzz and something different than a doom-and-gloom Big Muff.