The Frantone Peachfuzz bears a strong physical and functional resemblance to the Frantone “The Sweet” pedal we tested in the December ’01 issue.
Like the Sweet, the Peachfuzz is housed in a 41/2″ x 31/2″ x 11/2″ cast-aluminum case, with high-quality chassis-mounted Switchcraft jacks, Alpha pots, a vintage-style stomp switch (with true bypass), and all hand-wiring. Cosmetically, it offers funk in the form of a ’60s-flavored blue-on-orange (well, “peach”colored) epoxy enamel finish.
The blue bakelite control knobs dial in “Fuzz” (which controls the amount of overdrive), tone, and volume and there’s an in/out LED. The unit runs on a 9-volt battery, which is accessed via the back panel and its four screws (this is one “vintage” element we could live without).
Run through an all-tube combo amp, we were able to get a wide range of good, usable sounds, from overdrive to Hendrix-like fuzz. The fuzz tone has that high-end sparkle, like a Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face, which worked well for soloing. The tone control was voiced very well with a sweet sound that isn’t harsh or irritating.
All in all, the Peachfuzz is one of the most usable fuzz pedals we’ve tried in a long time.
Frantone Peachfuzz
Type of Effect: Fuzz tone.
Features: U.S.-made, full signal bypass and status light, true-bypass switching, steel LED bezel, hard-mounted PCB, Switchcraft jacks, teflon hookup wire, external power jack.
Price: $195.
Contact: Frantone Electronics, 85 Wythe Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11211, ph.718-599-4639, www.frantone.com.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s Aug. ’02 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
