Financing
Buy a Gift Card
Lessons
Repairs
Rentals
GC Pro
Riffs Blog
Support
Considering his colossal influence on everything guitar, Jimi Hendrix was one of those beloved demigods that fate plopped into the music world as a reward—and benevolent challenge—to humanity. Hendrix had a mystical power to transform everything he touched—chord progressions, solos, riffs, guitars, guitar amps, tone and textures—into otherworldly genius.
Like another late guitar virtuoso—Eddie Van Halen—Hendrix was one of those “before and after” artists. To clarify, there was guitar before Hendrix, and there was guitar after Hendrix. Guitarists wishing to transform their technique, songcraft and tone can ignore the music of Hendrix and Van Halen at their peril.
But Hendrix wasn’t limited to his fingers and divine inspiration to revolutionize the guitar. He had a coconspirator. Since first getting an Arbiter Fuzz Face in late 1966, the year it debuted, the circular “smiley face” pedal was a near-constant companion underfoot.
Pedal designer Igor Arbiter’s Fuzz Face, which came out on the heels of the Maestro Fuzz-Tone and Sola Sound/VOX Tone Bender, went on to take the burgeoning rock ’n’ roll scene by storm, finding its way at the feet of Pete Townshend, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour and later, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa and Kevin Parker, among countless grit-inclined legends. It would go on to bear several manufacturers’ names: Arbiter, Dallas-Arbiter, Dallas Music Industries, CBS/Arbiter Ltd., and, since 1993, Dunlop, which makes a multitude of Fuzz Face models to this day. But no matter the maker—and sonic nuances of its many variants—its instantly recognizable round design transcends the myriad of models released throughout the decades.
In this article, we’re going to dive into Dunlop’s current Fuzz Face pedals and help you choose the best Fuzz Face that suits your sound.
Table of Contents
Comparing the Best Dunlop Fuzz Face Pedals
The Top Dunlop Fuzz Face Pedals
Dunlop JDF2 Fuzz Face
Dunlop FFM1 Silicon Fuzz Face Mini
Dunlop FFM2 Germanium Fuzz Face Mini
Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face Mini Distortion
Dunlop FFM6 Band of Gypsys Fuzz Face Mini
Dunlop JHF1 Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face
Fuzzy Logic
Best Place for a Fuzz Face in a Signal Chain
Frequently Asked Questions About the Fuzz Face
Comparing the Best Dunlop Fuzz Face Pedals
|
Model |
Transistor |
Face-Melting Quotient |
Current Draw |
Price* |
|
Germanium |
Warm, creamy grind |
500µA |
$169 |
|
|
Silicon |
Cutting and aggressive |
3.4mA |
$149 |
|
|
Germanium |
Thick, corpulent buzz |
3.4mA |
$149 |
|
|
Silicon |
Kickin’ midrange |
3.4mA |
$169 |
|
|
Silicon (Octavio circuitry sans octave up feature) |
Bold, sizzling sustain |
4.7mA |
$169 |
|
|
Silicon |
Dynamic, organic, vintage |
500µA |
$169 |
Pricing as of January 2025*
The Top Dunlop Fuzz Face Pedals
Dunlop JDF2 Fuzz Face
Why It’s Cool: Manufactured to vintage specs, so you can time travel to the Swinging Sixties and explore the sonic mysteries of Jimi Hendrix and others.
Things to Consider: The JDF2 is exclusively powered by a 9V battery, so pedalboard power supplies are not invited to this fuzz fiesta.
Shop Now: Dunlop JDF2 Fuzz Face Pedal
While all Dunlop Fuzz Face pedals carry the DNA of the original Arbiter model, the JDF2 Fuzz Face is closest to the sound of the ’60s. Constructed with two germanium NTE158 PNP transistors, and assembled to vintage specs, the JDF2 is as close as you can get today to the Fuzz Faces Jimi Hendrix connected to his Marshall stacks with coiled guitar cables in those early years. (Well, unless you’re into spending $2,500 and up for an actual mid ’60s Arbiter pedal.) You can definitely get the warm, rich and creamy fuzz heard on some Hendrix tracks and live performance videos. What you don’t get are modern pedal features, such as an on/off LED or a power adapter jack. Just pretend you’re a ’60s guitar tech, and relish in the vintage glory of unscrewing the bottom of the Fuzz Face to change out the required 9V battery.
What People Are Saying About the JDF2 Fuzz Face
100% of Guitar Center respondents say they’d recommend the JDF2 to an axe-slinging friend. One customer, Allan, sums it up: “If you are trying to nail early Hendrix-type tones, like woofy, and amp-is-blowing-up-sounding stuff, it does that well.”
Dunlop FFM1 Silicon Fuzz Face Mini
Why It’s Cool: Spec’d from a 1970 Fuzz Face, this pedalboard-friendly design also sports some nifty modern upgrades.
Things to Consider: It blends vintage-informed components and tone with modern conveniences, like true bypass and easy ways to feed it juice.
Shop Now: Dunlop FFM1 Silicon Fuzz Face Mini Pedal
In contrast to the JDF2 above, the more compact FFM1 Fuzz Face Mini fronts a brighter, edgier vibe thanks to its matched BC108 silicon transistors. With circuitry painstakingly recreated from a 1970 Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face from Dunlop’s own collection, it delivers that uncanny vintage flair that made it so sought-after in the ’70s. Pair that throwback tone with fresh and convenient appointments like a bright status LED, AC power jack, battery door and true-bypass switching, and you have the best of both worlds at your feet.
What People Are Saying About the FFM1 Fuzz Face
This Fuzz Face Mini is getting lots of love from our reviewers, having earned a stellar 4.89-star rating at the time of publishing. Brian from Nashville raves, “It's punchy, smooth and absolutely superb. I'm honestly more than impressed … It's relatively bright for a Fuzz Face, which I prefer … It's not ‘a cute little fuzz that looks and sounds like a Fuzz Face.’ It's a real Fuzz Face.”
Dunlop FFM2 Germanium Fuzz Face Mini
Why It’s Cool: A tribute to the Fuzz Face’s pre-silicon era, the FFM2 Germanium Fuzz Face Mini is based on the original models that radiated with tonal warmth.
Things to Consider: Another pedal with one foot in the past and another in the present day, the FFM2 combines old-school tone with modern-standard bells and whistles.
Shop Now: Dunlop FFM2 Germanium Fuzz Face Mini Pedal
Prior to April of 1968, Fuzz Faces were branded “Arbiter • England” on the “mouth” portion of the smiley face—the switch to “Dallas-Arbiter • England” occurred with the corresponding merger of the pedal-making duo. The FFM2 Germanium Fuzz Face Mini pays homage to that brief period between its inception and the merger (’66–’68) when the Arbiter company made the Fuzz Face with slightly mismatched germanium transistors.
What People Are Saying About the FFM2 Fuzz Face
With a 100% satisfaction rating on Guitar Center, this little fuzz is getting a lot of buzz. One reviewer, Claytrell, had this to say about it: “Awesome little pedal for the price. I have several boutique pedals, but this guy is my new fave. I moved it up the signal chain just behind my compressor, and I can get a lot more tone versatility out of it.”
Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face Mini Distortion
Why It’s Cool: Flashing an eye-catching turquoise façade, the FFM3 is a meticulous reproduction of Hendrix’s ’69–’70-era Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face as heard on Band of Gypsys.
Things to Consider: A mini version of the JHF1, it’s also got versatile powering options.
Shop Now: Dunlop Jimi Hendrix FFM3 Fuzz Face Mini Pedal
The FFM3 Fuzz Face is a modernized replica of one of Hendrix’s go-to Dallas-Arbiter fuzz pedals in his final years. Thick and smooth, its tone is every bit as epic as its full-sized JH-F1 counterpart. Plus, its player-friendly accoutrements like a status LED, AC jack and battery door make gigging life a little easier.
What People Are Saying About the FFM3 Fuzz Face
As of this writing, Guitar Center customers have spoken unanimously in favor on this Jimi Fuzz Face Mini. Peter from Hollywood, FL says it “has some great fuzz and really cleans up nicely when you roll back the volume a little bit on your guitar. It doesn't have the harsher fuzz of the other two Minis, but it's really great for rhythm work.”
Dunlop FFM6 Band of Gypsys Fuzz Face Mini
Why It’s Cool: A throwback to the pedal used at some of Hendrix’s most iconic live performances, including Woodstock, this red-faced, white-knobbed Fuzz Face mimics the sound of the era impeccably.
Things to Consider: This pedalboard real estate-conscious Fuzz Face has the convenience of a status LED and AC power.
Shop Now: Dunlop FFM6 Band of Gypsys Fuzz Face Mini
At this point, it should come as no surprise that Jimi Hendrix and the Fuzz Face have a well-documented shared history—and that he had multiple now-famous models. The FFM6 Band of Gygpys Fuzz Face is a rendition of another one of Jimi’s favorites in ’69 and ’70, which can be heard on Live at Woodstock, Live at Berkeley and Live at the Fillmore East. Tone chasers of that era will be thoroughly satisfied with the Octavio circuit—sans octave-up signal—that was so indicative of those treasured latter recordings.
What People Are Saying About the FFM6 Fuzz Face
It’s earned a perfect 5-star rating average among Guitar Center reviewers, with one seasoned industry vet remarking, “I'm a 3–5 day a week gigging musician, and I also own a commercial recording studio, so it's easy to say that I know good gear when I hear it. This Fuzz Face easily holds its head high among the best of the best … This one has boatloads of sweet spots and will respond musically and magically to every pick, strum and volume change. Buy this thing—you won’t regret it!”
Dunlop JH-F1 Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face
Why It’s Cool: Boasting a handwired circuit board, BC-108 silicon transistors and vintage-correct knobs, it’s a faithful recreation of one of Hendrix’s preferred Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Faces.
Things to Consider: It’s the full-sized counterpart to the Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face Mini distortion, powered solely by a 9V battery.
Shop Now: Dunlop JH-F1 Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face Pedal
Burning the midnight lamp, dreaming away in search of that fuzz tone you fell in love with on Electric Ladyland? Look no further—the JHF1 Fuzz Face is the sound of that Jimi Hendrix Experience masterpiece. Authentic to the original in every respect, from its handwired brown circuit board sans solder mask to its lack of a batter door—yes, you even get to change batteries the old-school way (Phillips head screwdriver not included)—it oozes that ’69–’70-era grooviness.
What People Are Saying About the JHF1 Fuzz Face
This Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face has scored some major points from Guitar Center reviewers, with 100% of them recommending one to a fellow musician. Orlando had this to say: “This pedal is simply phenomenal! I tried it with a number of guitars and amps (mainly tube amps but also played it with a Crate Powerblock, which is SS). And this is the real deal! Simple controls, it's all very easy to use—roll that volume and tone knob, and the tone possibilities are all there for you.”
Fuzzy Logic
Fuzz Faces—and fuzz pedals in general—offer a fun, productive and inspirational option for crafting unique, driving tones that add interest to what could have been a more conventional distortion sound. Dunlop Fuzz Face pedals only offer two controls—Volume and Fuzz—but you can do a fair amount of tonal “damage” (in a good way) with the duo. Play around with the levels of each control to produce everything from blistered spittle to buzzy saturation. Don’t forget to include your guitar’s controls in the recipe, as dialing back your instrument’s volume and tone knobs—along with the pickup selector—can influence a Fuzz Face to react differently to your input signal. There’s also no rule against chaining a few different Fuzz Faces together to further explore how the individual circuits and control settings can aggressively embellish your guitar sound. Be fearless!
Dunlop has been making guitar goodies since 1965, so the company has developed and produced an enormous number of products to help guitarists explore new and different tones—from picks to pedals, strings, cables and other accessories. Check out everything Dunlop has to offer at our Dunlop brand page. You’ll likely find one or two things you didn’t think you needed, but that will soon turn into your favorite “sonic collaborators” as soon as they’re integrated into your rig.
Best Place for a Fuzz Face in a Signal Chain
While there are “best practices” for positioning a Fuzz Face—or any fuzz pedal—on your pedalboard, rest assured that someone out there will do it “wrong” and create a sensation. That creative caveat aside, most tone connoisseurs will advise you to place a fuzz pedal first in your signal chain. There are two good reasons for this. Most fuzz boxes do not play well with buffered and buffered-bypass devices, so if one or more of these pedals are in front of your fuzz, the buffers may wreak havoc on your tone. In addition, you let the fuzz fully interact with your pickups when it’s directly after your guitar’s output jack with no other pedals in the way to mess with your sound and performance dynamics.
Our advice is to follow standard guidelines first—just to see if conventional wisdom nails the sound you’re looking to produce. See our article on pedal order for a good starting point. Then, if the rulebook doesn’t deliver the tones you hear in your head, surrender to disarray and plop that fuzz in any position that makes you smile.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Fuzz Face
What does a Fuzz Face pedal do?
Fuzz Faces are mostly for electric guitarists and bassists, though they could technically be used by any musician with a 1/4" plug-equipped instrument. They create their “fuzzy” sound by overloading the signal to the point where it turns the waveform into a square wave, resulting in those thick, harmonically saturated overtones we all love. For a deep dive into the world of fuzz, check out our Best Fuzz Pedals guide.
Which Fuzz Face did Jimi Hendrix use?
Jimi Hendrix began using a Fuzz Face in 1966, the same year the original Arbiter Fuzz Face was released—also when Hendrix moved to London. From 1966 until his death in 1970, he used several Arbiter (’66–’68 models) and Dallas-Arbiter (’68–’70) Fuzz Faces, with a particular affinity to ones with silicon transistors. While the model name remained consistent, Hendrix’s friend, electrical/sound engineer Roger Mayer, investigated each of his Fuzz Face pedals and noted how the inconsistent use of transistors contributed to the unique sonic signature of each. Mayer also modded a great deal of them, further making each one of them special in its own way.
What is a Fuzz Face pedal good for?
Not only are they great for creating those sought-after distorted tones, but they’re excellent tone-shaping tools, as well. Starting with a clean signal, you can “fatten up” your sound substantially, adding to your expressive sonic palette. It’s no wonder many a galaxy of Strat-slinging stars—gazing at Gilmour, Clapton, Eric Johnson, SRV and, of course, Hendrix—were drawn to their ability to bring some of the best out of their single-coil guitars.