EarthQuaker Devices Fuzz Master General V2 vs MXR M103 Blue Box
The EarthQuaker Devices Fuzz Master General V2 and the MXR M103 Blue Box are both pedals sharing octave, full. The EarthQuaker Devices Fuzz Master General V2 leans harmonically rich and smooth.
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Blended from circuit-archetype lineage, dynamic feel, tone-signal overlap and tone-vector distance — the tone vector itself is derived from editorial description text, not a measured acoustic signal, so this reflects how similarly the catalog copy describes the two, not a lab measurement. Shown only within a gear class, and only where there's enough evidence to be meaningful.45% — somewhat different
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Genres both listings are associated with.- Rock
- Experimental
- Blues
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Derived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.- octave
- full
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Citation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.$179via Reverb
The EarthQuaker Devices Fuzz Master General is an octave fuzz inspired by the classic Univox Super-Fuzz circuit, featuring a three-position diode selector switching between no clipping, germanium clipping, and silicon clipping modes. Controls include Fuzz, Volume, Tone, and a Shift knob for shaping the midrange peak and resonance. It produces a thick, harmonically complex octave-up fuzz with a broad tonal palette spanning from warm and smooth to nasal and brash. Used in psychedelic rock, heavy blues, and experimental contexts by players seeking vintage octave fuzz coloration with modern flexibility.
The MXR M103 Blue Box is an octave fuzz that duplicates the guitar signal two full octaves down for a huge, subterranean, synth-bass tone layered with fuzz. The Blend knob controls the balance between the fuzz and the sub-octave signal: turned fully one way it is a nasty, straightforward fuzz, turned fully the other way it becomes a fat, fuzzy synth-bass tone, and pushed toward its extreme it starts spitting, glitching, and tracking unpredictably for a raw, 8-bit-like chaos. It became a gear icon after Jimmy Page used it for the solo on Fool in the Rain, and has since been used by Jack White, Lee Ranaldo, and Thurston Moore. It suits players wanting an uncontrollable, glitchy, monstrous octave-down fuzz for experimental, psychedelic, and heavy styles rather than a clean, predictable octave effect.
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Genres this gear is documented as being used in.- Metal
- harmonically rich
- smooth
- warm
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Occasions this gear suits — judged per model, or derived from its wattage, connectivity and category.- Busking