The Fender Kevin Shields Blender is a Fender fuzz pedal, currently around $284.16. Close alternatives include the MXR M103 Blue Box and the Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz. It pairs well with the Magnatone 280 and the Gibson Les Paul LP-1 Preamp.
Fender Kevin Shields Blender
Fender · pedal
The Fender Shields Blender is a signature fuzz pedal created in collaboration with Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine, hand-traced from Shields's personal vintage 1970s Fender Blender fuzz unit. Expanded from the original single-knob circuit to a comprehensive eight-knob, four-footswitch design, it provides extensive independent control over the sub-octave, fuzz, and direct signal blending that defines the original Fender Blender character. Used by Shields for the dense, layered shoegaze fuzz tones on My Bloody Valentine recordings, the pedal is particularly associated with tremolo arm-manipulated sustained fuzz textures in the shoegaze and noise rock genre.
What stands out
“Expanded from the original single-knob circuit to a comprehensive eight-knob, four-footswitch design, it provides extensive independent control over the sub-octave, fuzz, and direct signal blending that defines the original Fender Blender c…”
— from the listing
“Used by Shields for the dense, layered shoegaze fuzz tones on My Bloody Valentine recordings, the pedal is particularly associated with tremolo arm-manipulated sustained fuzz textures in the shoegaze and noise rock genre”
— from the listing
“Sub-octave and fuzz blend controls are independently adjustable, enabling textures from moderate fuzz to full sub-octave wall of sound”
— from the reviews
“A historically significant signature pedal that captures Kevin Shields's personal vintage Fender Blender circuit with vastly expanded control”
— from the community notes
“A complex pedal requiring time to dial in; the four-footswitch layout enables live use of multiple combinations”
— from the community notes
Trade-offs
“the expanded eight-knob control set transforms a simple vintage circuit into a comprehensive fuzz toolkit”
— from the reviews
- sub
- shoegaze
- octave
- fuzz
- vintage
- noise rock
- octave fuzz
- blender circuit character
Price updated Oct 24, 2026
Genres the Fender Kevin Shields Blender is commonly used in
- Shoegaze
- Noise Rock
- Experimental
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Stoner Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Fender Kevin Shields Blender
Magnatone 280
Magnatone
18% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (fuzzy → modulated)
Run fuzzy into Magnatone 280 for more modulated on top
Comes later in the signal chain
Gibson Les Paul LP-1 Preamp
Gibson
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put Gibson Les Paul LP-1 Preamp in front and the fuzzy tone leans further toward modulated
Magnatone 510
Magnatone
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Put Magnatone 510 in front and the fuzzy tone leans further toward modulated
Pedals that stack with the Fender Kevin Shields Blender
Catalinbread Adineko
Catalinbread
20% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (fuzzy → modulated)
Run Catalinbread Adineko after Fender Kevin Shields Blender in the signal chain, clear of Fender Kevin Shields Blender's own gain stage
Comes later in the signal chain
Fender Blender
Fender
18% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (fuzzy → octave)
Run fuzzy into Fender Blender for more octave on top
Fulltone OF-2 Octafuzz
Fulltone
18% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (fuzzy → octave)
Fulltone OF-2 Octafuzz stacks octave on top of the fuzzy already here
Pigtronix Echolution
Pigtronix
12% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (fuzzy → modulated)
Pigtronix Echolution's ambient voice goes after Fender Kevin Shields Blender in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with Fender Kevin Shields Blender's own octave character — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Electro-Harmonix Stereo Memory Man Vintage
Electro-Harmonix
12% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (fuzzy → modulated)
Run Electro-Harmonix Stereo Memory Man Vintage after Fender Kevin Shields Blender in the signal chain, clear of Fender Kevin Shields Blender's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Jackson Audio Bloom V2 Compressor/EQ
Jackson Audio
10% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
Fender Kevin Shields Blender's own octave character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Subdecay Octave Theory Octave Modulator Synthesizer
Subdecay
tonal matchComes earlier in the signal chain
Subdecay Octave Theory Octave Modulator Synthesizer belongs in front of Fender Kevin Shields Blender, since pitch tracking is cleanest before anything colours the note
EarthQuaker Devices Swiss Things
EarthQuaker Devices
Cheaper alternatives
Fairfield Circuitry The Unpleasant Surprise
Fairfield Circuitry
55% similarityShared character: fuzz saturation, extreme settings, one octave
Fulltone OF-2 Octafuzz
Fulltone
53% similarityShared character: one octave, fuzz
Electronic Audio Experiments Eldritch Blast V3
Electronic Audio Experiments
52% similarityShared character: one octave, fuzz
Dunlop MXR SUB Machine
Dunlop
52% similarityShared character: one octave, fuzz, full
Boss FZ-5 Fuzz
Boss
50% similarityShared character: original, one octave, vintage charm
Catalinbread Perseus
Catalinbread
50% similarityShared character: one octave, simple
Boutique & premium upgrades
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
MXR M103 Blue Box
MXR
57% similarityShared character: one octave, simple, full
Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz
Behringer
56% similarityShared character: one octave, fuzz, full
EarthQuaker Devices Hoof Reaper V2
EarthQuaker Devices
49% similarityShared character: original, tremolo, fuzz
Pigtronix Octava
Pigtronix
48% similarityShared character: one octave, full
Beetronics Octahive Custom Boomerang
Beetronics
46% similarityShared character: one octave, fuzz
Fender Blender
Fender
92% similaritysimilar tone character
See all alternatives to the Fender Kevin Shields Blender (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Fender Kevin Shields Blender?+
The closest matches in character are the MXR M103 Blue Box, the Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz, the EarthQuaker Devices Hoof Reaper V2. Budget picks: Fairfield Circuitry The Unpleasant Surprise, Fulltone OF-2 Octafuzz, Electronic Audio Experiments Eldritch Blast V3. Boutique upgrades: Fulltone OF-1 Octafuzz, Zvex Octane 3.
What pairs well with the Fender Kevin Shields Blender?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Magnatone 280, Gibson Les Paul LP-1 Preamp, Magnatone 510 — Run fuzzy into Magnatone 280 for more modulated on top.
How much does the Fender Kevin Shields Blender cost?+
Around $284.16 (live listing price, updated Oct 24, 2026).