Fuzz Face

It is designed to produce a distorted sound referred to as "fuzz", originally achieved through accident such as broken electrical components or damaged speakers.

Ivor Arbiter "got the idea for the round shape when he one day saw a microphone stand with a cast iron base".

The main difference is that the Fuzz Face is biased slightly colder, making it more usable in warm environments.

The company bought Crest Audio in the 1980s and although it was operating under that name when it reissued the Fuzz Face in 1986, the units still bore the Dallas-Arbiter name.

Thus the bias voltages will shift up and down, so the sound produced by a germanium Fuzz Face may change as the equipment heats up or cools down.

[12] Hendrix also switched to the silicon transistors, but they created additional difficulties on stage, since they are much more susceptible to receiving AM radio signals, which were then audible through the guitar amplifier.

[13] The Fuzz Face's continuing popularity and status as a classic may be explained by its many famous users, which include Jimi Hendrix,[14] David Gilmour,[15] Duane Allman,[16] Stevie Ray Vaughan[17] Pete Townshend,[18] Eric Johnson,[19] George Harrison.

While some claim Wah-wah pedals are known to be troublesome with Fuzz Faces,[24] artists such as Hendrix were known to use them together to spectacular effect.