Paul Gilbert Fuzz Universe Pedal

Majik Box has made a lot of noise lately with their growing line of effects pedals and sweet sounding Sonic Source pickups and stompboxes. They’ve already won over high-profile customers like Mars Volta’s Omar Rodriguez–Lopez, Larry Mitchell, and Doug Aldrich, and the Torrance, California company now also counts Paul Gilbert among its clients. 

The Majik Box Paul Gilbert Fuzz Universe pedal was developed for Gilbert by combining the Majik Box Body Blow, which set to Paul's favorite settings—Modern voicing and bassier low-cut, plus a custom tone control sweep—and the Majik Box Venom Boost. These two pedals were used extensively on Paul’s Fuzz Universe album. And the two circuits combined and modified become a multi-faceted monster of many voices. 

What’s The Deal?
First off, the Fuzz Universe not really a fuzz pedal. Paul just calls it that because he’s wacky. But with a built-in boost channel it’s a little more complex than your average overdrive, and the additional functionality makes the very smart, and easy-to-navigate control layout noteworthy. It’s a very logical control set. On the lower right you’ll find the On/Off switch for Thrust 1, or the overdrive channel. On the upper left side of the unit is a chicken-head knob called Thrust 2 that controls the volume for the clean boost. The three round knobs arrayed in an echelon formation control the overdrive parameters—Drive controls the level of gain, Tone controls the EQ, and Thrust 1 controls the volume. Inputs and Outputs reside on the left and right sides. Powering up the Fuzz Universe requires a Negative Tip Adapter, and removal of the 9-volt battery is recommended if you’re using an AC adapter.