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Lerxst launches limited-edition Snow Dog octave fuzz pedal which “revisits the early part of Alex’s tone journey”
“My introduction to fuzz was before I had any on my face,” says Lifeson.
Image: Richard Sibbald / Lerxst
Things are continuing to grow over at Lerxst; the Alex Lifeson-owned amp and effects brand has just announced the all-new Snow Dog, a limited-edition octave fuzz pedal.
The pedal utilises the same Lerxst two-in-one format seen on his former and first pedal drop, the By-Tor, (which was granted a full production run after its limited launch) to provide “a versatile array of modern and vintage fuzz sounds” with a footswitchable upper octave effect.
Just 500 units are available via the Lerxst Reverb store, and each includes a tour pass signed by Lifeson himself. It’s inspired by the tones of fuzz-driven guitarists of the late 1960s who he saw as his guitar heroes when growing up, such as Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page.
The Snow Dog builds off a “beloved” silicon octave fuzz circuit from the early 1970s but is updated for the needs of today’s players. The fuzz section has a wide gain range that can be dialled all the way up for scorching output with the tone knob. There’s also dials for sustain and level for plenty of volume and fullness.
The octave half of the pedal combines multiple semitones to create The Snow Dog’s “signature upper octave sheen”. When used without the fuzz, Lerxst says it can add subtle synthy textures to your core guitar sound as well as a slight gain boost.
With the two sides combined together, it brings “a searing octave fuzz that can cut through any mix while still retaining its thickness and texture”. Just like the By-Tor, the order of the two sections can be changed via toggle switch.
“My introduction to fuzz was before I had any on my face,” says Lifeson. “My first pedal was the glorious Fuzz Face and In A Gadda Da Vida never sounded better!”
He adds, “I use distortion, fuzz, and overdrive pedals and plugins when I’m looking for that kind of specific sound for the projects I work on and am having fun with both the By-Tor and Snow Dog pedals, but it’s the Snow Dog that really screams. It can produce the most horrific fuzz in the universe.”
The Snow Dog is available now for $295. Head over to Reverb to shop now, or find out more about Lerxst.