When introduced in the 1960s, fuzz pedals changed the game for electric guitarists, giving them a bold and aggressive new voice that redefined the sound of rock music forever. Through those early days, innovative pedal builders tweaked and refined fuzz circuits based on the creative input of many now-legendary guitarists. Ultimately, this led to a small number of standout designs that became the benchmarks for the broad spectrum of players.

The simple circuits of the most sought-after vintage fuzz units produce bright and aggressive tones with long sustain. They’re very sensitive to playing dynamics as well, and the best designs allow you to clean up the sound by rolling back the guitar’s volume knob. But these classic pedals are also famously inconsistent—even between models of the same design—and variables like age, battery type, temperature, and more can have a dramatic effect on their sound and performance.

With the FZ-1W’s Vintage mode, BOSS has redefined the classic fuzz voice with more gain and wider expressive range. The sound character is raspy and assertive without being harsh, and you can smoothly transition from heavy fuzz to crunch to crystal clean simply by riding your guitar’s volume. The powerful Tone knob simultaneously adjusts the high and low frequencies, allowing you to dial in a variety of different fuzz colors. And by turning down the Fuzz knob and cranking the Level, the FZ-1W works great as a boost for your amp and other gain pedals.

Modern mode delivers a more refined and versatile fuzz voice with focused midrange and fatter tone, making it ideal for all types of current music styles. The gain range is even wider than Vintage mode, and cranking the Fuzz knob past three o’clock conjures rich, singing sustain for inspired solo playing. The Tone knob offers a different tuning that lets you tweak the brightness without altering the midrange, ensuring your sound always cuts through. And when used as a boost, Modern mode dishes a heap of girth with rich, mid-driven character.

Since the beginning, the engineers at BOSS have been committed to achieving the finest guitar tones using any technology necessary, from old-school analog circuits to high-tech DSP. This enthusiastic spirit continues on with the Waza Craft series, bringing you exceptional tone and touch response through carefully selected analog components, refined circuitry, and meticulous attention to detail. In Japan, “Waza” is the term for art and technique, and these special edition pedals proudly carry the Waza symbol to represent the pinnacle of BOSS design and craftsmanship.