Subdecay’s F-Bomb is a Weapon of Mass Distortion
Towards the end of 2008, Subdecay Studios released the F-Bomb, a FET-based high output fuzz box the promised heaps of gain and versatility beyond its simple appearance. It was the second half of that statement that made us curious to get our hands on one. The world has got plenty of fuzzes. In fact, many in internet circles unofficially dubbed last year ‘The Year of the Fuzz’ since so many new offerings hit the streets from boutique builders and high volume manufacturers alike. Could Subdecay make the F-Bomb more that just another fuzz, and perhaps double as a high-gain distortion pedal as well?
Remembering the first teaser image of the F-Bomb and its simple controls and bright green paint, it appeared the world was in store for yet another TS-inspired clone. We’re glad we were wrong. The F-Bomb comes in a plain white wrapper accompanied only by a half-page color leaflet of introduction that describes the controls, how to change the battery, warranty info, etc… The instruction page also has a little operations section that will guide you through dialing in different tones with the F-Bomb via its controls and your pick-up configurations.
The stomp sports two knob controls – Level and Drive. Level works your output, while Drive increases the amount of distortion/fuzz to your signal. Simple, yes.? One thing I noticed right away… this is a loud pedal. Talking with Subdecay’s Brian Marshall at NAMM last month, he told me that future iterations of the F-Bomb would have the Level control reigned in a bit. As it stands, early F-Bombs get pretty ornery once the Level is dialed past noon.
So let’s take a listen to see with the F-Bomb has on tap. Using the Strat, neck pick-up, then dialing the Level in at noon and the Drive at noon, here is a little King’s X riffage. Clean first, then the fuzz…
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Even at noon, you get a pretty chunky fuzz tone through the single coil. Bringing the both the Level and Drive controls down some, you can get a punchy distortion more akin to an aggressive overdrive. Still using the Strat, bridge pick-up this time, I rolled back the Level to 10 o’clock and the Drive to around 9 o’clock. Clean first, then the F-Bomb…
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
This is probably one of my favorite settings on the F-Bomb. I really like the way the strings sing through the gain with a fair amount of clarity. Even though it is a high-gain pedal, the low drive settings are pretty sweet through our house rig.
A lot of fuzzes don’t take muted chords very well… that’s just a fact, but the F-Bomb’s distortion leanings give it the ability to handle muted power chords so that you can get your 80s-era metal on should you desire. Switching over the Les Paul, we’ll keep the Level around 10 o’clock, but we’ll dime the Drive. Take a listen to the clip below – inspired by a memorable September 2008 evening in Houston.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The Subdecay F-Bomb is a cool, no-nonsense gain stomp. It may fall short in satisfying the knob-tweaking fuzz fiends out there, but its distortion tendencies actually make it a much more versatile pedal that the standard fuzz box. Plus, the low gain settings are fun and toneful as well. I did have a hiccup with my unit’s power adapter that could possibly be a short. That’s a little disappointing since I haven’t really used the pedal that much since I purchased it, but I was relieved to see it can run off a 9v battery… as many pedal makers have started to shun battery power. For around $100, the F-Bomb is certainly worth a look if you are in the market for a low-frill, yet multi-voiced fuzzy dirt pedal. That’s our take anyway… your mileage may vary.
PLEASE NOTE: All YMMV Review clips are played through a Reverend Hellhound 40/60 combo amp with 1×12 extension cab. No reverb or other effects were added to the clips. Guitars used in this review include a 1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom and a 1998 Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster.
