Nova Scotia-based Diamond Pedals has quite a throng of loyalists that swear by the makers unique ability to make some of the best sounding effects boxes on the market. One such fan recently contacted WTDP? and asked if we could devote one of our YMMV reviews to one of the company’s lesser known stomps – the Fireburst. Matteo… this one’s for you! The Diamond Fireburst is intriguing enough as a straight fuzz with the extra tone sculpting of Bass and Treble controls, but the real draw of the pedal is the addition of a Mids boost that allows the player to jump from thick fuzz tones to tasty distortion at the press of a button.

Taking a look at the Diamond Fireburst, the pedal features two switches, one True Bypass on/off switch and one mid-boost switch. Without the mid-boost engaged the Fireburst is a thick, saturated fuzz that puts out an incredible amount of low-end. The bass response on this thing will set off seismographs in neighboring states, according to the builder. Kick in the mid-boost switch and the Fireburst morphs into a punchy rock distortion. Each switch has its own corresponding LED. Active Baxandall Treble and Bass controls offer further options for additional tone shaping.

With the Strat first, bridge pick-up, we dial in a middle of the road fuzz tone. Gain set at noon, Bass at 3 o’clock, Treble at noon and Volume around 11 o’clock. Listen to the following riff… you’ll hear clean tones first, then the fuzz tone… mid-way through, we engage the mid-boost, taking the fuzzy, low-end into overdrive territory.

Both the fuzz and distortion tones in that setting are aptly meaty and infinitely useable. I especially like the way the Fireburst retains its low-end presence even after the mid-boost is engaged. It gives the distortion signal at the end of the clip more weight without thinning or brittling out the sound.

Next to the Les Paul, we crank the fuzz to hear the full power of the Fireburst when given humbuckers to feed. With the Gain dimed, Bass at 10 o’clock, Treble and Volume both at noon, here is another modern rock riff with a bit of muted chugga. Again, you’ll hear the clean tone, the fuzz tone, then the fuzz tone with the mid-boost engaged. Here we go…

The humbuckers thicken up the Fireburst and make the tone pretty dark, even with the Bass control turned down, but I still dig the tone. It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t have all the mud I half expected from the settings. With the mid-boost engaged, the riff took on a much more modern metal tone and really brightened up the muted parts… almost too much for my taste as I felt it was bordering on ice-pickiness, specifically during the muted parts.

Lastly, we go back to the Strat, neck pick-up this time, and conjure an old Smithereens riff. For grins, I’ve kept the Gain dimed, Bass is at 3 o’clock, Treble is at 9 o’clock and Volume at 10 o’clock. Clean, fuzz, mid-boost… you know the drill. It’s the Blues Before and After!

The appeal of the Diamond Fireburst is its ability to maintain wonderful low-end weight as both a true fuzz and a mids-influenced distortion pedal. Unlike most dual role stomps, this is not a true two channel in the strict since of the word, but a single channel fuzz that reacts to a boosted mid-range to create another, completely unique voice. The Fireburst would be a great tool onstage if a player need to move from thick fuzz to rock distortion with minimal effort. As a studio tool, the Fireburst can stand up against most fuzzes in its price range and, due to the addition of the mid-boost feature, has a trick up its sleeve not many fuzzes can duplicate. That’s my opinion 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.