DOD Carcosa Analog Fuzz Pedal Reviews

If you're looking for a fuzz pedal that really gives you a lot of options to shape your tone, this is it. Between the Before, After, and Hi-Cut knobs, you can use this thing to get anywhere from a light crunch to absolutely filthy, devastatingly clipped sludge tones

This is such a powerful and crunchy fuzz pedal. As soon as I plugged this thing in and started playing I was instantly impressed with every bit of sound this thing has to offer. I play on the heavier side of things so this was perfect to get that delightful fuzz on longer sustained notes as well as thick and chunky chugs. There are lots of different tone possibilities with this pedal so I don't think you can go wrong with this one.

This is not your standard "run-of-the-mill" Fuzz Pedals… No, this thing is just about every classic Fuzz pedal at the twist of 4 knobs, no joke. This is an absolutely amazing pedal. If all you'll ever be able to afford is one Fuzz Pedal, buy this one!

The Doom that comes out of this thing is awesome. It has a great splat fuzz setting and also can become quite cleaner. The overall adjustablity of the pedal is great from Doom to sizzle this pedal has what you want.

The pedal so nice I owned it twice!

I have several fuzz pedals, a few almost 3x the price of the Carcosa and it hangs right in there with them all. Very simple to dial in usable tones and can get kind of reckless sounding too. My rig has 10" speakers which can be temperamental with some fuzzes. The Carcosa has the flexibility within the controls to be dialed in exactly where I want it. Also it can double as a overdrive pedal which I can't say about most fuzz circuits.

Just stop. Look at it. Put it in your cart. Click checkout. It goes from vintage fuzz tones to a nice almost overdrive like tone all the way up to straight doom. You want a fantastic doom pedal? This does it. You want a spooky but not quite satanic looking drive that's based in old literature for your Sunday worship? This does it. It's an all in one bos really. Plus banding the after gives you game boy sound so I mean who wouldn't want that.

The DOD Carcosa is certainly a fuzz that can add just enough grit and sludge to your guitar signal while also giving one access to experimetal sputtery, squealing heaven ...or hell as the pedal's cool and creepy artwork might suggest. It's interesting that you can get quite rhythmic with it, and has a creamy warm sound when set up more or less conservatively "the after knob rolled way back". It is also loud and quite present, very mid range pedal. The plethora of experimental sounds that are available, and believe me you can really get creative with this little gadget, are mostly attributed to the After knob and it's interaction with the other knobs. This is where this pedal shines and is set apart from most other fuzz pedals. I would prefer this pedal over the fuzz factory which I find hard to control. Sure the latter is a very experimental fuzz but the Carcosa offers way more control without losing your ability to experiment if that is what you desire. This is truly a nice little treasure to own. I actually made a video on it

This can go anywhere in the vintage realm of fuzz sounds. Sounds good into a clean amp or through a dirty amp or OD pedal (thats actually driving the amp ex level at 2oclock and gain around 12, with low and high frequencies not all midrange). This fuzz can drive your amp too and then still dial in a good fuzz sound. its had good reviews and some bad comparisons where people dont really dial it in, but it can be dialed to get really low muffy or crystally and can do the dying battery sound as well if wanted.

I was completely blown away by this pedal! I have about 15 fuzz pedals, all of which I really love. This one, however, stands out among pedals twice its cost. I cannot say enough about the sputter sweetness I've been able to get from this pedal. It arrived this morning, and I am already floored by the tones. It will only get better, I know!

If the rating had included a 6, I'd have rated it a 7....it's THAT good! This is my fourth fuzz pedal - the previous three did what they were supposed to do, so I can't really knock any of them. BUT...this Carcosa Fuzz goes way beyond that! Fuzz? Absolutely! Thundering? Definitely! Splatty, torn speaker? Yeahhh! And, lots more to find with every little tweak of the four control knobs. I love it as much for its Overdriven tones (very unique compared to other "overdrive" pedals) as I do for its all-out Scorching Fuzz and metal tones (unique, as well). Very sensitive to your playing dynamics. Even with every knob dialed in full, the notes are distinct (not a big glob of noise, like you might imagine). I own some pretty loud pedals, but the head-room of the Carcosa is hard to imagine, until it gets turned up. I'm afraid to go much above noon - loud, louder, louder, but still defined and focused.
The overall tone is crisp and distinct (not spikey or shrill) with an undertone of warm bass and mid-range mixed in. Get more bass with the guitar's tone knob. Or, punch in a distortion pedal set with more bass. That works! I've got (2) OD and (1) Dist. running after the Carcosa. The pedal stacks well with any of them.
This is a pedal with a lot going on.....

Amazing... can get a super great sounding overdrive if you have them setup weak or dirty! The tone is amazing
And looks amazing!

This pedal was worth the backorder wait. It is the most versatile fuzz I have ever played and can range from a relatively clean, articulated tone that is sensitive to the rolled back guitar knob all the way to sputtering stoner/doom saturated fuzz. What is even more rare is the fact it is virtually quiet and stacks incredibly well with other pedals - even other moderate gain pedals. When stacking, you lose a little of the fuzz tone but get transformed to an outstanding lead distortion tone. My only pedal I have ever rated a 5 out of 5 and it's replaced my Big Muff Deluxe on my board because I can still get that great Muff-like tone but can cut through a band mix better. That says something.

I absolutely love this pedal... it really delivers some really nice thick Fuzz. It sounds great right out of the box and after about an hour of getting to know her was able to dial in exact sounds. Simple yet responsive controls allow you to dial up what you want and cut out what you don't. (Without any compromising like so many pedals I've had) I haven't been this happy with a fuzz pedal since my seriously special twosome...

I don't care but I'm going to gush. I have tried so many fuzz pedals trying to find that specific sound that would inspire me to no end, and the Carcosa is it! I love this pedal! In a market full of expensive boutique fuzz pedals that leave you broke and wanting, here come's DOD with a shockingly affordable pedal that is insanely versatile and sounds as good, if not better than any boutique pedal. I'm writing this at 2:30 in the morning after playing it all evening...I never do that...I got lost in this pedal...I actually went to Carcosa tonight!

I'm a pedal snob. I buy USA pedals, mostly Wampler and Keeley. I own the Keeley Monterey which I highly recommend. I didn't really need another fuzz but I wanted a heavier fuzz for Gary Clark Jr. And Black Keys stuff. After reading all the reviews and watching the demos, I broke down and bought the Carcosa. I haven't stopped playing it. I can't get a bad sound out of it. It nails the tone for every fuzz song I've tried with just a turn of the dial. I'm glad I didn't spend $ on that handmade muff clone I was looking at. It can do mild, fat, stuttering, you name it. I doubt it will ever leave my board.

I'm loving this pedal. I can dial in almost any fuzz I want to hear. From the thick sustaining fuzzes of the different muff pedals to the sputtering fuzz sounds of the 60's to all out "neutron star heavy" fuzzes of modern stoner doom. I own an array of fuzz pedals from all over the world, some carrying very hefty price tags and the Carcosa is quickly becoming one my favorites and has earned a permanent place on my pedal board. The Demhe and Hali switches make using it with different styles of amps a breeze, whether I'm playing through a super clean Fender Deluxe or cranking it through an Orange Dark Terror. Given the price tag on this little monster, I couldn't recommend it more to anyone looking for a great fuzz pedal!

As a beginning guitarist, I have not had much experience with fuzz pedals. I chose this pedal to have a versatile fuzz option on my pedal board. For the most part, the Carcosa did the job well. I didn't really like or need the splattering kind of sounds this pedal produces at higher values of the After setting. I recently replace the Carcosa with the EQD Hoof to achieve more vintage fuzz over a wider range of settings. Still the Carcosa is a strong pedal.

This is my second Carcosa. I have two on my board, which is a testament to its versatility. It can be used as a boost, overdrive, distortion, or fuzz. Fat, amp-like tone and response at all settings. Cleans up fairly well. The controls are brilliant. So easy to dial in many different sounds, and they're all great. I took off half a star because, even with maximum high cut, it can still be too bright with some amps. I use an EQ pedal to tame the high end. It's worth it IMO. It's a great pedal for anyone who has struggled with fuzz. It can be as polite or nasty as you need it to be. It's one of my all-time favorite pedals.

I wanted a fuzz pedal that sounded like....a fuzz pedal....and the Carcosa gives that to me, and more. It's actually pretty versatile...it may take a bit to find "that sound" you're looking for....but be patient...you'll get it. (also sounds really good with an overdrive going into it)

Will it end my fuzz search? Nope....probably not..in fact, it has increased my interest in even more fuzzy goodness.

If you need a fuzz....give this one a shot..it can cover a WHOLE lot of ground.

This is my first and only fuzz pedal so Ill start with that but the reason I bought it and the reason I like it so much is its diversity. Yes, its fuzz and the fuzz sounds great but you can dial that down and get a very solid overdrive/distortion sound as well as some cleaner quieter distortion. I watched a bunch of youtube videos on it and it was exactly what I was looking for. Plus the story behind the name Carcosa is cool.

I really like it, but lacks a little "power" or "strength" to it.

Long story short: I got my hands on two Devi Ever fuzz pedals. Stacking them sounded great, but I found myself wishing for something that could get the aggressive crunch of the Hyperion and the low end thud of the Soda Miser in one pedal. Enter the DOD Carcosa Fuzz...

The name "Carcosa" and the pedal artwork might ring a bell if you've watched season 1 of the HBO crime drama "True Detective". The "demhe" and "hali" controls are references to the play "The King In Yellow", which heavily influenced the show, especially the villain.

This beast is capable of deep, low, thick fuzz! I plugged my Epi Les Paul w/ Seymour Duncan hot rodded pair pickups and it sounds great! On the other hand it doesn't work quite as well with my Schecter which has very high output pickups. When I strum really hard, I can hear the compression.

This is a great fuzz pedal, but keep in mind that it sounds more Electric Wizard than it does Smashing Pumpkins. If you want a lean, mean sounding fuzz then this is it.

You can crank this way up to that ultra-wet, zappy breakup fuzz sound. Or dial it back to pump out a nice thick overdrive. The toggle switch is basically a bass boost/mid boost selector. I usually use the mid setting with my already overly-bassy hot rod deluxe.

Also I accidentally plugged an 18v power supply into it briefly and it still works, if that speaks to the build quality.

Pretty cool so far. Running this through a Squier P bass and a small amp. The Hi-Cut is a really cool tone shaping tool, even if you don't care that much about fuzz. Don't get me wrong, the Carcosa has gobs and gobs of greasy, dirty fuzz if you want it, but it has a surprising amount of subtle tone flavors available if you don't mind spending some time tweaking the controls.

For guitar, I'm running this into a Mustang IV as a replacement for the onboard fuzz effects, which the Carcosa outclasses by a long shot. Pairs really well with the Fender amp models and cleaner British 70's sounds.

A nasty fuzz pedal that can do multiple things Awesome

I have read the other five-star reviews, and it's hard to disagree with anything they said. But I will.

The pedal, itself is spectacular. Better in versatility than any other fuzz pedal I've owned. And I've owned quite a few. But that only comes into play once you have had a chance to experiment with it.

The pedal comes with no owner's manual. There is no instruction telling you how to set the knobs for various sounds. Something that is common with MXR and t.c.electonics pedals. Don Carr does a nice video, but it is a video for the carcosa as a stand-alone pedal, and doesn't discuss how the carcosa will work with other pedals in the pedal chain. That will take a bit of experimentation. I also found the pedal switch quite stiff. I hope it will loosen up after some use. I hate to think that this was the defect that caused the three-month backorder.

Thanks to Brad Thomsen for his perseverance. The carcosa was part of an order that got split four times, with the first part being delivered just before Memorial Day. This order is finally complete.

Bottom line: the carcosa is a great fuzz pedal. Five stars for sound and adjustability. Unfortunately, I can only give it three stars for lack of a manual and for lack of complete on-line out-of-box to set-up tutorials.

I watched the Carr video for this pedal, and bought it immediately. Turns out the Carr video was him plugging his guitar into this pedal and plugging this pedal into his amp. Worked perfectly. But it doesn't work that way in real life. This pedal is great as a solo act, but performs horribly with other pedals. My go-to guy Miles Patterson has referred to int in uncomplimentary terms.

If any of you every got a report card that said "your child is extremely smart, but doesn't get along with others." Well that perfectly describes this pedal. Unless this is the only pedal on your pedal board, I do not recommend it.

Apparently they don't test them to see if they work, no sound when fuzz is disabled. Fuzz was very interesting and requested a new one to replace this defective one. So spoiled using Wampler pedals that always work...