Fredric Effects unveils three new stompboxes

UK boutique pedal brand Fredric Effects has launched three new pedals: the Verzerrer and MkII versions of the Utility Perkolator and Dresden Synth Fuzz.

The Verzerrer is a modern recreation of a vintage East German distortion pedal. The Utility Perkolator and Dresden Synth Fuzz, on the other hand, have been updated with a ring modulation circuit and input gain control respectively. Here are the details:

Verzerrer

The Verzerrer is a recreation of the Bohm Trickverzerrer, a distortion unit produced in East Germany in the 60s and 70s.

The older pedal was regarded for its gritty character, though it lacked practical design. Its internal trim pots, for example, were difficult to reach. The Verzerrer, on the other hand, features the Trickverzerrer’s original components, but includes modern touches like externalised trim pots, an input gain control, and adjustable Dip switches on the circuit board.

Hear the Verzerrer in action below:

Utility Perkolator MkII

Like its predecessor, the Utility Perkolator MkII is inspired by Interfax’s famed Harmonic Percolator (HP-1) from the 70s.

The MkII version now features a switchable ring modulation circuit that’s responsible for splash-like octave effects. It retains the Russian Germanium transistors and low pass filter – which contribute to lower floor noise and more predictable note decay – from the previous iteration.

Check out a demo of the pedal below:

Dresden Synth Fuzz MkII

This update keeps its forebear’s dual octave fuzz capabilities, so it touts the same wide frequency range.

New to this pedal, however, are two controls: clean blend and input gain. The former sets the dry/wet mix, while the latter dials in more sustain and reduces the octave circuit’s glitch effect – especially in the lower octave.

Hear the Dresden Synth Fuzz MkII in action below:

Retails at £140 each. More info at fredric.co.uk.