The greatest pitfall of many boutique pedals is over-indulgence; putting together a pedal that is physically and sonically unique enough to stand apart from its competition and simultaneously triumphs as a marvel of effect trailblazing is no easy task. This often warrants inclusion of too many clashing features within a single housing, which is why I was so surprised by the Dutch Kazoo’s approach to the fuzz pedal. Its simplicity piqued my interest, and its attention to detail instantly won me over.
The Dutch Kazoo is a two-stage overdrive fuzz pedal with a simple 4 knob layout: vol 1, vol 2, blend, and tone. The extreme versatility of each of these four knobs is what makes this pedal more fun to play than any fuzz I’ve ever used before though. Use just the volumes to play through a range of analog distortions, from light and un-intrusive to thick and powerful. Adjust the tone for fat darks and biting, gritty lights. Let the blend control lightly accentuate overtone feedback or swallow your sound in metallic noise. The possibilities, even with such sparse controls, are endless.
I have nothing negative to say about this thing. The solid wood housing and the faceplate mural options (I chose fruit bats) are fun ideas that look great; the controls are clear and instantly understandable; the colors of the housing, knobs, and faceplate even compliment each other well. The attention to detail put into the Dutch Kazoo is apparent, and because of it, we’re given a highly unique and rewarding fuzz pedal. Do your rig a favor, and buy this stompbox.
Check out this demo courtesy of GearMannDude!
