Johnny from Alchemy Audio stopped by the Reverb studio to demo the vintage Roland AF-100 BeeBaa Fuzz and Treble Booster with us. Manufactured in Japan in the mid-1970s, this pedal is a classic circuit that would be right at home on any fuzz enthusiast's board.
The all-steel chassis houses two very distinct fuzz tones along with a treble booster. The first fuzz channel is your classic meaty and aggressive fuzz with a deep, rumbling low-end, while your second fuzz channel focuses on that beloved hair-splitting and tinny high-end. The treble booster is also a unique feature not found on a multitude of other fuzz pedals. It offers a cleaner overdrive without that harsh grittiness you get when you step onto a fuzz channel.
Regardless of whether you're playing overdriven rhythm sections or string-bending leads (on guitar OR bass, mind you), this pedal is a powerhouse of dynamic tonality. Just make sure you opt to power the BeeBaa with a carbon zinc 9-volt battery over an alkaline model – more on that later.
Funky Vintage Video Series