Electro-Harmonix has unleashed the Bender Royale, and it’s a fuzz lover’s dream come true. This circuit pays homage to the legendary third-issue, germanium-driven fuzz of the late ’60s and early ’70s, while packing in a modern arsenal of tone-sculpting controls that blow the lid off what a fuzz pedal can do.
Forget the one-size-fits-all fuzzes of yesteryear. With the Bender Royale, you’ve got independent Bass and Treble controls to dial in frequencies with surgical precision. Want to scoop your lows for cutting leads? Easy. Need a warm but focused low end for heavy riffage? Done. Add to that a Bias knob that lets you sweep from velvety sustain to spitty, gated chaos, and you’ve got fuzz tones that stretch from vintage sweetness to absolute sonic meltdown.
And that’s just the start. The Fat switch beefs up chords with muscular heft, while the Clip switch toggles between the buttery warmth of germanium transistors and the raw, edgy snarl of silicon. Toss in a Blend knob to mix clean and dirty signals, and suddenly your fuzz pedal isn’t just an effect—it’s a full-on command center for distortion.
Of course, Electro-Harmonix makes sure the modern guitarist is covered. The true bypass circuitry keeps your tone pristine when disengaged, while the 2-in-1 latching/momentary footswitch lets you summon fuzz in controlled bursts or leave it roaring.
Get the Electro-Harmonix Bender Royale here for $149 in either Black or Orange and keep up with all our Electro-Harmonix coverage right here.
