Jim Dunlop Effect Pedal Throwdown, Round 1: JHF1 Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face Vs. JDF2 Fuzz Face Distortion

It's time to compare the mettle of Jim Dunlop pedals!

In GuitarWorld.com's latest readers poll — the first annual Jim Dunlop Effect Pedal Throwdown — we're pitting Dunlop, MXR and Way Huge pedals against each other in a no-holds-barred shootout.

Yes, we're pulling out all the stomps! Thirty-two stompboxes will go head to head — or toe to toe, if you prefer — culminating with the crowning of the king of Dunlop pedals.

You can check out the beginning bracket — with all 32 competing pedals — in the Scribd.com window below (Be sure to click on the "full screen" button in the lower-right-hand corner to expand the bracket).

The bracket will be updated after every matchup, and matchups will take place pretty much every day. Each competing pedal will accompanied by a demo video created by the Jim Dunlop company, and you'll always find a photo gallery of the competing pedals at the bottom of each matchup.

Today's Matchup

In today's matchup, the Dunlop JHF1 Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face goes foot to foot against the Dunlop JDF2 Fuzz Face Distortion. Start voting below!

YESTERDAY'S RESULTS: Yesterday, the Dunlop Zakk Wylde Cry Baby (52.47 percent) edged out the Dunlop Eddie Van Halen Cry Baby (47.53 percent) and advanced to the next round! To see all the matchups that have taken place so far, head HERE. Thanks for voting!

Meet the Combatants

Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face Distortion Info

Hendrix was the master of fuzz, an artist with many subtle shadings at his command. His love affair with the legendary Fuzz Face pedal began in the early days of the Experience and continued to evolve throughout his brief but blazing career. The Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face is a meticulously faithful reproduction of the 1969-70 Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face that Jimi used on classic albums like Band of Gypsys. Dunlop's engineering department examined hoards of vintage Fuzz Faces, honing in on a few units which possessed that unmistakable Jimi voodoo.

The Hendrix Fuzz Face is built around the toneful BC108 silicon transistor. It is authentic in every detail, a handwired brown circuit board with no solder mask and circuitry carefully matched to the original specs. The look is 100% accurate too, that groovy circular chassis with tooled clones of the original Fuzz Face knobs in the rare and vintage turquoise hammertone finish. A truly playable collectable for any Hendrix or Fuzz Face fanatic.

Dunlop JDF2 Fuzz Face Distortion

The original Fuzz Face Distortion is constructed to the vintage specs, with the original Germanium PNP transistor design. This is the classic fuzz box used by Jimi Hendrix, Eric Johnson and more. Power: Single 9 volt battery

Check out the multipurpose video below for demos of both pedals!

Voting Closed!

The Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face (61.8 percent) edged out the Fuzz Face Distortion (38.2 percent) and advanced to the next round! To see all the matchups that have taken place so far, head HERE. Thanks for voting!

Jim Dunlop Effect Pedal Throwdown

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Damian Fanelli
Editor-in-Chief, Guitar World

Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.