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Z.Vex Effects
 
 
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Z. Vex Effects is a boutique
Boutique

A boutique, from the French language word for "shop," is a small shopping outlet, especially one that specializes in elite and fashionable items such as clothing and jewelry....
 effects pedal
Effects pedal

An effects pedal is an electronic effects unit housed in a small metal or plastic chassis used by musicians, usually electric guitar players, to modify their instrument sound....
 company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis is the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Hennepin County, Minnesota. The city lies on both banks of the Mississippi River, just north of the river's confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Saint Paul, Minnesota, the state's Capital ....
. Their name derives from the name of founder Zachary Vex (aka Tommy Roberts). The company's most famous product is the Fuzz Factory. All of their pedals (except the budget-line Vexter series) are hand painted at their factory in Minnesota
Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with just over five million residents....
. All Vexter subassemblies are made in Taiwan
Taiwan

Taiwan is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the country governed by the Republic of China and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island, Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands...
, but the final assembly is completed in the United States. Their products tend to be high end and thus are rather expensive because they are all hand made.






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Z. Vex Effects is a boutique
Boutique

A boutique, from the French language word for "shop," is a small shopping outlet, especially one that specializes in elite and fashionable items such as clothing and jewelry....
 effects pedal
Effects pedal

An effects pedal is an electronic effects unit housed in a small metal or plastic chassis used by musicians, usually electric guitar players, to modify their instrument sound....
 company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis is the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Hennepin County, Minnesota. The city lies on both banks of the Mississippi River, just north of the river's confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Saint Paul, Minnesota, the state's Capital ....
. Their name derives from the name of founder Zachary Vex (aka Tommy Roberts). The company's most famous product is the Fuzz Factory. All of their pedals (except the budget-line Vexter series) are hand painted at their factory in Minnesota
Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with just over five million residents....
. All Vexter subassemblies are made in Taiwan
Taiwan

Taiwan is an island in East Asia. "Taiwan" is also commonly used to refer to the country governed by the Republic of China and to the ROC itself, which governs the island of Taiwan, Orchid Island and Green Island, Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean off the Taiwan coast, the Penghu islands in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and the Matsu Islands...
, but the final assembly is completed in the United States. Their products tend to be high end and thus are rather expensive because they are all hand made. Z. Vex effects pedals are known for the extreme amount of control that they give to the user. According to Zach Vex, all handpainted pedals are "warranted to be free from manufacturing defects for as long as I am on the planet."

Products

  • Fuzz Factory (fuzzbox
    Fuzzbox

    A fuzzbox is a type of effects pedal comprising an amplifier and a clipping circuit, which generates a distortion version of the input signal....
    )
  • Box of Rock (preamp-booster/overdrive)
  • Box of Metal (high gain distortion)
  • Woolly Mammoth (bass/guitar fuzzbox
    Fuzzbox

    A fuzzbox is a type of effects pedal comprising an amplifier and a clipping circuit, which generates a distortion version of the input signal....
    )
  • Super Hard-On (preamp-booster/overdrive)
  • Super Duper 2-in-1 (preamp/overdrive)
  • Machine (fuzzbox
    Fuzzbox

    A fuzzbox is a type of effects pedal comprising an amplifier and a clipping circuit, which generates a distortion version of the input signal....
    )
  • Ooh Wah II (step-sequenced filter
    Audio filter

    An audio filter is a type of Filter used for processing sound signal . Many types of filters exist for applications including equalizers, synthesizers, sound effects, Compact disc players and virtual reality systems....
    )
  • Ringtone (step-sequenced ring modulator)
  • Lo-Fi Loop Junky (analog looper)
  • Seek Wah II (step-sequenced filter
    Audio filter

    An audio filter is a type of Filter used for processing sound signal . Many types of filters exist for applications including equalizers, synthesizers, sound effects, Compact disc players and virtual reality systems....
    )
  • Octane III (octave-generating fuzzbox
    Fuzzbox

    A fuzzbox is a type of effects pedal comprising an amplifier and a clipping circuit, which generates a distortion version of the input signal....
    )
  • Seek Trem (step-sequenced tremolo)
  • Tremorama (step-sequenced tremolo)
  • Johnny Octave (octave)
  • The Nano head (tube amplifier)
  • Drip Guitar (discontinued)
  • Earth Saver passive boost (discontinued - 3 units sold)


Users

  • Malcolm Young
    Malcolm Young

    Malcolm Mitchell Young is a Scotland-born Australian guitarist, best known as a founding member, rhythm guitarist, backing vocalist and co-songwriter for the Australian hard rock band AC/DC....
     of AC/DC
    AC/DC

    AC/DC are an Australian rock music rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by brothers Malcolm Young and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock, and considered pioneers of heavy metal music, they have always classified their music as "rock and roll"....
     uses the Nano Head at home
  • Trent Reznor
    Trent Reznor

    Trent Reznor is an American musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He operates under the studio name Nine Inch Nails, and was previously associated with the bands Option 30, Exotic Birds, and Tapeworm , among others....
    , Guitar/vocals for Nine Inch Nails
    Nine Inch Nails

    Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock music group, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio, Ohio. As its main Producer , singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction....
     owns a Fuzz Factory, a Machine, a Mamouth, and a Nano Amp
  • Alan Sparhawk
    Alan Sparhawk

    Alan Sparhawk is the guitarist and vocalist for American band Low ....
    , Singer and Guitarist for Low
    Low (band)

    Low is an United States indie rock group from Duluth, Minnesota, formed in 1993. As of 2008, the group is composed of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker , both founding members, and Steve Garrington ....
  • Matt Bellamy, Guitar/vocals for Muse
    Muse

    File:Muse reading Louvre CA2220.jpgThe Muses in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature are the goddesses or spirits who inspire the creation of literature and the arts....
    , owns guitar(s) with a Fuzz Factory built in
  • Stephen Carpenter
    Stephen Carpenter

    Stephen Carpenter, is an United States musician, the lead guitarist and occasional multi-instrumentalist in Deftones. His guitar technique makes use of both ringing open strings and Consonance and dissonance chord voicings and stock power chords....
    , Guitarist for Deftones
    Deftones

    Deftones is an American rock music musical ensemble from Sacramento, California formed in 1988, consisting of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham ....
  • J. Mascis, Guitar/vocals for Dinosaur Jr
    Dinosaur Jr

    Dinosaur Jr. is an American alternative rock band formed in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1984. Originally called Dinosaur prior to legal issues that forced the group to change their name, the band disbanded in 1997 until reuniting in 2005....
  • Billy Gibbons
    Billy Gibbons

    Billy F. Gibbons , nicknamed the Reverend Willie G, is best known as the guitarist for ZZ Top. He is also the lead vocalist and composer for many of the band's classic songs....
    , Guitar/vocals for ZZ Top
    ZZ Top

    ZZ Top is an American Rock music trio formed in late 1969 in Houston, Texas, United States. The group members are Billy Gibbons , Dusty Hill , and Frank Beard ....
  • John Frusciante
    John Frusciante

    John Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist of the alternative rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he has recorded five studio albums....
    , Guitar for Red Hot Chili Peppers
    Red Hot Chili Peppers

    Red Hot Chili Peppers are a Grammy Award-winning American Rock music band formed in Los Angeles, California, California, in 1983. For most of the band's existence, the members are vocalist Anthony Kiedis, guitarist John Frusciante, bassist Flea , and drummer Chad Smith....
     owns a Z. Vex Fuzz Factory
  • Eric Erlandson
    Eric Erlandson

    Eric T. Erlandson is the co-founder of and former lead guitarist for '90s rock/grunge band Hole . He grew up in sunny San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, where he was picked on for being lanky and pale....
    , Guitar for Hole
    Hole (band)

    Hole was an American alternative rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1989 and disbanded in 2002. The band was fronted by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with lead guitarist Eric Erlandson when he responded to an ad she placed in the punk zine Flipside ....
  • Billy Corgan
    Billy Corgan

    William Patrick Corgan, Jr. is an United States of America singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet. Corgan is the vocalist and lead guitarist for alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins....
    , Guitar/vocals for Smashing Pumpkins owns several Z. Vex pedals
  • Jack White of The White Stripes
    The White Stripes

    The White Stripes is an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consists of songwriter Jack White and Meg White .After releasing several singles and three albums within the Music of Detroit#1990s independent music underground music, The White Stripes rose to prominence in 2002, as part of the garage rock#Revival...
  • Nels Cline
    Nels Cline

    Nels Cline is an United States guitarist and composer, currently the lead guitarist of alternative rock band Wilco....
     of Nels Cline Singers and Wilco
    Wilco

    Wilco is an American Rock music band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure....
     owns many Z.Vex pedals
  • Kevin Shields
    Kevin Shields

    Kevin Patrick Shields is an Irish singer, guitarist, and producer who fronted the London-based, Ireland/United Kingdom alternative rock band My Bloody Valentine in the late 1980s and early 1990s and has resumed this role as of 2007....
     of My Bloody Valentine owns numerous Z.Vex pedals
  • Efrim Menuck
    Efrim Menuck

    Efrim Menuck is a Canada musician involved in a number of Montreal-based post-rock groups, most notably Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Thee Silver Mt....
     of A Silver Mt. Zion
    A Silver Mt. Zion

    Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band are a Canada band that formed in 1999, originating from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They use a number of different variations of the name on different releases, but their name is most often simplified to Silver Mt Zion ....
  • Ian Eagleson of Extra Golden uses Nano Amps for recording


Other Products

The company also manufactures a Probe line of effects (the Fuzz Probe, Wah Probe and Tremolo Probe) that are modified versions of other pedals the company makes. What makes this series of pedals unique is the copper plate, which has an antenna underneath it that senses how close your foot (or something else) is to the pedal, giving you the ability to manipulate an aspect of the pedal's sound. From the company's website:

"The probe circuit generates a small (one or two inches high) 'bubble' of RF energy at about a million cycles per second above the copper plate. As your foot or hand (or any wet or metallic object, for that matter) approaches the copper plate, the RF field is disturbed and the circuit reacts by increasing the brightness of an LED, which drives a photoresistive cell and controls the circuit."


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