SOLIDGOLDFX If 6 Was 9 MkII

About the SOLIDGOLDFX If 6 Was 9 MkII

The SolidGoldFX If 6 Was 9 MKII is an update of the Canadian brand's original If 6 Was 9 fuzz, released over 10 years ago.

Utilising two BC183 transistors for a character that lies between germanium compression and silicon aggression, it's a great sounding fuzz based on the Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face circuit.

What's New in the If 6 Was 9 MKII?

The MkII introduces some excellent features that bring this smack up to date:

Variable Voltage Pump

The Fuzz Face circuit is infamously picky when it comes to supplied voltages, sounding vastly different depending on the power it is fed. That's why Eric Johnson took a selection of used batteries with him to every gig. But you don't need to do that anymore, as the If 6 Was 9 MKII has a variable voltage control to dial in your perfect amount of power. It can supply anywhere from 5 to 15V from a single 9V power source!

Lower voltage settings get you plenty of sag, while turning it up increases headroom and output.

Combine this with the Bias control and you've got the whole range of Fuzz Face expressions at your fingertips (or toes...).

Saturate Control

The Saturate control is a new addition that trims the input to allow for better cleanup on the guitar volume, easier integration with other pedals in your signal chain, and impedance matching.

Turned up, it acts like your typical classic Fuzz Face. Turned down, it will play nicely with wahs as well as pedals placed before it in the chain.

Body Toggle

The 2-way Tone toggle on the original has become a 3-way Body toggle, letting you switch between Fat, Treble Boost and Classic modes.

Soft-Touch True Bypass

Soft-touch switching makes the most of modern components to ensure operating the pedal is silent. Hooray!

Top-Mounted Jacks

Many players prefer top-mounted jacks as they make for a cleaner pedalboard with more room to fit pedals across the width of the board. It's a small thing but it can make a big difference.

If 6 Was 9 MkII Controls

In addition to the controls mentioned above, the If 6 Was 9 MkII features the following controls:

Volume

Controls the master output level.

Bias

Varies the operational voltage. Use in conjunction with the Volts control for different fuzz characters ranging from compressed, gated and spitty to bold and dynamic.

Fuzz

Adjusts the level of gain.

If 6 Was 9 MkII Demos

If 6 Was 9 MkII Features

• Silicon Fuzz pedal based on the Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face
• 2x BC183 transistors
• Variable voltage pump supplies power between 5 and 15V internally
• Soft-touch true bypass switching
• Top-mounted jacks
• Handmade in Montreal, Canada
• Power: 9V DC, centre-negative (not included)
• Current draw: 20mA