Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz Review
Verdict and Review Summary
The Behringer SF300, though capable considering the price tag, gets noticeably weak and cheap-sounding on higher saturation settings. While we give points for control and variety, most of the settings on this pedal sound too chaotic and aggressive to be usable, outside of a beginner's context.
The Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz is one of the cheapest fuzz pedals on the market, retailing around just $25.
But is it worth the investment being so cheap? In our Behringer SF300 review we'll cover the pedal in detail and look at where it might be the most ideal. Where is it a good fit? Is it a good value at the given price? Does it sound good?
We'll answer those questions in our Behringer SF300 review.
The SF300 Super Fuzz pedal.
Comparison Section
In this section we've built a simple comparison table that allows you to see the Behringer SF300 together with other similar fuzz pedals. While there are few other fuzz pedals that are as cheap as the SF300, it's helpful to see some of the price differences and compare the features of multiple fuzz pedals.
Guitars | DETAILS | Our RATING | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz | 72.0 | |
 | ProCo Rat 2 Distortion | n/a | |
 | Way Huge Swollen Pickle Fuzz Pedal | n/a | |
 | Boss FZ-5 Fuzz | n/a |
Basic Scoring, Pros, and Cons
While the SF300 is cheap, we give it a lower score for tone and build just because there are so many cost-cutting measures that Behringer takes in order to keep the price this low. The control scheme on the SF300 is good, but the pedal struggles with higher saturation settings and is made with a weaker, hard plastic material.
IDEAL FOR: Beginners, simple guitar rigs, testing out effects
TONE
66
BUILD
68
CONTROL
76
COST/VALUE
78
PROS
CONS
Sound Quality and Overall Tone
The SF300 is decent at lower gain settings. But our primary complaint about the tone is when you try and turn the gain up and set the pedal at higher saturation levels. Those sounds are far less satisfying and seem too harsh, particularly when treble settings are pushed up.
Every fuzz pedal faces the challenge of handling intense tones without sounding too harsh or overly chaotic.
The SF300 simply doesn't pull this off.
It's loud and intense, but we'd limit its usefulness to lower gain settings with the treble cut back.
If you listen to the demo, you'll hear a lot of different sounds and a wide range of tones, which the SF300 deserves credit for. But you'll also notice that there's an overall "cheapness" to the tone that's hard to dial out. Some settings sound decent, but many of them are not workable.
Given the price point, this is not surprising.
Build Quality
The knobs and casing for this pedal are built out of a hard plastic material, which further contributes to the cheap feel we mentioned earlier.
When you pick the pedal up it just feels less sturdy and a bit more like a toy.
Though it's also fair to mention that as we've tested these pedals we haven't known them to break, nor have we seen reports from others of the Behringer pedals breaking.
Behringer is simply taking the cost-cutting measures necessary to get such a low price. Manufacturers cannot sell metal-cased pedals at $25 and still turn a profit, so Behringer does what's needed here to make price the main attraction.
Value
Getting something for cheap doesn't automatically make it high value. In our review method, value increases as price goes down and as quality goes up.
In the Behringer SF300, you see price go down. However, it drags quality down with it.
And while there's a certain measure of value in the SF300, it misses the mark by leaving too much quality out of the picture. Whether the cheap price tag is worth it is up to you, though we'd suspect these pedals are going to be most relevant to beginners or those looking for a quick (perhaps temporary) pedalboard fix.
Final Thoughts & Questions
Don't buy the Behringer SF300 simply because it's cheap. Also, don't believe the reviews that say the SF300 (or Behringer pedals in general) are as good as the more expensive fuzz pedals.
They're not as good. The low price tag alone should show us that.
But if you want something simple and you're not too worried about quality, perhaps for some beginner experience building a pedalboard, the SF300 is a low-risk investment that can help you get your feet wet in this area of your guitar rig.
In that context, it can work. And it's low-risk low-reward.
If you have questions about our Behringer SF300 review or another pedal mentioned, feel free to drop those in the comments section below and we'll help out as much as possible.
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Written by Bobby on Pedals and Reviews
Written by Bobby on Pedals and Reviews
I recently bought one of these. As synchronicity would have it. So did a friend who owns a studio. I tend to buy only what I need. My fuzz of choice for the business side is the MXR Bass Fuzz deluxe. For fun, experimentation and just fuzzing around the Behringer is simply irresistible. There is a reason it’s the most popular pedal sold on Sweetwater. Behringer got their market research on this one dead on. Whatever you think of them they offer the struggling musician value (imho) that few others can. Yes the case is plastic & its dicky switch activation lets it down.
But for bass with a dry signal blend in a new “boutique” box with a decent foot switch its AMAZING how peoples opinions are magically transformed!
Also how quickly they backpedal on it once they are told where the circuit inside originates! Also when you open up any no of quality “boutique” pedals and check out whats under the hood.
A legion of them buy their transistors & other parts from guess who? That’s right Behringer! Also having an industrial engineering family heritage stretching back over a century. I can tell you the smt boards are as good as any. They saved the money on the pherifiry. Not the core circuit. Where the advantage of them lies is distribution marketing and sheer volume of production. They have their own city of 10 000 employees in China!
Compare that to your boutique builders like Noble or Macari’s ( coloursound tone bender) that’s a very unfair advantage. But not really as they are polar opposite ends of the pedal market.
Mark, thanks for sharing. I agree that they probably save more on the casing than the internals. That makes a lot of sense.