DOD Carcosa Fuzz Pedal Review
Our Verdict and Review Summary
I found that the Carcosa maintained a lot of note separation, allowing me to form melodies and chord progressions with more clarity. It's also very punchy and almost rhythmic, especially in the Demhe mode which is designed to push a clean amp. It's one of the more refined fuzz pedals I've used, but somehow maintains the aggression we expect from these things.
I had a great time testing the Carcosa, mostly because I'm just generally a fan of fuzz pedals, but also because this is what I'd call a very "musical" style of fuzz. Somehow, it can avoid being messy if you want it to. You have note separation and some nice clarity, even more so than some of the heavier distortion pedals I've tested.
Granted, you can still dial in saturation or "sludge" if that's what you want to hear. But I really liked how defined it sounded.
For what it's worth, I mostly tested the clean, high-headroom (Demhe) mode on a Boss Katana 50 combo amp - nothing fancy.
Comparing the Carcosa
You can compare the Carcosa to other fuzz pedals in this table or add others from the search option below. The comparison popup window covers pricing, basic specs, and an audio demo.
Fuzz | Name | Rate | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| DOD Carcosa | 92.3 | |
 | Walrus Audio Eons | 89.8 | |
 | Way Huge Swollen Pickle | n/a | |
 | Boss FZ-1w | n/a |
Compare More Pedals (fuzz and other effects)
You can compare more fuzz pedals or other effects by searching for them here and then adding them to the comparison bar at the bottom of this page. We don't have everything, but we have a lot and are adding to it regularly.
We link to Sweetwater and other retailers we trust to support Guitar Chalk and keep it ad-free. If you click through one of our orange buttons, we might earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks to all for such generous support over the years! ~ Bobby and Danielle
Our disclosure↬
For most of our product reviews we take our own photos, in-house. Thank goodness for portrait mode. For those interested in using these photos, that is completely fine with us as long as you give us credit and don't claim the work as your own. Simply linking to guitarchalk.com near the photo is totally fine.
The DOD Carcosa gives you a couple different directions to go in for your fuzz tone.
Review Card
IDEAL FOR: Aggressive styles, metal, rock, southern rock sub genres, recording, performing, analog fans.
TONE
95
CONTROL
93
VERSATILITY
93
PRICE/VALUE
90
- Good note separation if you want it
- Analog circuits give you plenty of vintage and modern options
- Price is fantastic
- High-headroom clean amp setup worked great for me
- None for the price
DOD Carcosa Price Guide
Prices updated Fri, December 08th, 2023.
Sweetwater Pricing
Price Alert
Price History
Price History for DOD Carcosa Analog Fuzz Pedal
Statistics
| Current Price | $149.99 | December 5, 2023 |
| Highest Price | $149.99 | October 10, 2023 |
| Lowest Price | $149.99 | October 10, 2023 |
Last price changes
| $149.99 | October 10, 2023 |
Fuzz tone and overall sound quality
In the video, the tone comes off as a lot thicker than it sounded in open air. I don't do a ton of editing, so just keep that in mind. But the high-level view of this pedal's sound is that it can be really defined and percussive, almost like a more conventional, heavy distortion pedal.
The Carcosa can give you a really defined and percussive fuzz sound, if that's what you're after. It can do the slude thing too.
Since I like more aggressive tones, I kept the fuzz level higher and used the filter to dial in more low-end, but even the more tame sounds still had some nice sustain and thickness to them.
While the Walrus Audio Eons was a bit more "spacey" and unique, the Carcosa provides a really solid balance of modern and vintage fuzz tones, while giving you the ability to clean up the notes.
Lots of control and variety here. Notice the mode selection switch in the middle which isn't labeled in the graphic.
Video Settings Demo (no talking)
Controls and versatility
In the graphic above you can see the following controls:
- Before (fuzz/gain level)
- Output (master output/boost)
- After (bias control/texture)
- Hi-Cut (tone/EQ)
- Mode selector (Demhe/Hali)
There's some technical depth to the two modes but, in short:
- Demhe: Use with clean amp channel
- Hali: Use with dirty amp channel
A nice look at the control scheme on the front panel. Note the mode selection switch.
I preferred the Demhe, but both sounded good.
To get the variety I wanted, the Before and Hi-Cut knobs where the most useful. You can also hear me getting some good variety from the bias knob in the demo video, which changes the texture of the fuzz.
This was more than enough to keep me busy for awhile. I had to cut off my recording because it was just getting too long.
So the pedal is fun to play with a passes the time rather quickly.
Price and Value
I would consider the Carcosa a high-functioning fuzz pedal, more in line with the EHX Deluxe Big Muff and the Walrus Audio Eons. Compared to those pedals, the price tag of the Carcosa is a pretty solid deal.
At the time of this review, it was priced $100 lower than the Eons and the same as the Big Muff, at $150.
If you want a simpler fuzz pedal with a level/tone/output knob like a traditional overdrive, you'll pay a similar price, usually in the $100 to $150 range.
It's a little more advanced than your standard fuzz pedal, but still has a decent price tag.
Questions about the review?
Overall, this is very solid, high-value fuzz pedal. I'd have a hard time picking between this one and the Eons, which actually came out rated a little lower.
But the price will likely be the difference maker, if you're comparing between those two.
If you have questions about my DOD Carcosa review or my experience with this pedal, leave it in the comments section below and I'll help out as much as I can.
Thanks for trusting our content and our reviews.
Related Articles
Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Pedals & Roundups
Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Pedals & Roundups
the newsletter
Gear and guitar lesson reviews by real guitar players
We buy, use, test, research, and rate the guitar programs and gear we recommend. Sign up for our mailing list and we'll keep you up to date.
By clicking the "sign up" button, you are consenting to receiving updates about Guitar Chalk and recaps of what we publish. You have the right to be forgotten and can unsubscribe anytime.
Comment Policy: You're down to leave a comment? That's awesome. Keep in mind that comments are moderated and rel="nofollow" is in use. Please avoid any spammy keywords or a domain as your name, otherwise your comment will be deleted. Let's stay on topic, keep questions relevant and have a meaningful conversation. All the best.