KMA Audio Machines Fuzzly Bear 2 Fuzz

I picked up this little monster of a bear a few days ago, and I already felt compelled to write about it. Don’t let the name fool you – yes, the KMA Fuzzly Bear 2 can purr like a teddy when you keep the skin high and the gain (very) low, but push it the other way and it turns into something closer to Godzilla. And the best part? Every shade in between is usable.

My sweet spot sits around unity skin-meat, maybe nudged slightly toward the skin side, with the gain doing the heavy lifting. Most of the time I’m hovering somewhere between 9:00 and 14:00 on the dial. What that gives me is this thick extra layer of gain – stacked on top of my Klon and/or Bluesbreaker –, loads of sustain, and a gloriously “spewty” texture that’s perfect for the dirty, punchy indie-bluesy rhythm tones I love. Think Black Keys, All Them Witches, Pixies...

But here’s where it gets really fun: back off and start arpeggiating. Suddenly, that same gritty, splattery character opens up into something articulate and expressive – still raw, unruly, but with enough clarity and bite to make every note pop. It’s chaotic and controlled at the same time, and somehow it just works.

If I had to nitpick, it would be the noise. It’s definitely on the louder side compared to the rest of my pedals. Maybe it’s my setup, maybe it’s just the nature of the beast. But honestly… if you’re inviting a Fuzzly Bear into your rig, you’re not exactly signing up for a peaceful walk in the woods, you’re more likely stepping into a noisy, glorious brawl.