What Pedal Can Make You Sound Like Electric Wizard? SF300 Review and Comparison

You can never have too much doom in your life. Although there are already tons of doom metal and stoner metal bands putting out cheap Black Sabbath copies, a few have transcended beyond the realm of Sabbath ripoffs and become something monumental in their own right. Electric Wizard, Monolord, and Sleep are a few such names. Each sounds unique, but they all feature sustained chords, dark, Iommi-esque riffs, and plenty of fuzz distortion.

If you’ve been searching for the perfect pedal to help you attain such a sound, you may have been trying too hard. There are plenty of great pedals in the $100 to $200 range that do the job well, but these often add little new to the classic fuzz pedal formula.

What Is the Behringer SF300?

The Behringer SF300 is an incredibly cheap, ~$25 clone of the BOSS FZ-2 Hyper Fuzz, and it somehow manages to compete with far more expensive and elaborate pedals. It has three knobs and three settings, as well as an additional, “secret” mode. The pedal is arranged with the following:

Treble knob
Bass knob
Gain knob
Mode 1 (relatively bright)
Secret mode (mode 1 + mode 2 combined)
Mode 2 (relatively dark)
Boost

The overall sound is sort of crunchy and electric, with a slight octave effect. Given the right background amp and guitar, it can get you right into that Electric Wizard tone range you’re looking for.

Here’s a quick demo I threw together:

Why Is it a Good Choice for Doom?

First, for the price, you can’t go wrong. But it also seems to fit right in the doom niche without really trying to. Compare this pedal to any of Does it Doom?’s purpose-made stompboxes and it’s clear that the aesthetics don’t even come close — a sign that invention is the mother of necessity, not the other way round.

The SF300 is an odd product, as it’s simply Behringer’s copy of an older pedal. The original BOSS pedal appears to have been a fairly generic attempt at creating an extreme-fuzz product. Perhaps by accident, it found a legendary status in the homes of doom fanatics everywhere.

Every fuzz pedal sounds slightly different, and the SF300 is no exception. Compared with some offerings, it seems quite heavy, but this is to be expected in a product called “super fuzz.” Fuzz sometimes sounds weak on its own, but this device certainly doesn’t. It does, however, benefit from layering with distortion or other pedals.

If you’re new to the effects game, it may take some trial and error to figure out what combinations of amps and boxes work best for you to achieve your intended sound, This is more of an art than a science, and creative solutions can often pay off.

Overall Impressions

As with any inexpensive product, the SF300 has some drawbacks to offset its positives. Still, it’s hard to argue it isn’t a fantastic deal, provided, of course, you actually like the sound.

If nothing else, the pedal is distinct. On its own, some might find its sound to be a bit much. You can solve this problem easily, though, by adding some decent distortion. It has a reasonable range of sounds, but it isn’t nearly as versatile as other boxes with a higher price tag. While the gain knob reduces the gain somewhat, those looking for anything even remotely clean will be disappointed.

If you’re into supporting local companies or boutique shops, Look elsewhere. This product is made in China and your purchase will do nothing for the little guy. Anytime you see a product this cheap and this good, you should understand that the manufacturer is probably taking a few shortcuts.

Some time ago, Behringer and its parent company began stockpiling masses of electronics used for all sorts of devices. This kind of cost-cutting isn’t likely to result in too many defects, as big companies can and do sell at competitive prices all the time. But durability is a legitimate concern. While Behringer’s products seem fairly robust, they may not last as long as other, more costly ones.

Many suppliers selling Behringer guitar devices advertise them as “true bypass,” meaning that having them on your pedalboard won’t degrade your signal. In reality, these devices are probably not true bypass. Honestly, though, I’ve tried plugging directly into my amp and back into the SF a bunch of times, and I can’t notice any difference. If there is one, it’s really slight, and it could have more to do with some of the other sketchy stuff on my pedalboard.

Positives

Great, dirty sound for doom
Extremely cheap
Several unique sounds
Layers well

Downsides

Probably not a real bypass
Made in China
Too distinct for some

Comparable Devices

BOSS FZ-2
Lone Wolf Dominator
DOD Carcosa
FUZZLORD FU-2
FTelettronica Dystopian

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