Fender probably isn't the first name you think of for outboard effects and pedals, but they starting producing effects almost as they started producing guitars and amplifiers. Introduced in 1968, the Fender Fuzz-Wah combines two of the Psychedelic Eera's defining effects into one substantial, all-metal pedal.
The design is every bit as distinctive as the concept. The large treadle operates the wah with a traditional front-to-back motion, while a side-to-side movement controls the output volume. Separate footswitches engage the fuzz and wah independently, so either effect can be used on its own or both can be combined. With the effects switched off, the side-to-side movement is still in your signal chain, so the pedal functions as a volume pedal. Combining fuzz and wah may seem like a simple idea, but the approach is perhaps over-engineered. The substantial Fender construction feels very much like a product of its era.
The wah has a tighter sweep, that lends a nice vocal quality, but this Fuzz-Wah is perhaps most often used as a fuzz. Gritty overdriven textures with a thick and throaty roar. When used together, the two effects produce the kind of unruly, psychedelic tones that defined the late '60s and early '70s. One note, there is volume loss when you engage both effects at once, whereas the pedal pushes the volume most in fuzz mode.
This Fender Fuzz-Wah dates to the early '70s. It is fully-functional and sounds fantastic. The original rubber pads are pretty worn down, so a previous owners added some stronger, heavier-duty bumpers. The sticker for the input/output jacks is fairly worn, but it's in reasonable cosmetic condition for its age. For an authentic 1970s pedal, this Fuzz-Wah is pretty impressive. It's not a modern, polished interpretation of fuzz and wah—it's an original piece of Fender's effects history with plenty of personality, unusual controls, and sounds that are difficult to duplicate with a conventional pedalboard.