EHX Percolator Harmonic Saturator
Few fuzz circuits carry more underground mystique than the Interfax Harmonic Percolator, the obscure 1970s Wisconsin-built box that Steve Albini made the cornerstone of his abrasive, articulate guitar sound with Big Black and Shellac. Originals are vanishingly rare and trade for absurd sums, and boutique clones have come and gone for decades. Now Electro-Harmonix has done the thing EHX does best: resurrect a legend at a price anyone can afford. The EHX Percolator Harmonic Saturator recreates the Percolator's signature germanium/silicon hybrid grind — a fuzz that emphasizes even-order harmonics, so it cuts through a band with unusual clarity instead of smearing into mush. Where the original offered just two knobs, EHX adds a Bias control for gated, sputtery Velcro textures or smoother sustain, plus a secondary clipping mode that lifts the diodes for a louder, rawer drive voice — effectively two personalities in one box: percolating fuzz and snarling overdrive. The Balance and Harmonics controls keep the interface true to the source, and the rugged die-cast enclosure keeps it gig-ready. It excels at the Albini specialty — treble-forward, concrete-cracking rhythm tones — but roll back your guitar volume and it cleans up into gritty, amp-like breakup that works for garage rock and lo-fi indie alike. For noise-rock devotees, this is the most significant fuzz reissue in years; for everyone else, it is a fascinating alternative to yet another Big Muff.
