“It can produce the most horrific fuzz in the universe”: Alex Lifeson debuts his second stompbox, the LERXST Snow Dog – paying tribute to the fuzz tones championed by Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck
Alex Lifeson’s LERXST brand has continued to grow with the unveiling of the limited-edition Snow Dog octave fuzz pedal.
The Rush legend announced his entry into the gear market last November. At the time, Lifeson revealed he’d collaborated with Mojotone for the LERXST amp range, which would be followed by guitars, pedals and pickups.
Lifeson then debuted his first effects pedal, the LERXST By-Tor, and partnered with Godin for the LERXST Limelight electric guitar. Now, the Mojotone-backed LERXST lineup has been bolstered with its second stompbox – the Snow Dog.
In keeping with the brand’s naming etiquette, the Snow Dog bookends the By-Tor, with both pedals together referencing Rush’s 1975 track, By-Tor and The Snow Dog.
As such, the Snow Dog arrives with a near-identical layout, with controls for each effect. For Octave, there’s Level and Gain; for Fuzz, there’s Level, Tone and Sustain. A toggle switch decides which effect comes first in the signal chain.
While the By-Tor was a drive and boost pedal, the Snow Dog ups the gain for octave fuzz tones, with Lifeson saying of his newest pedal: “It can produce the most horrific fuzz in the universe”.
Taking inspiration from the fuzz tones of Lifeson’s early influences – Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page among them, who favored the Tone-Bender – the Snow Dog is said to build off "a beloved silicon octave fuzz from the early 1970s", updating it for the needs of the modern player.
Accordingly, the fuzz side promises to run the gamut from “subtly satisfying vintage fuzz sounds to thick sustain”, while the octave combines multiple semitones to create a “signature upper octave sheen”.
Each effect can be used independently, though the pedal supposedly hits its “final form” when combined: “A searing octave fuzz that can cut through any mix while still retaining its thickness and texture.”
The dual footswitch approach certainly lends a nice versatility to the Snow Dog, with some of the more established brands – such as EHX, Beetronics and Way Huge – opting for one-switch-fits-all designs in recent times. This is a pricier pedal, mind, so such flexibility should perhaps be expected.
Of the drop, Lifeson says: “I use distortion, fuzz, and overdrive pedals and plug-ins when I'm looking for that kind of specific sound for the projects I work on and am having fun with both the By-Tor and Snow Dog pedals. But it's the Snow Dog that really screams.”
It's worth noting that Lifeson isn't especially known for using octave fuzz pedals, but if anything, that shows the guitarist's wider goals for the LERXST lineup. Perhaps he sees it as a comprehensive catalog of two-in-one pedals catering to all types of players, not just Rush fans (despite the obvious links).
The Snow Dog is available now as a Reverb exclusive for $295. Each pedal comes with a tour pass signed by Lifeson. We wonder what Rush track will be used to name the next LERXST pedal...
Visit the LERXST Reverb store for more.
