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Blue vs. Hendrix Fuzz Face mini

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  • Blue vs. Hendrix Fuzz Face mini

    I'm getting new fuzzface (mini since it fits my board) and I'm not quite sure which one is better; blue silicon one or Hendrix. I believe that both have the same transistors and stuff, price difference is like 10$ or something so it isn't an issue.
    2
    1970 Blue silicon fuzz face mini
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    Hendrix fuzz face mini
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  • #2
    Re: Blue vs. Hendrix Fuzz Face mini

    There is probably just a minor component change between the 2, but they should be very similar. The FF circuit is very simple, so there can't be much difference since they both use the same transistors.

    Check out this video that compares them - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OprcP_SWv8
    Last edited by devastone; 10-05-2015, 08:28 AM.

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    • #3
      Re: Blue vs. Hendrix Fuzz Face mini

      Hendrix has a little more mids than the blue one. But hard to hear real difference on youtube. I don't like germainum, too muddy for my taste. Does the blue one have less headroom than Hendrix?
      Last edited by guitarplayer100; 10-05-2015, 08:51 AM.

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      • #4
        Re: Blue vs. Hendrix Fuzz Face mini

        Originally posted by guitarplayer100 View Post
        I don't like germainum, too muddy for my taste.

        That and the legendary loss of tone when they warm up.
        "Completely Conceded Glowing Expert."
        "And Blueman, I am pretty sure you've pissed off a lot of people."
        "Wait, I know! Blueman and Lew can arm wrestle, and the winner gets to decide if 250K pots sound good or not."

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        • #5
          Re: Blue vs. Hendrix Fuzz Face mini

          The Hendrix version has a silicon transistor too, and from what I've heard in demos online, the Hendrix version cleans up better. A great middle ground between the germainium and silicon fuzz face with good qualities of each.
          Last edited by Falloffthebonetone; 10-05-2015, 08:24 PM.

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          • #6
            Re: Blue vs. Hendrix Fuzz Face mini

            I have both and the Hendrix is warmer but still retains the character of the BC108 transister. The dark blue is more aggressive and tighter. Both are great. If I had to characterize the tone, I would say the Hendrix sings while the blue one screams.
            "Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.” --John Lennon

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            • #7
              Re: Blue vs. Hendrix Fuzz Face mini

              If you do go for the hendrix, analogman sells them for $100. They're $120 pretty much everywhere else. The Blue is $100 essentially everywhere. Levels the playing field a bit.

              I never ended up getting one, but I was considering one of the three a while back. Based on clips, the hendrix sounded the least harsh and most musical of the bunch. The others sounded overgained in many situations.
              Originally posted by Aceman
              It was the age of suave. Men were men, and women were smacked and thrown on the bed and loved it.

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              • #8
                Re: Blue vs. Hendrix Fuzz Face mini

                Analogman modifies them too! Get a Hendrix and a modified Germanium for lots of fun!

                The Blue Silicon FF is very aggressive.
                Oh no.....


                Oh Yeah!

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                • #9
                  Re: Blue vs. Hendrix Fuzz Face mini

                  Originally posted by guitarplayer100 View Post
                  I don't like germainum, too muddy for my taste.
                  Thats a pretty big generalization when it comes to fuzz faces. I like both germ and si, depending on the axe, the amp and the application. There are many many great germ fuzzes as well as many great silicon fuzzes and there is more to it than that, there is not just transistor type, but also each transistor's tolerances and also how well the circuit is tuned to the individual transistors. There are not many makers out there who pay that kind of attention to really fine tuning and getting the best out of every individual ff circuit, but they are out there. It always pays to keep an open mind when it comes to gear. The advantage of silicon is that the trannies are munch more uniform in their tolerances and therefore much easier to use in any kind of electrical circuit and produce on masse.

                  Anyway, back to the hendrix fuzzes. Both the hendrix ones use the bc108 transistors. They are both great fuzzes. There are also some other great options out there if you want something pedalboard friendly and that have the bc108 as the core.
                  The fulltone 70 is nice and small and also has the mids knob. The mids knob is very useful for tweaking the fuzz to suit your guitar/amp setup. It also has an adjustable bias trimmer inside too. Both things make the 70 a superior fuzz in terms of getting the legit tone, but also getting it tweaked to fit your style.
                  There is also the hartman bc108. Another really good silicon fuzz face. This one has an external bias knob and no mids control. It is not as gainly or plain nasty as the fulltone but its a very musical and organic fuzz. Very rewarding to use with lots of colours in the sound. This one is slightly bigger than the fulltone, but the jacks are on top so it ends up taking up the same amount of pedalboard space.
                  The last one worth considering is the Dunlop classic 108. Inside it is identical to the hendrix fuzz except it also has a switchable buffer which can come in handy depending on where you want to put your fuzz in the signal chain or in conjunction with a wah. Its the same size as the hartman, but again, it has top mounted jacks.

                  All three of these pedals will do everything you can do with either of the hendrix fuzz faces plus a more. So, out of all five if it came down to which one sounds best i would say:
                  1. fulltone- rude, nasty, cutting and tweakable
                  2. Hartman (close second)- a little smoother but complex sounding.
                  3. Dunlop classic108 - same as the hendrixes but with the buffer
                  4/5 either hendrix fuzz (they are really both the same thing)

                  However all five are great fuzzes and will get you some killer sounds.

                  sorry...i should have mentioned analogman who also makes a bc108 fuzz, but while im a big fan of the other fuzzes of his ive tried, ive not yet tried his bc108.
                  Last edited by Chickenwings; 10-08-2015, 06:36 PM.
                  "Technique is really the elimination of the unneccessary ... it is a constant effort to avoid any personal impediment or obstacle to acheive the smooth flow of energy and intent"
                  Yehudi Menuhin

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                  • #10
                    Re: Blue vs. Hendrix Fuzz Face mini

                    I recently picked up a Hartman SFZ (Germanium and Silicon in one pedal) and I second everything that was said about the Hartman BC108. It is close to the Hendrix mini but is a little bit smoother and more musical. The Germanium side is awesome and is the least muddy Germ Face I have played. It is completely different from the red dunlop mini and gets a lot of comparisons to the Analogman Sunface.
                    "Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.” --John Lennon

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