Fuzz with enough volume to run with gain low that retains thick lows and mids?

[Dave Locher]

Is there any such thing?
Let me start by saying I have almost zero fuzz experience. I played through an original big chrome Big Muff pi for maybe ten minutes in the mid '80s when I was starting out, hated it, and never touched another one. Until last year when I impulse-purchased a Fab Fuzz on eBay for $10.
The thing is, I found that I liked it with the volume cranked and the fuzz all the way down. It added a rasp to my amp's distorted sound and gave a very slight throb to sustained notes. I loved that. And it was hyper sensitive to my volume knob. However, it also made my guitar sound thinner, which I hated.
Since i know almost nothing about fuzz pedals and I don't want to start buying and selling a ton of them, is there a fuzz pedal that I can run like that (a barely fuzzy boost), that will give me some rasp and throb, but that will also keep my lows and mids?

[dave74]

Re: Fuzz with enough volume to run with gain low that retains thick lows and mids?

HM-2 is kind-of like that if used as a booster,,,,so is the HM-3 for that matter.


edit; I haven't yet tried it, but some use the MT-2 as a boost with and without mods. Demonic has a keeley modded mt2 IIRC.

[Darg1911]

Re: Fuzz with enough volume to run with gain low that retains thick lows and mids?

The Fulltone Soul Bender (which is a 3 knob Tonebender with a couple tweaks), has plenty of bottom end and low mids even with the fuzz all the way down. However, with the fuzz all the way down, it's still a good amount of fuzz.

You may want to check some videos of the Way Huge Havelina fuzz. It's got an internal trim pot that acts as a bias adjustment and will reduce the fuzz enough so that it may do what you are looking for. It may or may not retain enough of the bottom end and lower mids.

If you are playing into a tube amp that's already on the edge of breakup or beyond, a germanium boost, like a Rangemaster, may do what you want. The originals are bright but many of the clones have selectable input caps which add mids and low end. It's not a fuzz but it has a character than can be described as kind of fuzz like and could be what you are looking for. They can be a bit noisier than modern OD's but used as a boost rather than cranked wide open, it's not really much of an issue if the germanium transistor used isn't leaky.

[Darg1911]

Re: Fuzz with enough volume to run with gain low that retains thick lows and mids?

Almost forgot. Wampler Velvet Fuzz.

[6stringerguy]

Re: Fuzz with enough volume to run with gain low that retains thick lows and mids?

HM-2 is kind-of like that if used as a booster,,,,so is the HM-3 for that matter.


edit; I haven't yet tried it, but some use the MT-2 as a boost with and without mods. Demonic has a keeley modded mt2 IIRC.

I’ve personally used this and it does work, max the bass and dial the volume and high end to taste. Gain just controls the high end fizz and crackle when stacked with the gain channel of an hi gain amp.

[Mincer]

Re: Fuzz with enough volume to run with gain low that retains thick lows and mids?

I think this is sort of what La Super Rica was designed to do. You get a parametric mid control so you don't lose mids, and a fat switch which helps retain lows.

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Fuzz with enough volume to run with gain low that retains thick lows and mids?

Big Muff Pi

[Toejam]

Re: Fuzz with enough volume to run with gain low that retains thick lows and mids?

A Black Arts Toneworks Black Forest OD would do the trick (at least it does for me). It even has a 6-way selector to change your gain/low end/voicing. https://www.blackartstoneworks.com/pedal/black-forest/

Or look into any other Black Arts Fuzz/OD pedal. They all seem to keep the low end intact.

[Dave Locher]

Re: Fuzz with enough volume to run with gain low that retains thick lows and mids?

Would any of those suggestions give me the slightly pulsing/throbbing thing? And the gets brighter as you turn down the guitar volume thing?
I don't know what makes those things happen with some fuzzes so I don't know what to look for and I know fuzz can be a very deep rabbit hole that I don't want to fall into.

[allbutromeo]

Re: Fuzz with enough volume to run with gain low that retains thick lows and mids?

I can't find a video of someone running it into an already didistorted amp, but I think the Catalinbread SFT, particularly in "Stoner" mode, will do what you want. In stones mode it's kind of a lower gain OD/Ampeg in a box, but Stoner mode gets well into fuzz territory, and seems to have plenty bass with individual bass and treble controls.