Issues with my fuzzes

[NoOnesFang13]

I have a BBE Free Fuzz and newly acquired a Morley Power Wah Fuzz. I know the Free Fuzz is based roughly on a Silicon Fuzz Face and I don't know what the PWF is based on I only know its Germanium. I have the same issue with both. When I play a chord the signal almost farts out and gets lower in volume shortly after the attack. Turning down the Vol on my guitar helps a little. The best I can describe it would be like those heavily gated fuzzes that are kind of made to sound that way. From sound clips I hear of both of the pedals online I don't hear anything like what I have with my own setup. I have tried a few guitar using a Screamin Demon A8/59 A4, and a Zhangbucker Crushbucker which is around 10k ohm, so neither setup is overly hot, I even tried a Dimarzio Area 61 and had a similar issue. I've tried both pedals with my Egnater Tweaker 40 and my Seymour Duncan 84-40 and had a similar issue. The signal chain is Guitar>Fuzz>Amp and I only have one pedal in the signal chain at a time as I know some pedals don't play nice with buffers before them. The strange thing is when I throw a pedal in front of the Free Fuzz, it actually sounds a lot better and doesn't have the issue, though its sounds much less like a fuzz. I have run a GFS Twin Overdrive as well as a MXR Custom Comp before the Free Fuzz in the past and it sounded good, but when I solo the pedal it sounds pretty terrible. Does anyone have any idea what I can do to try and solve the issue?

[VinceT]

Re: Issues with my fuzzes

I had a Fulltone 70s fuzz that did that - I never did track down specific cause.

I have to say it was better with single coils than humbuckers and I’ve since found that with other fuzzes as well, so I wonder if it’s due to overloading the input.


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[jeremy]

Re: Issues with my fuzzes

the fuzzface pedals i have usually like vintage output single coils best, want the fuzz first after the guitar, and the germanium ones are temperature sensitive. you can use fx after the fuzz usually without issue. i havent played through either of the pedals you have so cant help with them specifically

[LLL]

Re: Issues with my fuzzes

Check your impedances for starters. Find out input/output impedances so you know what exactly you're working with.

[Chickenwings]

Re: Issues with my fuzzes

Fuzz faces need to go first in the chain. Even better if they are the only thing in the chain. They interact with your pickups and guitar wiring in a way no other pedal does. They also work best with vintage output single coils although it is possible to get some great sounds with low wind humbuckets. Nothing hot. Sounds to me like you would enjoy a big muff/swollen pickle/pharaoh fuzz more with your rig.
In the short term though, try cranking the level on your fuzz and start with the gain (fuzz level) really low and bring it up in increments and see how you go. Some fuzz units have an input level attenuator which works somewhat like backing off the volume on your axe. This is used to accomodate higher output pickups and humbuckers.
Fuzz is a finicky beast at the best of times, there might be something going on with the biasing, but it is unlikely given that both your units are behaving the same way. I'm guessing it is just that they are getting more input than they can handle from your higher output humbuckers.