About fuzzes...

misterwhizzy

Well-known member
What are some famous fuzz tone recordings? I've never owned one, and I keep hearing about them. I'd go try one out, but I want to know what I'm listening for first.

Can anyone suggest famous Big Muff, Fuzz Face, and anything else relevant recordings? And is the heavy chorus lick in Astounded by Tantric a fuzz tone?
 
Re: About fuzzes...

Let Her Go Into The Darkness (Jonathan Richman) is a perfect example don't know what the actual fuzz is but the solo is definately fuzz.
Can't Get No Satisfaction (The Rolling Stones) I think a Meastro Fuzztone not sure exactly. Those are two of the top of my head that are easy to tell.
 
Re: About fuzzes...

Satisfaction is a Maestro.

Heart Full of Soul (among MANY other Yardbirds tunes) is a MK I Tone Bender.

On almost EVERY track on LZ I Page used a MK II Tonebender.

Hendrix used a Fuzz Face ALL the time...Germanium early on then during the BoG era he switched to the new (at the time) Silicon versions.

David Gilmour used a Fuzz Face as his main source of dirt from his first days with Pink Floyd until right around Animals, like Jimi early on it was Germanium and around 1970 or so he switched to Silicon as well...also after he dropped the Fuzz Face he started heavily using Big Muff Pi's.

Billy and James from the Smashing Pumpkins are also BIG Big Muff Pi users...they also lean pretty hard on the famed Fender Blender.

Jeff Beck used a Marshall Supa Fuzz on Truth (the Supa Fuzz is very close to a MK II Tone Bender).

Jeff used a Colorsound Overdriver later on, the Overdriver is more versitile than a typical fuzz but will still do some REALLY fuzzy Fuzz Tones.

Billy Gibbons has been pretty big into Fuzz Boxes lately...Tonebenders, Fuzz Faces, and the famed Foxx Tonemachines.

Marc Ford is a master of Fuzz and uses just about any Fuzz you could name.

Pete Towsend has used fuzzes off and on over the years...early on it was a Marshall Supa Fuzz then he switched to a Univox Super Fuzz (completely different from the Supa Fuzz!). The Univox is what you hear on Live at Leeds. Pete also used a Fuzz Face hear and there early on.

The Beatles used various Fuzz boxes over the years...The famed Maestro has been on Beatles recordings as well as MK I Tone Benders, Fuzz Faces and even built in fuzz from SS Vox amps.

J from Dino Jr is a HUGE Fuzz head...mostly Big Muffs but Fuzz Faces and several custom Roger Mayer units as well.

SRV flirted with the Fuzz Face in the late 80's just before he passed.

Eric Clapton also used a Fuzz Face on some Cream recordings...you'll hear a lot of stories about this but listen with your ears an you can hear it...it's actually plan as day once you've played through a good Fuzz Face!

There really are a lot more but this should give you plenty to start with.

Remember...Fuzz is NOT for everybody and a lot of guys plain out sound like poo trying to use fuzz but if you have an ear for it and can learn how to work it they can be beautiful and fun!
 
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Re: About fuzzes...

Satisfaction is a Maestro.

Heart Full of Soul (among MANY other Yardbirds tunes) is a MK I Tone Bender.

On almost EVERY track on LZ I Page used a MK II Tonebender.

Hendrix used a Fuzz Face ALL the time...ermanium early on then during the BoG era he switched to the new (at the time) Silicon versions.

David Gilmour used a Fuzz Face as his main source of dirt from his first days with Pink Floyd until right around Animals, like Jimi early on it was Germanium and around 1970 or so he switched to Silicon as well...also after he dropped the Fuzz Face he started heavily using Big Muff Pi's.

Billy and James from the Smashing Pumpkins are also BIG Big Muff Pi users...they also lean pretty hard on the famed Fender Blender.

Jeff Beck used a Marshall Supa Fuzz on Truth (the Supa Fuzz is very cose to a MK II Tone Bender).

Jeff used a Colorsound Overdriver later on, the Overdriver is more versitile than a typical fuzz but will still do some REALLY fuzzy Fuzz Tones.

Billy Gibbons has been pretty big into Fuzz Boxes lately...Tonebenders, Fuzz Faces, and the famed Fox Tonemachines.

Marc Ford is a master of Fuzz and uses just about any Fuzz you could name.

Pete Towsend has used fuzzes off and on over the years...early on it was a Marshall Supa Fuzz then he switched to a Univox Super Fuzz (completely different from the Supa Fuzz!). The Univox is what you hear on Live at Leeds. Pete also used a Fuzz Face hear and there early on.

The Beatles used various Fuzz boxes over the years...The famed Maestro has been on Beatles recordings as well as MK I Tone Benders, Fuzz Faces and even built in fuzz from SS Vox amps.

J from Dino Jr is a HUGE Fuzz head...mostly Big Muffs but Fuzz Faces and several custom Roger Mayer units as well.

SRV flirted with the Fuzz Face in the late 80's just before he passed.

Eric Clapton also used a Fuzz Face on some Cream recordings...you'll hear a lot of stories about this but listen with your ears an you can hear it...it's actually plan as day once you've played through a good Fuzz Face!

There really are a lot more but this should give you plenty to start with.

Remember...Fuzz is NOT for everybody and a lot of guys plain out sound like poo trying to use fuzz but if you have an ear for it and can learn how to work it they can be beautiful and fun!

Awesome post buddy! Enjoyed reading through all of your examples..
 
Re: About fuzzes...

There really are a lot more but this should give you plenty to start with.

I'm not going to bother quoting the entire post, because people fingers should be used for playing, not scrolling, but that was exactly the type of post I was hoping someone would chime in with. Thanks. Off to YouTube...
 
Re: About fuzzes...

I'm not going to bother quoting the entire post, because people fingers should be used for playing, not scrolling, but that was exactly the type of post I was hoping someone would chime in with. Thanks. Off to YouTube...

No worries

Let us know what you find. If you like I can post a few UTOOB links myself...
 
Re: About fuzzes...

Well, here is your classic Maestro example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoLL8XVglDI

Killer MK I Tonebende example, the main riff and the guitar solo are a MK I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK8cgJ1fGuQ

This is a killer example of a MK II...turn the guitar down a bit for the crunchy rhythm and then turn it back up for the lead line...FWIW, there is some wah pedal used as a filter on this solo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNip8ZEesow

Here is another example of a MK II, with the fuzz level set higher and through bigger amps...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiRkmTv2u2k

Classic Jimi tune, this is what Jimi got from a germanium Fuzz Face...also worth mentioning the guitar solo from 1:20 to 1:36 or so is a Roger Mayer built Octavia, which is an octave up unit that has a little fuzz on it's own...he uses it again towards the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZdiq1pa2O0&feature=related

Here is a KILLER Fuzz Face example from SRV...shows the dynamics of a Fuzz Face by a player thats really learned how to control one. Before the guitar solo there is no Fuzz Face on, he kicks it on around 1:20 then watch at 2:18 and 2:21...he's running the guitars volume down looking for the sweet spot to keep it clan and punchy...the Fuzz Face stays on he just cleaned it up, for the 2nd solo he cranks the guitar again and gets the grind going.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNuXO60G33w

Here is Gilmour with a Fuzz Face, this is a silicon Fuzz Face and at this time David was often running a Colorsound Overdriver (set to a clean boost) into the Fuzz Face for even more fuzz and sustain, he coltroled the dynamics and fuzz with a volume pedal. It a long tune but the first solo is around 4:04 and the 2nd solo is around 6:30 and it's even fuzzier and nastier than the first one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLJ_QVfT_wM&feature=related

more to follow...
 
Re: About fuzzes...

Here is one of my favorite Dinosaur Jr. tunes, J Mascis is the master of the Big Muff...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te_qTP-IS4I

Here is a newer track by Joe Bonamassa, it mentiones in the line notes that on this he used a Les Paul into a Colorsound Overdriver into a Marshall/Park head. This is a pretty mild Overdriver setting but you can get an idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShgPiJGcEA4

Here's Billy G givin it hell through a Foxx Tonemachine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTvoKtrBJH0&feature=related

Marc Ford is fuzz master however it's pretty hard to nail down what he's using most of the time...he's a big Fuzz Face user but he does switch things up a bit. However in this clip before he clicks it on he says this is a Fuzz Face. You have to sit through the other dude to get to Marc but it's cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DcQRcA03eU

Just becasue here is some more fuzzed out Marc Ford, this is Marc with a Foxx Tonemachine...later in the tune he kicks in the upper octave of the Tonemachine to GREAT effect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj7dvGzRwE0

There is a lot more out there but this should be more than enough to get you started.

There are also loads of demo videos on UTOOB for Fuzz Faces, Big Muffs, Tonebenders, etc...
 
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Re: About fuzzes...

Thanks a lot, TGWIF. Very useful information, and once you point it out, I can definitely hear it. I guess what I was missing is the difference between overdrive, distortion, and fuzz. I guess they overlap some, and telling my ears where those lines start to coincide is what I was missing. Thanks again.
 
Re: About fuzzes...

Thanks a lot, TGWIF. Very useful information, and once you point it out, I can definitely hear it. I guess what I was missing is the difference between overdrive, distortion, and fuzz. I guess they overlap some, and telling my ears where those lines start to coincide is what I was missing. Thanks again.

Well, there is some overlap plus a lot of thecharacter of the fuzz depends on what the amp sounds like before you kick on the fuzz...a fuzz face into a clean amp can sound very fuzzy/fizzy while into an already distorted amp it takes a different character completely...
 
Re: About fuzzes...

Well, there is some overlap plus a lot of thecharacter of the fuzz depends on what the amp sounds like before you kick on the fuzz...a fuzz face into a clean amp can sound very fuzzy/fizzy while into an already distorted amp it takes a different character completely...

i'm beginning to discover fuzz/drive/distortion interaction too. my favorite setting with my little big muff currently is with the sustain set kinda low being boosted with an SD-1. THAT is a cool tone right there:fing2:
 
Re: About fuzzes...

i'm beginning to discover fuzz/drive/distortion interaction too. my favorite setting with my little big muff currently is with the sustain set kinda low being boosted with an SD-1. THAT is a cool tone right there:fing2:

I was thinking about putting together the exact same setup.
 
Re: About fuzzes...

I was thinking about putting together the exact same setup.

it's a cool setup for sure. with the big muff you get all the thick, dark, fatness and thick sizzly mids/highs, but with the sd-1 driving it the lows get cleared up, the mids are fattened, and the highs come back, making it sound like sizzly, high gain distortion. it sounds frickin' metal if i turn either pedals' gain knob up past 1/4.
 
Re: About fuzzes...

Fuzz pedals are one of the most primitive effects around, but if you get all the thresholds set perfectly, they can be one of the most expressive, touch-sensitive effects. Since they are so simple, it's very easy to get a really bad tone out of almost any fuzz pedal... but if you take the time to find the sweet spots -- mainly the guitar volume into the pedal, then the amp level itself, along with the fuzz level -- the magic starts to happen. For me, the sweet spot is usually with my guitar volume pretty low, just where the transition between clean and clip begins as you dig into the strings (I use a MK II Tonebender, my favorite by far over any others I've tried).
 
Re: About fuzzes...

Pretty much anything by Queens of the Stone Age minus a few songs here and there. When I think of a Russian Big Muff, I instantly think of "I Think I Lost My Headache" by Queens of the Stone Age. They also uses octavio style fuzz tones alot as well, the solo to "Little Sister" is a good example. Josh Homme is known for being a big fuzz connoisseur, so he has used alot of different ones over the years with this band, Them Crooked Vultures, and Kyuss.

Presidents of the United States of America's debut album is a good example of fuzz face style fuzz tones.

Smashing Pumpkin's album Siamese Dream has Big Muff and Fender Blender fuzz tones through out the entire album.
 
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