Fuzz

[JB_From_Hell]

What fuzzes do you guys like with Strats, single coils, and old Fender amps? I have a little Big Muff, is like something that responds to the guitar a little more. I’m aware fuzz isn’t a subtle thing, but I see a lot that respond to the volume knob better.

 

[Thundermtn]

Re: Fuzz

The best Fuzz I ever heard out of a DR was a "Spires Fuzz" from EarthQuaker, it also has an excellent Russian Fuzz side too. Silent on/off, easy button, true bypass. Best pedal money I ever spent. Check out the Mathews effects "The Whaler" also. The Spires sounds good out of my Tele and LP with coil splits through a TwinR in my current stuff.

 

[Blille]

Re: Fuzz

Generally fuzz faces respond great. Big Muffs sound pretty much the same independently of the guitar

All IME etc.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Fuzz

fuzzface. analogman germanium sunface is what i use. they have a few different transistor options, i had the red dot but any of the germaniums that ive tried have been great sounding and clean up well. they are temperature sensitive though. a silicon fuzzface is more stable but i dont like the tone as much usually

 

[VinceT]

Re: Fuzz

fuzzface. analogman germanium sunface is what i use. they have a few different transistor options, i had the red dot but any of the germaniums that ive tried have been great sounding and clean up well. they are temperature sensitive though. a silicon fuzzface is more stable but i dont like the tone as much usually

I use an Analogman NKT Germanium Sunface as well, and it cleans up really well. Almost an always on tone.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[chadd]

Re: Fuzz

I have a Stomp Under Foot Civil War fuzz. It cuts great live and is pretty responsive with my single coils and low-mid output humbuckers.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Fuzz

fuzzface. analogman germanium sunface is what i use. they have a few different transistor options, i had the red dot but any of the germaniums that ive tried have been great sounding and clean up well. they are temperature sensitive though. a silicon fuzzface is more stable but i dont like the tone as much usually

The Sunface is one I’ve been looking at. What do you get from the Red Dot transistors?

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Fuzz

The Sunface is one I’ve been looking at. What do you get from the Red Dot transistors?

They are the last of the NKT275 “grail” transistors from the 60’s. (They are labeled differently, but Analogman knows his stuff). Like Jeremy mentioned, you can get almost all the way there with some of the other transistor options.

I’ve been liking the Bearfoot Arctic White Fuzz, it’s like a silicon Fuzz Face with a tone control, allowing you to roll off some of the upper frequencies that can be harsh with a Fender.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Fuzz

What fuzzes do you guys like with Strats, single coils, and old Fender amps? I have a little Big Muff, is like something that responds to the guitar a little more. I’m aware fuzz isn’t a subtle thing, but I see a lot that respond to the volume knob better.

Fuzz Boxes are typically an extreme wing of the distortion category, I suggest going with a true Overdrive pedal which will have much greater response and versatility -but you can push a good one back into the Big Muff fuzz neighborhood.

-One that comes to mind is the MXR OD Badass series -like a Super or Custom, -they are just more modern versatile Tube Screamer circuits are their core -but drop the tone to 3 oclockish, take the Gain to 11, Volume up, unlatch the mid range Bump Switch, an kick the 100hz boost to 6 or 7 ocklock -and your right back in the Big Muff Territory -with a big more life and response but not quite as much creamy fuzz as the original.

There are probably 20 good pedals that do what I describe above.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Fuzz

I suggest going with a true Overdrive pedal which will have much greater response and versatility -but you can push a good one back into the Big Muff fuzz neighborhood.

I have a lot of dirt pedals, with the OD range covered well. I also have a Big Muff. I want to get into Gary Clark Jr, Ariel Posen, Dan Patlansky territory. I know the little Big Muff is definitely not what I'm after.

The Wampler Fuzztration sounds interesting.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Fuzz

I have a lot of dirt pedals, with the OD range covered well. I also have a Big Muff. I want to get into Gary Clark Jr, Ariel Posen, Dan Patlansky territory. I know the little Big Muff is definitely not what I'm after.

The Wampler Fuzztration sounds interesting.

Haven't used that one. but the name Wampler speaks for it self.

Another approach is using a clean/or mildly clean boost to drive your Pre Amp Stage into saturation much further -Depends on the AMP if this effective because some amps dont break up early enough (tubes and bias are in this equation too) or have enough tolerance for pedal gains -but something like a VOX AC or a Marshal JMP or JCM gets broken up beautifully with just pushing a great tone shaped boost level into it. Fenders depend on which amp (A TWIN will never do it lol) -with this method -you are doing essentially what a Fuzz/OD Pedal does externally in the amp -feeding a boost stage into a clipping stage.

on the cleaner side to drive a bigger clipping circuit, I really love that JHS Morning Glory, Archer Ikon, all the Xotics, and on the dirty side love the MXRs, Big Muff, Rats, -typical stuff etc.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Fuzz

For the record, the rig is one of a few Strats with singles into a Crybaby, Way Huge Green Rhino, EHX Soul Food, Lumberjack, and Little Big Muff, Radial Plexitube, Danelectro Fab Distortion, into an early Silverface non-MV Super Reverb.

Like I said, there's already a fair amount of dirt, but nothing that does this:

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Fuzz

For the record, the rig is one of a few Strats with singles into a Crybaby, Way Huge Green Rhino, EHX Soul Food, Lumberjack, and Little Big Muff, Radial Plexitube, Danelectro Fab Distortion.

Like I said, there's already a fair amount of dirt, but nothing that does this:

That's his chain? wow -I thought I had a lot of boost and overdrive options.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Fuzz

That's his chain? wow -I thought I had a lot of boost and overdrive options.

That's my rig. Also, I'm an idiot and forgot to mention that all goes into an early non-MV Silverface Super Reverb. Currently V1 is pulled and swapped into the PI for earlier breakup.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Fuzz

I didn’t really hear much fuzz in that video. Lotta tube screamer and wah. Got a time to listen to? Sounded like a guy doing a srv thing.

the eqd spires is two fuzz in one, red is a silicon fuzzface, green is some rare old fuzz. cool pedal.

i have a ton of different dirt boxes but there is nothing quite like a fuzzface but you need to spend time with one to get the most out of it. i first got a ff years ago and i thought it sucked. took me hearing some great players using a ff to make me revisit it and now i love em.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Fuzz

Liking non-octave mode on an MXR Blue Box right now- other than that got briefly back into my Devi Ever pedals. The US is probably the best one (dynamic and with a severe gate) but the Bit (glitchy sounding but useable) and Soda Meiser (Muff-ish but more cutting/harsh)are great too.

I mostly use single coils with Fuzz (including Lace Sensors,) keeps things a bit more dynamic/gritty.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Fuzz

My love of fuzzfaces reawakened earlier this year when I got a Lovepedal Fuzz50. Only one knob on it, volume. Little box of fun has a real time-machine quality; with a Strat it's pure 60s magic. Not dense like a Muff. Complex, yes, but never congested. Wild & unruly - exactly what a fuzz should be - it rips and roars and gives lovely feedback even at moderate volumes. Being a fuzzface it also cleans up beautifully. Roll the volume on the guitar way back and you get classic live-Jimi semicleans. Brings a big grin to my face whenever I kick it on.

 

[Francois]

Re: Fuzz

fuzzface. analogman germanium sunface is what i use. they have a few different transistor options, i had the red dot but any of the germaniums that ive tried have been great sounding and clean up well. they are temperature sensitive though. a silicon fuzzface is more stable but i dont like the tone as much usually

I agree with Jeremy !

And with the FF or pedals with similar circuit (Sunface...) you will even increase yout touch sensitivity if you roll down the volume knob on your Strat. This is incredible !
(Ah sorry somebody just say that)

Note that the Muff has four transistors but the FuzzFace, the Vox Fuzz, etc. have only two. It is quite different.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Fuzz

I agree with Jeremy !

And with the FF or pedals with similar circuit (Sunface...) you will even increase yout touch sensitivity if you roll down the volume knob on your Strat. This is incredible !
(Ah sorry somebody just say that)

Note that the Muff has four transistors but the FuzzFace, the Vox Fuzz, etc. have only two. It is quite different.

And the Muff has diodes to clip, it’s more of a distortion/hybrid than a pure fuzz.

 

[Francois]

Re: Fuzz

Speaking of fuzz/distortion hybrid, anybody has tried the Catalinbread Katzenkönig ?
They merged the Tone Bender circuit with the output section of a RAT... ("the rat tail" )

I haven't tried it yet but I am interested.