Fuzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

benbenben

New member
hey guys, i've just discovered the wonders of fuzz.
i used to HATE it and sometimes i still do, there are times when i just cannot stand the fuzz, it honestly sounds like cardboard getting torn.
but i've heard some AWESOME fuzz.

Was listening to a chili peppers song, not usually a fan of rhcp, but i heard "Strip My Mind" and there is a short solo using some sort of fuzz (i think its fuzz, otherwise im TOTALLY mistaken by fuzz). Basically, it sounds very very thick and creamy. Its very full. I have no idea what sorta pedals they use but i was thinking maybe fulltone? keeley?

I'm completely new to fuzz as i have never stepped (haha get it?) into the fuzz boundaries as i have been disgusted in the past, but i have heard some pretty damn good stuff, anyone point me in the direction of the fuzz i may be looking for?

Thanks!
Ben
 
Re: Fuzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Yeah, fuzz can be overdone - but every now and then the song just seems right. I only have a fuzz pedal because they had a really good sale on one.

One time I was going to play a song with fuzz (Shine by Collective Soul) and I accidently hit the fuzz with my Bad Monkey still on. What a cool sound that was! I'm going to try some other mixes and see wat I can get.
 
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I know it might seem like I have an agenda here, but I think the Tweak Fuzz rules. I'm not a fuzz guy generally speaking, but it really is a cool flavor if used judiciously. The Tweak Fuzz is cool because it'll give you the standard fuzz sounds you're talking about, which can be great for chords and solos, but it also does these really cool extreme sounds, like an AM radio-type tone or a huge, wooly mammoth tone. Check out these sound clips:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/effectsdescr.shtml#tweak_fuzz
 
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I've been checking out some of the Keeley Fuzz Head clips and they sound amazing. The Fulltone 69' sounds amazing aswell. Any comments about these two fuzz's?
 
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I've got a 68 or so Marshall Supa-Fuzz that's so....WOW. Incredible sounding fuzz.
 
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The Tweak Fuzz is a winner. I have one myself and love it.

But cheaper and also real cool is that classic workhorse: the Sovtek Big Muff.

Great for that 2000 pound bumblebee tone....
 
Re: Fuzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I've got a Tweak Fuzz too... Its cheap for $100, but because the Guitar Center I got it from didn't have a box for it, they offered it for $60!!! So I got a really nice deal there. I love humbucker equipped Les Pauls and thats the only type of guitar I have at the moment (Epi and a Gibson R7) and I believe that fuzzes sound better with single coils, especially a strat, so for me, the last 2 tweak settings are somewhat hard to use (too much bass) and I don't think the pedal has enough gain (when I turn it on, it seems like there is a volume drop) unlike Fulltone and ZVEX fuzzes that have so much gain and volume on tap that you have to put the volume at 9 oclock on the pedal if you want the same level as the dry signal (without the pedal on). Otherwise, its a very good tone investment. Like Matt said, you can get an "old transistor radio out of phase tone." I mixed the Tweak fuzz with the OCD and got some cool sounds. Like a hendrix tone (a lot of distortion with slight fuzz), the OCD cutting through all the fuzz. The setting I use mostly is Volume at 3 oclock, tweak knob at the 3rd setting and gain at 1 oclock. This gives a bighter, almost crunchy fuzz. For lead, I put the tweak knob up to 4 or 5 and put the gain to about 3 oclock. Neck pickup sounds sweet too.

Fuzz is a great thing to use, mostly for solos. Its not meant for 5 or 6 note chords or triads, but more for single notes or two note power chords. Fuzz also gives amazing sustain and just a really cool tone. I would reccomend the Tweak Fuzz for someone just getting into fuzz because it has old school Big Muff tones in it and its got more modern distortion-like tones as well and more subtle fuzzes and it can really shape your EQ differently.
 
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Although they are a little more expensive, I've heard some pretty convincing soundclips of the Eurythmia ICBM Fuzz and the Skreddy Mayo.
 
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I have an old Sovtek Big Muff Pi lying around here somewhere....when I want that sound, that's where I go.
 
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Can the Tweak Fuzz get some Fuzz Face sounds? somewhere in the ball park of EJ?
 
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John Frusiante uses a Zvex Fuzz Factory. Try one of those. And see if you can get an older model, with out the brushed aluminum housing and LED.
 
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If John is using a Fuzz Factory then it's a recent thing...he has used Fuzz Faces for a long time and has a quite nice collection of vintage ones.

The Tweak Fuzz is based on a Fuzz Face so, yeah...it can get some very cool Fuzz Face tones and for the price it can't be beat!
 
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I was gonna buy a Tweak Fuzz do to its price & versatility....but I stumbled into a trade that included an HBE UFO (Homebrew Electronics Ultimate Fuzz Octave).

Killer fuzz pedal :bigok:
 
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Re: Fuzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Well, i can get my hands on a Fulltone 69' for a pretty decent price due to connections, and i can get my hands on the EH Big Muff Pi for a decent price cause its naturally cheap.

I don't really want a pedal thats versatile if you know what i mean. I don't want to have ALL the fuzz tones out there, i just want one to stick to and stay with, obviously i have to like it though.

I guess the few up for grabs for me atm is.
Tweak Fuzz [i gather has alot of diff type sof fuzz and is versatile]
Keeley Fuzz face [not sure much abt it, but seems alright, but a bit exp]
Fulltone 69' [read alot of good reviews about it, seems pretty good]
EH Big Muff pi [i know nothing about it, but its cheap and its quite popular?]

anything to add?
atm i have a marshall jtm30, using a paul with Jazz and JB sd's. The pedals what would interact with the fuzz would prob be my fulltone wah and my keeley ts9.
how would the modded ts9 work with the fuzzes. Sorry living in Perth really sucks as theres no chance of being able to try out the pedals.
Any information would be appreciated.
 
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I'd go for the fulltone if I were you. Im jonesin' for one lol....Also I heard that the RHCP guy uses EH Big Muffs as well as his fuzz faces and fuzz factories.
 
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I'm looking at some of the dunlop fuzz faces. The round red ones, are they the ones that Jimi used to use cause i have a poster and theres a lil round pedal on the floor. Are the new ones as good as the old ones? If not, how do i tell if its an old one if im looking around on ebay?
 
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Yea Jimi used one of those Fuzz Faces.. So does EJ.

The Tweak fuzz as I have just been told by the guy who invented fire is based on the Fuzz Face.. So we could be picking up Tweak fuzzes soon.. ;)
 
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OK NOW IM EVEN MORE CONFUSED. LOOK AROUND AT THE DIFFEREN FUZZ FACES?!

-dunlop (new/old??)
-arbiter
-dallas

how come theres so many diff types and they all have that round shape?
 
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