I know I've gotten Fuzz Face Crazy!

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: I know I've gotten Fuzz Face Crazy!

Hey Joe, as your pics confirm, the FF is about as simple as a circuit gets. Its also what's inside a Tweak Fuzz. I can't help but wonder if the different "flavors" are just what the TF "tweak" knob does.

Have you had a chance to compare the TF to any of your FF's?

I'd have to know exactly what the 'Tweak' knob is doing on that pedal. I only plugged into one of those for a minute, years ago. I probably should have bought one when Musicians Friend was blowing them out cheap. :scratchch

A few things need to be said here...

First the Tweak Fuzz is not a straight Fuzz Face replica even if you omit the TWEAK control...the Tweak Fuzz is based on a boutique Fuzz Box made by Dirty Boy Pedals called the Afro Fuzz...the Afro Fuzz is loosely based on a Fuzz Face.

Now, with that out of the way, the tweak control on a Tweak Fuzz changes the value of the tone cap in a Fuzz Face to trim off low end and change the overall tone.

The biggest differences in the various Fuzz Faces in this thread are actually in transistor choice and gain structure, not in the cap so in that regard the Tweak Fuzz and having several different Fuzz Faces like this is not at all the same.

As for the comparison of a Fuzz Face to a Tweak Fuzz I have done it a few times...the Tweak Fuzz is a cool enough unit but for some players after plugging into a full on Fuzz Face you will see why guys will pay 2, 3, 5 hundred dollars for good replicas and over $1000 for good original units...

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: I know I've gotten Fuzz Face Crazy!

The more I'm using these cranked up, the more I'm learning about fuzz pedals. The way they each react to volume, gain, and different amps, the more I realize it's cool to have all three.

I'm finding that Joe Bonamassa may be closer to my way of thinking. Lower gain and fatness may be where it's at. The Hendrix sits right in the middle, which is cool.
But, the Eric Johnson one may be best for singles, as it blats out too much with humbuckers. It's the thinnest and buzziest out of the three. It really prefers being used with a clean amp too. It's really spitty and farty and does the meltdown thing really good. To dial it in for violin tone is something that takes work. I'll spend a lot of time with this pedal to get it sounding right, which I know it's capable of. It's a good pedal.

But the Bonamassa acts more like a slightly fuzzy OD pedal, which is easiest to harness.
The Hendrix FF is right up the middle. If you had to choose one that appeals to the most players, the Hendrix probably fits the bill.

These are interesting pedals to mess with, and I've only used them on the clean and plexi modes of the Bogner, which are like a Twin and Plexi. Fuzz's don't work on highgain channels. Next, I'll try them on my Matchless Chieftain combo, where I think they'll really shine.

Once I get all these pedals figured out in relation to my guitars and amps, I'll record some clips. Fuzz Faces are very finicky, but once they're dialed in, they're beautiful.
I've dialed in good tones on all 3, but I need more time with them..

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: I know I've gotten Fuzz Face Crazy!

It's a lot of work to get these things to sound their best but it's worth it.

I almost never take the FUZZ off full on my Fuzz Faces...they are so dynamic it's just easier to get a wide range of tones that way. I do tweak the fuzz control on Si units a tad but less than a full number value for sure.

As for the EJ it was sort of designed around a crunchy Marshall and a Strat and EJ runs his gear in a very specific way so that has to be kept in mind.

Welcome to the wild world of fuzz Joe... get ready for a fun ride!

 

[xxxplorer]

Re: I know I've gotten Fuzz Face Crazy!

The EJ is a really dynamic si based fuzz. Last saturday I had the volume cranked on my jcm 800 2204, the volume cranked on the fuzz and the fuzz backed down to maybe 7 or 8. Had it on the whole practice and just kept on my volume control on the guitar. Anything from sabbathy crunch to meltdown at a slight twist of the volume. I was literally doing early thrash gallops with it too... Totally not 'meant to do it' but it sounded GREAT. I could seriously get by at a gig with my amp and this fuzz... It is a lot more work though to dial in, even with just two knobbies!

 

[d1dsj]

Re: I know I've gotten Fuzz Face Crazy!

Great to hear that they are all slightly different flavours. I haven't had much play time with my JB FF but so far what I have found out is that when I tried it with my Legacy, the treble and bass pots had a massive effect on the sound... working almost like volume controls! Hoping to try it some more this weekend although it's looking doubtful with the work load

 

[Artie]

Re: I know I've gotten Fuzz Face Crazy!

A few things need to be said here...

First the Tweak Fuzz is not a straight Fuzz Face replica even if you omit the TWEAK control...the Tweak Fuzz is based on a boutique Fuzz Box made by Dirty Boy Pedals called the Afro Fuzz...the Afro Fuzz is loosely based on a Fuzz Face.

Now, with that out of the way, the tweak control on a Tweak Fuzz changes the value of the tone cap in a Fuzz Face to trim off low end and change the overall tone.

The biggest differences in the various Fuzz Faces in this thread are actually in transistor choice and gain structure, not in the cap so in that regard the Tweak Fuzz and having several different Fuzz Faces like this is not at all the same.

As for the comparison of a Fuzz Face to a Tweak Fuzz I have done it a few times...the Tweak Fuzz is a cool enough unit but for some players after plugging into a full on Fuzz Face you will see why guys will pay 2, 3, 5 hundred dollars for good replicas and over $1000 for good original units...

Thanks for that info TGWIF. Now I've got one more pedal to shoot for.

Btw, I've drawn a schematic of the TF, (around here somewhere), and the "tweak" knob also switches a resistor along with the cap. So its an RC combo.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: I know I've gotten Fuzz Face Crazy!

When I said crazy, I wasn't kidding. I grabbed this for $80 off Craigslist tonight, and it's a great sounding pedal. The way the story goes....Mike Fuller picked up one of his Octafuzz pedals, and saw that the octave part wasn't connected, and realized it's fuzz sounded great on it's own. So, he put in a switch and created the Octafuzz 2 in a smaller housing with Octave fuzz or Fuzz. I'm glad I've finally got one. I'll probably put it where the Classic OD is.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: I know I've gotten Fuzz Face Crazy!

I actually like the bigger box Octafuzz but the small box is really appealing for small and or tight boards...I've been looking for another one off and on in the small box to put on my small board!

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: I know I've gotten Fuzz Face Crazy!

Now that I've had a bit of time on each Fuzz Face with singles and humbuckers, I'm liking the Hendrix and Bonamassa the most. The Hendrix is the most definitive FF sound IMO, and the sound most commonly associated with the pedal. It's probably the one most should gravitate toward.

The Bonamassa is equally cool, being the most musical in my opinion. It's fat, rich, and it's gain is never over the top, but right where it should be when on 10. Then set the volume where you want it, and you're getting a sweet nicely voiced light fuzz tone.

I kinda like the EJ, but it's my least favorite of the 3. It's got some good sounds in it, and does the over the top thing pretty decently, but it's a strange beast with a lot of ugly in it too. I wouldn't put words in Jorge Tripp's mouth, but I have a feeling he isn't in love with it either. He alluded to that in one of the clips, saying words like "spitty" and "warts and all." It's probably why it took EJ and Dunlop 6 years to arrive at something.
But it's not terrible either. It's another flavor of FF, and a decent offering since EJ is hugely associated with the Fuzz Face in general.

Overall, the Jimi Hendrix and Joe Bonamassa nail two really great FF sounds. I'll probably use one or the other, depending on guitars and amps. The EJ may stick around if it's a short lived run, but if they start producing thousands, it's probably going.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: I know I've gotten Fuzz Face Crazy!

Now that I've had a bit of time on each Fuzz Face with singles and humbuckers, I'm liking the Hendrix and Bonamassa the most. The Hendrix is the most definitive FF sound IMO, and the sound most commonly associated with the pedal. It's probably the one most should gravitate toward.

The Bonamassa is equally cool, being the most musical in my opinion. It's fat, rich, and it's gain is never over the top, but right where it should be when on 10. Then set the volume where you want it, and you're getting a sweet nicely voiced light fuzz tone.

I kinda like the EJ, but it's my least favorite of the 3. It's got some good sounds in it, and does the over the top thing pretty decently, but it's a strange beast with a lot of ugly in it too. I wouldn't put words in Jorge Tripp's mouth, but I have a feeling he isn't in love with it either. He alluded to that in one of the clips, saying words like "spitty" and "warts and all." It's probably why it took EJ and Dunlop 6 years to arrive at something.
But it's not terrible either. It's another flavor of FF, and a decent offering since EJ is hugely associated with the Fuzz Face in general.

Overall, the Jimi Hendrix and Joe Bonamassa nail two really great FF sounds. I'll probably use one or the other, depending on guitars and amps. The EJ may stick around if it's a short lived run, but if they start producing thousands, it's probably going.

Your findings sort of echo how I feel about the Dunlop Fuzz trio so far...

The EJ is cool and has a lot of character of vintage units...spitty, hard to control, etc...I think that's one of of the things EJ was looking for...something to make it more like an old one but it is also optimized for the way EJ plays...cranked Marshal, 4x12 cab(s) and single coil with the tone rolled WAY off...

The JH Is pretty much the idea Silicon Fuzz Face for most people and really is kind of the ideal Fuzz Face for most people Silicon or not...the gain range is good as it has enough gain to have good sustain even with a Strat but not so much that it becomes hard to use and control.

The Bonna FF however is just a strange beast...the more I hear them the less they even sound like Fuzz Faces to me...I mean the tonal footprint is there but they never quite get "there"...

Jo, let me ask...do you actually use the FUZZ controls on yours or do you just crank it to max and leave it?

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: I know I've gotten Fuzz Face Crazy!

The Bonna FF however is just a strange beast...the more I hear them the less they even sound like Fuzz Faces to me...I mean the tonal footprint is there but they never quite get "there"...

Joe, let me ask...do you actually use the FUZZ controls on yours or do you just crank it to max and leave it?

Yeah, I always pinpoint the gain knob to the spot where it melds with the amp's natural gain, which is usually the sound of a 100W plexi turned up to 4 or 5. On the EJ, the gain is around 2:30. On the JH it's around 3:30, and on the JB it's full up, around the 4:30 position. Pickups for reference are Surfers and PAFish humbuckers (Bro, Seths, PG)

The Bonamassa is a bit short of fully fuzzing out, but it's fat and smooth voicing is great for amps and guitars that take it the rest of the way.

I agree about the JH being the one that most people would gravitate toward.
And luckily, it's $50 cheaper than the other two, and produced in mass quantities.

 

[d1dsj]

Re: I know I've gotten Fuzz Face Crazy!

I've had a chance to play with the JB FF today as I'm feeling real lousy and so far I like it better with my Legacy loaded with Custom Surfer/ SSL1/ SSL1. It sounds good with the amp set with the gain just past break up without digging in too much. What I really like is how well it cleans up with the volume rolled back. And the tone controls, especially the bass, have a massive effect with the Legacy too... so much more than a humbucker! It's been fun today playing with this and the WAH and they work so well together, looks like another board in the making.

 

[deragoku]

Re: I know I've gotten Fuzz Face Crazy!

With my buckers and my new P-90 guitar. Volume on the P-90 support, I have a good crunchy sound. With full volume, I have a real smooth and warm fuzzies.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: I know I've gotten Fuzz Face Crazy!

I'll play too - I spent some quality time with my 62' RI Strat and my Sunface today. Holy hell, I love it. Fuzz full up, guitar volume on 10, neck pickup... I love it.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: I know I've gotten Fuzz Face Crazy!

It's been fun today playing with this and the WAH and they work so well together, looks like another board in the making.

Yeah, I've got enough that I think I'm going to use the Fulltone Clyde Deluxe, Jimi Hendrix FF, Fulltone Octafuzz, and white MXR Classic OD on my main board.

On the smaller board, it'll be all copper/orange. JB wah, JB FF, Mudhoney, and Marshall Gov'nor. The Gov'nor is a better pedal than most think. It's a Marshall in a box.

The odd ones out are the EJ FF and green MXR Classic OD. Those, I can use on occasion.

 

[Silmaril]

Re: I know I've gotten Fuzz Face Crazy!

Hey I am new to this Forum.
I would like to buy a Fuzz. But I only can compare the Fuzz through Youtube, The musicstores are to far, and most dont have a Bonamassa or Eric Johnson Fuzz. From What I heard I like the Johnson and the Bonmassa Fuzz the most, The Hendrix I dont like that much.
My Question:
1. Could I achive with the Bonamassa Fuzz the Eric Johnson sound?
2. Could I achive with the Eric Johnson Fuzz the Tone that Clapton used with Cream. I know that the Bonamassa Fuzz goes in that direction.
3. Do you guys think Johnson used on ''Last house on the Block'' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6MI1MOD9mU a Fuzz in beginning and also in end, at around 13:25 he sound like clapton. Or did he just cranked his Plexi for this song?

 

[Silmaril]

Re: I know I've gotten Fuzz Face Crazy!

@Gearjoneser: U own these 2 Fuzz... Maybe u can answer my question. Would to be nice to hear your thoughts.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: I know I've gotten Fuzz Face Crazy!

@Gearjoneser: U own these 2 Fuzz... Maybe u can answer my question. Would to be nice to hear your thoughts.

None of the pedals emulate one another Gainwise, the JB is 7, the JH is 10, and the EJ is 13.

Funny enough, the Eric Johnson fuzz grew on me, rising to the top because of those nuances EJ is so adamant about.....the sputtery blatty thing.

 

[Silmaril]

Re: I know I've gotten Fuzz Face Crazy!

None of the pedals emulate one another Gainwise, the JB is 7, the JH is 10, and the EJ is 13.

What do mean with these numbers?

Does the EJ work well with Humbuckers?