Looking for a Fuzz Pedal!

Corbic

Corbic

New member
Hey everyone, I'm in the market for a fuzz pedal, and wanted to get some recommendations from everyone here as to what they think might fit the bill!

I currently play in a funky blues-rock guitar/drum duo, very The Black Keys-meets-The Who-esque kind of stuff. I've got a nice basic sound going on with my Les Paul and Strat going through my Crate Palomino cranked up, to get me a nice vintage crunch, a la Paul Kossoff or Townshend. I can roll the volume down for cleans, or turn it up a little bit on the knob for a bit more saturation. What I'm really looking for right now though, is something to kick my sound over the cliff in the moments where I really need to saturate and fill up the entire sonic space with a ton of fuzz and hugeness.

My first thoughts were a Big Muff or a Tonebender clone. I feel like something like a Fuzz Face wouldn't do the trick, and I don't think I'm experienced with fuzz enough to be able to tame one of those properly and get the best sounds from it. I'm also a big fan of the fuzz that Townshend uses on "Live at Leeds" though I'm not sure if that would fill up the sound enough when I hit it on.

I unfortunately have only $120 to spend on this, but I'm not afraid of building kits or anything, and I know Build Your Own Clone has what sound like reputable clones of most of these pedals. Any suggestions here, either for the above mentioned or for different ones, is greatly appreciated. Thanks a ton for the help in choosing!
 
Re: Looking for a Fuzz Pedal!

The "fuzz" on Live At Leeds is human aggression through a heap of HiWatt stacks.
 
Re: Looking for a Fuzz Pedal!

That and a Univox Superfuzz, though I would never discount the effect cranked Hiwatt stacks and a whole lot of anger can have on the sound!
 
Re: Looking for a Fuzz Pedal!

I've heard nothing but good about the BYOC Tonebender clone. I really, really want one.
 
Re: Looking for a Fuzz Pedal!

a big muff man. muffs are much more versatile than people think. just avoid the idiot setting.

(everything on 10)
 
Re: Looking for a Fuzz Pedal!

Thanks for the advice guys! I feel like I'm leaning towards the Big Muff for now, just to get my feet wet in the crazy world of fuzz pedals at least! And I'm feeling the BYOC Large Beaver is a good place to start, just because it seems really versatile as well with all of it's options. Plus, I'm pretty sure Dan Auerbach in The Black Keys uses one, and that is that vibe I'm trying to capture, so that never hurts.

If anyone has any other suggestions I'm certainly willing to hear them! This might be my first fuzz pedal but I can't see it being my last one, I like fuzzy sounds too much on records to stop with just one of 'em!
 
Re: Looking for a Fuzz Pedal!

the swollen pickle is a copy cat POS that tries to improve on what another company has already established as legend.

if it aint broken, dont fix it, and the big muff definitely aint broke.
 
Re: Looking for a Fuzz Pedal!

Try this. I have it and it is awesome. I think it retails for like $99

 
Re: Looking for a Fuzz Pedal!

Lord, I'm so freakin sick of the Big Muff...

I know it's cool...I know it has it's place but it robs you of so much in order to get it's tone.

Live at Leeds was the old Univox Super Fuzz...cool unit, has a bit of upper octave in there, some clones allow you to take that out but it's a pretty scooped sound, IMHO those work best with big cranked amps to fill in the hole left in the mids...

If you're gonna go with a Muff try the Way Huge Pickle...at least it has the ability to get more sounds...
 
Re: Looking for a Fuzz Pedal!

the guy who invented fire said:
If you're gonna go with a Muff try the Way Huge Pickle...at least it has the ability to get more sounds...
Click to expand...

Exactly why I use one. The muff isn't quite a fuzz, but it can totally be used for one. The pickle can be used in a similar way to a muff, but the pickle is so versitile. The crunch knob turns it into a totally different beast. You can get one for $130. I really wanted a muff, but if you wanna throw down some money and just have a good allaround fuzz, the pickle is the one for you.

just my two cents...
 
Re: Looking for a Fuzz Pedal!

I can actually afford the Swollen Pickle! It's at the same price as the BYOC Large Beaver, so now I'm trying to decide between one of the two (I'll pick up the Superfuzz clone sometime in the future!). I'm under the impression that the BYOC is built like a vintage Muff (Ram's Head) but with some of the tweakability of the Way Huge? I'm not sure but I'll be ordering one of 'em by the end of this week, and I'll get some clips of it in a band format in a few weeks!
 
Re: Looking for a Fuzz Pedal!

Grab a used Black Arts Pharoah. Awesome fuzz covering lots of territory.
 
Re: Looking for a Fuzz Pedal!

I am not too sure about that Live At Leeds tone ('cause i do not own that CD - yet), but the Black Keys, i deff know about, ermmmm, well, em, kinda !

You see, Dan chop 'n chnages his fuzz units on a regular basis.
From Analog Man Sun Face, to old Sovtek Russian Muffs and even a ZVex Octane - i kid you not.

In his latest gear interview (US Guitar World, Vol. 32, April 2011, pg 67) Dan said that he is currently using an Ibanez Standard, Sovtek Big Muff and a 60's Shin-ei live.
He will probably use three diff fuzz units come 2012.
 
Re: Looking for a Fuzz Pedal!

NT02 said:
Grab a used Black Arts Pharoah.
Awesome fuzz covering lots of territory.
Click to expand...

If it is a Muff style fuzz our OP wants, i can not agree MORE with you.
That is an absolute fantastic fuzz box.
I can (...and do) use it for a clean boost, a semi dirty OD, a light fuzz, right up to a wall of DOOM !
 
Re: Looking for a Fuzz Pedal!

check out the PGS demos (i think the zvex demo even features a blackkeys riff) of the:

MI Audio neo fuzz
MI audio GI fuzz
Zvex mastotron

the neo has the more vintagey germanium transistors, while others are silicon based - but all three offer a HUGE amount of tweakability and gain.

You'd definitely be able to score a used mastotron on ebay within your price range.
 
Re: Looking for a Fuzz Pedal!

Try this. I have it and it is awesome. I think it retails for like $99
Click to expand...
Ok pedal but more a distortion with fuzzy characteristics and not really that fuzz like or muff like. Look at videos and decide what kinda fuzz you think you want;
Scooped sustain and thick wollyness big muff all the way but their are a whole degree of other sounds a fuzz can make
 
Re: Looking for a Fuzz Pedal!

James Rock said:
Ok pedal but more a distortion with fuzzy characteristics and not really that fuzz like or muff like. Look at videos and decide what kinda fuzz you think you want;
Scooped sustain and thick wollyness big muff all the way but their are a whole degree of other sounds a fuzz can make
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more. It isn't your normal type of Big Muff fuzz. It will do fuzz but it is a more vintage-y germanium loaded distortion. I like it because between the two circuits it is very tweakable and versatile for transparent distortion to medium fuzz (it won't do high fuzz like a Big Muff will). It may not be what you are looking for but it is worth taking a look at.
 
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