Versatile Fuzz?

Rushfan2112

Rushfan2112

New member
I'm looking for a versatile fuzz box; something that can do a lightish Fuzz Face style fuzz all the way to super distorted craziness. I haven't been able to play much of it, but would the ZVex Fuzz Factory be a good choice? ledzepp29 just got one and I'll have to play around with it.

any suggestions are welcome. thanks!

rob
 
Re: Versatile Fuzz?

Generally speaking, fuzz boxes don't lend themselves easily to versatility. It's usually fuzz or no fuzz, mostly controlled by the volume knob on the guitar. Besides the ZVex, what other fuzz boxes have you heard/played through?

- Keith
 
Re: Versatile Fuzz?

KGMESSIER said:
Generally speaking, fuzz boxes don't lend themselves easily to versatility. It's usually fuzz or no fuzz, mostly controlled by the volume knob on the guitar. Besides the ZVex, what other fuzz boxes have you heard/played through?

- Keith
Click to expand...

I've played through a Fuzz Face clone and an MKII clone. The Fuzz Face was cool, but kinda light. I like the MKII, but I also really like Big Muff tones, and I really like overall craziness and noise.
 
Re: Versatile Fuzz?

I agree that most fuzz units are not really versatile. But for me, a good blend of fuzziness and versatility comes from my Keeley-modified RAT. The RAT is a distortion which produces a lot of harmonic overtones, just like a fuzz, but it still articulates like a distortion.
 
Re: Versatile Fuzz?

What does the Keeley mod do for the Rat? Can he do mods for any Rat, or does it have to be an older (read: better) model?

- Keith
 
Re: Versatile Fuzz?

I remember getting an old Maestro Fuzz Tone like this one (but in MUCH better shape):

maestro-fuzztone.JPG




It did what it did, and nothing else. Imagine "Satisfaction" and nothing else. It was a cool pedal simply because of what it inspired.

I've owned a half dozen Big Muffs and Muff Fuzz pedals, those were great for what they were.
 
Re: Versatile Fuzz?

My vote (if the word versatile is mentioned together w. Fuzz) goes to either the Big Muff, Maxon D&S (big muff based), VoodooLab SuperFuzz, Fullone Tone Bender, with BBE Free Fuzz as the underdog, but still very usable in my eyes !!!


My 2cents
;)
 
Re: Versatile Fuzz?

SOLO GUITAR STEWIE said:
Seymour Duncan Tweek Fuzz SFX-03
Click to expand...



Sorry, NOT a fan :eek13:

Sounds like a single-voiced fuzz (also a tone i am not fond of) with just a vari-tone, "thinning-out-the-tone", type of knob !

* Now it that knob went from Big Muff to ToneBender, to Sun Face (ie. 5 completely diff. fuzz tones in 1) i would be first in line :smokin:

Hell . . . i'll buy TWO !!!
 
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Re: Versatile Fuzz?

Searching for a "fuzz" is a hellish thing. There are too many "voices", from creamy to buzz-saw...Germanium to Silicon...

From soft fuzz to ZVEX, is too much to ask.

I bought an HBE UFO Fuzz/Octave, and I could not be happier! This unit covers the "fuzz" spectrum, from creamy to buzz-saw! It is also the quietest pedal, regardless of model/type I have ever tried (o/d, chorus, dist, delay, phase, wah)!!!

New units discount to about $155. Used units are on ebay, and go for about $100 if you are not itching for a new one.


http://www.homebrewelectronics.com/products.htm

It has been said before, and it bears mentioning, single coil or P-90 pickups are more expressive through fuzz units. I run humbuckers, and "spilt" them FWIW.
 
Re: Versatile Fuzz?

00:39 seconds into the clip, the octaver kicks in! I hope you enjoy. I bought this pedal to recreate the savage/grainy Iggy Pop/Stooge tone. Overall, it does the flavor of this quite well. It does the more-compressed, dull-sustain-y Muff tone, to a large extent too!
 
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Re: Versatile Fuzz?

My all time favorite is the Frantone Peach Fuzz

Great pedal, just what you discribed goes from light bluesy/ballsy fuzz distortion to full on hairy fuzzmania! Cleans up very nicely when you roll back on your guitars volume control too.:smokin:
 
Re: Versatile Fuzz?

There's the Deucetone Rat... very versatile... Rats are not my thing but I liked the Deucetone.

Never tried it, but, maybe Electro Harmonix Graphic Fuzz... No other pedal has more EQ's...
 
Re: Versatile Fuzz?

SirJackdeFuzz said:
Sorry, NOT a fan :eek13:
Click to expand...
Luckily, I am. I'll second the nomination.

Anybody saying the TF is not versatile must've missed the knobs labled "Tweak" and "Gain".

It's also worth noting that most pedals that are worth a crap do one thing really well.
 
Re: Versatile Fuzz?

JB_From Hell, yeah, you're right. I might end up with a few fuzzes.

But I won a contest on the Harmony Central boards, and I get any Effector 13 product (www.effector13.com) for free. I'm thinking about the Truly Beautiful Disaster for those crazy noise/self oscillation/feedback moments. I believe my fuzz quest has ended... for now. I have a BYOC Fuzz Face PCB I need to build!

thanks for the replies! I'll think about them for the next box I don't want to sound like chaos.
 
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