Who was the first to use a fuzz pedal?

[Curly]

Re: Who was the first to use a fuzz pedal?

"The Ventures had the first chart single to utilize the fuzzbox on guitar, "2000 Pound Bee" (December 29, 1962); this track utilized the Mosrite FuzzRITE."

link

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: Who was the first to use a fuzz pedal?

OK gentlemen, my 2cents :

Acording to the book, "Crazy Fingers" By Annette Carson (... a bio on Jeff Beck, BackBeat Books, 2001) he, JEFF BECK, was the first ever muso to use a Fuzz-box live.

Jimmi Page and Jimi Hendrix saw this thing for the first time at various Jeff Beck gigs !

Now who was the first ever muso to use one in a recording - i have no idea !

So, because of this book, my vote goes to Jeff Beck as the first EVER to use one live !

I'm having a hard time with that.

As far as I know, the Maestro Fuzz Tone was the first commercially available Fuzz- on either side of the Atlantic. From what I understand, it was difficult to get American goods in England in the late 50s/early 60s. The Maestro is an American product. That would mean to me, it was relatively difficult (and possibly expensive) to get an American made product to England. So... The issue I'm having, is in the time that the Fuzz Tone was released, NO ONE in the United States used a Fuzz Tone on a gig before one went across the ocean and was purchased by a (at the time) nobody guitar slinger... I'm not buying that.

 

[Curly]

Re: Who was the first to use a fuzz pedal?

here's A Little History

although it's in the context of the ToneBender, it gives an idea of the chronology .... Maestro FZ1 > Tone Benders > Fuzz Faces

BTW, there's a reissue of the Maestro, but IMO, it doesn't sound too hot ... maybe because it runs on 1 AA battery

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: Who was the first to use a fuzz pedal?

I had one of these:

I'm sure it was cool for the time- but... yeah...

 

[ES350]

Re: Who was the first to use a fuzz pedal?

Red Rhodes and a bunch of the other steel players in the 50's were always coming up with something...you can make a fuzz with a couple of clipping diodes and I bet the first fuzz was born in the 1950's someplace south of the Mason-Dixon line...