Wireless, fuzz, clean roll off, wah

[dudiluty]

Hi there.

i have these pedals:
Fulltone Clyde wah
AC128 fuzz face
and a Line6 G50 wireless system.

1. When using my fuzz face after my wah i can’t really hear the wah doing what it has to do. Even when i’m using a guitar cable it isn’t really good. (Before wah is no option!) when using guitar > cable > wah > fuzz> amp… the wah is still not doing what it has to do. You can’t really hear the wah..

2. when i’m using my G50 wireless system and i want to dial back to cleans using guitar volume(using the fuzz face) it doesn’t do that.. when using a cable no problems. I thought the G50 had no problems with fuzzes?

anyone can help me with this?

thanks
marco

 

[PFDarkside]

Buffers, fuzzes and vintage Wahs have some issues that players have dealt with for years.

1. Is your Clyde a newer one with a switchable buffer or no? The switchable buffer (on) should allow you to use the Wah before the buffer. If not, you can swap it for the buffered version or you can add the Dave Fox FoxRox Fuzz Friendly Buffer. The other option is to move the Wah after the fuzz.
Also, to confirm, the Wah is fine when the fuzz is bypassed, right? (If not, you need to check the bypass of the fuzz).

2. Usually a buffer (not the one above, think boss, ibanez or even another pedal that is engaged) before a vintage style fuzz face will do two things:
-Make it brighter and a bit more “splatty”
-Eliminate the cleanup
There are some solutions using transformers, etc. to mitigate the brightness due to impedance changes but the roll-off is thr holy grail that really needs the interaction of the pickups, volume pot and fuzz. Your wireless is basically a buffer. They may have changed the output impedance to help with the tone, but the roll off won’t happen with the wireless.

 

[dudiluty]

Buffers, fuzzes and vintage Wahs have some issues that players have dealt with for years.

1. Is your Clyde a newer one with a switchable buffer or no? The switchable buffer (on) should allow you to use the Wah before the buffer. If not, you can swap it for the buffered version or you can add the Dave Fox FoxRox Fuzz Friendly Buffer. The other option is to move the Wah after the fuzz.
Also, to confirm, the Wah is fine when the fuzz is bypassed, right? (If not, you need to check the bypass of the fuzz).

2. Usually a buffer (not the one above, think boss, ibanez or even another pedal that is engaged) before a vintage style fuzz face will do two things:
-Make it brighter and a bit more “splatty”
-Eliminate the cleanup
There are some solutions using transformers, etc. to mitigate the brightness due to impedance changes but the roll-off is thr holy grail that really needs the interaction of the pickups, volume pot and fuzz. Your wireless is basically a buffer. They may have changed the output impedance to help with the tone, but the roll off won’t happen with the wireless.

ok yeah i quess i need a buffer. I think i’ll make one my self. I have the old clyde standard wah. Not the deluxe.

 

[PFDarkside]

ok yeah i quess i need a buffer. I think i’ll make one my self. I have the old clyde standard wah. Not the deluxe.

The buffer should engage only when the Wah engages (otherwise it’ll mess with the fuzz all the time).

Here are two to model:
http://www.area51tubeaudiodesigns.com/buffkit.html

https://www.foxroxelectronics.com/FoxroxWahRetrofit.html

 

[dudiluty]

The buffer should engage only when the Wah engages (otherwise it’ll mess with the fuzz all the time).

Here are two to model:
http://www.area51tubeaudiodesigns.com/buffkit.html

https://www.foxroxelectronics.com/FoxroxWahRetrofit.html

tnx. But i think i’ll look for a schematic and save 30,-

 

[dudiluty]

I quess this will do it ?

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Fuzzface needs to interact with your guitar's pickups & volume pot to do its famously great cleanup.
This is why they always do best first in line.

As PDFdarkside said, it's an impedance thing.
A buffer regulates the impedance, which in many cases is beneficial. Not with a FF though.

You still might get a bit of cleanup simply due to lower signal level.
But IME you can't get the FF's trademark semicleans unless it's connected directly to the guitar. With a cable.
And nothing else in between that isn't true bypass.

 

[PFDarkside]

I quess this will do it ?

That should work.

 

[dudiluty]

Ok i just wired a 10k resistor on the circuit output wire to the switch of the wah. This helps a lot! Cheaper solution then a buffer.

The fulltone wah is true bypass i think and my korg pitchblack tuner is also true bypass i have read.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Yah, true bypass tuners are about the only thing I've ever put in front of a Fuzzface where it still had that great cleanup.

 

[PFDarkside]

Ok i just wired a 10k resistor on the circuit output wire to the switch of the wah. This helps a lot! Cheaper solution then a buffer.

The fulltone wah is true bypass i think and my korg pitchblack tuner is also true bypass i have read.

I’ve never tried that. On a scale from “nothing” to the “same amount of Wah as no fuzz”, where does the Wah->fuzz tone lie now? (Sorry for the goofy question )

 

[dudiluty]

I’ve never tried that. On a scale from “nothing” to the “same amount of Wah as no fuzz”, where does the Wah->fuzz tone lie now? (Sorry for the goofy question )

I replaced the resistor today with a 50k linear pot on the side of the wah. So you have more control over the voice it has when the fuzz is activated. I think between 10k and 20k is the best. If you use a wah without fuzz/drives and give the wah 100%…. Now it should be 85/90% with the fuzz on after the wah without tone/character loss. Works great and a lot cheaper then those buffers you can buy for 40 bucks or so.