Which Fuzz!?

[Micsan28]

Recently I have come to realize that my favorite guitar tones are often accompanied by a fuzz tone as opposed to an overdrive. I own several overdrive pedals, but no fuzz. The only fuzz that I have ever used was my friend's fuzz factory that either didn't like my guitar, or didn't like my amp because all it did was squeal like a dying pig.

 

With that being said, I am looking for my first fuzz pedal and was wondering which fuzz tones would be a good choice, there are so many options out there, and alot of them cannot be found in stores..

 

So far, the Analog Man Sunface looks rather appealing but I am unsure of which Germanium Transistor (I don't want Silicon) is best suited for me. I have seen the demo videos, but the thing is, every time I watch it on a different computer they sound different, because of different sound cards, speakers, and such. Also, I find the information on the page doesn't cover all the ordering options that are available.

 

I play anything from Blues Rock, Blues Punk, Funk, to Alternative and Metal (Iron Maiden-ish, nothing to heavy.) [Pretty much in that order, not exactly]. And my primary guitars are both AII humbuckers (Which I hear is slightly harder to get a good fuzz with), I don't use the American Stratonaster too much (Thinkin' about selling it and finally getting a Gibby)

 

Also, I hear that fuzz pedals are very picky with certain amps, mine are listed in my signature.

[RichCI]

Fuzzes... yeah, they're peculiar. I own a bunch, mostly Fuzz Face clones like the Analogman Sunface NKT275, and some others ones like the Zvex Fuzz Factory.

 

First off, everybody has their own opinion on what a good fuzz tone is so take what I'm writing with a grain of salt. I tend to go for smoother, more mild fuzz tones like Hendrix used on some recordings. You might prefer something else.

 

Second, I've concluded that, unless you're looking for an over the top effect to use once in a while, you either use fuzz or you don't. That is, all of the fuzz pedals I've used drastically alter your tone to the point where you really need to base your setup around the fuzz pedal, mainly when dialing in your amp. The Fuzz Face clones tend to sound pretty dark so, when you click them on, your tone gets pretty thick; conversely, if you base your tone around the pedal, your tone will be pretty bright when you click it off. So, IMO, if you're going to use fuzz you're going to have to commit to it and use the volume knob on your guitar to vary the amount of dirt you're using (fuzzes generally clean up pretty well when doing that). I've tried to integrate fuzz into my band setup on several occasions and it just doesn't work out for me as something I can use once in a while as I'd use it on only one or two songs.

 

Ideally, I do agree that single coil pickups like on a Strat or Tele sound best with a fuzz as they're brighter and cut through better than humbuckers but I've gotten good sounds with my Les Paul and other guitars as well. Working the volume control on your guitar helps a lot. Out of the genres of music that you listed, fuzz can work with all of them except the "Iron Maiden-ish, nothing too heavy" metal as you really want to use a sound for metal that has more of an edge to it but fuzz has been used in metal before.

 

Fuzz definitely works better with some amps than others and the only good generalization I can give you is to use fuzz combined with an amp that's overdriving a bit as, IMO, fuzz sounds like *** through a totally clean amp as well as a heavily overdriven amp. I've used it with with my Blues Jr and it sounds okay, but the amp sounds a little small to me for getting a nice, big fuzz tone. Your '65 Twin RI might be a little too clean and/or loud to get some overdrive out of it to work with a fuzz; of course, if you're prone to blasting that amp, it might be fine. Also worth noting is that even though I'm recommending using an amp that's overdriving a bit, less gain stages work best with fuzz; that is, a fuzz into an overdrive pedal into an overdriven amp is going to be too much.

 

Out of all of the fuzzes I own, the Analogman Sunface NKT275 is one of my favorites; it's smooth, articulate and cleans up very well. The Zvex is a whole different animal from anything else I've used; I *can* get smoother, more old style fuzz out of it similar to the Sunface, but it's best for crazier applications. The Zvex is not the easiest one to get used to either as it's a more complex pedal than a simple fuzz that has just "volume" and "fuzz" controls so getting a good sound out of it takes a bit more time and patience.

 

If I were you, I'd ask your friend if you can borrow his Fuzz Factory for a few days so you can mess around with it and see if fuzz is really something you want to get into. I love fuzz but I haven't found a practical application for it in my band situation though so it remains something I just mess around with at home - but it sure is fun!

[deepblue]

I checked out a Peppermint fuzz last year. Sounded pretty sweet to my ears.

[RichCI]

The Peppermint is pretty good but more raspy sounding than the Sunface so I prefer the Sunface. Although, I have one of the early Peppermint fuzzes (like #19 or something) and they've since added a bias control which I wish I had on that box.

[jameslucascalvert]

I think fuzz pedals sound great through a lot of Fender amps, specifically because of what richCI said. If you've got too much gain goin' on, the fuzz sounds like ***....Fender amps on an overdrive channel or being overdriven by a pedal with fuzz is just right. My endorsement goes to the Death By Audio Supersonic Fuzz Gun. Lots of different sounds (not all of them are good) and it's a relatively small enclosure. The down side is the price....Same thing with a Red Witch Fuzz God. My Strat sounds great with the DBA Supersonic Fuzz, even though I play my LP Custom more often. If you're looking for a metal tone, just get a Barber Dirty Bomb. Cheap, and awesome tones.

[EVOL!]

I LOVE FUZZ!

 

Like most fuzz users, I have very strong opinions and preferences.

 

One correction I need to make - the Fuzz Factory is not a Fuzz Face clone. Fuzz Factory is its own wild design.

 

About 3 months ago I sold my Yardbox fuzz pedal and got a Fuzz Factory. Beware! This pedal can do a lot and can be very unruly. Turning some of the knobs while the pedal is engaged can solicit crazy squelching. Basically, I don't recommend this pedal if aren't willing to put in the time to work with it. I bought it for the Velcro fuzz sounds ala Jeff Tweedy (Although I think he used a Big Cheese on I'm the Man Who Loves You).

 

There are mainly two types of fuzz: Germanium and Silicon. Ge tends to be smoother, more dynamic, and much more responsive to your pick attach and the volume knob on your guitar. Si can be nastier and while it does not clean up as well as Ge, it is much more predictable and consistent. Ge is temperature sensitive so your Fuzz Factory on a cold floor will sound different. Your Fuzz Face (the Dunlop reissues are all Si) will always sound the same. If you go Ge, to get the full use of that pedal put it first in your chain or second if your floor tuner is first. I have found too that Ge pedals hate solid state amps so make sure you stay tube. Running it into a no master volume one like the Deluxe Reverb is a good choice.

 

Be ready to spend a couple hundred bucks because boutique is the only way to go for fuzz. I have no love for the overused sound of a Big Muff and while I have a Fuzz Face reissue, it's sound is not very dynamic. Analog Man has a top notch selection. If you want a killer, basic fuzz the Sun Face ones are nice. I personally prefer the Peppermint line. It's more Velcro-ish. There are also a whole potpourri of boutique fuzzes. The Yardbox is not bad since it does both creamier Big Muff style and gritty Rat. Old, discontinued fuzz pedals also have a special place in my heart. I still use and own a Ge Mosrite Fuzzrite. Man, that is a mean pedal. Great psychedelic fuzz, though.

[RichCI]

I LOVE FUZZ!One correction I need to make - the Fuzz Factory is not a Fuzz Face clone. Fuzz Factory is its own wild design.

 

Some lousy editing on my part and never meant to write that. Reedited for clarity.

[EVOL!]

Some lousy editing on my part and never meant to write that. Reedited for clarity.

 

No worries, brother. Just keeping us honest here.

[Micsan28]

For the Sunface, which transistor should I get? Is the UK Texas Instrument the white dot Ge? Or should I just get the standard Ge transistor or High Gain NKT?

 

The Dunlop Dallas Arbiter, I heard from a few people that it preformed poorly in live performances, can anyone confirm or void that statement?

 

I'm afraid that if I get one of the higher gain fuzz tones it will skimp out on the non-metal tones, or be way to noisy and muddy for my tastes.

 

So many damn choices!!

[dem00n]

Devi Ever.

Thats all you need to know.

[myspace.com/jessenoah]

obviously there are people who know alot more about fuzz then me, but all the ladies love my swollen pickle..............

 

 

and it sounds thick and harmonic-y!

[RichCI]

For the Sunface' date=' which transistor should I get? Is the UK Texas Instrument the white dot Ge? Or should I just get the standard Ge transistor or High Gain NKT?

 

The Dunlop Dallas Arbiter, I heard from a few people that it preformed poorly in live performances, can anyone confirm or void that statement?

 

I'm afraid that if I get one of the higher gain fuzz tones it will skimp out on the non-metal tones, or be way to noisy and muddy for my tastes.

 

So many damn choices, not many opportunities to try them all...

[/quote']

 

I hear ya, especially when it comes to online purchases.

 

Out of all of the fuzzes I have, I always seem to come back to the Analogman Sunface NKT275; it just plain sounds good for what I like. Another good option is the Foxrox Hot Silicon (silicon transistors) which can get smoother sounds similar to germanium transistors by backing down the "grit" control (bias) but without the temperature issues that evol discussed and Dave Fox really knows fuzz! Either one of those would be great for a Fuzz Face style pedal. I have some others that I like but they're either oddballs or rare birds which doesn't make them very practical outside of home.

[EVOL!]

The Dunlop Dallas Arbiter' date=' I heard from a few people that it preformed poorly in live performances, can anyone confirm or void that statement?

[/quote']

 

Not sure about the Dunlop ones, but the originals used early Ge transistors that were not very reliable or consistent. No two pedals sounded the same.

[charlie brown]

This is interesting to me...as I have a reason (recently), to use "Fuzz" again, and would love to

find a pedal that closely mimic's (or matches) an old Vox Tone Bender! I used to LOVE that "fuzz box,"

as we used to call them. Any ideas/recommendations?

 

CB

[Californiaman]

Maybe this will help you.

I finally settled on a Homebrew Ultra Fuzz Octave.

But the one I'll probably pick up next is the Fulltone '69 Fuzz.

Great Germanian Fuzz Box.

Fuzz

[Silenced Fred]

obviously there are people who know alot more about fuzz then me' date=' but all the ladies love my swollen pickle..............

 

 

and it sounds thick and harmonic-y!

 

I'm getting one as soon as MF has them in stock

 

I like the sound of it a ton, very versatile, well as versatile as a Fuzz pedal can get

[Dub-T-123]

I don't really like the new Swollen Pickle. I played one at NAMM and didn't like what I heard. Maybe I oughta give it another try.

 

You should check out Differential Audio Manifestationz. They're from England and they make a SWEET fuzz. They make quite a few actually.

[RichCI]

This is interesting to me...as I have a reason (recently)' date=' to use "Fuzz" again, and would love to

find a pedal that closely mimic's (or matches) an old Vox Tone Bender! I used to LOVE that "fuzz box,"

as we used to call them. Any ideas/recommendations?

 

CB[/quote']

 

Man, that's a grail pedal these days. All I can suggest to you is to start poking around the web; Jimmy Page used a Vox Tone Bender MK II and the Page worshipers all want one. From what I've read (that is, I haven't tried any of these), there are a few that are supposed to be quite good.

 

D.A.M. 1966

D.A.M. Fuzz Sound MK III

Prescription Electronics Yardbox

 

It's been a few years since I researched Tone Benders so there might be some others out there that are worth investigating.

 

Edit: Oh yeah - don't bother with the Sola Sound Reissue; I have one and it sounds like ***.

[Silenced Fred]

I don't really like the new Swollen Pickle. I played one at NAMM and didn't like what I heard. Maybe I oughta give it another try.

 

You should check out Differential Audio Manifestationz. They're from England and they make a SWEET fuzz. They make quite a few actually.

 

I played on a Big Muff' date=' and the only tones that I like were with the tone right in the middle, anything moved on it, and I hated it. I really like the Swollen Pickle, tons of sounds I can make on it, as long as they are all fuzz

[charlie brown]

Man' date=' that's a grail pedal these days.[/b'] All I can suggest to you is to start poking around the web; Jimmy Page used a Vox Tone Bender MK II and the Page worshipers all want one. From what I've read (that is, I haven't tried any of these), there are a few that are supposed to be quite good.

 

D.A.M. 1966

D.A.M. Fuzz Sound MK III

Prescription Electronics Yardbox

 

It's been a few years since I researched Tone Benders so there might be some others out there that are worth investigating.

 

Edit: Oh yeah - don't bother with the Sola Sound Reissue; I have one and it sounds like ***.

 

Yeah, I've got one...but, it's in storage, in L.A. (I really need to get back out there, and retrieve that

stuff... ;>b )...so, I've been trying to get my friends, to check for it, even giving them the "probable"

location (a chest of drawers), within the storage, in which to look. But...as of yet, nothing. So, I thought

in the meantime...if there was a pedal made, nowadays, that has that tone...I'd get one to use, until they

can find it, for me. Be nice to have a "back-up" or alternative, anyway. ;>)

 

Thanks (all) for the replies/suggestions. I live 100 miles, from the nearest decent music/guitar store, so

it's harder to "try out" pedals, when the mood (GAS) strikes.

 

CB

[Dub-T-123]

I played on a Big Muff' date=' and the only tones that I like were with the tone right in the middle, anything moved on it, and I hated it. I really like the Swollen Pickle, tons of sounds I can make on it, as long as they are all fuzz [biggrin']

 

Which one?

 

I don't really classify my Muff as a fuzz. It lacks fuzz characteristics IMO it's more of a distortion. Either way it sounds good to me and my band so it works for me I guess. I haven't been using it in my new band though. The way I use it is a little unconventional I guess. I'm not the type to crank up the Muff and bust out some power chords.

[myspace.com/jessenoah]

for what its worth, IMO the swollen pickle sounds horrible until you adjust the pots on the inside

[Blackie]

Come on over to the other side and buy a professional multi-ex unit, Tone Lab LE, ST, Boss ME, GT, Digitech.........because they all have like

10 different OD's DS's and Fuzz that can duplicate any parameters of individual pedals with out all your spaghetti cables and such.

 

And you can save the exact settings to be available with the tap of a foot switch. Or you can just keep buying pedals you will discard.

[Silenced Fred]

for what its worth' date=' IMO the swollen pickle sounds horrible until you adjust the pots on the inside[/quote']

 

I didn't think it was that bad... But how did you adjust your pots when you got it? So I have a basis

 

And Dub T- It was just the standard Big Muff Pi USA. That's how I use a fuzz too, create a giant wall of sound with power chords, but some single notes and stuff, but mainly for power chords.

[Silenced Fred]

Come on over to the other side and buy a professional multi-ex unit' date=' Tone Lab LE, ST, Boss ME, GT, Digitech.........because they all have like

10 different OD's DS's and Fuzz that can duplicate any parameters of individual pedals with out all your spaghetti cables and such.

 

And you can save the exact settings to be available with the tap of a foot switch. Or you can just keep buying pedals you will discard.[/quote']

 

 

For me, It just isn't the same. I don't know. I like the single boxes better, but I do want to get a multi fx unit for those random sounds that I know I might use for one song, but never again for another.