fuzzes

tragictravisty

what are good values? im looking at the duncan tweak fuzz, brown rabbit, fuzz factory, etc.

StevieK

analgoman 275 germanium fuzz face. exact replica of the original fuzz faces, down to the chips used, with an added bias knob to help tweak tonal irregularities that can come as a result of temperature changes.

tragictravisty

but i could quite easily do that mod myself, just buy a new enclosure. also, not ranking very high in the value category. Supposedly a nice pedal though

StevieK

the sun face isn't a mod, it's its own pedal, unless you were referring only to the bias knob on the sunface. well if you can get access to the 275 chips he uses then I'd say go for it. Fuzz Faces aren't a complex pedal at all and making one yourself would be lot more affordable. Value has always been in quality for me, never in price. Zvex fuzz factories cover every fuzz sound there is, from fuzz faces to big muffs, it's got it. Also the pigtronix disnortion and polysaturators are two distortions/fuzzes that have their own unique sound.

sorry that's the only fuzz pedals I've used, haven't played with the tweak fuzz or brown rabbit.

jellybelly

I use a barge concepts BB-jr, an exact clone of a Roland Bee Baa fuzz, minus the top boost: it has two footswitchable modes, either a really tight, buzzy fuzz (which I don't ever really use, cept for recording bass parts) and the biggest, baddest, make-a-big-muff-wet-its-pants fuzz I've ever heard. Price was very good (I believe they only have a few stockists but you can buy direct) but then that might be the strength of the pound against the dollar at the moment: check out www.bargeconcepts.com anyway! Other fuzzes of note? big muff, zoom ultra fuzz, zvex vexter fuzz factory, fender blender, prescription electronics experience

Fran

Stevie K said: analgoman 275 germanium fuzz face. exact replica of the original fuzz faces, down to the chips used, with an added bias knob to help tweak tonal irregularities that can come as a result of temperature changes.

Stevie dropping the science.

Tis true. I have a few Germanium Fuzz Pedals but they are temperamental under strong lighting and stuff. Silicone fuzzes are more harsh and do not carry the same tonal qualities.

Roger Mayer worked with Hendrix on the design of Fuzz Faces, he mixed silicone with germanium transistors to counteract the temperature problems BUT you cannot beat a good germ. FF.

Forget Zvex unless you want extreme sci-fi fuzz like Muse use. You'd be better off looking at companys like Fulltone, Roger Mayer, etc. Old Dallas-Arbiter.

I've owned loads and built a couple from parts. The Shin-ei, Fender Blender, Superfuzz etc. are very very harsh. Big Muffs, Boss fuzz, Ibanez FZ-7 and Dod fuzz are more like fuzz/distortion than classic fuzz pedals.

The classic fuzz face is the best.

AnotherTool

How was your fender blender Fran?

Do you still have it?

I've always wanted one after seeing the smashing pumpkins rip the ear drums of studio employees on japanese TV.

Fran

I sold it dude. It was a nasty pice of work to be honest, like that Shin-Ei fuzz. No matter what guitar you played through it the sound was the same splattered broken chainsaw.

Unlike the Fuzz Faces, you engage it then control everything with your guitars volume. You can go from boosted crystal clean to full on purple haze sounds.

tragictravisty

Stevie K said: the sun face isn't a mod, it's its own pedal, unless you were referring only to the bias knob on the sunface. well if you can get access to the 275 chips he uses then I'd say go for it. Fuzz Faces aren't a complex pedal at all and making one yourself would be lot more affordable. Value has always been in quality for me, never in price. Zvex fuzz factories cover every fuzz sound there is, from fuzz faces to big muffs, it's got it. Also the pigtronix disnortion and polysaturators are two distortions/fuzzes that have their own unique sound.
sorry that's the only fuzz pedals I've used, haven't played with the tweak fuzz or brown rabbit.

im leaning towards the fuzz factory, cuz its versatile.

the sun face is an EXACT copy of the fuzz face, with a bias knob. this is usually on the inside, they put it on the outside. somebody give them 200$!

Fran

Fuzz Factorys are versatile but they also need a lot of time on them, you can spend a lot of time dialling in one good sound. All the controls interact.

tragictravisty

i love screwing with sounds, so yeah. also, there are loads of lists to get some model sounds

kidwaJstang

The Electro-Harmonix Graphic Fuzz is one extremely versitile pedal if you are looking for variety.

And, I too love that buzzsaw sound of the Fender Blender. I really want to get one of the new reissues w/ true bypass. If anything, I think it would be great sonic fun!!

tragictravisty

tried out 2: guyatone's the fuzz, which wasnt great, and the keeley fuzzhead. the keeley wasnt half bad, with the gain and vol up all the way on germanium driving either a laney lc15 or 30 or fender blues funior with preamps maxed, i got a singing lead tone which was stunning, especially when drenched in reverb.... but incredibly overpriced.

tragictravisty

this things pretty sick: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15CROjPb ... re=related for the low low price of 225!

Richie

Here's a fuzz that'll just confuse most people: the Devi Ever Bit Mangler.

It has a joystick! WTF?!

Makes some insane sounds too. Really pricey though, like

tragictravisty

kind of offtopic, but you gotta love deviever. he designed "peeps". no, not the candy. the tiny little optical expression pedal like the ones on keyboards.

tragictravisty

for that deviever fuzz id save my 300 and get a fuzz factory and put a feedbacker on it. but this thing looks great: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZzCAEUoPEw its only 120

tragictravisty

i think ive decided on a rat which i would mod the #### out of.

tragictravisty

or a guyatone micro octaver. these things are sick. its like a blue box, controls for dry, 1 down, 2 down, a 3 way filter knob, and gain. the octaves down are fuzzed. with the gain all the way down it doesnt track very well, and only tracks when you hit a note hard. thats sick because you can basically have just your dry signal until you slam on the string, and then its bassy fuzz. with the gain maxed, it tracks pretty well. also with squealy natural harmonics on the high E, its allover the place for a sec before it tracks. and if you let a note ring out, as it stops tracking, the note'll drop down a few semitones before disappearing. i think ill get this.

tragictravisty

i tried a visual sound angry fuzz today, which has a level, then a fuzz level and an anger level, and then a bright switch. the level is volume (duh) but the fuzz and anger levels are actually gains for a fuzz circuit and an octavia circuit. the bright switch is a treble booster.

this thing sucks. it sounds fake. dont buy it. if you buy it sell it.