What's Another Good Fuzz?

Looking around at getting another fuzz box. Currently I have a Big Muff Pi w/ Tone Wicker. I want to get something that gives a nice bluesy fuzz sound (something that can go 'balls to the wall' too if need be) but not the same sort of sound as the Big Muff.

I've looked at the Zvex Mastotron and the Earthquaker Devices Hoof (I know it's an old green russian muff circuit but it's still really enticing, sounds awesome too).

Any words of wisdom?

Well, there's tons of good fuzz!

For sonic diversity(if I were you), I'd stay away from another Muff-esque pedal, unless you want to trade up for the Hoof(which does seem like an awesome pedal)


I'd say look into a Fuzz Face, or FF derivative

Yes, get a fuzz face style fuzz

I love my Dunlop Jimi fuzz.

I've heard good things about the Hoof, the Pharoah, and that Wren and Cuff "tall front" pedal. I'm currently using a MXR 108 and a Red Llama clone. The Llama sounds great when you nudge it it up into the fuzz zone and is less finicky than a FF when using it with other pedals. It's also easily converted to Craig Anderton's Tube Sound Fuzz which is another great pedal from back in the day.

Maybe not what your looking for but I'd say go for a treble booster and stack it with big muff

I've heard good things about the Hoof, the Pharoah, and that Wren and Cuff "tall front" pedal. I'm currently using a MXR 108 and a Red Llama clone. The Llama sounds great when you nudge it it up into the fuzz zone and is less finicky than a FF when using it with other pedals. It's also easily converted to Craig Anderton's Tube Sound Fuzz which is another great pedal from back in the day.

Your opinion on the MXR 108???

I really like the fuzz factory for the "not big muff" fuzz sound

I really like the fuzz factory for the "not big muff" fuzz sound

+1

check out the roger mayer axis fuzz...and he also has a bunch of other versions of the fuzz box you may be interested in..

mayer was hendrix amp and pedal tech

Earthquaker Devices Tone Reaper.

It's based on a 3-knob Tone Bender.

It'll do the Yardbirds/Zep thing, and a startlingly accurate "Rio Grande Mud-era" Billy Gibbons grind.

I'm diggin' the heck outta mine.


Later...

To be honest, my Danelectro Cool Cat (Peach) Fuzz (version one) was my favorite fuzz pedal...

Your opinion on the MXR 108???

I like to ride the guitar's volume control. Like any FF, most of the fuzz action on the 108 seems to be between 8 and 10 on the guitar's volume control. This can make for a lot of tiny adjustments to control the amount of fuzz and also makes the pedal's level control setting critical. Not enough level and you can't cut through; too much and you lose the fuzz as you back off the guitar's volume. I know one could say the same can be true of any dirt box but I think it's a little more of an issue with the Fuzz Face than others I could name. Of course, nothing else sounds quite like a FF either.

Aside from that, I think the 108 is a really nice pedal. It seems to be well constructed, looks sharp, and has never given me any trouble. I also dig it's smaller footprint. IMO, there's a bit of a learning curve with a FF but if you want that sound it's worth the effort.

Those are the same issues I've found with the MXR 108, cousin paul. But I really got the FF sound in my blood after that, and found what I was looking for with a DenTone 1967. A freaking killer clone of the 1967 Dallas Arbiter FF. It plays with other pedals fine and cuts through in the mix.

How would the FuzzFactory be against the Mastotron?

To be honest, my Danelectro Cool Cat (Peach) Fuzz (version one) was my favorite fuzz pedal...

I love my Dano CC Fuzz v.1. It hits that The Black Keys sounds pretty good.

I really wants me one of Paul Trombetta's Mini-Bones after seeing it in this video ...

wEF-R1Kmi0I

Never really been taken with any other fuzzes, but that sounds incredible. Maybe it's just Josh Smith's playing....

fuzz factory and mastotron are two sides of the same fuzz faced coin. the mastotron is bass heavy and the fuzz factory has more mids/highs. not saying the fuzz factory doesn't have bass, its just not bass focused like the mastotron or woolly mammoth

Those are the same issues I've found with the MXR 108, cousin paul. But I really got the FF sound in my blood after that, and found what I was looking for with a DenTone 1967. A freaking killer clone of the 1967 Dallas Arbiter FF. It plays with other pedals fine and cuts through in the mix.

Thanks tele, I'll google that one. 11Gauge has figured out what makes the EJ tick and built some FF's and Tone Benders with the mods. I'll probably be calling him when I can afford another one. He says they're very dynamic and sound great. In the meantime, the 108 is fine. I've gotten pretty good at tweaking it on the fly.

Oh BTW, maybe Angry Fuzz? I have both Big Muff /w Tone Wicker and AF, and love'm both! Angry Fuzz is such a nice fuzz on its own and you can dial in as much octave-up as you wish :) Here's a great demo:

http://youtu.be/JFO_GrwxIiM

To be honest, my Danelectro Cool Cat (Peach) Fuzz (version one) was my favorite fuzz pedal...

Was?

My favourite fuzzes are my Cool Cat V1 and Toadworks Mad Dog (which is a kinda Muffy-sounding fuzz).

I own the hoof fuzz, and love it. Can cover so many different sounds. A friend has a big muff tone wicker, and we a/b'd them. Could get the hoof to sound like the muff, but no way that the muff could get all the sounds the hoof can.

WH Swollen Pickle is a great, very versatile fuzz.

M

Was?

My favourite fuzzes are my Cool Cat V1 and Toadworks Mad Dog (which is a kinda Muffy-sounding fuzz).

Got rid of it in a trade - never truly bonded with fuzz, but of all the fuzz pedals I've tried the CC was the best sounding one.

Basic Audio Scarab Deluxe is my suggestion. It gets you from a warm smooth overdrive to trying fuzz tones. Great fuzz.

fuzz factory and mastotron are two sides of the same fuzz faced coin. the mastotron is bass heavy and the fuzz factory has more mids/highs. not saying the fuzz factory doesn't have bass, its just not bass focused like the mastotron or woolly mammoth

The Fuzz Factory is essentially a "first Big Muff gain stage" boosting a Fuzz Face. It then has all of the "fixed" resistors in the FF circuit made adjustable, including the addition of a voltage reducing control.

The Muff "booster" is simplified to give max gain.

The Muff-ish part of the circuit has the same in and out cap values as a Ram's head - 10uF input, .1uF output. So then there is just a third signal cap on the overall output (after the Fuzz Face circuit), and that is also 10uF.

A Fuzz Face has a 22uF cap bypassing the fuzz control, and it is only 10uF in the Fuzz Factory. But there shouldn't be much difference if that cap were made to match a Fuzz Face.

I do not recall the variations to the Mast, but would have to assume that they simply make the signal caps bigger. You only have a pair in the Fuzz Face, and a third in the Fuzz Factory, so not much can actually be changed. It may be as simple as making the .1uF "additional" cap bigger (possibly to match the 10uF in/out caps.

...I know it is a really common trick with tweaked Fuzz Faces to go super big on at least the input cap.

Looking around at getting another fuzz box. Currently I have a Big Muff Pi w/ Tone Wicker. I want to get something that gives a nice bluesy fuzz sound (something that can go 'balls to the wall' too if need be) but not the same sort of sound as the Big Muff.

I've looked at the Zvex Mastotron and the Earthquaker Devices Hoof (I know it's an old green russian muff circuit but it's still really enticing, sounds awesome too).

Any words of wisdom?


Fuzz boxes can be broken down into these major catogories :

* Muff styles
* Fuzz Faces
* Tone Benders
* Super Fuzz's
* Maestro tyle units
* Modern Fuzz (not based on any classic vintage designs)


. . . it really depends what type of fuzz tone you are aiming for :idea:

Your opinion on the MXR 108???

I LOVE MINE :twisted:

What a sleeper it is !
MXR really got it right with this one !
GREAT for low gain rythym, and perfect for anything Black Keys/JSBX/garage rock...you name it !

Here is my two current fav Fuzz Boxes :



http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=black+arts+toneworks+pharaoh&oq=black+arts&aq=2&aqi=p-p2g8&aql=&gs_l=youtube.1.2.35i39l2j0l8.54247.62562.0.68033.2 0.17.3.0.0.1.420.3780.1j0j11j0j3.15.0...0.0.MvtGvH nKnzc - Black Arts Toneworks Pharoah


http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=death+by+audio+fuzz+war&oq=death+by+&aq=0p&aqi=p-p2g8&aql=&gs_l=youtube.1.0.35i39l2j0l8.28012.34367.0.38406.9 .9.0.0.0.0.427.2373.1j1j3j3j1.9.0...0.0.bWXqMxGjBC I - DbA Fuzz War

Foxx Tone Machine or MXR Blue Box.

Plumb Crazy Fuzzy Lady - it's all the fuzz I need.
best of both worlds...silicon & germanium

Foxx Tone Machine or MXR Blue Box.


I have a love/hate relationship with my Blue Box.
Not the best "go-to" fuzz, but usefull for a few sounds - if that is the way you want to go.

What did surprize me was to see one on Ben's (Black Stone Cherry) pedal board.
I have no idea when he uses it though.
Les Paul -->Blue Box -->6505 = destroy complete city blocks :twisted:

I really like the Skreddy Lunar Module.