Reccomendation for an affordable good 'Fuzz' ?

[telepath]

Hi,

Ive Youtube'd, googled and HC'd myself silly!

I cant afford an AnalogMan Sunface or Arbiter or Tonebender!

I'm looking for a 'good' Fuzz (yeah I know, they all 'bad' !)

By 'good' I mean, toneful, cleans up niclely on volume roll-off (vital!), ideally true bypass -or minimal suck when off.

(I'm looking for Crowes-esque lead tones > Hendrixy rolled back tones - not 'Apopleptic Giant Bee in a Bottle' / Jack White' fuzzzz! )

OK - heres the 'problem'. It has to be affordable (I'll probably be hunting a 2nd hand one too).
'Affordable' = no more than $100 / £80 new or 2nd hand.

Am I chasing my tail?! - any ideas folks?
Thanks ;)

[JosephB]

always check out the classic electro-harmonix...big muff has never let me down!

[pinkspider]

Cool cat fuzz comes first to my mind when i see cheap, cleans up well with vol knob and true bypass. I used to have one but i'm not a fan of its tone.

[Jelle]

I like the Big Muff w/tone wicker; I'm not really a fuzz user, certainly no heavy stuff, but I have great fun with that pedal.

[metulmykul]

Yeah i wouldn't recomend the Cool Cat personally. I'd go a Big Muff over that for sure. The DOD Classic might fit the bill for you also.

[rob2]

This might be a bit left field but I,ve resurrected my old Dano Daddy-o,the yellow one.They classed it as an overdrive but its a great soft fuzz-plus its got something of that tubescreamer ability to "foldback" on itself and give controlled feedback.All I can get from my reissue Muff is sustain,it lacks treble really plus its already had one warrenty repair.
I tried a coolcat fuzz which I'm now stuck with-great at home,was very unimpressed by its overly harsh tone at volume,its.er,banned by the band!..a bit like poor quality "Live at Leeds" tone though I gather theres a version 2 of this in the pipeline thats more tweakable...

[HenryAdams]

Big +1 on the Big Muff, though I don;t think it ever really gets that clean, even if you roll back on the volume. But when you play with it's tone knob, you can get kinda mello and bassey to all out fury. I love the muff.

[telepath]

Thanks guys - appreciated.
I saw 'Gearmanndude's' Big Muff shootout on Youtube.
Loved the sound of the Muff with the 'wicker'.

OK, maybe I'm a bit odd! - but I dont actually want the actual full-on fuzz sound.
I want only the sound of a fuzz that is cleaned up a little with the volume rolled back.

The Muffs seem real looow and .. well .. 'Muffy'.
Does a Muff brighten up on guitar vol roll back?

I'd love the look of having a Muff on my 'board! (OK, silly I know ... but they do look cool ;) )
But instead might just chance my arm with a CoolCat V2 Fuzz and see how it goes.
It's hardy gonna break the bank.

Though any further suggestions still much appreciated (or confirmation that the Muff cleans up and, ideally, brightens up on roll-off.
Cheers!

[Frontier9]

I love the MI Audio Neo Fuzz - lottsa different sounds to be had from that one. It's priced around what you've specified.

[vjf1968]

There is this:


And this:





There is also the Ashbass FuzzBrite which is a clone of the Mosrite Fuzzrite, and the Yardbox from Prescription Electronics. Or build your own from a kit from www.buildyourownclone.com

Personally I hate the Big Muff and all its variants. The Ashbass sells new on EBay for about $105

[HenryAdams]

After rereading your OP (don't want the Jack White sound) and thinking about your question regarding whether or not the Muff brightens up with volume, I'd say maybe the muff isn't for you. You can increase the treble-y-ness of the muff to make it brighter, but then is when it gets into the full on fury mode. I'm not sure what to recommend, but even though the muff does look awesome, maybe it's just too much...

[Zeppelanoid]

DO NOT get a Muff if you DON'T want the Jack White fuzz sound - it's what he uses.

The Muff does NOT sound at all like what you want. I'm no expert but I would recommend some type of Fuzz Face clone, or the re-issue. It's the one that Hendrix used and they tend to clean up nicely with the guitar's volume knob.

[TeleBrew]

Originally Posted by Zeppelanoid

DO NOT get a Muff if you DON'T want the Jack White fuzz sound - it's what he uses.

The Muff does NOT sound at all like what you want. I'm no expert but I would recommend some type of Fuzz Face clone, or the re-issue. It's the one that Hendrix used and they tend to clean up nicely with the guitar's volume knob.

+1, and I'll recommend the MXR Classic 108 Fuzz specifically. I've got one and will never part with it. But don't worry, they'll make more.

[telepath]

You Guys are Brilliant! - thanks for all the comments and recommendations.

VJF - many thanks for all those reviews!

Whoa! - thanks Frontier9!
That NEO Fuzz seems to be exactly what I want - to the point of being a jaw-droppingly perfect fit for what I want - well from what i see in that review anyway.

Around £100 in UK, so a tiny bit over budget,
but hey .. what are budgets for?! - if not to blow 'em!

And old germainium too?!
What?! - well thats the one I'm going to try to hunt down.

Edit! - I see MI do an 'identical' but lower cost silicon version also - the G.I. Fuzz.
Which is not quite as apparently perfect as the Neo, but certainly aint bad either.



Cheers!

[Fred.T]

Maybe you can build one, for 100 quid you'll have variety:

http://www.musikding.de/product_info...-Fuzz-kit.html

http://www.musikding.de/product_info...-Fuzz-kit.html

http://www.musikding.de/product_info...-Fuzz-kit.html

http://www.musikding.de/product_info...-fuzz-kit.html

:-)

[blingdogg]

I'd recommend the Electroharmonix Double Muff. It says "muff" in the name, but it's nothing like the big Muff (I own both pedals). The double muff is a kind of overdrive/fuzz pedal. When I roll the guitar's volume down I get a very jangly, bright and chimey tone that's great for rhythm. Then with the volume up a bit more, it's more overdrive. Then with the volume on full it's a smooth, warm, and creamy fuzz. I play Hendrix-type music all the time. The Double Muff is a kind of fuzz/overdrive mix with a very 60s-70s vintage tone, don't think it's like the Big Muff.

I also have the Big Muff and it's very different. It's a more over the top distortion effect that's a lot heavier, thicker, fuzzier and aggressive. Very much like Jack White (I'm pretty sure he uses the big muff).

Electroharmonix made their names misleading.

[Telesavalis]

I picked up a Little BIg Muff on Ebay for $35. it does the muff thing well.

[telepath]

Originally Posted by blingdogg

I'd recommend the Electroharmonix Double Muff. It says "muff" in the name, but it's nothing like the big Muff (I own both pedals). The double muff is a kind of overdrive/fuzz pedal. When I roll the guitar's volume down I get a very jangly, bright and chimey tone that's great for rhythm. Then with the volume up a bit more, it's more overdrive. Then with the volume on full it's a smooth, warm, and creamy fuzz. I play Hendrix-type music all the time. The Double Muff is a kind of fuzz/overdrive mix with a very 60s-70s vintage tone, don't think it's like the Big Muff.

I also have the Big Muff and it's very different. It's a more over the top distortion effect that's a lot heavier, thicker, fuzzier and aggressive. Very much like Jack White (I'm pretty sure he uses the big muff).

Electroharmonix made their names misleading.

Wow! - thanks I'd have overlooked that one becuse of the 'Muff' naming - not knocking Muffs! - just not what I think (thought!) I want.

also, FAO Fred - hey, thanks - they look interesting, and i could stretch to assembling my own (good price too ;) ) but i wouldn't know what to expect as a result.
Might give it a go though!

But now, that Double Muff - yep like the NEO, much of its spectrum is *exactly* what I want -maybe even more so.
Thanks!!!

Edit! _ just checked out the price.. nearly fell off my chair - Double Muff is really, really affordable too .. wow! i was expecting it to be Muff price .. errr.. doubled :)
Edit II:
And it is true bypass. .. Oh Lordy ;)
A million thanks.
This forum is that darned best there is.

Mmmmm ... Double Muff ..!

[mojoming]

Do a search for the Das Fuzz or the Bone Bender. Great fuzzes and well made stuff won't break the bank.

[mj74uk]

I have made the Musikding silicon fuzz and included the optional 'bias' and 'contour' pots. I also wired in a 'voltage sag' pot (beavis audio research) to get dying battery sounds (works great with fuzz pedals), the result is a great sounding fuzz tone with more options to tweak the tone to your liking than with most off the shelf pedals which usually only have volume and fuzz pots.
I found the biggest advantage of building your own fuzz was putting a socket in for the input capacitor, then you can try out several different values to get anything from smooth overdrive to as fuzzy as you like (I prefered a much more restrained fuzz sound like you are after).
A fuzz is about the easiest circuit to build, great tone and very versatile with all the additional options and its tailored to your spec.

[dalandan]

3 best choices IMO:

1. MI audio fuzzes - very underrated
2. BYOC - you can have either fuzz face or tonebender
3. MXR Classic BC108 - the square one with a buffer is cheaper than the

though the BYOC should be the best option for you since you have a tight budget.

[FenderGuy53]

Originally Posted by Jelle

I like the Big Muff w/tone wicker; I'm not really a fuzz user, certainly no heavy stuff, but I have great fun with that pedal.

Have you tried the green Big Muff w/ Tone/Wicker? I'm wondering if it can get to the same place as the reissue Big Muff.

[FenderGuy53]

Originally Posted by telepath

I saw 'Gearmanndude's' Big Muff shootout on Youtube. Loved the sound of the Muff with the 'wicker'.

So did I, but his Tele had a 'bucker in the neck position. I'm wondering how good it would sound with a single coil.

Originally Posted by telepath

might just chance my arm with a CoolCat V2 Fuzz and see how it goes. It's hardy gonna break the bank.

Don't do it. I had the original Cool Cat Fuzz (V1), which was the Frantone Peach Fuzz clone, and I thought it was very fizzy and one dimensional. Save your money and get something else.

[Jelle]

Originally Posted by FenderGuy53

Have you tried the green Big Muff w/ Tone/Wicker? I'm wondering if it can get to the same place as the reissue Big Muff.

Not a big fuzz user, so I can't help you there. The tone/wicker switch (esp. tone IMO) are very useful for someone like me.

[telepath]

Well guys, thanks for all your help.
I hope the thread continues because it is really interesting.
But , thanks to this thread and a lot of reading / watching I have pulled the trigger on a EHX Double Muff.
I think it will do what I want ;) Should have it after the Holiday break.
I'm fairly sure it will be good in fact, but , well, for £39 ($62) it's not going to be the end of the world , and I have this thread to refer back to ;)

Apparently the Double Muff has to be at the start of the chain, or at least have only true by-pass pedals in front of it . .so we'll see.

I cant believe I ended up going for a 'Muff in the end - though the Double Muff is clearly a different kind of beast to the other Muffs..

Thanks again for all your help.
Please feel free to continue discussing good Fuzz though!

[telepath]

Well, the Double Muff came today - early! - via Fedex :)

Not been able to try it at volume yet, but seems great, fairly restrained as 'Fuzz'-es go.

Definitely wants to be first in the effects chain, before my Compressor or Wah.
Sounds great there, but quite frankly its pretty awful anywhere else in the chain.
Apparently a true bypass Compressor, or Wah would negate that, but neither of mine are - so maybe thats on the list for another time.

Anyways it responds best to Guitar volume roll-off when first in the chain, so no problemo ;)

So far,really happy! - sounds great rolled back, and just a small twist of the vol knob to get it cranked.
Sounds nothing like a Big Muff (though, for my needs, I'm glad about that!) - more like a boost in Single mode, and a fuzz-esque OD in Double mode.

cant wait to give it some beans ;)

[paraedolia]

You want a fuzzface of some kind by the sounds of things. Keep your eyes on ebay for an old Vintage Technologies Orange Sunshine -- best fuzzface I've played yet.
FWIW, Tonefactor has a 15% off everything promo going over xmas (no affiliation, I just found it).
As you're in the UK, I'd also give Ian Sherwen of Happy Robot/Ghost a call and see what he can whip up for you. His stuff is awesome. Have a look at this: http://www.happyrobotmusic.co.uk/fuzzface.html

[blingdogg]

Originally Posted by telepath

Well, the Double Muff came today - early! - via Fedex :)

Not been able to try it at volume yet, but seems great, fairly restrained as 'Fuzz'-es go.

Definitely wants to be first in the effects chain, before my Compressor or Wah.
Sounds great there, but quite frankly its pretty awful anywhere else in the chain.
Apparently a true bypass Compressor, or Wah would negate that, but neither of mine are - so maybe thats on the list for another time.

Anyways it responds best to Guitar volume roll-off when first in the chain, so no problemo ;)

So far,really happy! - sounds great rolled back, and just a small twist of the vol knob to get it cranked.
Sounds nothing like a Big Muff (though, for my needs, I'm glad about that!) - more like a boost in Single mode, and a fuzz-esque OD in Double mode.

cant wait to give it some beans ;)

I'm glad you like the pedal so far. I have one and use it nearly all the time. I like keeping my guitar volume low to get a chimey rhythm sound, then to turn up the guitar volume for thick fuzzy leads. I love how this pedal cleans up so nicely. It's pretty versatile, I use the single mode for more of a fuzzy boost sound, and use double mode for heavier fuzz.

And I agree with it having to be the first pedal in the chain. If it's not, then it becomes pretty much un-useable and too harsh. But I don't mind at all keeping it first. I love this pedal.

[cousinpaul]

There's a Swaptronics BC108 fuzz up on ebay today, buy it now for $65.00. I've got the germanium version. The guy builds a really nice fuzz face clone; hand-wired, true bypass and an internal bias control. He's got a you-tube clip of the BC108 if you want to hear it. I like mine. It sounds fat and cleans up good when you roll back the guitar's volume.

[wildschwein]

Double Muff always gets my vote - it's like an OD, fuzz, preamp boost and a distortion all in one. The Artec Fuzztown sounds pretty good too. Check this **** out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0KRs...eature=related

[Yoni]

MojoFace

[bo]

Try the Prescription Electronics Yardbox. It's basically a Tonebender. You'd have to track down a second hand one though.

[blingdogg]

Originally Posted by wildschwein

Double Muff always gets my vote - it's like an OD, fuzz, preamp boost and a distortion all in one. The Artec Fuzztown sounds pretty good too. Check this **** out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0KRs...eature=related

Wow, that Artec Fuzztown pedal sounds really good!! I never heard of it, but I'm interested in it now...

[wildschwein]

Originally Posted by blingdogg

Wow, that Artec Fuzztown pedal sounds really good!! I never heard of it, but I'm interested in it now...

Yeah; cheap too; even cheaper than the Double Muff. Another Artec pedal to look at is the 70s Drive Blender which has a distortion and a fuzz in the same pedal and you can blend the two together in varying amounts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddQZjGqUMkQ