A new, cheap, ' Not bad...' FUZZ

[Chiogtr4x]

OK, I've become a bit of a cheap pedal junkie in the last two years.

I actually am very happy with my long-time Boss board ( 5 pedals/ use 4 at gigs), 20+ years now.

But last year, after a few years of constantly reading good reports on Joyo, Caline, and Donner pedals, well, I started buying a few, out of curiosity ( selling too, on CL) and actually like many.

Enter this little Donner Fuzz, and I like it.
I don't really use Fuzz ( have one), more of an OD/Boost user, and I don't even know yet if I will actually use this ( will try!) but I believe this is a clone of some variation of an EHX Big Muff.

It has pretty focused, not splatty, intense Fuzz ( with ' Sustain' knob cranked),
is NOT Volume knob dependent to do its thing, which I like!
( here, I mean you do not have to crank the pedal's output Level to get the fuzz- so this is a good thing for those of us that play low to moderate volume gigs)

And the Tone control has a nice sweep.

The pedal would probably really take off with another OD or boost, but I am definitely hearing that David Gilmour kind of " Echoes" " Comfortably Numb" or "Time" solo, grind and sustain to it.

I guess I'm surprised, just have to see if I can incorporate it!
I really should work up a few Pink Floyd tunes just to see if I could do them justice, with the help of this little guy.

 

[Killing Floor]

Nothing wrong with loading up on Fuzz pedals. I actually picked up a new one today. Every day is a good day to buy a fuzz.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

Nothing wrong with loading up on Fuzz pedals. I actually picked up a new one today. Every day is a good day to buy a fuzz.

I've been kind of like this with OD pedals for years- I keep small pedal boards, and swap out dirt pedals for kicks- hear how things will sound...

The whole cheap ( pretty well built it seems) mini-pedal thing opens up a whole new portal- but I'm using them.

 

[Lowerleftcoast]

Fuzz can get interesting when it is starved for power.

 

[Mr. St. Paul]

I jumped on the Joyo American Sound just recently and loved it. Run it direct into a Headrush and it's great. Except...no reverb. So I was looking for a cheap, good-sounding reverb pedal. Looked at Donner and other brands, and ran across good reviews for Sonicake pedals. Looked them up and found their 'Twiggy Blues' pedal: reverb, delay, blues drive and compression in one compact unit. Best news: it was on sale for $58. I figured everything other than the reverb would be gravy and bought it.

The overdrive doesn't get too heavy, but when you combine it with the comp, you get that sweet singing overdrive. I'm really blown away with it. Picked up a Monoprice pedal tuner and here's my minimalist rig:

I have an MXR Classic Distortion I might add at some point, but this works for me right now.

 

[Imnotarobot]

Nothing wrong with loading up on Fuzz pedals. I actually picked up a new one today. Every day is a good day to buy a fuzz.

Fuzz is my favorite type of pedal hands down. If I could get away with it, I'd buy a fuzz every week. Wife would kill me.

 

[Dan German]

I jumped on the Joyo American Sound just recently and loved it. Run it direct into a Headrush and it's great. Except...no reverb. So I was looking for a cheap, good-sounding reverb pedal. Looked at Donner and other brands, and ran across good reviews for Sonicake pedals. Looked them up and found their 'Twiggy Blues' pedal: reverb, delay, blues drive and compression in one compact unit. Best news: it was on sale for $58. I figured everything other than the reverb would be gravy and bought it.

The overdrive doesn't get too heavy, but when you combine it with the comp, you get that sweet singing overdrive. I'm really blown away with it. Picked up a Monoprice pedal tuner and here's my minimalist rig:

View attachment 866812
I have an MXR Classic Distortion I might add at some point, but this works for me right now.

Thanks a lot! I clicked on this thread to read about fuzz, and you show me that Twiggy Blues thing. Usually multi pedals have stuff I don’t want, or they’re missing something I need. Dang it!

 

[Dan German]

Back to the topic at hand, my fuzz was meant to be my last try at getting along with fuzz. This time I guessed right, and went with a germanium fuzz face instead of a muff fuzz type. Not priced as nicely as the Donner, but still affordable. I’m happy, and I use it WAAAAYYY more than I thought I would.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

I jumped on the Joyo American Sound just recently and loved it. Run it direct into a Headrush and it's great. Except...no reverb. So I was looking for a cheap, good-sounding reverb pedal. Looked at Donner and other brands, and ran across good reviews for Sonicake pedals. Looked them up and found their 'Twiggy Blues' pedal: reverb, delay, blues drive and compression in one compact unit. Best news: it was on sale for $58. I figured everything other than the reverb would be gravy and bought it.

The overdrive doesn't get too heavy, but when you combine it with the comp, you get that sweet singing overdrive. I'm really blown away with it. Picked up a Monoprice pedal tuner and here's my minimalist rig:

View attachment 866812
I have an MXR Classic Distortion I might add at some point, but this works for me right now.

Coincidence!

I bought a Joyo American Sound last year, originally to make a certain SS Fender amp, sound 'more Fender' and it worked!
But actually a speaker swap took care of the issue as well. So just in the interest of not using too many pedals, I took the AS off.

But now it goes with me ( in the back of whatever amp I use on a gig) as a backup amp into PA if needed. Love it.
As for the MXR Classic Distortion,
I have had mine many years, since GC put them out.

And it was here on TDPRI, ( I had just joined) that I read about a.'mod' to make the pedal a little brighter, by just removing ( clipping one component) and that worked great.

It is a fantastic ' always ON' OD which really sounds fantastic- good guitar knob cleanup. Good LAYLA album Strat sound- sizzle and bite

 

[dlew919]

The best fuzz I ever used was a big muff. I like my fuzz face, particularly stacked with overdrive and distortion, but the big muff has a level of craziness only ehx can do.

I’ve been looking for a good clone. Your description suggests this might be it. Thanks.

 

[Killing Floor]

Fuzz is my favorite type of pedal hands down. If I could get away with it, I'd buy a fuzz every week. Wife would kill me.

You’re not kidding. I ordered a Rust Hammer by Barbarian Fuzz Raiders because why wouldn’t I. Picked it up today, maker is local. Totally hand wired, single knob. Sounds really great. And now I have one so time to look for a new one! I think the next one will be the Cusack germanium. Unless something else gets my attention. Squirrel!!!

 

[TokyoPortrait]

Hi.

Funny. I posted about buying this pedal on Sunday and followed up on its sound this morning.

I believe it is either a clone of the Triangle Big Muff Pi reissue or an approximation of the original. So, it has maybe a tad more midrange? Which might be a way of saying a tad less mid-scooped?

https://www.tdpri.com/threads/npd-triangle-big-muff-pi-clone-i-think-jazz-chorus-40-content.1074161/

Same as you, I've found it rather good. I do think I prefer my germanium Fuzz Face clone though, for the volume roll-off it does and the particular kind of classic fuzz sound I like. But, this is great for a different fuzz take, and def has its uses. Including just playing a note and admiring how long it goes on for...

Oh, and that's a "Bustain" knob, thank you very much

Pax/
Dean

 

[ReverendRevolver]

The best fuzz I ever used was a big muff. I like my fuzz face, particularly stacked with overdrive and distortion, but the big muff has a level of craziness only ehx can do.

I’ve been looking for a good clone. Your description suggests this might be it. Thanks.

Muffs?

Mwahahahahaha

The Donner and Outlaw effects seem decent for that layout of mini pedal.

The biyang FZ-7 looked to be as muff like as I've seen in the sub $50 range. There was 1 available for like $43 free shipping last I'd checked on reverb. Biyang also has the FZ-10 which looked promising, but I haven't dug into it as much.

Straight muff wise, you can get any of the following under $70:
Chicago Stompworks green Russian, triangle, rams head, white can, all run about $60-$70.
Used EHX muff reissues run around $65, and I think the Green Russian one sounds good. The OP Amp one sounds like it should too.
I'm personally a fan of the triangle reissue style muffs as a "best of all worlds " muff sound, like it doesn't lean too hard any specific direction. BUT........

The green Russian style sounds the most awesomely close to and angry prehistoric mammal trying to kill you. So I reccomend that one.

I cant comment on how close anything current sounds compared to the vintage ones, but given the component inconsistencies in vintage muffs, I dont give a ratsass. I dont have money to drop $300 on a pedal for bragging rights when a modern reconstruction is affordable.

Now, if you want to get a "muff plus", like an evolution, the Muff with Tone Wicker is cool. I don't feel like the deluxe muffs (theres 2) are as useful as other companies evolved muffs with less knobs. The Musket and its evolution the Blunderbuss are top of my list of pedals to buy. Unfortunately, gotta buy used, and they climbed from about $100 used up to $200+. You can find clones cheaper, but I worry those are a crap shoot.
Theres also the Pharoah and Pharaoh jr, which fall into the category of a muff that does a little more like the 2 previously mentioned pedals.

But, if you really just want a good muff, the EHX or Chicago Stompworks* Triangle or Green Russian are the ones I like the sound of the most, compared to what currently is offered and the old 2000s NYC and black Russian variants.

*I haven't played a CSW green Russian, but they are proper component wise. I have no reason to doubt they are a rock solid handwired way to get the same sound as the EHX green Russian muffs.

 

[VintageSG]

I like fuzz. Fuzz is good.

The Donner range strongly resembles many other Sino mini pedals. I have the Rowin LEF-606 fuzz which appears 'similar'. It may be my favourite fuzz pedal. I have other fuzz pedals which can make sounds the Rowin can't, but the Rowin, and by extension the Donner and a plethora of others sharing the same board, can make so many good sounds, who cares?

Other cheap fuzzuzz worth considering include the Tom'sline G-Fuzz. A germanium transistor equipped mini pedal, and the Joyo/Ammoon octave fuzz, a normal sized pedal.

All you need is fuzz. Fuzz is all you need.

 

[fuzz guy]

I love fuzz too. I learned to build pedals just so I could try several different types without spending too much. My favourites are in the Tonebender family, a JDM Elektrika, a copy of a boutique MkIII and a copy of a Burns and Baldwin Buzzaround. I don't use much Muff style fuzz, but I keep a EHX Green Russian Reissue for when I want some.

 

[Festofish]

I won’t do the super cheap ones when you can get many American made EHX classics for under $100. Used Boss pedals go for under $100 all day. Just my decision. I had a Mooer E7 synth and hated it. My partner bought me a Caline Puffer fuzz a few years ago and it’s garbage. He bought me an Xvive Singing Autowah and it’s fantastic! I’m done buying single use effects.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

Thanks a lot! I clicked on this thread to read about fuzz, and you show me that Twiggy Blues thing. Usually multi pedals have stuff I don’t want, or they’re missing something I need. Dang it!

That Twiggy Blues thing would eliminate all my other pedals- I want one!

I have a very similar-looking Donner RevEcho which is just what it says- Reverb and Echo ( delay) and it sounds very good. You have to get used to small knobs, as a 'little goes a long way!'

 

[Mr. St. Paul]

That Twiggy Blues thing would eliminate all my other pedals- I want one!

I have a very similar-looking Donner RevEcho which is just what it says- Reverb and Echo ( delay) and it sounds very good. You have to get used to small knobs, as a 'little goes a long way!'

View attachment 866863

I took a long look at the Revecho. Decided to go with the Twiggy Blues because it had drive and comp as well, and was on sale.

The knobs are very small on the Sonicake, too. But it's fairly easy to dial in. Had to do a little tweaking the first time I used it with the band, but nothing out of the ordinary.

 

[magicfingers99]

OK, I've become a bit of a cheap pedal junkie in the last two years.

I actually am very happy with my long-time Boss board ( 5 pedals/ use 4 at gigs), 20+ years now.

But last year, after a few years of constantly reading good reports on Joyo, Caline, and Donner pedals, well, I started buying a few, out of curiosity ( selling too, on CL) and actually like many.

Enter this little Donner Fuzz, and I like it.
I don't really use Fuzz ( have one), more of an OD/Boost user, and I don't even know yet if I will actually use this ( will try!) but I believe this is a clone of some variation of an EHX Big Muff.
View attachment 866801
It has pretty focused, not splatty, intense Fuzz ( with ' Sustain' knob cranked),
is NOT Volume knob dependent to do its thing, which I like!
( here, I mean you do not have to crank the pedal's output Level to get the fuzz- so this is a good thing for those of us that play low to moderate volume gigs)

And the Tone control has a nice sweep.

The pedal would probably really take off with another OD or boost, but I am definitely hearing that David Gilmour kind of " Echoes" " Comfortably Numb" or "Time" solo, grind and sustain to it.

I guess I'm surprised, just have to see if I can incorporate it!
I really should work up a few Pink Floyd tunes just to see if I could do them justice, with the help of this little guy.

thanks
just ordered one 23$ with tax and shipping...

btw if anybody needs a
T.C. electronic AEON sustainer.

https://www.gear4music.com/us/en/Guitar-and-Bass/TC-Electronic-AEON-Infinite-Guitar-Sustainer/2G6K

just got mine, 34$

they also have some nice flat pedal cables

https://www.gear4music.com/us/en/Guitar-and-Bass/RockBoard-by-Warwick-Flat-Patch-Cable-60cm/1LP0

no affiliation, first time I've used them, got the info from a pedal board rebuild blog
i was reading..

 

[Chiogtr4x]

thanks
just ordered one 23$ with tax and shipping...

btw if anybody needs a
T.C. electronic AEON sustainer.

https://www.gear4music.com/us/en/Guitar-and-Bass/TC-Electronic-AEON-Infinite-Guitar-Sustainer/2G6K

just got mine, 34$

they also have some nice flat pedal cables

https://www.gear4music.com/us/en/Guitar-and-Bass/RockBoard-by-Warwick-Flat-Patch-Cable-60cm/1LP0

no affiliation, first time I've used them, got the info from a pedal board rebuild blog
i was reading..

Cool!
Promise you I won't yell at me if you don't like it!
I thought it sounded pretty good, strong fuzz