Famous Fuzzy Guitar Solo

[SnidelyWhiplash]

Cinnamon Girl!

 

[Wildeman]

 

[Lou Tencodpees]

Its been a long time since I've heard "Goodbye to Love". To my ear it kind of evokes McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed" solo.

Man, Karen Carpenter's note transitions are so pure that if I heard that song for the first time now I'd swear there was pitch correction. There's a lot of movement in that melody and she just glides through it effortlessly.

 

[FendrGuitPlayr]

Spirit In The Sky

 

[Derrick]

I just fell in love with that song again recently because someone brought it up thinking it was a Uni-Vibe but it's actually a Maestro Phaser. Also any fuzz with tube trem gives me instant Isaac Hayes time machine!

I don't think that's a Maestro either... I Believe it's actually a Roland Jet-Phase on Who's That Lady. You can find videos on this on Youtube.

 

[memorex]

 

[getbent]

Love the Carpenters song... tony peluso tuned his guitar to something unique, right? the guy in Three Dog Night was tuned really weirdly too... but, this was the first song I thought of when I saw the title.

 

[Jellyroll]

Thanks, I really like that over-the-top squashy fuzz, added to a super-slick ‘70s song - it’s a particular sound. And any chance to listen to Karen Carpenter’s voice is great - it’s like she’s sitting on the sofa next to me.
But I usually look to Bryan Gregory or Kid Congo Powers, both of The Cramps, for the fuzz I’m really going for, but rarely get close to. Here’s Kid Congo, backing Poison Ivy’s Howlin’ Wolf-inspired twangy riff on Primitive…

Thanks, I really like that over-the-top squashy fuzz, added to a super-slick ‘70s song - it’s a particular sound. And any chance to listen to Karen Carpenter’s voice is great - it’s like she’s sitting on the sofa next to me.
But I usually look to Bryan Gregory or Kid Congo Powers, both of The Cramps, for the fuzz I’m really going for, but rarely get close to. Here’s Kid Congo, backing Poison Ivy’s Howlin’ Wolf-inspired twangy riff on Primitive…

It’s actually NYC 60s unknowns The Groupies riff inspired by Howlin Wolf that the Cramps cover! Like most Cramps covers, they make it their own! That Groupies record is really great if you can find it!
As for the fuzz, Reuss makes the Goo Goo fuzz which Kid Congo uses to this day. Based on the Univox Superfuzz, which is the only fuzz the Cramps used! Ananashead, from Spain also make an amazing and affordable Superfuzz clone!

 

[Swatt101]

Check this out

Ahhh I remember that tune...nice

 

[canteytoque]

Heard briefly at 1:58 and again at 3:54. I remember disliking this when it was released, mostly because I thought the title and the “Boogiiieee!!!” chorus sounded stupid. But it got a lot of airplay, and I also remember eventually noticing that the musicianship was pretty good.



Poking around online in search of references to guitarist Hazel Payne, I came across this TDPRI thread from 2010 on the subject:

https://www.tdpri.com/threads/epic-fuzz-songs-the-pedal-that-was-used.242336/

 

[zencat]

The hit single, Goodbye to Love, by The Carpenters, featured a solo, mostly written by Richard Carpenter on piano, but played by Tony Peluso on guitar. Wikipedia: ""While visiting London, Richard Carpenter watched a 1940 Bing Crosby film on The Late Movie called Rhythm on the River. The Carpenters noticed that the characters kept referring to the struggling songwriter's greatest composition, "Goodbye to Love". Carpenter said, "You never hear it in the movie, they just keep referring to it", and he thought it was a good title for a song."" Peluso, from a professional music family, got the gig, on his semi-hollow Gibson electric (345?)

The solo made quite an impression at the time. What do you think of it?? Eh?

One (of many) that comes to mind is Randy Bachman's solo on "No Time left for You". Another - and I'm not sure if it's strictly a fuzz box, is the heavy guitar riff and solo on "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum. They must have had that amp cranked. That was a great tone for it's day and still sounds great today. Another is Ernie Isley's guitar solo on "Who's that Lady". I believe he was using a Roland AP-7 Jet Phaser.

I never was a fan of fuzz. I mean we all used it as a means to get heavy distortion as High School teenagers back in the seventies because they were ubiquitous and affordable. I currently have an EHX Green Russian Big Muff PI reissue that I throw in the chain when covering Robin Trower tunes. The sound is perfect for my taste.

 

[zencat]

One (of many) that comes to mind is Randy Bachman's solo on "No Time left for You". Another - and I'm not sure if it's strictly a fuzz box, is the heavy guitar riff and solo on "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum. They must have had that amp cranked. That was a great tone for it's day that still sounds great today. Another is Ernie Isley's guitar solo on "Who's that Lady". I believe he was using a Roland AP-7 Jet Phaser.

I never was a fan of fuzz. I mean we all used it as a means to get heavy distortion as High School teenagers back in the seventies because they were ubiquitous and affordable. I currently have an EHX Green Russian Big Muff PI reissue that I throw in the chain when covering Robin Trower tunes. The sound is perfect for my taste.

 

[Glen W]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Marty Robbins " Don't Worry 'Bout Me ' . Supposedly it was this distorted sound from a ripped speaker that influenced Gibson to build the Maestro Fuzz that Keith R., used on Satisfaction.
Someone mentioned The Beatles " Revolution " , but that was a overdrive of the recording board at Abbey Road , although it does sound like a Fuzz.
I'd include McCartney's Fuzz bass on ' Think For Yourself ' too. Plus the Fuzz solo on " Happiness Us A Warm Gun " another distorted highlight.
Id also mention Bill Wyman's Fuzz Bass on several Aftermath era songs in '66 & several songs by Paul Revere & The Raiders with a Fuzz bass and The Monkees " Valleri " . There's so many garage rock bands from the mid to late '60s with the fuzz sound. ( The Seeds ' Pushin' To Hard " Tommy James & The Shondells " Crimson & Clover ( long version ) , The Beach Boys " Little Honda " ( although buried in the mix on Rhythm guitar ). Plus " Blues Theme " by David Allen & The Arrows !!!

Tom Bukovac recently did a video after acquiring Grady Martin’s Danelectro baritone guitar that was used…

 

[catdaddy]

Sneaky Pete goes seriously fuzzy on his pedal steel breaks:

 

[Pcs264]

I like the Ry Cooder's fuzz solo here, but I especially like John Hiatt's "Gon' buzz awhile'' at 01:00 right before the solo

 

[Highway 49]

It’s actually NYC 60s unknowns The Groupies riff inspired by Howlin Wolf that the Cramps cover! Like most Cramps covers, they make it their own! That Groupies record is really great if you can find it!
As for the fuzz, Reuss makes the Goo Goo fuzz which Kid Congo uses to this day. Based on the Univox Superfuzz, which is the only fuzz the Cramps used! Ananashead, from Spain also make an amazing and affordable Superfuzz clone!

Thanks, yes, I know The Groupies version from one of those many ‘Songs The Cramps taught us’ type playlists… it’s fascinating how The Cramps catch the vibe of so many 50s/60s artists, while still remaining themselves - never pastiche, no matter how close their version to the originals.
And I’ve had the Ananashead Superfuzz clone - despite so wanting to make it work, I couldn’t - maybe you need to be playing at stage volume for it to really shine. I do use the Death By Audio Fuzz War, which was Kid Congo’s fuzz of choice for a while… it’s not meant to be a Superfuzz clone but it is quite garagey. I’ve not gone down the Reuss route… yet

 

[Old Plank]

Wouldn't you include The Beatles' "Revolution" on that list? Feel free to disagree, as the guitar is an intro rather than a solo, and I think it's just driven to distortion rather than run through a fuzz box.

I personally don't think I would, for the same reasons that you note - intro, and sounds more so like amp distortion than fuzz.

It's still one of the greatest and most famous intros though!

 

[monkeybanana]

I don't think that's a Maestro either... I Believe it's actually a Roland Jet-Phase on Who's That Lady. You can find videos on this on Youtube.

Ah okay well in an old interview he mentioned the Maestro.

Found this:

The actual answer was revealed long before that in a feature article on Ernie that appeared in the September 1981 issue of Guitar Player, which mentions his use of an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff fuzz and a Maestro phase shifter. Isley later revealed that his amp on the song was a Fender Twin Reverb.

 

[monkeybanana]

I personally don't think I would, for the same reasons that you note - intro, and sounds more so like amp distortion than fuzz.

It's still one of the greatest and most famous intros though!

I think they're plugged into the console. Sounds fuzzy to me.

 

[turftone]

I mean...