NPD: The best fuzzface I've ever played.

[Jack Clayton]

A few weeks ago, I posted a thread looking for a fuzzface. Despite a lot of negative and unhelpful feedback, I was found by one member of the forum by the name of Yann, who offered to build me one. Yann builds under the moniker of "Body and Soul Instruments".

I've never played an original Dallas Arbiter, or an Analogman Sunface. I wish I had, in order to make a more thorough comparison. But this is handily the best fuzzface I've ever played, and one of the best fuzzes period.

Yann used one of the old Russian transistors Analogman refers to as the BART (Big A$$ Russian Transistor). Maybe that's where the magic lies. The amount of low end this thing delivers when fully cranked is just a massive wall of sound. Great Hendrix tones. And he included a bias knob that lets me set the volume rolloff on any guitar perfectly. That rolloff was really what I was looking for in this pedal. Honestly, this one pedal may replace my entire overdrive chain. It does it all.

Anyway, Yann does Fuzzfaces and Tonebenders, and he may do more if you ask him. I'll definitely be hitting Yann up for a Tonebender build later in the year when I've got the spare change. Please give him a call. A builder this competent deserves our support.

[email protected]

 

[bluesholyman]

Would love to see a gut shot of that build if you get time. Glad you found one you liked.

 

[Jack Clayton]

Would love to see a gut shot of that build if you get time. Glad you found one you liked.

I might ask Yann for permission first, in case he's got any trade secrets he doesn't want revealed to the world.

 

[Telekarster]

Man that was fast! Glad you found a good pedal! I've got probably 5 diff fuzz's today so I really don't need another but, if I do, I'll certainly keep this one in mind to try! Kudos and Happy New Year!

 

[bluesholyman]

I might ask Yann for permission first, in case he's got any trade secrets he doesn't want revealed to the world.

You have permission the moment you bought the pedal. If they want anything protected, it will be covered in goop. Great if you can post, if not, no worries. Mostly interested in build quality.

 

[teletina]

Sound ?!

 

[Jack Clayton]

Man that was fast! Glad you found a good pedal! I've got probably 5 diff fuzz's today so I really don't need another but, if I do, I'll certainly keep this one in mind to try! Kudos and Happy New Year!

I wish you'd get one. I've got limited fuzz experience. If love a review from someone with more of a frame of reference.

 

[telemnemonics]

Personally, tons of bass makes a dirt pedal or fuzz undesirable to me.
Hard to hear in a mix and loses articulation.
But some like that effect.

My favorite Bender is the OOP Prescription Yardbox which has a tone knob that doesn't just cut treble in one direction, it also cuts bass in the other direction, so you can dial in lean cutting tones that stick out of a mix.
Can't really change a FF much and still have it be a FF but the Aion modded clone board of the ZVex Fuzz Factory has bass cutting capability that makes it cut in a mix well, if you don't mind all the damn knobs!

If you like the bassy end of FF this sounds like a winner!

 

[Jack Clayton]

Here's the gut shot.

 

[Jack Clayton]

Personally, tons of bass makes a dirt pedal or fuzz undesirable to me.
Hard to hear in a mix and loses articulation.
But some like that effect.

My favorite Bender is the OOP Prescription Yardbox which has a tone knob that doesn't just cut treble in one direction, it also cuts bass in the other direction, so you can dial in lean cutting tones that stick out of a mix.
Can't really change a FF much and still have it be a FF but the Aion modded clone board of the ZVex Fuzz Factory has bass cutting capability that makes it cut in a mix well, if you don't mind all the damn knobs!

If you like the bassy end of FF this sounds like a winner!

To be fair, I haven't actually tried it in a mix, or recorded at all. I'm guessing that I may wanna sculpt it in the studio using my JHS Clover. It's got some nice bass cut on it and, following other fuzzes, it's done the trick nicely.

My review is just based on what it sounds like in the room. In that context, it's lovely.

 

[bluesholyman]

Here's the gut shot.

Nice old school build. The russian trannies are cool, and the carbon comp resistors are a nice vintage touch. It will probably sound different as surrounding temperature changes - just something to be aware of.

 

[Jack Clayton]

Nice old school build. The russian trannies are cool, and the carbon comp resistors are a nice vintage touch. It will probably sound different as surrounding temperature changes - just something to be aware of.

That's to be expected. I'm mostly gonna use this in a studio setting. Might throw it in the fridge before use.

 

[telemnemonics]

Nice old school build. The russian trannies are cool, and the carbon comp resistors are a nice vintage touch. It will probably sound different as surrounding temperature changes - just something to be aware of.

The bias knob is there to take care of temp change problems.