fuzz pedal recommendations

[feyshay]

Anybody have the Sun Face from AnalogMan. This is the fuzz pedal that I'm considering. I use a Les Paul into a Fender Super Reverb. Any recommendations?

[Owen]

You might want to ask around at the Music Toyz forum. There's a lot of certified fuzzaholics there. They can steer you in the proper direction.

[Matt Grondin]

I can vouch for the Analog Man Sun Face... it is amazing sounding, but you need to make sure you get the NKT-275 germanium transistors in it, unless you want a really nasty fuzz sound. Another very cool option is the Captain Coconut with the NKT-275 card... all three effects in that pedal are awesome. Later.

[scwarren1015]

Ever tried a Fullton 70's pedal? I had an old Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face for awhile and got the transitors switched to silcon like the fulltone and it sounds great. I use it with a LP Standard and a late 70's Marshall JMP Mk II 50 watt combo. Sounds great.

[chrisgraff]

Fuzz pedals and 10" speakers have not been a good combo in my experience. Mushy.

[feyshay]

I know that a 12" speaker(s) would be best, but another amp is down the road and right now I want some fuzz.
I looked at the Fulltone. I like their FullDrive 2. What is the difference between the '69 and '70 pedals? I heard the samples on their site, but couldn't get a good read on the main difference.

[chrisgraff]

Originally Posted by feyshay

I know that a 12" speaker(s) would be best, but another amp is down the road and right now I want some fuzz.
I looked at the Fulltone. I like their FullDrive 2. What is the difference between the '69 and '70 pedals? I heard the samples on their site, but couldn't get a good read on the main difference.

The '69 uses germanium transistors, the '70 silicon

I've got a '70 pedal I'll sell ya cheap if you want

[bobby yarrow]

I love fuzzface clones, and the sunface is one. They're sensative as hell to everything, especially how hot your pickups are. A les paul is going to drive a fuzzface really hard.

All the fuzzfaces tend to be pretty dark. Some are unusably dark in certain rigs.

I think every studio should have pile of fuzz pedals, including a fuzzface of some kind. Honestly, if you don't know what fuzz sound you're looking for, I wouldn't lay out the money for the analogman. I'd go to tonefactor (tonefactor.com I think) and buy a couple different types to start.

[feyshay]

I'm looking for two basic sounds from fuzz--the very muddy, dark blues kind of fuzz.
Although there is more treble in it, I also like Clapton's fuzzy guitar in Sunshine of Your Love.
I also hate to switch out pedals, so I like something that has bypass.
I'll check out some of the places you mentioned.
I'm discouraged about mushy fuzz through 10" speakers.

[rumorcontrol]

I prefer the ZVEX FUZZ FACTORY myself....it never ceases to amaze me. I use it to create all sorts of subtle to EXTREME (and i mean extreme) Fuzz. But I also know people who hate it....so....just my 2 cents.....RC

[sysexguy]

Retroman Sybil!!!!!!!!

Andy

[feyshay]

Have you heard some of the guitar on Tom Waits' Mule Variations? The fuzz-like tone that I like--like on the song "Cold Water." That is my favorite Tom Waits album.

[the_image]

10 inch speakers are not mushier sounding than 12 inch speakers, unless the 10 inchers were worn out. They should sound crisper usually.

There is really a world of difference between an old blackface super reverb and the new reissue as well. They sound nothing alike. Out of all the reissues of ANYTHING available, this is the one that sound LEAST like the original. Not saying it is bad, just that they should have named it something else.

If you are looking for that Cream type sound, start with the treble somewher from 10 to 7, the mids around 5 to 3, and the lows around 3. Take the tone control on whichever pickup you are playing through and roll all the treble off.

This basic arrangement with just about any decent overdrive will get you pretty well close to that sound. Just slowly crank the distortion on whichever pedal you wind up with until you hit the sweet spot. The basic idea is that the amp is providing the treble, not the guitar... you are eq'ing a very smooth tone. Another cool variation on that sound is to put a wah wah in line and leave it in a static position...

Once again, I cannot believe the sheer insanity of suggesting that a 10 inch speaker would sound mushier. However suggests this has probably had very minimal experience with 10 inchers, heard a bad setup, and has over-generalized.

[Saucyjack]

MJM London Fuzz.

[slowdive]

i use a super reverb too, and my personal pick for fuzz is the euthymia crucible. i have both the si and ge versions. i'm not sure which one to recommend to you, because i play a much different genre of music. however, both pedals sound amazing.

[Eagertone]

z-vex woolly mammoth for wall of sound type fuzz... it's a bass fuzz, but it's nuts on guitar.

you can hear all his stuff at www.zvexeffects.com

his "fuzz factory" is a flagship pedl too... lots of great reviews.

i'd say just go watch his demo vids and see if any of his pedals have the sound you want.

[mic monkey]

you gotta hear this pedal...

www.coopersonic.com

[analogjeff]

have tried many fuzz and distortion pedals, including a few handmade boutique units and still prefer an older big muff...

[weatherbox]

different vibe from the Sunface, but the fuzz that has stayed on my board longer than any has been the Black Cat SuperFuzz. Spitty/slight octave sort of nasty fuzz and a switch taking it to non-octave scooped out megafuzz. ZVex Fuz Factory was one of my favorites for recording, but not so much for live use.

[feyshay]

Anybody try Fireburst from Diamond pedals?
Seems like it has some nice options for equalization of the sound.

[Messiah]

I quite like my Lovetone Big Cheese, fwiw.

[feyshay]

I love variety. Everyone made a different recommendation.
I had no idea there were this many fuzz pedals.
Because I was ecstatic about my Diamond Memory Lane, I went with the Diamond Fireburst. It'll also give me heavier distortion options than my Fulltone Fulldrive 2.

Thanks, image, for the specific recommendations for equalization. I do have a reissue of the Super Reverb. It is different from the originals. Still like it better than everything else I tried in the same price range or less. It does seem to like pedals in front of it and the spring reverb is great as is the vibrato.
I'll post on the Fireburst when I get it.

[dbbubba]

The SunFace is a very good FuzzFace style fuzzbox.
I played a stock '62 Strat through one plugged into a stock Vox AC30 Top Boost on a gig and fell in love with the sound!
The again, I when I turned off the sunFace I liked the GTR/amp combo even more!

I have a FuzzFace and a whole bunch of transistors that I got from Small Bear Electronics and I just swapped 'em around until I found the combo that I liked best.
It rocks with either a Strat or a P90 equipted LP Jr.
I can't even recall which transistors I settled in on!
I'd have to crack it open.

I also have a ZVex FuzzFactory which is crazy!
It is the most "fun" to use.

I personally find that a FuzzFace style fuzzbox sounds best with single coils.
You can turn the GTR's volume to about 10 o'clock and get a great sound and then you can crank it all the way up and saturate the pedal.
You can also run the GTR's volume lower and get great and really subtle degrees of distortion.
Humbuckers just seem to drive the circuit into mondo suturation land.
I never find what I'm looking for.

I come from a Dallas, Texas school of guys that used Les Pauls through a "script" MXR Distortion Plus into a Marshall 100W. It is a more saturated sound and it took me years to discover the single coil/FuzzFace equation!
So for me it's the overdriven diode sund of the D Plus for Humbuckers and the FuzzFace style for single coils.

Another REALLY nice pedal is the Hotcake.
They are rare as hen's teeth, but they have a special qualty to them.
That guy that was in Split Enz makes them in New Zealand.
They are worth finding and they are not hellaciously expensive either.

The most versatile fuzzbox is the Expandora, but they are SOOOOO pricey!

Danny Brown

[feyshay]

I've been very pleased with the Fireburst by Diamond. I don't really find the mid-range boost to really suit me, but for fuzz and a little bass/treble equalization--quite nice. It gives me more distortion that my Fulltone FullDrive 2, with a nice bottom end. Fuzz with a bottom end.
Well-built pedal.

[Ruudman]

ruudman

[tongues]

I guess it just depends on what type of sound your looking for. I have heard good things about the analog man but have not tried it as of yet so I cannot comment. I can however give a recommendation for the reissued fender blender or a maestro fuzztone. I own a russian and an american big muff, a ehx graphic fuzz, and the fender blender. I love the different tones I can get with the fender(although it can be boomy at extreme settings cause the knobs are very responsive, a tweakers wet dream) and it mixes well with the big muff if desired. I know Billy Corgan, kevin shields, etc. used them back in the day and I like their guitar tones more than I actually like their songs. The maestro fuzztone is something I've wanted for a while but have not been able to get my hands on one yet. It will be the last fuzz pedal I will buy. Satisfaction by the stones features this pedal and recently the Black keys used it extensively on songs like Have love will travel, girl is on my mind, etc, these tones are for my ears the best in fuzz. I have tried a lot of fuzzfaces throughout the years and mostly have not been that impressed, I guess its just preference.

[threm]

A few more that get high praises frome the fuzz connoisseurs (Gearpage, Musictoyz and HCFX forums);

The DAM series
http://www.stompboxes.co.uk/score.html
check the custom page
http://www.stompboxes.co.uk/gpage1.html1.html
http://www.musictoyz.com/guitar/pedals/dam.php

The Skreddy pedals
http://happybob.com/marc/skreddy_pedals_mayo.htm

Addrock Germanium fuzz
http://www.addrock.com/

Bob McBroom`s McFuzz
http://www.pedalworx.com/mcfuzz.html

Several tonebender and big muff copies available.
Then you have the fuzzes with a twist; some octave or ringmod blended in,
like Wyllie Moonrock, Wolftone Chaos and other more or less Scrambler copies. Or the noise makers from Effector 13 etc.

[iziphonics]

I like my SansAmp GT2 and Proco Turbo Rat thumbsup