# I've decided I could comfortably use fuzz for all of my dirt. You?



## Clean Channel (Apr 18, 2011)

Since getting into online guitar forums and going nuts with pedals, I've come to realize just how broad and versatile the world of fuzz is.

Not only is there a beautiful spectrum of colours to pick and choose from, various fuzz circuits can also cover the gamut of low gain through to high.

Earlier this year I picked up a used Skinpimp MKIII (thanks to GC member LowWatt), and it's become one of my favourite dirt pedals. I can set it for some good heavy ODish grind, then roll back the volume all the way through to a smooth, low gain OD tone that just sings classic rock.

Meanwhile, when I want higher gain stuff, time and time again I go to my Blackout Effectors Blunderbuss, which has all the thickness of a good muff, but can also dial out some of the compression for a more dynamic (yet still high gain) feel.

My Skinpimp Buzzaround works great for high gain as well, and like the MKIII, rolls back beautifully to expose very musical and satisfying low gain tones.

The colour palate at my disposal is rounded out by a series of other fuzzes, like the unique and versatile Dr. Scientist Frazz Dazzler, and the classic tones available via the Bigfoot FX Spaghetti Western Fuzz. I have several more, but I'm sure you get the point.

I still grab ODs when I want dirty boosts and pedals for stacking, but at the end of the day, I could exist comfortably in a world made up exclusively of fuzz.

How 'bout you guys?


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Wow, I'm the total opposite. I've gone through quite a few fuzzes over the years and still haven't found one that I've kept for more than a month or two. I'm trying to find that one fuzz that really grabs me and holds my interest, but that hasn't happened yet


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I think it's going to depend on how you personally define "fuzz", and differentiate it from "distortion", "overdrive", and "coloration".

Let us imagine that the entire spectrum of changes in harmonic content and amplitude-envelope range from 0 to 100. One person may conceptualize "fuzz" as only stuff that starts around 87, while another may have a zone of overlap that extends upwards from maybe 76 (with the fuzz control turned down a bit and the guitar's volume backed off a little as well). The first person may have a "distortion" zone that goes from 51 to 83, with an I-don't-know zone in between 83 and 87, while the 2nd person has an overlap zone where the same pedal that can nail a 62 can also nail an 81 if you pick hard, dime the "distortion" knob, and leave thje treble up full on the bridge pickup.

Long story short. I can see where a person might convince themselves that pedal/s X/Y/Z can straddle the turf between overdrive, distortion, and fuzz. It is also fair to note that lower-output pickups can push a fuzz pedal insufficiently to obtain the most severe clipping, and conversely higher output pickups, and a "clean" booster can extract the most severe tones from a pedal that otherwise behaves itself very nicely when not pushed quite so hard.

So yeah, it's possible.


----------



## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

Love my SoulBender, Danelectro French Toast (Foxx tone Machine clone) and Cool Cat fuzz (copy of the defunt Frantone Peach Fuzz).

I have been through a ton of fuzz faces (Ge and Si) and just cannot get into them. For Ge I just don't like the full on Hendrix fuzz but I do like them for low gain, distortion tones; the best was an old Fulltone 69 but it was so expensive to use as a low gain dirt pedal and I was a broke grad student . . . As for Si fuzz, I really like the searing lead tone, right before it goes into full on, all out fuzz, but there is just a bit too much garble and mush involved at every setting. 

I still haven't given up with fuzz as dirt, but I wasn't very impressed with the Skinpimp 3OD I bought. I may look at the EH Germanium OD as I sounds like what I am looking for.

TG


----------



## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

I'm a huge Skinpimp fan from the very beginning. I have one of Ryan's earliest Skinbender MK III's and I rely on it heavily. I find it to be a very versatile fuzz/OD/Distortion. I'm also really fond of the Skinbender Mk I when I want things to get nasty. I'm now contemplating the Skinpimp Faceplant but it will be the first Skinpimp pedal I will own without Ryan making it. So the answer is Yes, I can learn to live with just those pedals on my Board though I still miss my Tim.


----------



## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Being a dirt fanatic, O/Ds, distortions, I'd still agree with you Tim.

I have some of the same pedals that you mentioned.
The SkinPimp MkIII was the first fuzz that I discovered the guitar volume knob interplay.
Clean it up to a distortion - O/D, then open it up to a roar.

I have a Musket too, with the fuzz control pulled back, it's one of the nicest high gain pedals that I've tried.
Thick and sustaining, just tasty sonic goodness.

The Buzzarounds that I've tried, a couple of Andrews @ Arcane Analog do the clean up very well.
Even the DeathDealer, which is a high gain version, still cleans up nicely.
ToneBenders are another good one, not sure if that's what the MkIII is based on.
Jeff @ Maritime Analog makes a great one too in the FiringLine.
Smooth and sustaining, with tons of gain.

I'm pretty sure that I could get away with two fuzz on the board,
one for overall dirt and a spitty nasty one, boom, done.


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Lots of people really seem to dig the Skinpimp mkIII. That's one I've wanted to try for a while in hopes that it will finally get me liking fuzz, but I always find it so hard to spend the asking price on one knowing that I probably won't dig it  It's really tough having GAS sometimes!


----------



## marauder (Oct 19, 2009)

A big question for me is, what's your playing/band context? I find fuzz easier to work with in guitar + bass + drums bands, as opposed to multiple guitar/keys groups. Sure, a proper mix could find enough space for the fuzz to work in bigger groups (hence my "easier" comment), but I think it definitely plays a role.


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

marauder said:


> A big question for me is, what's your playing/band context? I find fuzz easier to work with in guitar + bass + drums bands, as opposed to multiple guitar/keys groups. Sure, a proper mix could find enough space for the fuzz to work in bigger groups (hence my "easier" comment), but I think it definitely plays a role.


I'm kind of all over the place. My main cover band is sometimes a 4-piece and sometimes a 5-piece. Our 2nd guitarist has rotating on-call schedule, so he's not always at rehearsals/shows, in which case I would be the only guitar. In my Springsteen band, I'm the only electric guitar, but there's an acoustic guitar, a sax and a keyboard as well. 

I discovered a loooooong time ago that my main gripe about muff-style fuzzes was exactly this - they simply didn't cut through in a band setting and got lost in the mix. I've been looking at tonebender style fuzzes lately hoping they'll cut a lot better than the muffs.


----------



## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

Personally I like spitty, gated and zippery fuzzes. Mosrite, Maestro and Shin-Ei voiced ones. They jump out of the mix for me unlike the smoother Tone Bender and Big Muff variations.

But that's just my own personal taste.

I love fuzz on bass too!


----------



## soldierscry (Jan 20, 2008)

I use a big muff (I own 3)for all my dirty needs. I also have an empress Fuzz on the way that will be put to good use.


----------



## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

Having read both your posts, you should really try a Fulltone Soulbender. It is a MK III, cuts thru, and has several useful settings.

TG




hollowbody said:


> I'm kind of all over the place. My main cover band is sometimes a 4-piece and sometimes a 5-piece. Our 2nd guitarist has rotating on-call schedule, so he's not always at rehearsals/shows, in which case I would be the only guitar. In my Springsteen band, I'm the only electric guitar, but there's an acoustic guitar, a sax and a keyboard as well.
> 
> I discovered a loooooong time ago that my main gripe about muff-style fuzzes was exactly this - they simply didn't cut through in a band setting and got lost in the mix. I've been looking at tonebender style fuzzes lately hoping they'll cut a lot better than the muffs.


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

traynor_garnet said:


> Having read both your posts, you should really try a Fulltone Soulbender. It is a MK III, cuts thru, and has several useful settings.
> 
> TG


haha, funny you should say that. I just bought and sold one! It's just not meant to be for me


----------



## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

hollowbody said:


> haha, funny you should say that. I just bought and sold one! It's just not meant to be for me


Ha! Why do you keep trying fuzz then? LOL


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

traynor_garnet said:


> Ha! Why do you keep trying fuzz then? LOL


cuz the right one's GOTTA be out there, somewhere!!!


----------



## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

I'm with hollowbody on that. I keep buying fuzz 'cause I love the soud of them or, at least, the sounds others can produce with them but I can't get along with most fuzz. The only one I've keep it's some muff variant with a mids control.

Regarding distortion, I prefer when there's a hint of fuzz in them like the rat... I'm a whole contradiction I guess!


----------



## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

the very first pedal i ever had was one of these

View attachment 4047


----------



## Solaceguitars (May 3, 2010)

^ The Super fuzz is the only fuzz tone that does anything for me!!! I have a cheap Behringer clone that I used for a while. I wish I knew of a better quality clone of this sound.....
Anyways; back to the OP's point... I find that yes You can definately get some good rhythm tones with fuzz instead of OD, but that low end tends to be a bit too loose for my taste, and I prefer not to do so...$0.02


----------



## lchender (Dec 6, 2011)

I definitely dig fuzz, but I don't think I could give up my overdrive and go fuzz only.


----------



## elliottmoose (Aug 20, 2012)

lchender said:


> I definitely dig fuzz, but I don't think I could give up my overdrive and go fuzz only.


Same here. I always have some fuzz on my board but its the ODs that get the most show time, but at home, I love a good fuzz...


----------



## hjr2 (Sep 5, 2013)

I could use a Germanium Fuzz on just about everything if I had to. I love the clean up with the volume pot, no need for boosters and such. 
I built this Germanium Fuzz, it's dimed for the whole clip, I just used the volume pot to clean it up.
[soundcloud]https://soundcloud.com/hjr2/rousetech-germanium-fuzz-the[/soundcloud]


----------



## amp boy (Apr 23, 2009)

to me a good fuzz is also a drive tone as well.

For the fella that wanted a good Superfuzz clone : check out the CreepyFingers Hakkurai ( i can't spell it. )


----------



## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

I'm a huge fan of Fuzz. I gone through a ton of them including Fulltone 69, Ultimate Octave, Soulbender and the list goes on. My current collection includes an Analogman Fuzz, BYOB Muff, Rx Electronics Fuzz, Scarab Fuzz and my favourite Wampler Velvet Fuzz.


----------



## keto (May 23, 2006)

The one that sticks for me is my op-amp BigMuff clone....but I like pretty high gain sounds generally. I play through Marshall type amps, so I don't lose too many mids and get lost, it roars along fine in a band with another guitar. The only problem is that it's too wooly on palm muted passages, where there is meant to be silence inbetween the strikes....it sticks out like a sore thumb, in a bad way.

In the vein of high gain, there's a ToneBender type pedal I build that is sorta over the top version of the ToneBender sound, very high gain, that I like a lot. Uses higher gain transistors. It also has a bias knob, so you can get spitty or right on the edge gated where it stops dead when you stop playing. I sold a few of them here when I was building.


----------



## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

hollowbody said:


> Wow, I'm the total opposite. I've gone through quite a few fuzzes over the years and still haven't found one that I've kept for more than a month or two. I'm trying to find that one fuzz that really grabs me and holds my interest, but that hasn't happened yet


I'm in the same boat.


----------



## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

I've gone through a lot of fuzzes. I love them in a 3 piece. In a 2 guitar band I can never get them to cut through the mix.

My big muff with wicker is one of the few originals on my board.


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

People generally need less distortion than they think they do.

The challenge is that the listener's nervous system has to take all of that high frequency information in, and sort it all out, like putting a spilled deck of cards into suits, assigning this harmonic to that source, and so on. When one is trying out a pedal in the privacy one's home, or a music store, you're the only source of sound (at least that you're paying any attention to). The harmonic content is easily assigned (subconsciously) to the guitar, and the fuzz makes it sound "fuller" and busier, _AS IF _there were a full band behind you.

Play that same fuzz in the company of other musicians - especially if there are drums and cymbals - and now the difficulty of mentally assigning harmonic content to the proper source becomes much more difficult. That's why it doesn't seem to "cut through". Remember, "cutting through" is fundamentally a question of attentional difficulty. And when being able to mentally sort and isolate the various sound sources becomes difficult, the response most people adopt is to turn up. Turning up brings its own additional difficulties, such as pitch distortion. If you've ever noticed that the pitch of a recorded tune seems to change as it fades out, that is an example of how pitch perception is altered by volume levels.


----------



## TWRC (Apr 22, 2011)

I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. When I was young and first experimenting with drive pedals, I would always max the gain out to get a saturated and full gain sound. As I got older, became a more dynamic player and figured out how different combinations of gear worked; the gain knobs got turned way down, yet I can achieve a larger sound than I could when I was a kid.

I play in a pretty high gain band now, but people are always surprised by where my gain settings are on my pedalboard.

As for fuzz itself, I'm a big muff guy. I've never been able to bond with fuzz face circuits in my rig, so my board is outfitted with 2 muff styled circuits - one for high gain and one for a medium gain sound. The only thing I don't use fuzz for is for low gain (overdrive territory). I've never really liked how notes trail off in low gain fuzz settings, so I use an overdrive pedal for stuff like that. 



mhammer said:


> People generally need less distortion than they think they do.
> 
> The challenge is that the listener's nervous system has to take all of that high frequency information in, and sort it all out, like putting a spilled deck of cards into suits, assigning this harmonic to that source, and so on. When one is trying out a pedal in the privacy one's home, or a music store, you're the only source of sound (at least that you're paying any attention to). The harmonic content is easily assigned (subconsciously) to the guitar, and the fuzz makes it sound "fuller" and busier, _AS IF _there were a full band behind you.
> 
> Play that same fuzz in the company of other musicians - especially if there are drums and cymbals - and now the difficulty of mentally assigning harmonic content to the proper source becomes much more difficult. That's why it doesn't seem to "cut through". Remember, "cutting through" is fundamentally a question of attentional difficulty. And when being able to mentally sort and isolate the various sound sources becomes difficult, the response most people adopt is to turn up. Turning up brings its own additional difficulties, such as pitch distortion. If you've ever noticed that the pitch of a recorded tune seems to change as it fades out, that is an example of how pitch perception is altered by volume levels.


----------



## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

mhammer said:


> People generally need less distortion than they think they do.


The same can be said for reverb and modulation effects!!


----------



## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Good points cutting through and moderation of effects.

For a while now, for a lot of drive pedals, I'll do the TS trick.
Turn the volume up and the gain down on the pedal.
It kind of opens the sound of the pedal up, quite different than the other way around.

I've gone through a few on the board with the band so far, looking for a fuzz that will cut through.
As stated, some will sound great at home, but get lost in the mix.


----------



## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

sulphur said:


> Good points cutting through and moderation of effects.
> 
> For a while now, for a lot of drive pedals, I'll do the TS trick.
> Turn the volume up and the gain down on the pedal.
> ...


Have you tried anything Fuzzrite flavoured Jock?

After trying some Muff and Tonebender variants I've had success with the Catalinbread Merkin. For some it might be too "buzzy".


----------



## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

I can't say for sure if I have a Fuzzrite variant, or not.
I have piles of them around here, but I do know that I haven't tried that Merkin.
I did like the audio samples of that one and I remember when you got yours.

I've tried a few with the band that were killer at home, but disappeared in the mix.
The Musket and the If 6 was 9, both awesome pedals on my own,
got lost with the band. I tried to flick the toggle on the If 6 was 9 and it's more of a distortion.
I think that those are Muff variants, I think. Just didn't cut it.

The FrazzDazzler did well last jam, fuzzy goodness, that could be heard.
I just got in a Scarab Deluxe, I'll give that a whirl next.
The size is a bit more convenient, as it's a bit taller and my fuzz is on the back row.
Plenty to tweak on the pedal too, so we'll see how that goes.

I did see a used Merkin FS through Scott @ http://www.axeandyoushallreceive.com/,
but didn't spring for it at that time. Thanks for the heads up on it, it might be worth a shot,
if I can't settle on what I have on hand.


----------



## keto (May 23, 2006)

You did at least have a *variant* of a Fuzzrite, Jock - but I always built them with bigger output capacitors so they *weren't* so buzzy. A really good thick roaring type fuzz (depends on rig, of course) when built the way I did them. I believe yours was an unlabelled white enclosure, with a switch...I forget what for, but it might have been those very output caps.


----------



## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Good call Kent!

You know that the pedal hoard is getting too big, when you forget what you have. 8)
Yes, I do still have that one and it's going on the band board right now!

Fuzzrite is emblazoned on the front of the pedal, ffs.
I like the taller enclosure on this too, it may just do the trick! 
I still have that two knob thickener/sustainer too, I wonder if I can jam that on the board too. 8)

Man, I put these things away, then they're out of my recollection.
Gettin' old.


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Here's a Shin-Ei FY-2 derivative I made for a 10th Anniversary Contest Prize over at the DIYStompbox forum. Somebody else did the cosmetics. I just did the circuit design and built/tested the board. The FY-2 is yet another Fuzzrite variant, but with a midscoop filter. It sounds a lot fiercer than when I built it, and I'm not so sure he demonstrates the range of possible tones (many of them more "polite"), but you get the idea.

[video=youtube;CGWPSDK4Huk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGWPSDK4Huk&amp;feature=player_embedded[/video]


----------

