# I'm a distortion guy, but I need a fuzz pedal...



## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

I'm so lost when it comes to fuzz pedals - I've had a few - Wren/cuff, Oxfuzz, Skreddy, among others and got rid of them all.

I like the SUF Violet Ram's head, but don't want to fork out the $300+ for one. Is there something similar to that pedal, but a bit cheaper?

I'm looking for some thick lead tones, but not overly fuzzy (for solos) - david gilmouresque, but with the option of a kicking in some serious wooly fuzz.

Here's the sounds I'm looking for:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKAvpBNPBG4


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Started out with a vintage Big Muff Pi and played around with 2 dozen pedals over the years. Back to the king of the fuzz... Big Muff


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## Judas68fr (Feb 5, 2013)

you might wanna try the Wampler Velvet Fuzz or the Mojohandfx Iron Bell. I'm not a fuzz guy, but I've had the chance to play those 2, and I am having a hard time trying to resist to another GAS-attack.


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## Morkolo (Dec 9, 2010)

A buddy of mine swears by his Dunlop Fuzz Face.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

Big muff here


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

If you seriously want to save a few bucks, get a BYOC Large Beaver, and build it up to Ram's Head specs (right in the instructions, all parts included). I've built or owned somewhere near 20 BM variants, that was among the very best sounding.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

keto said:


> If you seriously want to save a few bucks, get a BYOC Large Beaver, and build it up to Ram's Head specs (right in the instructions, all parts included). I've built or owned somewhere near 20 BM variants, that was among the very best sounding.


I'm not skilled at this kind of stuff - any chance you're selling one? winky face.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

GuitarsCanada said:


> Started out with a vintage Big Muff Pi and played around with 2 dozen pedals over the years. Back to the king of the fuzz... Big Muff


Is there a preferred year - like a rat?


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## the5chord (Oct 7, 2011)

Any of the old big muffs are going to cost you more than the SUF. Check out the gearpage emporium for a basic audio tri/ram. It'll give you too flavours of muff in one pedal. They sound awesome. Check out Burgs demo of it. Probably could be had for $150ish

I personally don't mind the current version of the big muff although it just sits in the drawer because the ARC Big Green Pi gets a place on the board.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

the5chord said:


> Any of the old big muffs are going to cost you more than the SUF. Check out the gearpage emporium for a basic audio tri/ram. It'll give you too flavours of muff in one pedal. They sound awesome. Check out Burgs demo of it. Probably could be had for $150ish
> 
> I personally don't mind the current version of the big muff although it just sits in the drawer because the ARC Big Green Pi gets a place on the board.


Wow, that thing sounds great. I'll wait for a few more opinions and then see if I can grab one.


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## LydianGuitars (Apr 18, 2013)

I've tried a few muffs and my favourite is the Musket by Blackout Effectors. The tone is total classic muff but you can also tweak it to change the character of the fuzz. Very cool pedal and I highly recommend it.


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## dcole (Oct 8, 2008)

That Basic Audio Tri/Ram sounds wicked. This is my favorite video of it. I like how they play a style of music that totally uses Big Muff's and not something different like I usually hear.

[video=youtube_share;6rwvN0vKjc8]http://youtu.be/6rwvN0vKjc8[/video]


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## TWRC (Apr 22, 2011)

Have you thought of buying something from the actual source? The Big Muff with Tone Wicker is actually a great pedal for those muff tones. I've owned many Big Muffs over the years and have never had any luck with the Stomp Under Foot stuff. Matt's quality is great; but tonally, his pedals never played well with my rig (YMMV).

I have a few different Big Muffs in my collection, but the one that I'm finding most useful these days is the Musket / Blunderbuss from Blackout Effectors. You can definitely get that saturated Big Muff sound, but with a lot more control over an original EHX version.

[video=youtube;CpOQ71m2if8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpOQ71m2if8[/video]


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## soldierscry (Jan 20, 2008)

http://www.guitarscanada.com/showthread.php?62169-Pedals-for-sale-(EHX-BOSS-FUCHS-Yamaha)


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## Solaceguitars (May 3, 2010)

Fuzz is a tough journey... it'll be a long and obsessive search for the sound you hear in your head. Best of luck! 

I ended my own fuzz search this year when I realized it all came down to a simple design with the right components. I built an axis fuzz from online schematics and used a few suggested revisions...perfect. I always thought I was a big muff guy (gilmour influenced) but it was his early silicon fuzz face I loved most, so now I have my own variation. 

The Mighty muff is an Ex Wife to me now, Bad memories.


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

Seriously, get a Danelectro Cool Cat Fuzz Version 1 (must be version one). A KILLER fuzz with lots of tones on tap. It gets a ton of use on my board and happily sits alongside boutique stuff. The thing it copies (Frantone Peachfuzz) is no longer made, so ethical issues needn't hold you back LOL

It will set you back all of $40-$50.

[video=youtube;KJiMXci6PAg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJiMXci6PAg[/video]


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

1) Anybody who thinks they can serve all their passions and needs with a single fuzz is naive. The reason is that "fuzz" is extreme enough to impose a very distinctive signature to one's tone; a signature that is unlikely to complement everything one might wish to play. Overdrives are generally more flexible in terms of the scope of sounds they can produce.

2) A scan of the many different issues of BMPs reveals that one can easily be this issue or that by changing one or two parts. For my part, instead of searching for the issue or 3rd-party "tribute" to the BMP, it may be simpler to just understand a little more about how the BMP works, and what simple component-value changes can produce what outcomes. If one lives in the Toronto area, getting the parts is a breeze.

3) The Empress Multidrive will capture a very broad variety of sounds to keep you happy. If'n ya wanna go "classic analog", keep your eye out for a Boss ROD-10 that packs 5 different overdrives and fuzzes, plus a 3-band semi-parametric EQ, into a half-rack chassis. Or, if you have no quarrel with the digital world, you can opt for the Source Audio Classic Distortion or Classic Distortion Pro, or the Line 6 M5, the latter of which will give you all the models in the DM-4 distortion modeller, plus another hundred or so FX, for less than what most folks are selling the DM-4 for.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

adcandour said:


> Wow, that thing sounds great. I'll wait for a few more opinions and then see if I can grab one.


I had a Tri/Ram and loved it. I sounded great and definitely will cover the bases you listed, but in a band context with a bassist and 2nd guitarist, it completely disappeared in the mix, so as much as I loved how it sounded on its own, I had to move it along.

I've had a bunch of fuzzes and never really bonded with any of them. I'm currently using a Skinpimp mkIII and it's the best I've used so far in terms of being able to dial in both fat, thick sounds and thinner, more piercing ones. I still have an issue with output volume (fuzzes always seem to be less than unity, even with the volume maxed), but I'm making-do. It's pricey, though.


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

hollowbody said:


> I had a Tri/Ram and loved it. I sounded great and definitely will cover the bases you listed, but in a band context with a bassist and 2nd guitarist, it completely disappeared in the mix, so as much as I loved how it sounded on its own, I had to move it along.


This is one of the great things about the Danelectro Peach Fuzz clone. It can sound muffy but it does NOT get lost in a band. It also turns into a great overdrive if you roll back your guitar's volume. Unfortunatly, many won't give it the time of day because it is made by Danelectro. The Frantone was about $300!


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

It's an odd suggestion, but I keep coming back to the Danelectro Cool Cat Fuzz. I have been playing around with a bunch of fuzz pedals, and there is just something about it I love. The other neat thing is it's one of the best fuzzes for bass I have used. EDIT sorry traynor_garnet ya beat me to it! I agree with you!

But, the guitar player in my band just got one of the newer Moog Fuzz pedals (I can't remember the full name, it's one of the mini pedals), and it's one of the coolest fuzzes I have ever heard. I am wanting to get one big time.


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

torndownunit said:


> It's an odd suggestion, but I keep coming back to the Danelectro Cool Cat Fuzz. I have been playing around with a bunch of fuzz pedals, and there is just something about it I love. The other neat thing is it's one of the best fuzzes for bass I have used. EDIT sorry traynor_garnet ya beat me to it! I agree with you!


No problem. Glad to read somebody else digs this thing. I would put it up against anything.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

torndownunit said:


> It's an odd suggestion, but I keep coming back to the Danelectro Cool Cat Fuzz. I have been playing around with a bunch of fuzz pedals, and there is just something about it I love. The other neat thing is it's one of the best fuzzes for bass I have used. EDIT sorry traynor_garnet ya beat me to it! I agree with you!
> 
> But, the guitar player in my band just got one of the newer Moog Fuzz pedals (I can't remember the full name, it's one of the mini pedals), and it's one of the coolest fuzzes I have ever heard. I am wanting to get one big time.


The recent demo here of one of those Moogerfooger fuzzes was very impressive, particularly when used with an expression pedal.


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

mhammer said:


> The recent demo here of one of those Moogerfooger fuzzes was very impressive, particularly when used with an expression pedal.


The guitar player in my band owns literally dozens of fuzzes. I have never been so blown away by a fuzz pedal as the Moog one. The tone and power is just incredible. Changed the bands whole sound.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

hollowbody said:


> I had a Tri/Ram and loved it. I sounded great and definitely will cover the bases you listed, but in a band context with a bassist and 2nd guitarist, it completely disappeared in the mix, so as much as I loved how it sounded on its own, I had to move it along.
> 
> I've had a bunch of fuzzes and never really bonded with any of them. I'm currently using a Skinpimp mkIII and it's the best I've used so far in terms of being able to dial in both fat, thick sounds and thinner, more piercing ones. I still have an issue with output volume (fuzzes always seem to be less than unity, even with the volume maxed), but I'm making-do. It's pricey, though.


Since I have no friends, I wouldn't need to move mine along. I just contacted a TGPer for the tri/ram - for $135US - not bad at all.

But now that I've seen that musket fuzz vid...


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

traynor_garnet said:


> No problem. Glad to read somebody else digs this thing. I would put it up against anything.


I watched the video, but the guy disrespects it at the end. In full out fuzz, I couldn't tell the difference, but during the lead stuff it was more evident. Still, at that price, it is certainly worth a shot.

- - - Updated - - -



mhammer said:


> The recent demo here of one of those Moogerfooger fuzzes was very impressive, particularly when used with an expression pedal.


I checked the moog website and found nothing - do you recall the name? - is it the MF drive distortion fuzz?


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

It's the MF Drive: http://www.moogmusic.com/products/minifoogers/mf-drive


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## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

adcandour said:


> I watched the video, but the guy disrespects it at the end. In full out fuzz, I couldn't tell the difference, but during the lead stuff it was more evident. Still, at that price, it is certainly worth a shot.


Ha! I wonder which pedal he sells . . . 

I actually like the Dano better. I have heard other clips where the peach fuzz low end gets out of control. Also, I prefer my fuzz to straddle the line between fuzz and distortion; interestingly, at the end of the clip the guys says the Dano is less of an "all out fuzz" (which is hard to believe when you hear it live at extreme settings) and a bit more like a distortion. That is a plus for me and really helps cut through with a band (where muffs often get lost)

Anyway, there are a gazillion pedals out there so I am sure you will find something.
TG


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## whammybar (May 7, 2008)

As has been said fuzz is a very subjective thing. I believe that at least one fuzz of David Gilmour is an Analogman nkt275 sunface. These germanium fuzz are amazing pieces of gear since you can drop the voltage down by turning the sunface. I know for sure that Doyle Bramhall II has one as well, it's on his pedal board. (That said they also run enough vintage gear between of them which also seriously affects their tone so you can always take fuzz advice with a grain of salt).

My advice is never order a fuzz from sound samples, unless you have the option to return it if undamaged. They sound different with every set up and can be affected by something as simple as what order the pedals are in. I also personally love the old big box fulltone 69. That contour knob is killer for reshaping the tone to your ear. But my fuzz of choice would stiill be an analogman nkt275


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

Tri/Ram is great but I prefer the Iron Bell as it seems to cut through a bit better. Also just picked up a Buffalo FX Rams Head which is particularly awesome, a bit pricey though.

[video=youtube;Hrqd_LD5SRU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hrqd_LD5SRU[/video]


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Basic Audio Tri/Ram on the way.

Thanks for all the help.

Let it be known that I'm still in the dark on this stuff. I heard about a fuzz documentary - maybe I'll watch it and get a clue.


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## dcole (Oct 8, 2008)

It was a good documentary but not as fuzz specific as I expected.



adcandour said:


> Basic Audio Tri/Ram on the way.
> 
> Thanks for all the help.
> 
> Let it be known that I'm still in the dark on this stuff. I heard about a fuzz documentary - maybe I'll watch it and get a clue.


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## the5chord (Oct 7, 2011)

Let us know how the tri/ram works out. Sounds like a good decision. I had a seriously special twosome once and while I loved the Fix'd side of it the Musket Blunderbuss never worked good for my taste. Seemed like a more modern fuzz sound to me that lacked low end. I have no doubt it would cut through the mix though. The arc big green pi worked out much better for me.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

I have an Analogman BC109 coming in from Charles @ ElectricMojo.
Clearance sale on now and he has a few different AM pedals up for grabs.

There are so many fuzz and variants of those fuzz out there that it's mind boggling.

If you'd want me to tourbox you a handful of my fuzzi, shoot me a PM.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

sulphur said:


> I have an Analogman BC109 coming in from Charles @ ElectricMojo.
> Clearance sale on now and he has a few different AM pedals up for grabs.
> 
> There are so many fuzz and variants of those fuzz out there that it's mind boggling.
> ...


I may take you up on this. I'll check out the tri/ram, and see if it does the trick. If not, I'll PM you.

Are you close to me? I looked up 'by the stack' on google maps and came up with nothing


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Ha! I'm 4 hours north, or so. Sudbury.

I recently shipped six or seven pedals around the same distance,
$40-50 Xpress post, so it's not exactly cheap, but a good way to test the waters.

I have a good variety, so we could go that way, or just ones close to what you're after.

I see fuzz as three different camps, the sustaining, the spitty & nasty and octave fuzz.
Some will do more than one of those features too.

Let us know what you think of the Tri/Ram, it may just do the trick.
I had one and did liked it.


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