Fuzz into already breaking up, or even overdriven amp - options for usable tone?

hubobulous

I play into a Badger 30 with the gain set to be somewhere in between breaking up and overdriven. I use the Koko Boost to kick things up a gear and love this tone. I've always played OD or Distortion pedals, but fancied something different.

I have the Wampler Velvet fuzz on my board at the moment, and really like its versatility. I tend to use this on the Distortion setting rather than full on Fuzz since that latter is just too much mush to be usable with my amp settings.

I also have the Suhr Rufus, but this only works really with a clean channel.

So the question is, if I want Fuzz like 'Are you gonna go my way' for example, is there a pedal out there than can add Fuzz gain on top of a driven amp without it becoming unusable, or are the two concepts incompatible?

I've tried with both the Velvet and Rufus with their gain turned down, but to no avail. They're both keepers, but just wondering if there's a flavour of fuzz out there that I'm not aware of.

samzadgan

hmmm...i've always found that with fuzz going into driven amp...i take he fuzz right down and increase the volume right up...and that usually does a great job adding saturation and fuzz to the drive sound, without oversaturation and making the tone a complete mess.

 

then again what i think is a good tone, may already be too muddy for your taste

hubobulous

Its difficult since I'll only know when its tried in the band mix, but gut feel says that anything too dark or undefined, (or out of control), isn't going to work.

Splutteryness is cool, but not when it loses so much definition that I can't tell what's being played...!!

samzadgan

The rufus was very sputtery, but i though the velvet fuzz was more...well, velvetty...but having watched a demo of the velvet fuzz, i can see that was built for a clean amp.

so depending on taste...i would say the best fuzz i have every played is the Black Arts Pharaoh...works amazingly well for clean or dirty amps...here's a "friendly" demo by PGS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp5N4-YVhoI

 

 

ICBM

Fuzz Factory. Stacks with anything, cuts through anything.

It does have 'normal' sounds as well as the mad squealing unstable ones too.

hubobulous

Fuzz Factory was on my 'I wonder' list. They seem to hold second hand value so could be an inexpensive test.....

stonevibe

hubobulous said:

Fuzz Factory was on my 'I wonder' list. They seem to hold second hand value so could be an inexpensive test.....

Or you can buy a clone for next to nothing...

hubobulous

That is also very true!!

monquixote

I'd try a Swollen Pickle or a Keeley Fuzz Head. 

I know others use them successfully, but I found the Fuzz Factory a complete liability. You can get brilliant sounds, but never twice and the first time you kick it on having knocked one of the dials a fraction of an inch and you treat your audience to a wall of ear bursting, shrieking feedback clearing the room you will take it off your board and never use it again.

MattG

I have 2 fuzzes that sound amazing when used like that Swart fuzzy boost and a DAM drag'n fly both sound outstanding into a pushed amp or in front of a drive pedal

The DAM would probably be the best for the tone you're after

ICBM

monquixote said:

I know others use them successfully, but I found the Fuzz Factory a complete liability. You can get brilliant sounds, but never twice and the first time you kick it on having knocked one of the dials a fraction of an inch and you treat your audience to a wall of ear bursting, shrieking feedback clearing the room you will take it off your board and never use it again.

I've never found that at all. As long as you avoid the deliberately just-on-the-edge-of-feedback sounds I find it easy to dial in for predictable sounds and not particularly sensitive to exact settings. The only knob you really need to watch in order to avoid shrieking mayhem is the volume, even if you do actually knock it into an unstable setting.

hubobulous

Thanks all....gonna check out some YT vids

Gassage

Looking at your question the other way around-

A lot of people that use clean headroom amps will stack a Fuzz into a mild OD. This is doing what you're doing backwards- ie breaking the amp up then running a fuzz.

One thing I've learned is about sweet spots in pedals, which is rarely anywhere after 60% gain on the dial. So I'm going suggest that yes, it's very do-able but it's about finding the pedal and sweet spot that works. My P1 is very powerful, and the sweet spot is about 50% on gain when stacking into an EQing OD.

I agree re cranking volume on the pedal and then gently dialing in the gain and treble. That would be your route I reckon.

hubobulous

Makes sense....for a moment I thought you were going to suggest putting the fuzz in the FX loop....!!

Gassage

I can't recall the last time I owned an amp with a loop, save for a brief flirtation with a Marshall 6101 (which I have to confess to loving!)

longshins

Try a treble boost for fun, can get fuzzy into a driven amp. Catalinbread make some gudduns, the Pete Thorn demo of the throbak strange master is gas inducing too.

hubobulous

I tend to use the Koko boost in front of the amp, but I guess that's more of a mid boost.

longshins

Another option is an Octavia type fuzz, I use a Dan Armstrong green ringer clone which is very clean sounding and works perfectly with a driven amp.

hubobulous

Thanks @longshins. I'll check that out too

meltedbuzzbox

ICBM said:

Fuzz Factory. Stacks with anything, cuts through anything.

It does have 'normal' sounds as well as the mad squealing unstable ones too.

I personally have found the complete opposite with the fuzz factory.

I just let it rip as is. Love that pedal. 

slate

Basic audio scarab deluxe is very good into a driven amp.
There was one for sale on here recently...