If you could only have one FUZZ pedal on your board?

Gassage

timhulio said:

I've always loved the Harmonic Percolator circuit. It's no coincidence one of the first pedals introduced to the Fredric Effects range was an accurate clone of the HP. Without the clipping diodes engaged it doubles as a great overdrive with tons more character than the usual TS-clones.

I've tried the original HP and the Fredric. Not even close!! Poles apart and not what I'd call an accurate clone at all.

djspecialist

Gassage said:

It is a bright clip - the result is the nearest thing I have ever heard to the Daddy of Big Muffs, the Cornish P1. And I have both the Vick and the P1 and there's abut 2% difference (and £400!)

So does that add or remove high-end, compared to stock?

Given that in his review of the Vick Bjorn said he thought it could do with more top-end, I presume the latter.

Edit - reading down that page I found the answer in a comment from Bjorn:

March 22, 2015 at 11:12 am Bjorn said:

Vick did a version based on my review of his stock pedal. He raised the top end and lowered the gain stage a tad.

Gassage

djspecialist said:

Gassage said:

It is a bright clip - the result is the nearest thing I have ever heard to the Daddy of Big Muffs, the Cornish P1. And I have both the Vick and the P1 and there's abut 2% difference (and £400!)

So does that add or remove high-end, compared to stock?

Given that in his review of the Vick Bjorn said he thought it could do with more top-end, I presume the latter.

Edit - reading down that page I found the answer in a comment from Bjorn:

March 22, 2015 at 11:12 am Bjorn said:

Vick did a version based on my review of his stock pedal. He raised the top end and lowered the gain stage a tad.

All I know is it works and sounds fabby.

djspecialist

Gassage said:

All I know is it works and sounds fabby.

In the end that's all that matters.

timhulio

Gassage said:

timhulio said:

I've always loved the Harmonic Percolator circuit. It's no coincidence one of the first pedals introduced to the Fredric Effects range was an accurate clone of the HP. Without the clipping diodes engaged it doubles as a great overdrive with tons more character than the usual TS-clones.

I've tried the original HP and the Fredric. Not even close!! Poles apart and not what I'd call an accurate clone at all.

It's a good job you have magic ears, because they're indistinguishable. The differences you've heard are likely due to variations in the hfe of the Germanium transistors. Higher gain = more splattery, lower gain for better bass response. The original HP circuit was traced a while ago now, so accurate clones can be had quite easily- and not just by buying ours or the Collins version- the Pedal Parts circuit is spot-on too.

If you don't like the fizzy edge of the HP fuzz, we also build a variation with a subtle low pass filter built-in as the Utility Perkolator.

cbellanga

RMJ;699419" said:

Hoof.

+1

Gassage

timhulio said:

Gassage said:

timhulio said:

I've always loved the Harmonic Percolator circuit. It's no coincidence one of the first pedals introduced to the Fredric Effects range was an accurate clone of the HP. Without the clipping diodes engaged it doubles as a great overdrive with tons more character than the usual TS-clones.

I've tried the original HP and the Fredric. Not even close!! Poles apart and not what I'd call an accurate clone at all.

It's a good job you have magic ears, because they're indistinguishable. The differences you've heard are likely due to variations in the hfe of the Germanium transistors. Higher gain = more splattery, lower gain for better bass response. The original HP circuit was traced a while ago now, so accurate clones can be had quite easily- and not just by buying ours or the Collins version- the Pedal Parts circuit is spot-on too.

If you don't like the fizzy edge of the HP fuzz, we also build a variation with a subtle low pass filter built-in as the Utility Perkolator.

Well, sadly I do have good ears. And indistinguishable is not quite the word I'd use- I'd be more minded to use 'poles apart, fizzy and not even close'. But that is just me....but if you make big claims, expect to be shot down.

randomhandclaps

TBH you can't really knock the Vick.  The muff is a relatively complex circuit and not only does the Vick sound good but they are hardly ripping you off price-wise.

Part of a problem with the Harmonic Percolator circuit is it's relative uniqueness.  You can build the circuit the same but it relies on such a specific set of characteristics of the germanium transistor and in turn how it's interplays with the silicon (which is relatively unimportant to be so specific).  Hfe, leakage and most often overlooked it the relative switching speed of the transistor - which is what made the 2N404a a great candidate.  Unfortunately however finding ones with the right parameter is getting rarer and rarer.

That's not to say that building one with a well chosen set of trannies won't give you a great/unique fuzz but it is an effect that is hard to consistently reproduce like the original.  Like most 'simple circuit' fuzzes, the lower the part count the higher the impact of variations.

timhulio

I hardly think you've shot anything down. You've just voiced your opinion based on a sample of two units. I've explained why they may sound slightly different to your ears.

timhulio

Here's a comparison of the accurate Harmonic Percolator clone and the Utility Perk with the filter:

Gassage

timhulio said:

I hardly think you've shot anything down. You've just voiced your opinion based on a sample of two units. I've explained why they may sound slightly different to your ears.

Rubbish.

On one hand, you said 'they are indistinguishable" And then this: "It's no coincidence one of the first pedals introduced to the Fredric Effects range was an accurate clone of the HP."

And then this, which shows a remarkable lack of knowledge of how the HP reacts inside.

The differences you've heard are likely due to variations in the hfe of the Germanium transistors.

You are about as consistant as Kevin Pietersen's Twitter feed, and it irks me when people talk shit to promote their products.

It you backpeddle any harder you'll snap the chain.

timhulio

Hfe, leakage and most often overlooked it the relative switching speed of the transistor - which is what made the 2N404a a great candidate.  Unfortunately however finding ones with the right parameter is getting rarer and rarer.

Agreed - we use 2N404a with Hfe >70 and <120 which sounds best. This is doable as I've got a couple of big boxes of these transistors. It's much easier to find transistors with low leakage and Hfe in this range with Russian GT313A transistor, which seem much more consistent. 

Gassage

Jeepers, the clicking on those pedals....

randomhandclaps

timhulio said:

It's a good job you have magic ears, because they're indistinguishable. The differences you've heard are likely due to variations in the hfe of the Germanium transistors. Higher gain = more splattery, lower gain for better bass response.

Sorry I don't get how you can have a dig at someone by saying they must have 'magic ears' if they can tell the difference and then explain why it can sound different.  Either it can sound different or not? And if it can sound different then any two pedals can be distinguishable.

Gassage

No, the tonal differences you can palpably hear make no difference and are not tonal differences. @timhulio clearly said so.

And there's no popping on the footswtiches. It's a drum loop feature inside the pedal.

randomhandclaps

If I had a single fuzz it'd be a Rat.  The only pedal that can do OD, Dist and full on Fuzz.

timhulio

We use millenium bypass, which is much quieter in operation than the standard 3pdt true bypass switching.

Gassage

timhulio said:

We use millenium bypass, which is much quieter in operation than the standard 3pdt true bypass switching.

Yeah, sounded like it.

timhulio

edit: nah, not tonight.

DesVegas

So which one you going for Jon?

@joeyowen thanks for your wis. it so happened our singer sacked off practice ten minutes before was due to start again so the neighbours will be hearing the zoom ultra now.