I can't even force myself to like fuzz pedals......Help !

Telejester

My cae mc404 wah is due any day soon and I started listening to fuzz demo's online and I don't like any of them. What I hear is basically a huge, farty and soggy mess that sounds in no way musical to me. Are there any fuzzes that are tighter and retain definition of is fuzz just not for me ?

not_the_dj

I'm looking for fuzz as well, after not getting on with EHX Big Muff and MXR Fuzz Face.

However the Wampler Velvet Fuzz sounds great in this demo:

Teetonetal

WIth fuzz it really depends on what type of sound you are going for. and for what application you are using it for.. personally I like mine with low gain, high output, with a lot of treble added into a slightly driven amp. Generally use for a lead sound. 

Had good results with the Boss FZ2 mode 1 - Lunar Module Deluxe and Fairfield 4-eyes.

ThorpyFX

Telejester said:

My cae mc404 wah is due any day soon and I started listening to fuzz demo's online and I don't like any of them. What I hear is basically a huge, farty and soggy mess that sounds in no way musical to me. Are there any fuzzes that are tighter and retain definition of is fuzz just not for me ?

they dont have to be, less is more (dial back the gain) tighten the EQ and you can get violin like sustain without sounding mushy.

bbill335

I don't think you can write off fuzz until you've played one loud and let it shake your bones 

mudslide73

ThorpyFX said:

Telejester said:

My cae mc404 wah is due any day soon and I started listening to fuzz demo's online and I don't like any of them. What I hear is basically a huge, farty and soggy mess that sounds in no way musical to me. Are there any fuzzes that are tighter and retain definition of is fuzz just not for me ?

they dont have to be, less is more (dial back the gain) tighten the EQ and you can get violin like sustain without sounding mushy.

After looking at the Fallout Cloud at the weekend I can see what you mean - I can't resist much longer you bad man @ThorpyFX

Sporky

Also "fuzz" covers a wide range, from the Fuzzface style through Muffs, into the octavey ones such as the Foxx Tone Machine and onto the glitchy noise-makers such as the Fuzz Factory or the Zoom UltraFuzz... and much more.

Lebarque

The CAE wah is fantastic, but it doesn't have a buffer, so it didn't work well with my Germanium Fuzzface - common, age-old problem - oscillation etc. Maybe other types of fuzz pedal would work better?  

Jonathanthomas83

@Telejester I was definitely in your camp and really didn't get on with any of the fuzzes/muffs I tried. At the tail end of last year, I told myself that 'this is the last one, then I'm done'...I bought a Buffalo FX M-1 fuzz and haven't looked back.

It's tight and defined, soars for solo's and does the cool early muse style riffs with ease, as well as full thunderous and saturated chords. Really is the absolute best I've tried.

I'll caveat this with the fact that it's a stacked Muff, so it's not traditional in that sense...it includes a Power Booster circuit so makes it pop out in the mix and really gives it the mojo, IMO. 

UnclePsychosis

Nothing wrong with not liking fuzz. Its one less rabbit hole to go down.

DesVegas

As always, this is the best fuzz demo i have heard



Although i have a Big Muff Tone Wicker on my board at the moment which is great .. nice and heavy with sustain for days

57Deluxe

There are degrees of Fuzz.

In its infancy it was THE way to make an amp sound overdriven or more aggressive and wasn't used with the preponderance of other FX like we have today. It was in fact designed to emulate the sound of Brass instruments with the guitar!The Univibe was prob the move towards a more saturated sound trend.

So, you can use and enjoy fuzz for that slightly on the edge of breakup tone as long as you have a bright setting on amp and guitar. Then it is just a Distortion.

Bucket

1:15.

57Deluxe

@DesVegas ; - - ouch ouch! Hurts my ears!

This is the best sounding bunch of Fuzz tones I have heard

TTBZ

DOD Carcosa. Just awesome.

professorben

Fuzz is IMHO rubbish, it's got huge gain, but no definition, so you can't really riff with it, and it disappears in a band context unless you are the only guitarist, even then your bassist will swallow you up. 

TTBZ

Ben that depends on the genre and fuzz you're using I'd say. I don't like most fuzzes (think they sound like a shit distortion pedal) but the fuzz war and carcosa stand out in that they don't scoop or leave your tone too mushy. The Carcosa can get mushy if you want but dialling back the after knob sorts it out.

I do think they're best for sleazy nasty lead lines though.

Majorscale

57Deluxe said:

@DesVegas ;;; - - ouch ouch! Hurts my ears!

This is the best sounding bunch of Fuzz tones I have heard

I agree wholeheartedly... I went on a big fuzz hunt a while ago, from cheap to ultra boutique. Many were great but the only one that works well with all amps, in a band mix and is buffer compatible is the Bearfoot Pink Purple Fuzz. I have two as a result...

Alnico

I've just got a way huge Havalina fuzz and the first thing i said about it when i switched it on was how versatile it is.
It's a Germanium fuzz, 3 knob so it has a tone control and it will, if carefully set do a really nice smooth (Floydish) sound as well as a dirty raspy fuzz and a lot in between.
With mine, all 3 controls seem to work together so move one and the others will change a bit too, there's a lot for me to get out of this.
The switch is awesome and it's built really well, i'm massively happy with it.

The Clusterfuzz is an amazing looking pedal too but this one i have was £60 used from a very good friend and i can't justify buying another fuzz pedal now. For the times i use it, this is pretty much perfect for me.

Hope that maybe helps a bit.

MrBump

The main thing for me is how fuzz pedals (and I mean the Muff variants) work in a band context.  I've found that they're too likely to disappear in the mix.

SRich

bbill335 said:

I don't think you can write off fuzz until you've played one loud and let it shake your bones 

Wiz'd

Bedroom guitarists struggle with lots of fuzz variants, and some are just downright unruly (yes that's you, Fuzz Factory sitting off my board in a sulk).

Muffroom Cloud / Fallout Cloud plays more nicely........but the 'shake your bones' is on the money.

Bad for the neighbours.