Curious to hear folks' experiences with the Fuzz Master General. I'm considering snagging one up before they discontinue it again, and octave fuzz is my favourite fuzz. Does it offer something that a superfuzz clone or a Green Ringer clone cannot cover?
Yes, but the difference lays in the 3rd clipping option (toggle in middle position) that covers a very different ground than the Ge and Si modes.
I currently own the following SF family members:
- Tru-Fi Super Fuzz V1
- Idiotbox Ron Fuckin' Swanson
- Danelectro Eisenhower
- PedalPCB Fuzz Cadet (EQD FMG clone)
- EQD Fuzz Master General Legacy RI
The Tru-Fi is a nice and faithful clone and has the octave balance trimmer. Slightly noisy, but I guess that's just like the Univox. If you want
authentic but aren't forking out 1k on Reverb, this is the one to get.
The Idiotbox is in the ballpark, is a tad less noisy, yet also less refined and not sounding as "big". Not that listeners would notice though. Nicely tuned, but doesn't have the trim pot. 100% obsolete ever since I got the Tru-Fi.
The Danelectro (FZ-2 based with bass/treble knobs) is a cool surprise, nowhere near as cheap-sounding as I expected. Sounds huge and is versatile.
The PedalPCB clone of the FMG goes 99% of the way, but when you A/B them there's a difference, although very minor. Maybe to do with parts selection? Not bad at all, though.
The EQD Legacy Reissue is highly similar to the PedalPCB, but just sounds a wee little bit nicer to my ears (tone is in the branding?). Slightly more of the typical SF sag in Si mode than the PedalPCB, and the op-amp clipping is definitely cleaner and responds more like a ring mod with the right settings. The Flexi Switch is a fun addition over the original FMG.
Anyhow, I do like them all, but the EQD got the final spot on my board. If I got to keep only two, it'd be the EQD in first place and then I'd have a real hard time picking between the Tru-Fi and the Danelectro.
And I'll be giving the Idiotbox to a good buddy for his birthday this month. It was my entry ticket to the world of Super Fuzz, and he's also a huge pedal nerd but hasn't played a SF so far (loves his Carcosa, Fuzz Factory and various Rats tho), so it's time for a rite of initiation...
EDIT: The Tru-Fi and Idiotbox don't like being placed after a buffer. Not as bad as a Tone Bender or Ge FF. They're still enjoyable, but they do react to impedance changes. The others I'm not so sure about. Probably not as much.
