Warm fuzzies.
- Thread starter JiveTurkey
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The Iron Bell might be a good starter fuzz, it’s basically a modded Big Muff but is very controllable, only when you really crank it does it get into the fuzz aspect, before that it’s closer to a regular distortion. It covers 70’s-90’s Gilmour fuzz tones and does it quite well.
I have limited experiences with fuzzes, I just have the Iron Bell, EJ Fuzz Face and the Fulltone ‘70 and man…..they’re VERY finicky bitches. Initially the only single coil guitar I had was my Gilmour Strat with EMG’s, while they aren’t super hot, they still pushed the ‘70 into an area I didn’t dig at all, but when I got my other Strat with more vintage-sounding single coils the ‘70 sounded GREAT.
I’m not even a tone-searching freak that gets hung up on the small stuff, but I’d definitely agree that fuzzes are touchy enough that they’re much better off straight out of the guitar and before anything else in the signal path.
I have limited experiences with fuzzes, I just have the Iron Bell, EJ Fuzz Face and the Fulltone ‘70 and man…..they’re VERY finicky bitches. Initially the only single coil guitar I had was my Gilmour Strat with EMG’s, while they aren’t super hot, they still pushed the ‘70 into an area I didn’t dig at all, but when I got my other Strat with more vintage-sounding single coils the ‘70 sounded GREAT.
I’m not even a tone-searching freak that gets hung up on the small stuff, but I’d definitely agree that fuzzes are touchy enough that they’re much better off straight out of the guitar and before anything else in the signal path.
the swede
Shredder
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Ok. Thanks. I’m basically after the lazy way to reamp with my HX stomp. It works great doing that with pedals in the fx loop. Maybe not fuzzes then.
bigcupholder
Groupie
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I built a bunch of fuzz pedals (on bread boards) and found I liked Tone Benders the best. Then I bought a few Tone Bender type fuzzes and kept only the Animals Rover fuzz. The "wool" control is really nice for dialing between warm and chunky or bright and bitey. It helps a lot with humbuckers.
Tone benders are a nice middle ground between fuzz faces and muffs. They're not as raspy, spitty or gated as a fuzz face but they're not overly smooth, scooped, bland and muddy like a muff.
Tone benders are a nice middle ground between fuzz faces and muffs. They're not as raspy, spitty or gated as a fuzz face but they're not overly smooth, scooped, bland and muddy like a muff.
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Give it a shot, at least then you’ll know for sure. Fuzzes are so varied that one might work great in that application while the other will sound like it’s batteries are dying.
itchyfingers
Roadie
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Get yourself a reissue Muff, and a Band of Gypsies Fuzz Face mini for about $200. Get your Strat out. Setup your board so it goes guitar > FF > Tube Screamer/Klone > muff > amp.
The muff will be big, sustaining, and wooly no matter the input volume. It will get lost in the mix til you kick it in the ass with that OD with a mid-hump.
The FF will give you all sorts of different tones depending on the guitar's volume knob, from all out fuzz heaven @10 to sparkly clean tones around 5/6. Kick on the OD to boost out front or cut thru the mix.
The muff will be big, sustaining, and wooly no matter the input volume. It will get lost in the mix til you kick it in the ass with that OD with a mid-hump.
The FF will give you all sorts of different tones depending on the guitar's volume knob, from all out fuzz heaven @10 to sparkly clean tones around 5/6. Kick on the OD to boost out front or cut thru the mix.
JiveTurkey
Goatlord
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You just turn to your right 12 degrees and grab something off the wall, don't you
I need to do a little satellite board with some minis on it. I have a couple of TS variants that could do the trick for this. Do you hit a dirty amp with this or is this into a clean channel? I imagine it's a wash of noise no matter how you do it
itchyfingers
Roadie
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Well, I like to consider other little factors like Ge VS Si, size and form factor, matching with a particular pair of amps. I just gave you the Cliff's Notes.You just turn to your right 12 degrees and grab something off the wall, don't you
I need to do a little satellite board with some minis on it. I have a couple of TS variants that could do the trick for this. Do you hit a dirty amp with this or is this into a clean channel? I imagine it's a wash of noise no matter how you do it
I have a hankering for a good FF...
JiveTurkey
Goatlord
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There's actually a full szie fuzz face of some sort used up at the spot where I got my Sugar Drive. I think I am going to have to start investing in some shelvingWell, I like to consider other little factors like Ge VS Si, size and form factor, matching with a particular pair of amps. I just gave you the Cliff's Notes.
I have a hankering for a good FF...
itchyfingers
Roadie
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Get it dude. The FF is a pretty simple circuit with single digit components, easy for folks to mod or swap out the whole board. You never know what you might find inside those old enclosures.There's actually a full szie fuzz face of some sort used up at the spot where I got my Sugar Drive. I think I am going to have to start investing in some shelving
Case in point...
Boudoir Guitar
Rock Star
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"Invest". Look, the increase in value of the house after I put these shelves in will more than make up for the money spent on these cute little pedals. Don't worry about it.There's actually a full szie fuzz face of some sort used up at the spot where I got my Sugar Drive. I think I am going to have to start investing in some shelving
DOD Carcossa. Also agree on tone bender circuits being my fave
JiveTurkey
Goatlord
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A quick scan through the ProGuitarShop Andy demo of the Carcosa sounds very nice indeed
Boudoir Guitar
Rock Star
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Of all the ones with a bias knob, it's bias knob is the most versatile - the others were all basically a 3-way toggle of "normal" "wrong-in-a-good-way" "broken-in-an-unusable-way". With nothing in between. The EQ switch was semi-useful too. I imagine you can find "em for cheap used now?A quick scan through the ProGuitarShop Andy demo of the Carcosa sounds very nice indeed
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I've owned a lot of fuzz over the years.
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If it's a muff type you want, buy a ronsound, case closed. Nobody makes them better and you won't get charged an arm and leg.
If you want a FF and have a wah with a Fuzz buffer, get an Oxfuzz.
If you want a Tonebender, one of the Macari's reissues built by Dave Main (D*A*M)
If you want a cool hybrid Ge/Si FF/TB mashup that plays nice with a regular wah, a D*A*M Dragnfly.
I've sold on nearly everything but the Silver Oxfuzz, Ronsound muff, and D*A*M Dragnfly
I keep the NVN ones because they're so unique, but don't use em because they're battery only
That's like $4K US right there in your recommendations. And looooooooong waits.
Show off!!!
JiveTurkey
Goatlord
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Time for a used Behringer Super Fuzz cloneThat's like $4K US right there in your recommendations. And looooooooong waits.
Show off!!!
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the swede
Shredder
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Carcosa is great, it’s the only fuzz pedal I’ve owned and i love it. And I’m a person that isn’t much into fuzz.
My take on it is that it can do subtle overdrive type of fuzz but it can also be unleashed into a crazy gated/sputtering/breaking into pieces type of fuzz. It’s very intimidating to say the least. It found a place in my heart for that shoegaze crazy thing. It’s one of those pedals I didn’t sell. But I haven’t used it for along time now. It stands on my studio desk as an symbol kinda.
It’s also a sentimental value to it because it reminds me of a great time on tgp and in pedal life when the Digitech team and Tom Cram was on a roll with super great pedals. Carcosa is a very special pedal… it’s not just a fuzz. It is its own thing imo.
My take on it is that it can do subtle overdrive type of fuzz but it can also be unleashed into a crazy gated/sputtering/breaking into pieces type of fuzz. It’s very intimidating to say the least. It found a place in my heart for that shoegaze crazy thing. It’s one of those pedals I didn’t sell. But I haven’t used it for along time now. It stands on my studio desk as an symbol kinda.
It’s also a sentimental value to it because it reminds me of a great time on tgp and in pedal life when the Digitech team and Tom Cram was on a roll with super great pedals. Carcosa is a very special pedal… it’s not just a fuzz. It is its own thing imo.
JiveTurkey
Goatlord
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Is the Carcosa particular about placement/impedance/etc.?
