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I saw this clip ...and now I need to know about Fuzz!


nuke_diver

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[video=youtube;fp5N4-YVhoI]

 

This sounds all kinds of awesome. But I know nothing about fuzz and have never used one. How different is it that just heavy distortion? Where would you use fuzz and not distortion?

 

Enquiring minds want to know

 

Educate me HCEG!

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There are as many different sounding fuzz pedals as there are overdrives and distortions, if not more. You've got your Big Muff types which straddle the line with distortion and tend to be mid-scooped sounding. Then there are Fuzz Face types, which can clean up nicely like a OD and can act really well as a solo boost. Octave fuzzes like the Octavia. Then you get into the more off the wall types - Companion/FY-2, Univox, Scrambler, Devi-ever etc. which tend to be more over-the-top, spitting, gated or just plain crazy. I love fuzzes.

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Do you guys that have Fuzz pedals use them for particular music or are they a general purpose distortion that you like to have? I've got a distortion pedal but it doesn't see that much use with the amp I have now since the amp distortion I like better. But it doesn't sound like the pharaoh :cop:

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I used my BAT Pharaoh (number 26 I believe) at rehearsal exclusively the other night over my amp gain. Sounded pretty awesome I must say, I was really digging it. These things do take some time to dial in right, I'm still tweaking, but its getting there for sure. I'm using it at the next gig with no amp distortion at all. Mark who owns Black Arts Toneworks and hand builds the LSTR and Pharaoh is a member of HCEG forum - The Riffer is his handle. One of the best people on the planet.

 

As far as music style, southern fried heavy ass swamp infused stoner rock. lol

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Fuzz pedals work by forcing the input signal into a square-wave output signal...this results in the signal sounding "fuzzy"...as opposed to an OD/Distortion pedal which emphasizes even-numbered harmonics, same as a tube amp...

Fuzz's TEND to reward single-note playing and can get a little mushy when playing chords...

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My fave fuzz is on the Beatles' Revolution. I read that it's just the guitars fed directly into the board, and 'turning it to 11'. And they apparently permanently damaged that channel in the mixer! I think a great fuzz has a ripping quality, like tearing paper! I have a Big Muff Pi, a double muff nano, and a Behringer Ultra Fuzz, all have their unique qualities.-Adam

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Fuzz's TEND to reward single-note playing and can get a little mushy when playing chords...

 

 

I tend to feel the same way. I like them for leads but don't care much for them with chords or rhythm playing. Maybe I just haven't heard the right one yet.

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I tend to feel the same way. I like them for leads but don't care much for them with chords or rhythm playing. Maybe I just haven't heard the right one yet.

 

 

it's more from their nature...I don't think the mushiness is something they can fix...

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I've been using fuzz primarily in my indie rock band, but also when appropriate, in various cover projects. As has been mentioned, many of the classic tones you hear from the 60's were gotten with fuzz devices. Most types do lend themselves better to single note lines or powerchords, but that's not always the case. There are certain ones with plenty of note definition. Thing is, fuzzes might take a little more tweaking than your average OD pedal to get it to work just right with the combination you're using. But when you get it right, it will sound like Godzilla trampling Tokyo.

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I love listening to people play with it, there are some great examples of what I consider to be great including Gilmour and Eric Johnson (both strat players...interesting). But anytime I try to dial in some fuzz it turns into mush and noise. I do wonder if going strat into fuzz and concentrating on single note riffs wouldn't help a hell of a lot though.

 

I think I'm going to go grab that GP tomorrow.

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I love listening to people play with it, there are some great examples of what I consider to be great including Gilmour and Eric Johnson (both strat players...interesting). But anytime I try to dial in some fuzz it turns into mush and noise. I do wonder if going strat into fuzz and concentrating on single note riffs wouldn't help a hell of a lot though.


I think I'm going to go grab that GP tomorrow.



I have said it before and will say it again; SSS Strat + Fuzz + Tube Amp = :rawk:

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Do you guys that have Fuzz pedals use them for particular music or are they a general purpose distortion that you like to have?

 

 

Let's put it this way...the bulk of Hendrix's sound was a Strat + a Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face + a cranked up Marshal stack. Lot of early Gilmour, too.

 

 

If you're into that sort of thing......

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