Jump to content

Which Monsterpiece is right for me!?


Recommended Posts

  • Members

If it were me I would go NPNAngry Dick just to mix it up and have a really useful fuzz (NPN) and a crazy all out nasty fuzz (AD). Tonebender's (MKII) tend to not sound good with my rig or maybe I just don't like them? Then again didn't Jimmy Page use a Tele and Tonebender on Communication Breakdown? That's some awesome fuzz tone. PNP-NPN would be cool but they'd be similar I would imagine. I personally wouldn't feel the need for more than one fuzzface, a boost and eq can push the one I have well enough to whatever saturation I want.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

well I play experimental indie rock with one band and I'm starting up a edgy folk/blues thing now which is what I will use the pedal the most for.

 

I love gritty fuzz but I also love that thick wall of fuzz sound and even octave type fuzzes.

Is the angry dick rather similar to the NPN? I heard an angry dick clip and it was sick. I loved the nastiness, but I don't want to get them both if they are almost the same.

What is the MKII best for? I have never really heard it and what about the classic?

I need to decide fast because Duderanimous is about to message me back soon.

Whats the advantage of a NPN/NPN?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

The NPN and the Classic are both modelled after the Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face circuit. However the main difference is that the NPN uses silicon transistors (usually BC108s or BC109s) and the Classic uses germanium transistors (usually NKT-275s or AC128s). The PNP uses a conbination of both.

 

Sonically the germanium transistors are very warm, slightly muddy and organic. The volume control works wonders on these trannys where with the fuzz set to max you can roll down your volume knob and get some perfect clean tones and if you turn the volume knob all the way up you get a full fledged fuzz sound. As for being a fuzz the germanium trannys are pretty low-mid gain. They blend very well with a lighty overdriven tube amp. However beware germanium trannys are often finicky and react different to temperature changes and may sound different from day to day. Examples of a germanium FFs would be early Jimi Hendrix (Are You Experienced?) and really early Pink Floyd (Saucerful of Secrets, Ummagumma)

 

The silicon transistors are totally different. In comparison to the germanium they are bright, edgy and cutting all though i don't find them harsh either. The silicon does not clean up as well with the volume however it can still get some cool tones when you roll back the knob. The fuzz itself is much more higher gained than the germanium and is really great for soaring lead tones. Examples of silicon FFs would be late Hendrix (Band of Gypsies) and early Pink Floyd (Meddle, Live in Pompeii, Dark Side of the Moon)

 

I myself own the NPN as silicon trannys are the kind of sound i was looking for (and got) but some people swear by germanium. Its all a matter of taste. For you if you're going to be using the fuzz into the amp totally clean I would think the NPN would be better as imo germanium sounds a little too weak for me into a clean amp. However I don't own a germanium fuzz face so I can't really validate this but that's just from the soundclips i heard. But most people with germanium ffs run them into overdriven amps anyway (including Hendrix).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

The NPN and the Classic are both modelled after the Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face circuit. However the main difference is that the NPN uses silicon transistors (usually BC108s or BC109s) and the Classic uses germanium transistors (usually NKT-275s or AC128s). The PNP uses a conbination of both.


Sonically the germanium transistors are very warm, slightly muddy and organic. The volume control works wonders on these trannys where with the fuzz set to max you can roll down your volume knob and get some perfect clean tones and if you turn the volume knob all the way up you get a full fledged fuzz sound. As for being a fuzz the germanium trannys are pretty low-mid gain. They blend very well with a lighty overdriven tube amp. However beware germanium trannys are often finicky and react different to temperature changes and may sound different from day to day. Examples of a germanium FFs would be early Jimi Hendrix (Are You Experienced?) and really early Pink Floyd (Saucerful of Secrets, Ummagumma)


The silicon transistors are totally different. In comparison to the germanium they are bright, edgy and cutting all though i don't find them harsh either. The silicon does not clean up as well with the volume however it can still get some cool tones when you roll back the knob. The fuzz itself is much more higher gained than the germanium and is really great for soaring lead tones. Examples of silicon FFs would be late Hendrix (Band of Gypsies) and early Pink Floyd (Meddle, Live in Pompeii, Dark Side of the Moon)


I myself own the NPN as silicon trannys are the kind of sound i was looking for (and got) but some people swear by germanium. Its all a matter of taste. For you if you're going to be using the fuzz into the amp totally clean I would think the NPN would be better as imo germanium sounds a little too weak for me into a clean amp. However I don't own a germanium fuzz face so I can't really validate this but that's just from the soundclips i heard. But most people with germanium ffs run them into overdriven amps anyway (including Hendrix).

 

And this is why I have an NPN/Classic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Yes it will. But it won't sound the same with a Fender. Jimi recorded those songs with multiple 100 watt full stacks cascaded into each other, as well as a germanium fuzzface.

 

I would go for a Classic + NPN

 

The Classic would cover your low gain fuzz tones, and with the bias control you can change things up a bit.

 

The NPN would give you a bit more over the top cutting fuzz. This is the wall of sound kind of fuzz. Esp with a wall of amps!

 

dk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Thanks man. I talked to dueranimous and he said the NPN could pretty much cover the classics lower gain tones closely so I'm thinking about a NPN/Angry dick combo. I'm set on the angry dick for sure. As long as that combo can get me the "no quarter" zep fuzz tone on the chorus I'd be happy, but I heard the MKII is best for early Zep. Even that song?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...