Who owns a silicone and germanium fuzz?

[surfcat]

I have a London Fuzz germanium and I like it but a lot of times it seems when the guitar volume's all the way up you get that smooth bassy sound and it's hard to dial out of to get a more raspy type fuzz without the mush. I'm thinking of trying out a Fulltone '70. Opinions? Is that the one modelled after Eric Johnson's blue fuzzface?

[MrMunky]

The London II fuzz is harmonically a bit richer than the 70. I tend to think it cleans up a bit better too.

I'd strongly suggest spending just a few more bucks and getting a Foxrox Hot Silicon. http://www.foxroxelectronics.com. That's the best Silicon Fuzz available.

clips of a variety of them here - http://fuzz.inrerocknroll.com/clips

[surfcat]

The London II fuzz is harmonically a bit richer than the 70. I tend to think it cleans up a bit better too. I'd strongly suggest spending just a few more bucks and getting a Foxrox Hot Silicon. http://www.foxroxelectronics.com . That's the best Silicon Fuzz available. clips of a variety of them here - http://fuzz.inrerocknroll.com/clips

 

 

That clip 2 with the Captain Coconut was great-the vibe can really do a fast tremolo thing. Great fuzz too. I might have to save my pennies and get that vibe if he's going to offer it as a seperate unit.

[MrMunky]

Even though I have the CC2, I'd be heartily tempted by any standalone vibe he makes.

I already have a Hot Silicon, in addition to my Silicon Fuzz CC2 card.

I need to check into fuzz addicts anonymous.

[jb1911]

Even though I have the CC2, I'd be heartily tempted by any standalone vibe he makes. I already have a Hot Silicon, in addition to my Silicon Fuzz CC2 card. I need to check into fuzz addicts anonymous.

 

 

Have you had a Monsterpiece NPN? How does it compare to the Foxrox Hot Silicon?

[Teahead]

One great feature of both the Foxrox & Analogman Silicon Fuzz is the internal trimmer, in fact I'm pretty sure all their fuzz have one. You can lower this from maximum and it has the same effect as lowering guitar volume, so that even when your guitar's volume is at maximum, you can set the pedal to sound like it does when there's volume rolled off.

When combined with the bias control, this lets you dial in just about every shade imaginable. You do have to sacrifice that huge, smooth bass heavy sound, but you will get all the rasp you need in return.

[bt2513]

I came across this fuzz pedal once that a local guy built called the Fatbox. It had silicon and germanium transistors and a 5 way dial to mix the two. You could go all silicon or all germanium or several mixes of both. of course it had a gain and volume knob on it too. The paint job was bright orange and red swirl...

[Machine Gun]

This will be one of my next purchases

 

http://www.retroman-music.com/SYBIL%20PAGE.htm

[bt2513]

This will be one of my next purchases http://www.retroman-music.com/SYBIL%20PAGE.htm

 

 

It was very similar to that except no Series/Parallel/Blend going on... just one or the other.... it was also about half the price.

[MrSage]

Silicone:

 

 

 

Silicon:

 

[Richard Guy]

Look at the Demeter Fuzzulator

[LocoHead]

It was very similar to that except no Series/Parallel/Blend going on... just one or the other.... it was also about half the price.

Do you mean this?

[freeRadical]

I just got a Retroman Sybil Ultra Fuzz with both a Silicon and Germ. Fuzz Face circuit. You can mix them.

I found it a bit bright with my setup and Retroman is adjusting the tone shaping caps to get it in a range I like.

[CapnMarvel]

I've got a '69, '70, and a Baja Tech Das Fuzz Si, and while the '69 is one of my Hall of Fame pedals, I can definitely see where the '70 can be improved in a lot of ways, in terms of response (yeah...'harmonic richness' as someone once said). The Das Fuzz has a lot more gain and is generally 'wilder' then the '70, but I wouldn't necessarily say it's better. I've got a Monsterpiece NPN and a MI Audio Neo Fuzz (Ge, in case you didn't know) in the mail, so we'll see how those compete.

[General Delgado]

I've got a 70. With the right amp and guitar it fooking rules. Pretty aggressive. Lots of loose bottom, and sizzling top.

I've got an Addrock Geranium on the way now to satisfy my germanium fuzzface needs too.
h

[fuzzinator]

Is there something about Silicon trannies that certain gear set-ups don't like?

People seem so polarized by the Fulltone 70, for instance. One user will love it, the next will hate it.

I'm making a Silicon Ultimate Fuzz right now, and I'm looking forward to hearing the difference. I have three Ge FF variants right now, and I'm very happy with two of em (Fulltone 69, Analogman Sunlion) and one is a bit noisy (Schaller Fuzz from the early 70s).

[General Delgado]

Is there something about Silicon trannies that certain gear set-ups don't like? People seem so polarized by the Fulltone 70, for instance. One user will love it, the next will hate it. I'm making a Silicon Ultimate Fuzz right now, and I'm looking forward to hearing the difference. I have three Ge FF variants right now, and I'm very happy with two of em (Fulltone 69, Analogman Sunlion) and one is a bit noisy (Schaller Fuzz from the early 70s).

 

 

 

It's an eq thing, I think. Works best with amps with some upper mids emphasis and not too much bottom.

[jb1911]

My setup is very bright (Fender Strat into 67 Deluxe Reverb) so I tend towards the '69 rather than the '70. The ge is darker and it fits my rig better.

[CapnMarvel]

My setup is very bright (Fender Strat into 67 Deluxe Reverb) so I tend towards the '69 rather than the '70. The ge is darker and it fits my rig better.

Yup, except replace Delixe Reverb with non-master Marshall 1/2 stack.

[MrMunky]

http://www.inrerocknroll.com/tunes/PR.mp3

[pipedwho]

MI-Audio's Neo Fuzz and their G.I Fuzz and basically identical designs, except the Neo uses germanium transistors, while the G.I uses silicon. You can listen to both on their website: www.miaudio.com

 

I prefer the sound of silicon for my own sound, but I do like the character of the germanium Neo through other people's rigs.

[bt2513]

Do you mean this?

That's it on the right!

[bgator]

I've got a '69, '70, and a Baja Tech Das Fuzz Si, and while the '69 is one of my Hall of Fame pedals, I can definitely see where the '70 can be improved in a lot of ways, in terms of response (yeah...'harmonic richness' as someone once said). The Das Fuzz has a lot more gain and is generally 'wilder' then the '70, but I wouldn't necessarily say it's better. I've got a Monsterpiece NPN and a MI Audio Neo Fuzz (Ge, in case you didn't know) in the mail, so we'll see how those compete.

 

 

I'd be interested in a brief comparison of all these different models, if you get a chance.

[drasp]

I've got the Monsterpiece PNP (both trannies Ge) and the NPN (came from Richard with both BC108s, but I've got a pair of BC109s and an NPN Ge tranny for it.) I'm still playing with swapping around the BC108s/BC109s/Ge in the NPN.

 

In general, with my pedals, I'd say that the Ge trannys give a looser, bluesier, warmer more "lo-fi" kinda' fuzz. The Si have huge gain & when pushed hard start to get into that gated/stuttering territory.

 

With the bias knob rolled up my NPN cleans up really well and works great as a boost. My PNP doesn't seem to have quite the same range when spinning the bias knob, more of a straight forward control over how "loose/tight" the fuzz is.

 

Aw crap,. . .what was the question?

 

Right, rasp. My NPN Si fuzz does a much better job of a tight nasty fuzz than my Ge. Also has more "flavors." However, I can't get "the" fuzz out of it in the way I can from my Ge.

[aeon]

I own 5 fuzzes.

 

 

Analogman SunLion

 

Foxrox Hot Silicon

 

Lovetone Cheese Source

 

zvex fuzz factory x2

 

 

I think each of them is unique enough to make comparing and contrasting fairly pointless. I like the Sunlion for psych fuzz, the Foxrox for nasty rip, the Cheese Source for synthy fuzz, and the ffs for the Laura Bennett and blue sparkle paint jobs (ok, the melt-my-face fuzz tones).

 

 

cheers,

Ian