Members Coach Posted June 16, 2006 Members Share Posted June 16, 2006 http://cgi.ebay.com/Fuzz-Face-by-Arbiter_W0QQitemZ7423013346QQihZ016QQcategoryZ22669QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem What's the deal with these? I feel like a fool but I'm totally falling for the romantic idea of an old school guitar into an old school amp with a fuzz face in between which doubles as my pot container. Guitar + fuzz + pot = rock ...right? Someone convince me I don't need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kelly Posted June 16, 2006 Members Share Posted June 16, 2006 Youd be better off with a new facsimile, like a Fulltone 69 or MJM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Coach Posted June 16, 2006 Author Members Share Posted June 16, 2006 Why's that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MrMunky Posted June 16, 2006 Members Share Posted June 16, 2006 I have one of those. It is new old stock, but its stock from the mid 90s. These were reissued by Ivor Arbiter & co for a while. It's kind of a neat collectible (though that price is too much unless you really want it right now - poke around on eBay for a few weeks, and one will probably show up for closer to $100 USD), but they are accurate reissues, which in the case of this effect is not really ideal. Back in the day they just stuck whatever transistors were in cheap and plenty supply in the fuzz face. The thing is, germanium transistors vary considerably from unit to unit, and the tonal difference between different transistors is huge. The result was that each fuzz face sounds different - sometimes substantially different. Its the occasional fuzz face that gets the magic tone that people like Hendrix and Eric Johnson selected - that is why you hear reports of them listening to boxes full of them before settling on one they liked the tone of. Newer fuzz face clones such as the Fulltone, MJM, euthymia, or my favorite, the Dave Fox Hot Silicon involve a selection process - someone actually went through and tested each transistor and selected a pair that makes the fuzz face sound like one of those really special magic ones that you hear on Hendrix recordings and such. Tone wise, you're much better off with one of these newer clones, though the NOS 90s reissue looks cool, and I do enjoy having one on my shelf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Coach Posted June 16, 2006 Author Members Share Posted June 16, 2006 Originally posted by MrMunky Newer fuzz face clones such as the Fulltone, MJM, euthymia, or my favorite, the Dave Fox Hot Silicon involve a selection process - someone actually went through and tested each transistor and selected a pair that makes the fuzz face sound like one of those really special magic ones that you hear on Hendrix recordings and such. Tone wise, you're much better off with one of these newer clones, though the NOS 90s reissue looks cool, and I do enjoy having one on my shelf. I love the "fuzz face" look and also the hit or miss element in the tone department. I don't like safe sounds and ones that are predictable. I'll probably do what you said and look on Ebay for a used on for cheap. I just HAVE to try one out. BTW, how does yours sound? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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