Pedals/Effects FUZZY WUZZY

MinorT

Got My Mojo Working???
Big Muff and several Muff variants, also have in my que to build a Fuzz Face, Tonebender and Sunface clones
Silicone or germanium transistors in the fuzz face and frankly what’s the difference? I’ve read that germanium are finicky, but again I don’t know.
 

Al Holloway

Devizes UK
Fair enough, but overdrive and fuzz are two completely different animals.
Yes and no. They are doing the same thing but Fuzz is more drastic. Both compress the wave form of the signal. An overdrive is considered as a minimal compression with the wave just squashed. Fuzz is so compressed the top of the wave is actually removed making square shoulders to the wave. So they are similar just fuzz is more extreme. Distortion is somewhere in the middle. I have a fuzz pedal (carcosa) on my board but it is currently disconnected. When I was using it I had it set more like a drastic distorion than a spitty fuzz. So I can see where RR is coming from.

cheers

Al.
 

Grateful_Ed

Student Of The Blues
I have a ZVEX California mini Fuzzolo. I rarely have it on and when I do use it. I keep it on the square wave 'cause it's smoother and actually has some good midrange sounds. As you crank it toward the less symmetrical wave it spits and sputters. It's pretty cool but unless I'm trying to play classic rock, I really don't have much use for it.
 

Rancid Rumpboogie

Blues Mangler
Fair enough, but overdrive and fuzz are two completely different animals.
I know they are completely different animals, but to my ear they have the same "effect". I have a Mojo Hand Iron Bell pedal, the hype says it is one of the best fuzz's out there. But the only affect it has on my rig is to turn it into a screeching howling banshee. It has sat on my "woebegone pedals" shelf for years now. I have a whole assortment of different OD pedals, and to me, any one of them trumps the Iron Bell. But, all of this stuff is completely subjective and like everything else either you like it or you don't, and every opinion is valid, so if a fuzz trips your trigger more power to you.
 
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PapaBear

Guit Fiddlier
Silicone or germanium transistors in the fuzz face and frankly what’s the difference? I’ve read that germanium are finicky, but again I don’t know.
Probably do one of each, the trick to Germanium is getting them paired up properly, but several pedal parts websites sell matched sets
 

CaptainMoto

Blues Voyager
Don't Fuzz that often but, got a hankering to do more!

I've got a JHS mini foot which I believe is silicon transistor.
I'm currently waiting delivery of a Mini Fuzz Face Jimi Hendrix version which I believe is also silicon but slightly different.
Depending on how that performs, I might go shopping for a germanium fuzz.

I recently tried something different with the mini foot.
I dialed the fuzz to the max, expecting it to be completely out of control but I was pleasantly surprised to at the tone it delivered.

Here's a couple internet quotes on silicon vs germanium:

"The earliest fuzz pedals used germanium transistors, which is why there is a strong a sense of nostalgia for these with old-school purists. Germanium Fuzz boxes tend to produce a warmer and more-rounded tone with a strong mid-range, and are generally more reactive to your picking dynamics and playing style.

Their tone is comparable with the early inspirations for the effect, producing a similar sound to a cranked faulty/old amp. Germanium fuzzes also react well to the volume pot on your guitar, with the level of hair reducing when you roll the control down.

There are a few cons with germanium transistors though. For example, they react to changes in temperature, which affects their sound. So playing in a hot room or studio will make the pedal behave differently to playing an outside gig in the winter. Many believe they actually sound better in the cold, but we’re not going to suggest putting yours in the fridge! They also store electrical charges, so there is generally a lack of consistency and they can sound different day-to-day."


"Silicon transistors were developed to be a more practical alternative to germanium, offering more reliability and consistency. Simpler to produce, silicon fuzz pedals are generally cheaper and deliver a brighter sound with more presence and top-end – allowing players to cut through busy mixes and get heard.

They also produce higher amounts of gain, giving you a more “in-your-face” tone with plenty of saturation. Unlike germanium, when rolling down your guitar’s volume pot the fuzz tone will remain and only the volume will drop. These days, most makers of fuzz pedals will use silicon transistors because of their availability."


 

GeeDub

Mojo Seeker
I have not had much success with fuzz pedals up until recently. I have sort of liked my JHS Firefly germanium fuzz but found it to be too temperamental with temperature changes. Sounded like crap when it got too warm in my music room. This is in Mississippi, so it is hot ~9 months out of the year. Got tired of putting it in the fridge/freezer to cool it down before using it. Then I tried a Chase Tone Fuzz Fella BC108c (fuzz face style) and I can get some nice fuzz tones and it reacts well to guitar volume changes. I decided to get a Big Muff Rams Head style fuzz for some Pink Floyd songs and got a good deal on a Vick Audio 73 Rams Head fuzz. I have thus far been quite satisfied with its tones and can tame the amount of fuzz to suit my tastes pretty well. It also has a lot of sustain, even at lower gain settings.

Fuzz is something I always wanted to like and am just now getting to that point where I can keep one on my pedalboard. I definitely believe a lot depends on what amp is being used. I like/prefer Fender Black Face amps & their clean tones as a base, and I think most fuzz pedals don't sound that good through them, unless they are really cranked, perhaps. So, I guess I'm just getting past that love/hate fuzz relationship.
 

MinorT

Got My Mojo Working???
I know they are completely different animals, but to my ear they have the same "effect". I have a Mojo Hand Iron Bell pedal, the hype says it is one of the best fuzz's out there. But the only affect it has on my rig is to turn it into a screeching howling banshee. It has sat on my "woebegone pedals" shelf for years now. I have a whole assortment of different OD pedals, and to me, any one of them trumps the Iron Bell. But, all of this stuff is completely subjective and like everything else either you like it or you don't, and every opinion is valid, so if a fuzz trips your trigger more power to you.
No argument here, subjective is a great way to put it. I just played through a buddy of mines rig and thought it sounded very Keith Richards “Satisfactionish”. Anyhow, it was his LP whatever into a Dunlop FuzzFace into a clean Fender Twin Reverb. I thought it sounded pretty cool, but I don’t know anything about fuzz, that’s why I posed the inquiry.
 

piebaldpython

Blues Junior
I have a couple of fuzz boxes.....a Mojo Hand Iron Bell and Wampler Velvet Fuzz. I don't use them in a Hendrix way, but more so for a Gilmour or Eric Johnson way. Interesting to experiment with but neither have earned a spot on my board as a "must-have" or "valued accessory" pedal. For me, they are an adjunct to use after my Barber Tone Press compressor which I have set for minimal squash but singing type sustain.
 

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
I don't own one, so I never use one. I've been playing for over 50 years and gigging for the last 6.
I'm not sure where I'd need one.
 
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