What Fuzz plays nicely with buffers etc??

Nerine

Yo.

I currently have a JHS Bender (which I'm not that keen on and plan on listing in the classifieds - if you want it, let me know) and an MXR 108 Classic Fuzz, which I believe is essentially a Fuzz Face with a 9V input and a buffer switch.

With the buffer switch in, the 108 is generally ok, but I definitely prefer the sound of it without the buffer switch in. 

Problem being, I run a Friedman Buffer Bay at the start of my board and everything runs through it. This affects my fuzz.

I changed the pedal order to put the Fuzz before the Buffer but there are other things I NEED to have pre gain stages.

This results in:

Tuner -> Digitech Drop -> Wah -> Univibe -> Fuzz -> (Buffer) -> Amp50 -> Keeley TS9 -> Duke Of Tone -> (Buffer) -> amp input.

(I've also got stuff in the amp fx loop that ruins through the Buffer Bay too, but that's irrelevant.)

I feel like the buffer is almost a bit pointless now, although it's doing the longer fx loop runs, I guess..

I've also now noticed that engaging the Digitech Drop makes the fuzz tone change if the buffer switch on the fuzz is not switched in. 

So essentially both setups are suboptimal.

What fuzzes should I be looking at?

Ideally one with more headroom than the 108, too. The volume control doesn't have any range past unity. 

The Vemuram Myriad is on the radar, as is the Kingtone Mini Fuzz, but I'm happy to check out other stuff too. I generally prefer the Fuzz Face kind of voicing, I think. 

What's some fuzz to check out?

ElectricXII

The Boss Waza Craft FZ-1W isn't too picky about where it sits in the chain. 

Nerine

ElectricXII said:

The Boss Waza Craft FZ-1W isn't too picky about where it sits in the chain. 

Interesting. I'm sorely lacking a Boss pedal on my board....

robinbowes

The Wampler Velvet Fuzz is very good.

DoctorX

The Okko Holy Grit is decent (and versatile). It has a buffer on a toggle switch and is designed to sit anywhere in your chain.

thecolourbox

Cheap option but I like the Behringer Super Fuzz a lot and it's fine with buffers.

Otherwise I've heard good things about the DOD Carcosa (though it's name always gets me singing Beach Boyos Kokomo which, to use your excellent word us very much sub optimal)

Keefy

I really like the Earthquaker Colby Fuzz Sound for this. It’s a Tone Bender clone that actually sounds better with a buffered pedal before it - plugged straight in, you lose a lot of of top end when rolling back the guitar volume, but with a buffer the tone stays consistent.

GoFish

Good news, many modern fuzzes will do this.   Most manufacturers will have something like this in their line up.

Carcosa and FZ-1W are very good, but not really fuzzface sounding. They can both be dailed in for a "60s" type fuzz.

The Behringer / Boss FZ-2 is worth a pop but it is wild and even further from FF pastures.

I would probably recommend If 6 was 9 by Solid Gold Fx but there any many others. Maybe a Sunface?

MrTee

Mythos Golden Fleece 

benmurray85

ElectricXII said:

The Boss Waza Craft FZ-1W isn't too picky about where it sits in the chain. 

This all day long. It’s a brilliant, underrated fuzz

Lebarque

robinbowes said:

The Wampler Velvet Fuzz is very good.

One for sale here:

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/208645/for-sale-dunlop-echoplex-small-speaker-od-luxe-velvet-fuzz-blackstar-lt-boost/p1

Dan

**Cough**

Got both the Dod Carcosa and Boss FZ-1W for sale.

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/253838/fs-wampler-tumnus-dunlop-fuzzface-mini-boss-fz-1z-dod-carcosa#latest

Greatape

For this I liked the Chasetone 

Kurtis

Does the buffer still effect the fuzz with the wah etc in between?

Or would changing something between the buffer and fuzz help? 

I don't really know, just an idea. 

ICBM

Ramble FX Twin Bender - it's a Tonebender derivative so not too far away from a Fuzz Face, and it has a buffer compensation control.

Or you could fit your own control to your fuzz - basically it's a variable resistance in series, which you adjust to the minimum you need to stop the fuzz being messed up.

hotpickups

The fuzz32 I’m selling in the classifieds. One never needs to worry about buffers with that pedal. Plus it’s a germanium one 

Petepassion

I would second the Wampler velvet fuzz. Doesn’t respond to the guitar volume like a fuzz face does, but great at doing it’s own thing

Nerine

Thanks for the suggestions so far, everyone. Appreciated. I'll check them all out.

Is the Suhr Rufus Reloaded worth looking at?

Cirrus

Zoom Ultra Fuzz doesn't really mind where it is in the signal chain. It does have an oscillation control, which doesn't work if it's behind a buffer, but in terms of the tone and response it's pretty stable.

I've also found the Supersonic Fuzz Gun to not mind being behind a buffer, but it's also an insane circuit and it might be more the case that it sounds so mad and splatty sometimes that you wouldn't really be able to discern if a buffer is having a negative effect on the sound.

personalnadir

Bigfoot King Fuzz is great and can be put anywhere 

Johnnyseven

ElectricXII said:

The Boss Waza Craft FZ-1W isn't too picky about where it sits in the chain. 

That's strange because mine becomes a lot more trebly if you place it after a buffered pedal.