I played a bunch of fuzz faces today

pj310

Shout out to the guys at PMT Cardiff for letting me noodle endlessly and learn about the fabled fuzz face. I tried the Hendrix, Band of Gypsies and their standard blue silicon one. The best one for me by far was the silicon. It might have been very aggressive and bright (almost touching big muff territory) but it cleaned up a charm and so gave me anything from spitting rasping in your face fuzz to almost jangly cleans as long as my pick attach was very light. The only thing it didn't do well was the warm rounded muffled sound which the others covered better.

Anyone have particular preferences with the modern fuzz fi? I'm yet to play through a germanium one so perhaps my outlook will change entirely if I get my hands on one of those.

Another point... with such a simple circuit, is there really any point paying a premium for a boutique clone like an Analogman Sunface over the bog standard dunlop if it's using the same transistors? Eg the BC108.

Ta!

thecolourbox

I've an MXR Classic 108 Fuzz which I believe is a souped up version of the standard silicon fuzz face, ie in a practical enclosure with standard power supply and even a buffer. It is quite incredible how many different sounds such a simple circuit can cover, especially stacked (I use it with my Deucetone Rat)

Ro_S

@ OP

You preferred the royal blue Dunlop one best?  (I prefer the torquoise Jimi Hendrix silicon one.)

The Band of Gypsies one is not a Fuzz Face other than in name.

The MXR Classic 108 is the same circuit as the torquoise one.

Sassafras

I've got the Dunlop JH1 (I think it's called).
I also love the variety of sounds you get by using your volume knob.
I normally set the fuzz up full then back it off about an 1/8 inch. Volume to taste.
Works as a really nice chimey boost as well.

ThePrettyDamned

I liked the axis fuzz I built yonks back, it's a silicon fuzz face derivative. 

Cleaned up perfectly - it actually made my clean tone nicer than bypass by rolling the volume knob back, and that was with the fuzz just a fraction away from full. Very nice pedal. 

fretmeister

Guitarsystems Fuzz Tool Jnr.

i love it. 

pj310

@thecolourbox do you run your rat after the fuzz I assume?

@Ro_S Yep I preferred the standard Silicon one since it had the largest range of tones available on tap from the guitar volume. But the downside was it wasn't as warm as the others.

I definitely agree that the BoG sounded completely different and I wasn't surprised at all that it's a different circuit. I found it worked really nicely as a very warm rounded boost into an already driven amp.

lukedlb

I played a sonus 68 fuzz face today running into a kingsley boost with the guitar volume on 8 and I got the closest thing to Hendrix 66/67 that I've heard so far. it balances out the tone on all 6 strings making them all solid; even wind cries mary sounded great with a fuzz. they're cooler and cheaper than an analogue man. plus they're built by a true hendrix enthusiast and player. so yes, i believe it's worth paying the extra. i know it's a simple circuit but i can't ever imagine a hendrix branded pedal getting anywhere close to the real thing.

pj310

@lukedlb Just checked out the Sonus  stuff, you're right they sound great! OOC which Kingsley were you playing through? I'm loving their stuff and might invest in one

thecolourbox

@pj310 no I run it after the rat, Whammy>Rat side a (classic rat set for crunchy od)>fuzz face> amp. For all out craziness I kick in side B of the rat which is set to Turbo, sounds insane!

lukedlb

Stateside chase tone build impressive wahs and fuzzes too. 
Im using the Kingsley Bard with the tremolo off which becomes a clean boost. A comp or eq send the tube inside into breakup. The fuzz does the same. I'm so impressed by the bard that I've bought a jester from a forum member to see what a dedicated OD and boost pedal should sound like. I showed the insides to a pedal tech and his reaction was wow. The construction is as impressive as Simon's (Kingsley) playing. 

pj310

@lukedlb Nice, I was very close to buying the Bard in classifields a few months ago but almost glad I didn't since I've since bought a Rift Princeton with a gorgeous (if subtle) tremolo. However I'm seriously considering the Page to do a similar thing, since my Princeton is as clean as it gets. Absolutely no breakup on the thing! 

shaunm

I love the Band of Gypsys FuzzFace. It seems to work really well for my set up. I guess it's horses for courses, whatever works for you.

This is how the fuzz face BOG sounds with my set up.

suspiciousminds

I recently built a clone of the sunface with nkt275 transistors and i have to say its a great sounding fuzz.

DrCornelius

I've just bought the Sonus fuzz face and should have it plugged in and fuzzing away by the weekend. If I remember I'll stick some clips online if anyone is interested 

pj310

@shaunm Great playing bud! I'm assuming you have your fuzz into a crunchy base tone? That's where I found it excelled, when I played through it anyway.

@suspiciousminds where did you get your hands on the transistors from, and how hard a build was that?

@DrCornelius that would be great thanks!

DrCornelius

No worries PJ. I have a memory like a goldfish so prod me if I forget !

baddog01

I have a MojoHand IronBell that I've  been biggin lately. Nice fuzz with a strat. Good Pink Floyd tones for sure. 

shaunm

@pj310 thanks mate. Yes, the amp is crunchy on its own. Well it's a 5e3 so it's always quite crunchy but it was up bloody loud at this point.

marktheharp

Nice sweet chops there Shaun. :-)

shaunm

Thanks mate