Why are Fuzz pedals so expensive...

Teetonetal

So in my Fuzz quest, I've been looking at a lot of brands and I can't quite get over some of the extremely high prices there are for fuzz. Aren't these generally the most simple of circuits to build -  so why the high price vs more complex pedals?

mgaw

people are happy to pay it 

57Deluxe

I hate Fuzz so never had a dedicated one, but I needed a flabby Fuzz tone to cover (the original) Spirit in the Sky, so turned to the Arbiter Fuzz Face setting on my Digitech Hot Rod and it hit the spot!

Gibson Tony Iommi SG-> Digitech Hot Rod -> analogue echo -> into slightly driven Session Rocket 30 amp and is bang on the money...

http://www.tonyiommifantastic.com/assets/images/Equipment/4. Gibson SG Tony Iommi Signatured Red copia.png

Sporky

Teetonetal said:

So in my Fuzz quest, I've been looking at a lot of brands and I can't quite get over some of the extremely high prices there are for fuzz. Aren't these generally the most simple of circuits to build -  so why the high price vs more complex pedals?

To make a really good fuzz you need to spend a fair bit of money and time matching transistors. If you want to make a really great fuzz you then need to match resistors to those matched transistors.

Beexter

Sporky said:

Teetonetal said:

So in my Fuzz quest, I've been looking at a lot of brands and I can't quite get over some of the extremely high prices there are for fuzz. Aren't these generally the most simple of circuits to build -  so why the high price vs more complex pedals?

To make a really good fuzz you need to spend a fair bit of money and time matching transistors. If you want to make a really great fuzz you then need to match resistors to those matched transistors.

This is my understanding too, although, I don't think you need to spend a fortune to get a good sounding fuzz. Paying more for the higher priced boutique fuzzes should buy you a bit more consistency  for the reasons above but back in the day, no two fuzz faces ever sounded the same due to the differences in component tolerances. It's why you often hear of players trying a whole bunch before deciding on "the one".

My current fave (and has been for a while) is a Mojo Hand Crosstown. My two most expensive fuzzes are a Skreddy Lunar Module and Analogman BC183 Sunface and i think the Crosstown compares very well to both of them at a little over half the cost.

Sporky

Beexter said:

This is my understanding too, although, I don't think you need to spend a fortune to get a good sounding fuzz.

I agree.

I will also mention again (for the benefit of anyone not sick of me so doing) that the Metalzone can do a really, really excellent paint-stripping fuzz.

Teetonetal

so how are the transistors matched?

GavRichList

The Hudson broadcast looks fun. Add that to your list. 

Teetonetal

.GavRichList said:

The Hudson broadcast looks fun. Add that to your list. 

seems to be a forum favorite right now

TTBZ

I don't get it either, fuzzes sound nasty (in a good way) so in my head it doesnt make sense spending so much money on them. That's why I decided which boutique fuzz I wanted then got a clone for a third of the price. Maybe I have a strange way of looking at it though. I'd pay for a nice boutique drive/marshall in a box, but not for a boutique fuzz.

Sporky

Teetonetal said:

so how are the transistors matched?

Basically you build a little circuit, pop each in in turn, measure the outcome and pair up transistors to whatever tolerance you think is close enough. It's the Vbe that you need to match, typically to within 2mV. When I did fuzzes I matched to 0.5mV 'cos I was using an unpopular (but excellent) transistor that could be bought in enormous quantities for naff-all money. I couldn't really hear a difference between matched to 1.5mV and matched to 0.5mV, but I was pretty sure I could hear a difference between 2mV and 1mV.

Teetonetal

Interesting @Sporky thanks

Whitecat

A lot of the pricey ones use vintage/NOS transistors as well, of which there are a finite supply in the world - there'll almost invariably be a premium attached to that, regardless of whether something current could do the job just as well or not.

Blueingreen

I haven't owned a fuzz in decades, but when I started playing in the 70s the old style Arbiter Fuzz Face was I think just about the cheapest pedal you could buy.

Lew

What do you consider expensive? 

Teetonetal

For a fuzz? Anything over 150.

Lew

Ah. I wouldn't say it's simple to make a great fuzz. An ok one sure... even I can whack a sili fuzzface together. It's time consuming measuring gains, biasing and tweaking and expensive finding decent germs.

BintyTwanger77

Fancy a Frazz Dazzler? £100?