What would call this fuzz: Elliott Smith's "Strung Out..."

[CBA]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwTxvjOC3Aw[/youtube]


This is "Strung Out Again" by Elliott Smith. OHHH his "last" record was great. Anyway:

At 1:50 or so, you start to hear a really nice lo-fi fuzz come up and do some lead work, and then there is this great little riff at about 2:07 that goes up and up until it becomes this great fuzz wash. It's been a while since I've been into pedals, so I'm not so sure what you would call all that... Octave up? I'm still not sure on exactly how "octave up" is defined. I used to think *the fuzz on this song* was some sort of oscillation or like some sort of fuzz with a wah-type function, but I think it's probably just a single fuzz sound and a great guitar player. And that little dive at the 2:15... that's just probably him sliding his fingers down the fret board, wouldn't you say?

Thanks!

C

[kosta]

Sounds like a ring mod almost to me. And if there's any octave it is definitely octave up (meaning that whatever note is being played the fuzz will double that note but at an octave higher than the original and layer it on top of the clean signal, usually with some imperfect note tracking, giving it the fuzz. If I understand those things correctly.) And 2:15 for sure sounds like some finger sliding action. Nice tune!

[steevdeadman]

I vote ring mod also.

[CBA]

I thought I understood "octave up", as opposed to something like an actual octave pedal, was that octave ups, like the Devi Ever Vintage Fuzz Master, was so fuzzy that the notes actually ended up sounding an octave higher due to the fuzz harmonics, whereas something like the Digitech Whammy actually digitally doubles the note and produces an extra note one higher (or two, or one below) than what is being played.

I have a Moog Ring Modulator, and while the tone on this song does sound ring modulator... -ed, I would say that there's also a good chance that there is no ring modulation being used. But that's just my ears! It sounds to me like the fuzz is so intense that when two notes are played at the same time, it really makes the harmonics cry out... the effect is ring modulatorish, but it's just two notes being crossed. Always hoping there are fuzzes that can do this on their own, that's why I brought up this post!

C

[ateah]

sounds like a fender blender to me.

[J-Fuzz]

I believe that is a Fender Blender as well.

[devnulljp]

Sounds ringmod-ish, but I vote some kind of octave up fuzz -- like an Octavia or maybe a Foxx Tone Machine.
It's pretty far back in the mix, but I guess it could be a Blender (or an Ace Tone). Doesn't sound nutso enough for that though.
Either Octavian or TM will get you close

Tone Machine (not the best demo, but listen ot the octave at the end)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cf-SGKrhrE[/youtube]

Danelectro french toast (same circuit, butin a crappy box with crappy parts)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOJ5duQCoXI[/youtube]

Octavian (the Chicago iron version; Fulltone make one too; the original costs $$$$$$$$$$)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoUnwHMTfGU[/youtube]

Blender RI (you can hear the ringmoddish noise in there)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtWfwHD0dOk[/youtube]

[Gunner Recall]

It sounds kinda like a super fuzz to me.

[Blurillaz]

Green Ringer?

[CBA]

As far as what's been suggested so far, I'd say that the Fender Blender has probably come the closest as far as that sound. A friend of mine has the Blender, but never really used it like that. Lord knows what was actually used.

What about effects made by some of our friends like Fuzzhugger and Devi Ever? Anyone know if the Vintage Fuzz Master can nail this?

Also: I'm surprised that that Danelectro French Toast gets such a nice fuzz tone. Really surprised. I wish that Foxx demo had better sound quality.

Wazzup with that VFM or whatever else?

C

[Jero]

Also: I'm surprised that that Danelectro French Toast gets such a nice fuzz tone. Really surprised. I wish that Foxx demo had better sound quality.

As far as I remember, the french toast is a clone of the foxx, so it'd better sound good

[devnulljp]

Also: I'm surprised that that Danelectro French Toast gets such a nice fuzz tone. Really surprised. I wish that Foxx demo had better sound quality.

As far as I remember, the french toast is a clone of the foxx, so it'd better sound good

Steve 'I wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire but I'd bring some marshmallows to toast' Ridinger designed the Tone Machine and he now runs Danelectro (as well as ripping off other buildes and chucking cash at prop 8 and being a general douchebag, hence the nickname), so the French Toast is a Tone Machine...just one made with shitty parts and with electronic switching in a plastic pencil sharpener for a case.

[Astricii]

Sounds like soft crossover distortion in a fuzz. I'd say Vintage fuzz master would probably do this albeit a little more extreme on the general fuzziness

[CBA]

Yeah, I've been chatting over at the Devi forum, and I think the Vintage Fuzz Master, while not EXACTLY like that Smith clip (obviously you can use all sorts of trickeries in the studio), will probably get me something pretty close and usable in many other ways.

Now I just have to decide if I want the God Zilla or just a VFM alone.

Your pal,

C

[Rygot]

Sounds like either a blender or a green ringer.