Considering a new 60's style fuzz pedal, but which...?

[Snufkino]

I love no-frills, trashy, textured, thick, complex sounding 60's style fuzz boxes and I'm currently using an FY-2 "Companion" clone as my main fuzz, which I've always gone back to over every other fuzz I've tried, but I'm considering trying something new.

"Just Nick" sums it up in a couple of his fuzz demos, in that I like a fuzz that makes you play differently than when it's off. That's the benchmark of an interesting sounding fuzz to me too. Never gelled with fuzzfaces, big muffs etc.

At the moment the ones I'm specifically considering are the Wright Sounds Fuzz-Stang II, the Basic Audio Zippy and maybe a Maestro FZ-1 Vectra clone.

Fuzzstang seems the most versatile, Zippy sounds a little more interesting for me. Still not sure on the FZ-1 as it is very much a one trick pony that I've tried similar versions of - The ashbass fuzzrite, and Cbread Merkin, and feel it might be too similar as I've read there's not actually that much difference between an FZ-1 and A fuzzrite. ( )I preferred the Merkin to the standard fuzzrite, but only for single note stuff, as it wasn't quite as "thick" as I'd have liked, otherwise that would have been an ideal substitute.

So what are your thoughts on the Fuzzstang II, Zippy, FZ-1, or.... what else?

[chuckjaywalk]

I'm getting my first FY-2 this week, so I'm useless.

[Uncle Grandfather]

Check out the Maestro FZ-1S


awesome. has two fuzz settings. maybe my favorite fuzz tone....

then there's the Maestro Brassmaster. hard to find, Malekko makes a great clone the Assmaster. its an octave up kind of fuzz. was originally marketed as a way to make your guitar sound like the horn section. great fuzz tones.



Malekko B: Assmaster
octave up

[Chankgeez]

... it wasn't quite as "thick" as I'd have liked, otherwise that would have been an ideal substitute.

TWSS

[woolyh]

Have you tried any SuperFuzz clones? I had a Wattson FY-2 and FY-6 which were both great but ended up keeping the FY-6, "no-frills, trashy, textured, thick, complex sounding" seems to fit the bill :]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA7Cc5VsP9A[/youtube]

I'm sure someone in the UK makes cheap clones otherwise it's an easy DIY job.

[woolyh]

Also SuperFuzz into another fuzz and holy phook

[retinal orbita]

Malekko B: Assmaster
octave up

This is the most awesome fuzz.... ever!!

[Uncle Grandfather]

Have you tried any Super Fuzz clones?

smallsound/bigsound makes a nice super fuzz clone, the Super Puzzle with some modern amenities like a switch for going between germanium/silicon. lots more and fair price.

[Uncle Grandfather]

Also SuperFuzz into another fuzz and holy phook

+1

[patrick]

As just about everyone else has said, you want a Univox Super Fuzz/Shin-ei FY-2 clone.

[Snufkino]

Maestro FuzzTone - funnily enough I have the smitty fuzztone clone! Too dark or too bright. I like that it gets gated, but ultimately it's too harsh with my Strat and the fuzz has very little texture to it for my liking.

Super Fuzz/FY-6 - I've been through a few clones, and I do like it, just not for a stand-alone fuzz. I did have a dual fuzz built that was an fy-2 into an fy-6 but I kind of lost interest in that sound to be honest. The FY-6 has a nice "punch" to it, but I just got a little bored of flicking between modes. I could never settle on anything it could do.

[Uncle Grandfather]

Maestro FuzzTone - funnily enough I have the smitty fuzztone clone! Too dark or too bright. I like that it gets gated, but ultimately it's too harsh with my Strat and the fuzz has very little texture to it for my liking.

Super Fuzz/FY-6 - I've been through a few clones, and I do like it, just not for a stand-alone fuzz. I did have a dual fuzz built that was an fy-2 into an fy-6 but I kind of lost interest in that sound to be honest. The FY-6 has a nice "punch" to it, but I just got a little bored of flicking between modes. I could never settle on anything it could do.

The FZ-1S was a later model than the FZ-1, with quite different fuzz characteristics. There are two settings for fuzz and the gated sustain is gone. Setting one has a more smooth but still rough around the edges, the other sounds like there are 10000 bee's trapped in your head. And there is a sustain knob. It's one of my favorite fuzz.

[D.o.S.]

Never gelled with fuzzfaces, big muffs etc.

So what are your thoughts

Beyond Hope.

Or a Mutantes.

[Chankgeez]

MUTANTES FTW ... MUTANTES FTW ... MUTANTES FTW ...

[HorseyBoy]

Lots of fuzz pedals came out in the 60s so it really depends on the sound you're looking for. If you're thinking early 60s, garage fuzz (the "Nuggets" kind of sound), it's either going to be a Maestro FZ-1 or 1a or a Fuzzrite, and there IS a big difference between the two. The Fuzzrite has more sustain and the "depth" knob works to blend the fuzz signal in with your clean tone. It's a really unique circuit. I love it, and I love the FZ-1, which is a splatty, gated fuzz. You need to play hard, plenty of attack, to get the most out of an FZ-1, and it's surprisingly great for chords. Lots of great builders could do you a clone of either pedal. Jimmy Behan or North Effects are good places to start.
Beyond these two classic 60s fuzz tones, you'll start hearing pedals with a lot more sustain - like the Fuzz Face and the Tonebender MkI and MkII (which all evolved from the FZ-1 circuit). The evolution continues right through to the first versions of the Big Muff in 1969. The extra sustain makes them much thicker pedals - they're generally much woollier. Crank them up and they start to verge on being "out of control".
Some of the lesser known 60s fuzz circuits I love and would recommend include the Sam Ash Fuzzstainer (John Lyons at Basic Audio can do a clone of this), the WEM Pep Fuzz (awesome pedal - again Basic Audio do a version, as does Ian Sherwen at Ghost Effects) and the Os Mutantes Regulus VIII (I've got a version from Basic Audio called the Fuzz Mutant, but Brad at Creepyfingers also makes a KILLER clone). The Pep Fuzz is unusual in that it's gated but also has a lot of sustain. Can be very thick, too. Of all of them, the Os Mutantes fuzz is probably the most versatile - can do that classic, buzzy 60s tone and a whole lot more besides. It's a really overlooked gem.
I did a demo of the Basic Audio Pep Fuzz that should give you an idea of the sound:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esJO4xF_nHo[/youtube]

And there's a great demo of the Creepyfingers Os Mutantes from Hiwatt Bob:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AECvJA-Nd9Y[/youtube]