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So recently I've been on a fuzz kick (no way right?!?!). I currently own a TAFM and a Swollen Pickle. Love the shit out of both of them, but am still looking for something else to fulfill my fuzz desires. Both pedals are amazing. The TAFM is very articulate, but at the same time will rip your face off. The Swollen Pickle has a doomy heavy feel to it that I adore. Together...oh man. Together they are just off the charts insane! But I still want MOOORE! I know. I'm greedy...SO I bought a Dwarfcraft Devices Secret Destroyer. I plugged it in and tried it and it sounded like my amp was going to explode. I looked down and I was in Active mode on my Stingray, so I kicked it into Passive. That helped a little, but it still sounded WAY too nuts. A lot of splattering and constant changes. Nothing wrong with that at all, but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. I decided (despite my best efforts to love the pedal) to return it. Which is good if someone missed out on it! GO BUY! It just wasn't for me.

So now I'm still looking. So I'm turning to you fuzz lovers. I need your help with my pursuit of active bass fuzz. I've been looking at the AB Synth, Great Wall, Secret Season Snowdrift and Smallsound/Bigsound Year4545. I want a Synthy type fuzz that is thick and fat in tone. Something that does not splatter too badly either as I didn't seem to like that sound. Something that is heavy but still articulate enough to distinguish notes. The Swollen Pickle works great with this, but it's just not fuzzy enough. I want the static to explode my brain! I also want something that sounds more like a synth.

Now Tom at Fuzzhugger (great guy!) told me he could possibly mod one of these pedals to make it work better with actives or remove the oscillation, but I want to ask you all out there. What works? Who has experience with these pedals and fuzz in general when it comes to active basses? Does anyone have any active bass demos? Any info would be appreciated!

The best is such a relative term. What you should be asking is (what is the best for you)

With that in mind I play an active bass, my two fuzz boxes are the Dwarfcraft Eau Clair Thunder and an Earthquaker Monarch both of them I am in love with.

For a synth tone you might want to look at Moog products (I mean really, who doesn't what to have a bunch of rad Moog gear?) to blend into you fuzz boxes.

As far as fuzz boxes go, Fuzzhugger is highly recommended, I am too talking with tom and I am thinking about getting myself a box too.

Try looking at the Dwarfcraft Hax. Matter of fact buy one of each at the fuzzhugger store and be set.

Yea I get that it's totally subjective, but I wanted opinions so I don't have to buy 50 pedals. lol

I actually just purchased a Moogerfooger Ring Modulator. I've plugged that into the TAFM and holy shit! It is just nuts!

I'll look into the ones you've mentioned, although I'm not seeing the Hax or Eau Calire Thunder for sale on Fuzzhugger.com or Tonefactor.

jwar wrote:Yea I get that it's totally subjective, but I wanted opinions so I don't have to buy 50 pedals. lol

I actually just purchased a Moogerfooger Ring Modulator. I've plugged that into the TAFM and holy shit! It is just nuts!

I'll look into the ones you've mentioned, although I'm not seeing the Hax or Eau Calire Thunder for sale on Fuzzhugger.com or Tonefactor.

you tube them, or go to Aen's site

The Eau Claire Thunder tears asshole. Its beautiful.

Yeah, the Eau Claire Thunder is awesome - high high high on my GAS list.

In terms of synthy fuzzes, though, I'd suggest either the Devi Ever VFM, or the Malekko B:assmaster. One word of warning: I play passive, so I can't be sure how these will sound with actives. But I'm sure that someone here could fill you in (BigChiefBC, maybe - I know that he has an active). You may also want to check out the McSpunckle Gnomeratron VTF - it's got bajillions of options. McSpunckle's also going to put out a line of Gnomeratron minis, which will each be focused on a specific tonal range - I think he said that there'd be one with a "synthy" flavor.

yeah I was thinking GNOMERATRON
you can really get anything from synthy to spluttery with this

year4545 is pretty synthy and gnar gnar but may not work super well with active basses. the new version will address this somewhat, but it still might not be exactly what you're looking for - although it has a very narrow gentle side, in general it is WAY more abrasive than a tafm.

Dunno what you're talking about, I love my 4545 and I play an L2000, NO PROB!! It is kinda sputtery, (starts around 5:30)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgQ4XBIF0v4[/youtube]
Snowdrift works just great, too.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=louvfdy8XSI[/youtube]

Also, the Fuzzhugger Chalice is an AB-Synth minus the oscillation, made just for this purpose. onebadmonkey has nothing but good things to say about FH fuzzes, ask him.

IMO, you have it already in the TAFM. Three other recs would be the Chunk Systems Brown Dog (gated stuff), Gnometron and the Iron Ether Oxide. Also, not a fuzz but a super versatile distortion box is the Source Audio Multiwave Distortion.

Uhhh I have a boner for both of those pedals now. Thanks Eric! Now to see if Tom has any...I know he has the Snowdrift, not sure about the 4545.

jwar wrote:Uhhh I have a boner for both of those pedals now. Thanks Eric! Now to see if Tom has any...I know he has the Snowdrift, not sure about the 4545.

contact brian / smallsndbigsnd

Eric! wrote:Also, the Fuzzhugger Chalice is an AB-Synth minus the oscillation, made just for this purpose. onebadmonkey has nothing but good things to say about FH fuzzes, ask him.

That I do. Tom was excellent in addressing my concerns about an active signal into a fuzz pedal, and helped me make a more informed decision than I would've alone. That was half of it.

The Chalice is a great option, although I know Tom discontinued it. With the bass mod on it, the tone "sticks" to the notes a little more on the low end, and it really has some good low end.