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So I was messing around with the fuzz and I was trying to decide if it sounded better into a clean amp or a dirty one. I'm using a Epiphone Valve Jr with a master volume mod, so I can dime the preamp and still play at bedroom volume....which leads me to my question. How do you guys prefer your fuzzes? fuzz->dirty amp or fuzz-> clean

I prefer to have more options...

Guitar > Fuzzzz'ssss > light overdrive (boost settings) > clean amp

In general, clean. There are a few fuzzes I've played that I like more into the dirty amp, like......well, I can't remember any right now.
A lot of times the fuzz feels like it loses some low-end and gains too many annoying highs when my amp is dirty. Or it might become a squishy, inarticulate mess depending on levels. It's just annoying.
The Big Spider I especially hate going into the dirty. It gets shrill and "chainsaw-y", and when you go back to the clean channel you're like "oh, that's where the bass went."

Dirty is for clean playing.
Clean is for everything.

depends on clean and depends on dirty... my amp is always clean but some fuzzes sound pretty awesome into a bit of dirt (like Cbread DLS)

^ But isn't that an overdrive?

Yeah it is, but the way i see it it won't make very big difference if you go fuzz->od or fuzz->dirty amp

the basics are the same IMHO especially with DLS that is said to be very marshall-in-the-box-amplike etcetc overdrive

Fuzz into working amp is my preferred method.

when recording i tend to stay clean but for playing live i use slightly dirty. i say slightly but i (mostly) use low gain heads and settings ... as time goes on i'm getting where i don't want to use a bunch of pedals live as i think no one but me really notices if i use 12 different fuzzes instead of just 3.
...when reproducing recorded sounds i just go for a general feel and not exact recorded tones.
but i've always taken flak on here for being a dirty amp fuzz guy so i think i'm in the minority.

D.o.S. wrote:Fuzz into working amp is my preferred method.

Very yes. My Traynor Bass Master tube head has been glitchy of late. First because of bad power supply, now I think it's having probs related to that... My Traynor Guitar Mate 10 (a $15 used solid state practice amp I built into a lil' pine 'amp head' box and added a 1/4" speaker jack) has been filling in suprisingly well. Working amp is a big plus.

-Bass Master I like clean, there's no overdrive on it. When it's working.
-Guitar Mate I dial a little of the gain in to warm up the solid stateness.
-VC50 I used the overdrive channel cuz it has a fuller tone contols on that channel. And reverb cuz I don't have a 'verb pedal.
-Handsome Devil I dial a little overdrive but not enough to be dirty, more because it effects amp volume/power/toanz.

The bassmaster giving me problems is making me want a big ole' solid state bass head again. Or 12ax7 tube preamp, ss power amp... Just something clean-warm and good with pedals. Haven't seen a nice Sunn on cl in a while...

All of my amps are really clean, for the most part. I've never tried using pedals with high gain amps to be honest.

masked elwood wrote:when recording i tend to stay clean but for playing live i use slightly dirty. i say slightly but i (mostly) use low gain heads and settings ... as time goes on i'm getting where i don't want to use a bunch of pedals live as i think no one but me really notices if i use 12 different fuzzes instead of just 3.
...when reproducing recorded sounds i just go for a general feel and not exact recorded tones.
but i've always taken flak on here for being a dirty amp fuzz guy so i think i'm in the minority.

I don't think there's a "proper" way to do it
Just what works for you or your setup.

I only use the clean channel on my amp. It just sound to "muddy" with drive... imo...
But it's a thing of taste...

Achtane wrote:
I don't think there's a "proper" way to do it
Just what works for you or your setup.

that's what i've always thought as well....

I use single channel amps but turn the volume to the edge of the breaking point.
Then overdrive it with the cranked volume of the fuzz pedal(s) and the strength of the strum.
This is only a good idea if you're not a pussy.

MiddleEarthCrisis wrote:I use single channel amps but turn the volume to the edge of the breaking point.
Then overdrive it with the cranked volume of the fuzz pedal(s) and the strength of the strum.
This is only a good idea if you're not a pussy.

This is pretty much exactly how I roll. I keep a fuck overdrive somewhere in between for good measure.