ilovefuzz.com

I am new to this forum, but I signed up because I was looking for some advice.

I am looking for a certain fuzz tone I can't seem to find anywhere. I acquire it by plugging a dimed gain Fulltone OCD into a cheap practice amp similar to a Squier SP-10. It gives a clipping, trebley tone (that's not overly trebley, it still has quite a bit of low end and decent middle, but more treble leaning so it gets nasty). I don't know how to describe it really. If you've ever heard any cheap practice amp "distortion" it's probably close.

I know I can't really replicate it exactly, but the closest I can get is these:
http://youtu.be/2QNxjPjGkrI (really close)
http://youtu.be/Ya-Jz2D-HHA
http://youtu.be/-zBT0jrzLc4

I was looking at two pedals so far (Torn's Peaker by Devi Ever and the Crazy Horse by Durham, since I also like Neil Young's tone and the Durham can get pretty crazy too with the voltage and fuzz knob).

BUT just to mix up the pot a little, here are some little details:
-I want nothing that sounds like a big muff, I had one and it was waaaayyyyy too thick and my notes and chords sounded like they were under a pile of dirt.
-I am playing through a reverb tank that is SUPER wet. So the overly trebley fuzzes worry me because the reverb tank is already treble sensitive, and nothing sucks more than polyphonic feedback you can't control.
-I am playing with a baritone guitar tuned A-A, so I don't want something OVERLY biting/oscillating because of the reverb tank, but I also kind of need it to cut through so I can make my baritone really razor it's way through gallons of reverb.
-I heard a Maestro Fuzztone from this band called the Alarm Clocks in Cleveland opening for Dick Dale, and I thought it sounded really great, so maybe something like that would make the cheap amp sound?

It's really hard to judge when everyone plays in standard, and I'm really picky about sound texture and feel. Help me out.

You want a Fuzzrite or a Maestro FZ-1.

Here's what a Fuzzrite sounds like
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ7cxk2No9s[/youtube]

Here's a Maestro
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JprnBYcpwsg[/youtube]

^
He knows.
That was going to be my recommendation anyway

Here's some more Maestro Fuzz Tone for you

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4q9LHm4AHM[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjPGNP1xzKM[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQTkOP60bGg[/youtube]

More Fuzzrite
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UBZdrJJEwQ[/youtube]

Do you know if I can find a Maestro Fuzz tone type fuzz with a little less high end bite and more low end?

I'd say contact either:
http://www.basicaudio.net/
or
http://www.ghosteffects.co.uk/

Both John from Basic Audio and Ian from Ghost Effects are members here too.

ManOfMystery wrote:Do you know if I can find a Maestro Fuzz tone type fuzz with a little less high end bite and more low end?

In that case you want a Creepy Fingers Fuzz Nugget -- he puts switchable output caps in there for more mids/bottom. I had him mod an old FZ-1A to the same specs for me and it sounds bueno. You just missed one here

Failing that, I'd talk to John Lyons of Basic Audio or Ian Sherwen of Ghost to come up with something for you.

The CF is awesome though (but so's Ian's FZ-1 and John's no slouch either).

EDIT: I see MEC beat me to it

This is a Creepy Fingers'ed FZ-1A similar to mine
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww2uX1E7p5g[/youtube]

You want whatever Dev says you want. He's snarly, raspy fuzz king.

Dude, yeah. Fuzzrite all the way. If anything, it's just a great tone to have around.

adrianlee wrote:You want whatever Dev says you want. He's snarly, raspy fuzz king.

This is so true. I'd also like second the suggestion of talking to John Lyons of Basic Audio (you can find him in the Shark stank thread in our Buy / Sell / Trade section). One of my guitar players was looking for a customized Roland Bee-Baa, so I sent him to John, who discussed all aspects of the circuit with him, and they worked out a perfect version that did exactly what my guitar player needed... and this guitar player is a very picky dude. He was ecstatic about John's responsiveness & helpfulness.

This thread is a bottomless pit of Maestro Fuzz-Tone goodness

more Creepy Fingers love - the Fuzz Fight is dude's take on the Fuzzrite circuit, and it TOTALLY rules.
there's a reason I sold the Nugget and kept the Fuzz Fight - it's just a GREAT, mean, nasty fuzz.
Plenty of low-end, too.