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I'm looking to buy a new guitar and proper fuzz pedal, as the EHX double muff serves a practical use, but does not excite me as it used too. In terms of guitars I am leaving that search to myself.

I need you boffs to help me pick a pedal I'm looking for something that can do fairly typical fuzz tones (Foo Fightersish distortion maybe?) but can also do crazzyyyy shhiittt. My budget is around £120-160. I've narrowed it down to:

Zvex Fuzz Factory Vextor Series: Because I love Muse, but I can't help thinking that the pedal sounds a tad thin and the oscillations are slightly more predictable.

Red Witch Fuzz God II: Thick as hell, but I think it needs more high end and weirdness (I'm so bloody picky y'see )

Fuzzhugger Phantom Arcade: I just love this box. Growly and Glitchy and wow. But not sure if it can do normal fuzz tones.

Any advice about any of these pedals (or videos) would be greatly appreciated. Hope to hear from you fuzz'eads.

You may also like the Fairfield Circuitry Four Eyes Fuzz... can get real close to distortion... plus there's a thousand different sound in this box.
It's my favorite pedal at the moment.
Don't know the price in Euro.

I'm not a fan of ZVex and Red Witch stuff.

The FuzzHughger(fx) Phantom Arcade is very cool, but it's an octave fuzz... not what you want according to your description.


Welcome to ILF.

The Four Eyes is pretty crazy, I got mine for ~£150 I think. Does nice overdrive-distortion-fuzz-insane noises and does all of them well. I don't actually know anything about those 3 pedals though.

Ab-synth?

Psyre wrote:Ab-synth?

Yup.

Also, you might want to check out the Team Awesome Fuzz Machine and the Algal Bloom

Seedy wrote:

Psyre wrote:Ab-synth?

Yup.

Yup.

Also +1 on TAFM or smallsound/bigsound Year 4545 (there's definitely tons of crazy oscillation options in that one!).

bigchiefbc wrote:Also, you might want to check out the Team Awesome Fuzz Machine and the Algal Bloom

Didn't suggest those because they don't really do anything crazy, but they're my favourites just for normal fuzz sounds. Maybe just get an algal bloom and make a feedback loop for craziness?

You should look at the Dirt Transmitter from EQD.
It can do all kinds of good stuff with to the Bias knob..from splatty velcro sounding to classic Fuzz/Distortion and some crazy over the top fuzz.
Very usable Fuzz!

-H

I'll suggest a geiger counter...overdrive, fuzz, and oscilates on a fb loop

The Fuzz Factory wasn't thin at all for me, rather huge sounding. However I'd recommend the Fuzzhugger AB-synth for the foot switchable oscillation fun.

AAAABBBBB-SYYYYYYYNTTTTHHHH.

Or Phantom Arcade, yeah.


But for a really great fuzz... like THICK and JUICY but still articulate PLUS sweet controllable oscillation:

AB-SYNTH


If you can, try to find the 5 knob one. That's my favourite.


C

Contact tom dalton at fuzzhugger. he's a really cool guy I've imported 5 pedals from him into the UK and each time has been a pleasure!
He couldn't be more helpfull!!
I think you should go with an algal bloom. it doesn't get too crazy but its soooo smooth!

you may want to consider one of the variations of the Devi Ever Truly Beautiful Disaster...it'll get as insane as you dare to be, but can also be tamed down to a relatively controlled howl. it eats Fuzz Factorys for lunch. from what i've seen on the interwebs, the (red label) version with the Karaoke Party circuit is particularly loved in part because it's more useable...i had the Dark version, which i had to sell and which would take the chrome off a trailer hitch. Devi's gotten a bad rap lately because of her habit of getting in flame wars on the Net, but that shouldn't keep you from looking at her work for its inherent worth.

You guys have some great input, and indeed, some fantastic suggestions. Ab-synth is looking more tempting, and with a much lower price than the phantom arcade. Any thoughts on the fuzz god II or is that out of the equation at this point?