How many fuzz pedals is too many? / & 'essential' fuzzes

[Ro_S]

Just did a count and realised I now have over thirty fuzz pedals.

How many fuzz pedals is too many?

And if I have over 30, which fuzz pedals 'should' I definitely have, do people think? What are the 'essential' fuzz pedals so to speak?

[Deltaphoenix]

All of them.
What is essential is what you like.

[sylnau]

That's a personal question... how many can you afford?

I had to sell a few lately, but if I can, I would keep them all.

Fuzz pedal are like condoms, you never know when you'll need them.

[Holy Schnikes]

sylnau speaks truth. Nobody can give you a definitive answer to this inquiry because there isn't one.

[Achtane]

Fuzz pedal are like condoms, ALWAYS ON, ALWAYS READY.

[MEC]

Fuzz pedal are like condoms, HARD TO GET YOUR DICK IN AND FULL OF GOOP.

[kbit]

Fuzz pedal are like condoms, HARD TO GET YOUR DICK IN AND FULL OF GOOP.

Like others have said, it depends on your tastes.
I'd like to have a couple different flavors:

1. big / thick / lots of lows
2. trashy / dis-harmonic - octave up is a plus here
3. something in between the above / something biting and definitive without being too over the top
4. gated / textural / weird


If you've never tried a Tone Machine, do it.
It can cover 2 & 3 above quite well.

[coldbrightsunlight]

I had to sell a few lately, but if I can, I would keep them all.

For me this is the definitive answer. If I could afford it I'd still have every fuzz I've ever owned because they all have something unique going on!

As it is, I pretty much have categories that need to be filled:

1. "classic" not-that-high-gain fuzz, like a FF or something
2. distortion-y, like muff/rat/something that works well enough for metal soundz
3. Gated is fun but non-essential
4. OCTAVES.
5. Oscillation

I like to keep more than that around when I can afford it and these days a feedback loop paired with anything takes the place of a fuzz that oscillates itself, but these are the basic flavours I like to have available.

[friendship]

Fuzz pedal are like condoms, THEY ARE A SIN AND AN AFFRONT TO CHRIST.

[univalve]

Fuzz pedal are like condoms, THEY ARE A SIN AND AN AFFRONT TO CHRIST.

[ryan summit]

if theres ones you dont like
and dont get used
but are collectors items
getem to someone thatll fall in love
you could change someones life

[zRobertez]

I only have one actual fuzz pedal...
I only keep what's on the board though and can't really have extra "money" lying around. But I do love that one!

[Jero]

1. big / thick / lots of lows
2. trashy / dis-harmonic - octave up is a plus here
3. something in between the above / something biting and definitive without being too over the top
4. gated / textural / weird
If you've never tried a Tone Machine, do it.
It can cover 2 & 3 above quite well.

I think it can cover the first three pretty well. The octave also works pretty well up the entire fretboard.

[theavondon]

Fuzz pedal are like condoms, I TYPICALLY HAVE THREE OR FOUR ON AT THE SAME TIME.

[hbombgraphics]

too many doesn't exist

as far as essentials I guess it depends on preference

but I think you need
Muff
Face
Bender
Something glitchy
something that oscillates

I guess what you can afford without going into debt and what you need to make the music that you can hear in your head