Kind board members,
Last year I built the BYOC Large Beaver (http://buildyourownclone.com/effects-pedals/fuzz/largebeaver.html) to Triangle era specs and I also implemented the clipping mods suggested by duhvoodooman about halfway down this post (http://byocelectronics.com/board/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=6006). Basically I added two additional clipping options J201's and Red LEDs that can be selected instead of the 1N914's in the second clipping stage.
The Large Beaver includes a tone stack for the typical scooped mid, along with flat mid, mid boost and tone stack lift. If I use this pedal I tend to go between mid boost or lift the tone stack completely, in conjunction with the Red LEDs for clippers. Here's my build report that has a demo at the end: http://www.madbeanpedals.com/forum/index.php?topic=9471.msg83027#msg83027
That being said, I don't use fuzz very often. I tend to use overdrive(s) or the drive channel of my Guytron GT20 (http://www.guytron.com/#!gt20-amplifier/c246x) for crunch/distortion tones. When I do use fuzz, I think I like the thick, woolly fuzz tone over the scooped tone.
That being said, I can't help to think that I'm missing something when it comes to fuzz. I'm tempted to build a couple different fuzz circuits to see, but I don't know if I really would get anything "different" than what the Large Beaver provides. I'm intrigued by the fact that they are typically low parts count so I could whip out a couple different sounding pedals without much hooha. I have not tried an octave based fuzz, so maybe that's an option.
So I guess that's the question...what am I missing? Or maybe I'm just an overdrive guy and the Large Beaver fits the bill, giving me plenty of options whenever I do use it.
Thoughts? Thanks!
I don't like the Muff Pi fuzz variants, myself. Also more of an overdrive guy.
If you want to try another flavor of fuzz, though, I can whole-heartedly recommend the Madbean Cosmopolitan (http://www.madbeanpedals.com/projects/Cosmopolitan/docs/Cosmopolitan.pdf). 8)
This will be a fun thread :)
I was like you, a couple of years ago. Now, fuzz is all I can think of. When it comes to pedals of course. Reaching that fuzz texture that's juuuuuuust right.
There is so much variety when it comes to fuzz. It is so much more expressive and lively. The Muff is actually my least favorite of the bunch.
Fuzz makes me play in ways an overdrive never could.
If you don't like it, don't try to force yourself. If you get the bug - you're doomed, just like us.
Maybe it will come with time. Don't beat yourself over it, just enjoy what you like right now, and make great music. Cheers!
Fuzz vs. overdrive is the same discussion as Les Paul vs. Strat. It has its place, some people love em, some don't, some partake in both.
I've built a pile and I........don't get it either. There are a couple I really like (the screwdriver variants, the Sholicon/Chilicon built to Juan's specs, the Fuzzy Muff), but the rest I could really go without. That's not to say they aren't good/great, they're just not for me.
So, no, I don't think you're missing anything, it's just not your cup of tea.
Quote from: slimtriggers on March 03, 2014, 09:15:35 PM
I don't like the Muff Pi fuzz variants, myself. Also more of an overdrive guy.
If you want to try another flavor of fuzz, though, I can whole-heartedly recommend the Madbean Cosmopolitan (http://www.madbeanpedals.com/projects/Cosmopolitan/docs/Cosmopolitan.pdf). 8)
The Cosmo (aka Screwdriver) is a great circuit because it's flexible enough to sound like a fuzz, but it can be dialed back to be a bit more overdrivey. It's one of my favorites.
exactly. you don't have to overthink this. i have several fuzzes and several overdrives/distortions.
it really depends on you. i actually use fuzz a lot, for heavy stuff. doom, metal styles, desert rock, grunge..
i really like the big muff but, of course, you can't play light stuff where you want a lot of control on you attack and sustain.
Quote from: GermanCdn on March 03, 2014, 09:19:47 PM
Fuzz vs. overdrive is the same discussion as Les Paul vs. Strat.
I think we can all agree though that a Strat is superior.......(runs for cover)..... :P
Here we go! I used to HATE fuzz, but then I was showed the ZVex Wooly Mammoth. This is by far my favorite. I'm not one for the BM (big muff) style fuzzes...they sound like BMs (bowel movements) to me. The Mammoth sounds like a beautiful disaster and i love it. The Fuzz Factory is cool but totally unusable in a live setting (I think). Overdrives are cool, not my cup of tea but can sound smooth and inviting.
As for LP vs Strat. Eh, What ever blows your skirt up I guess (not suggesting anyone here wears skirts). I personally play a SG but have a LP as well. Never been a Strat guy but I have learned to love the Tele over the past 4 years.
the cosmopolitan is both a fuzz for people who don't like fuzz, and an overdrive for people who do like fuzz. recommended.
My fuzz experience:
I built the Bumblebee (Buzzaround) with some ge Transistors I got from Chromesphere. I LOVE it and recommend it highly.
I attempted a Pepper Spray (Harmonic Percolator) but never got the pretty, harmonic rich sounds I was hoping for so it's resting in a cigar box.
I built a Sqweeker octave fuzz with my son. This was more of a project to do together and didn't expect to be bowled over by it. I wasn't. It's ok.
I just finished my Five O'Clock Fuzz (Fuzz Face). Great circuit to build. It's a different sound than the Buzzaround and I'm still playing with it. I'm sure it will have its place.
The Buzzaround is the one I step on when I just want some fuzzy fun. Might be worth a shot.
Man, thanks for the thoughts and replies guys. So there seems to be a thread in this...thread; the Cosmo. Sounds like a great circuit to build up. Looks like I'll be placing another order with Haber in the near future.
Just some thoughts/rambling.
I play 95% clean or "edge of breakup."
The other 5% is almost entirely fuzz. I actually use a Fuzz Face as my main dirt, placed after a compressor, typically with the pregain and gain turned down 20%. It's not super dirty but it's still very touch sensitive and expansive sounding.
There are things fuzz does that simply isn't replicated by any sort of amp, overdrive, or distortion. Amp's can't hit square wave, and very few overdrives achieve the same kind of asymmetry and edge that comes from fuzzes because they're so busy trying to be or blend with amps.
Before I started playing around with fuzzes, I didn't even realize that many, many, many classic distortion sounds are created by fuzz, though not necessarily with the fuzz knob cranked and not necessarily in isolation. They pop up everywhere, even in types of music you wouldn't think would want them.
A lot of fuzz lovers will answer your question by saying that you simply haven't tried the right fuzz yet. Or maybe you're just not in a situation that requires it, or maybe you haven't paired it with the right gear. And sometimes fuzz simply doesn't fit the player.
I'd consider a muff more of a distortion circuit than a fuzz, but there's no real definition of any of this. The Muff is definitely attempting a level of sophistication and politeness that doesn't come to mind when I think "fuzz." It also doesn't have any of the textural dynamics that many vintage fuzzes have ... if you pick softer or turn down your volume into a muff you get ... just about the same thing. If you pick softer into a fuzz face, you get a clean bright note with some harmonic excitement.
I dunno. I think that fuzzes are easy enough to build that you owe it to yourself to see if the one you like is hiding in there. At the very least you should make a fuzz face. I don't recommend building or boxes any of the fuzzes on my "Things I Make" page, and if I were making a list of good fuzzes to build, it would probably include almost every one of them. Even two of the same circuit can sound different. That's sort of the appeal.
I dig vintage fuzz all of sorts (fuzz face, muff, tonebender,) but not so much the modern fuzz (i.e. Devi Ever gated-splatty stuff)
My overall favorite is still the classic fuzz face with a good set of germaniums like the OC140 (CV-7112 black glass). The key is volume control and picking dynamics on the guitar to find that sweet spot and there are wonderful, musical textures to behold. IMO the FF works best with singlecoils vs HB.
Quote from: midwayfair on March 03, 2014, 10:06:33 PM
I'd consider a muff more of a distortion circuit than a fuzz, but there's no real definition of any of this. The Muff is definitely attempting a level of sophistication and politeness that doesn't come to mind when I think "fuzz." It also doesn't have any of the textural dynamics that many vintage fuzzes have ... if you pick softer or turn down your volume into a muff you get ... just about the same thing. If you pick softer into a fuzz face, you get a clean bright note with some harmonic excitement.
THIS!! On my Large Beaver, I've turned the Sustain all the way down and I still get pretty much the same fuzz, with less sustain. I just don't get the feel that I'm "playing" to the pedal. It sounds like that may be inherent to that design. Now you've piqued my interest.
No slight to any of the other guys on this thread or forum, honestly; Jon I really value your input, because of the level of thought you've put into tone in general and I've gotten a ton out of your demo videos. So thanks for that.
Yeah, that's my main complaint with the Muff, along with being just a one trick pony that doesn't cut through the mix all that great.
On the other hand, the Fuzz Face is the best dirt pedal ever made. I suggest you do a 4 knob version, something like a Fulltone 69, which is basically a standard FF with pre-gain and mid-alike control, I am sure you'll love it. Playing with fuzzes actually has a lot to do with whether you are a solo guy or a rhythm guy, or whether you are using your guitar's knobs or not. A lot of the rhythm guys will be the first to dislike a fuzz, having been accustomed to the definition and transparency of a good IC based overdrive for example, and never having to reach for their guitar's controls...
I guess I am in the minority here in this thread so far, and I know it's played out, but I really like the Muff sound and I love my Mudbunny I just built.
I love the Cosmo I built because it gets into fuzz territory, but still lets me be the primarily rhythm player that I am.
I built a hybrid silicon/germanium Fuzz Face recently. I bumped up the in and out caps for more bass (per JakeFuzz's advice). Long story short, it lets me get wooly/muffy sounds at full tilt, but it has the touch sensitivity and volume knob cleanup too.
The more strident/weird fuzzes like the Standard Fuzz I enjoy because they force me to play differently than I normally would. I'm with Pryde on not loving the gated/splattery stuff too much, though.
I like the fuzz. My favorites are Superfuzz, Tonebender MKII's and MKIII's, the Blackout Effectors Musket clone I just built, and the fat fuzz factory clone I did a few months back. I think it is worth exploring the nuttiest side of fuzz (superfuzz, fuzz factory, Fuzzrite) before making any declarations. The more overdrivey fuzzes are probably the most useful in the real world, that is why the tonebenders are in my list, but the whacko stuff inspires me to play differently/new.
The Big Muff was my first pedal back in the early 90's and its a pedal that has stuck with me over the years. I agree with it cutting/standing out in a live performance but thats what Boss EQ pedals were for back in the day. Today I a simply in love with fuzz. I love the classics (face's, Muffs, Benders) to newer or classic verrients (Devi's, Death By Audio, Black Arts) they all have a place in my heart. Some are just for bedroom playing and others are my "never leave my board" type pedals. Most people that are not into fuzz love my Pharaoh or a good ol Tonebender MKII. They are very versatile and can be over the top if needed.
My favorite fuzz box is the EHX Micro Synth (big enclosure). Talk about a pedal with an array of different sounds and textures. I like that you can blend your clean signal with the square wave, as well as add high AND low octaves. Its like getting several fuzz pedals in one, very versatile. When it's set right, the "synth" section can be used like an EQ to add presence and attack without going into the whooshy spaceship sounds most people have heard in the youtube demos. And unlike the Big Muff, it can cut through the mix very well.
Something that struck me after I started building effects is that, well, I have no idea how some effects are supposed to be used - still don't.
Might be cool to have a subforum for tips, tricks, tutorials and song suggestions for getting the most out of different effects.
I never used any distortion pedals. All through the 60s and 70s it was about trying to blow up amps. Eventually I had a gain stage with a switch put into my guitar that would push everything at +23db. Since building pedals I also started out as an overdrive guy and not really impressed with Fuzz circuits until I built a Buzz Around Clone. I love how crazy and quirky it is. It will melt your face with the right settings with hard core ripping crunchy goodness. Then on the other hand it will gurgle and splatter and produce flatulence. it is a seriously fun circuit to play with. And it's not a Strat or a LP it's a 62 Jazzmaster with a 70s JB Seymour D and Strat single coils. Oh yea, and a strat....run!
Quote from: lars on March 03, 2014, 11:16:47 PM
My favorite fuzz box is the EHX Micro Synth (big enclosure). Talk about a pedal with an array of different sounds and textures. I like that you can blend your clean signal with the square wave, as well as add high AND low octaves. Its like getting several fuzz pedals in one, very versatile. When it's set right, the "synth" section can be used like an EQ to add presence and attack without going into the whooshy spaceship sounds most people have heard in the youtube demos. And unlike the Big Muff, it can cut through the mix very well.
I have always been interested in trying this pedal
Quote from: jubal81 on March 03, 2014, 11:22:51 PM
Something that struck me after I started building effects is that, well, I have no idea how some effects are supposed to be used - still don't.
Might be cool to have a subforum for tips, tricks, tutorials and song suggestions for getting the most out of different effects.
+1 on that jubal81
Oh yeah - the Muff. Love muff, but the sustain pot can go - no use whatsoever.
I never thought the Muff was any big deal at all, then I stuck a RangeMaster (another pedal I didn't really care for) in front of it. The sound was huge! Lead Toanz for days.
Also, another vote for the Cosmopolitan. Extremely versatile.
AND I think a sub forum just for tips and tricks on how to use these pile of pedals is a great idea.
I get the big muff because Gilmour made want to play. Van Halen made me want to be a player. Gilmour's voice made me want to do this. That tone reminds me of that emotional and creative high I got so many years ago. That aha moment. It sounds like a big muff to me.
3 years ago you would have asked me what i was thinking of fuzz and i would probably have answered that it's the most disgusting device earth had ever seen...
Strangely... the fuzz that got me into them and start to REALLY dig them is the «Random Number Generator»... it's not really musical.. does'nt really sound good in any way... In Fact it just don't give a damn f*** of what you are playing! hahaha
But it made me understand that i could use fuzz as a texture effect not even for it's dirt ability.
Getting synth sounds, tight gated square stuff... all those noise that only those type of circuit can give, putting a FuzzFactory in front of an high gain amp to get a uber dirty harmonizer effect that sounds like Transformers having hardcore sex... it's AMAZING! ;D
I love the sound that other people around here get when they build fuzzes and gawd knows I've built my body weight in Fuzz Faces, Tonebenders, and Muffs and I STILL can't get it. In fact when I get back to Saskatoon about every other year my old band does a few shows and the other guitar player plays a very old Muff thru a Traynor stack and gets an amazing sound. I play his gear and it sounds like crap. Must be sweat chemistry or body mass index or something. Or maybe you just have to make "that" face when you solo. I'm thinking about joining a Germanium Support Group...
Quote from: atreidesheir on March 04, 2014, 02:17:45 AM
I get the big muff because Gilmour made want to play. Van Halen made me want to be a player. Gilmour's voice made me want to do this. That tone reminds me of that emotional and creative high I got so many years ago. That aha moment. It sounds like a big muff to me.
This. As a bassist i love the Green Russian when I play older 60's rock and metal. Other than that, meh... Lat night I started researching Gilmour, now I'm curious. I have several muff boards that I will be building to different specs just to taste the Kool Aide
Quote from: GrindCustoms on March 04, 2014, 02:25:38 AM
Getting synth sounds, tight gated square stuff... all those noise that only those type of circuit can give, putting a FuzzFactory in front of an high gain amp to get a uber dirty harmonizer effect that sounds like Transformers having hardcore sex... it's AMAZING! ;D
I'm thinking this needs a demo. ;D
In fact, what if someone who happens to have a wide variety of the DIY variety of fuzzes does a quick and dirty demo on the different flavors. I know there gobs of fuzz demos on Youtube, but it would be awesome to flip through about 5 or 6 and hear the different varieties. Just a thought.
And thanks again for the great discussion on this. It has definitely sparked my interest in building a few different variants and see what happens. I'm thinking I should do a Cosmopolitan (screwdriver), a Woolly Mammoth, Tonebender MKII, and ...
I'd also recommend a Harmonic Percolator - but to stock specs, not Albini specs. It's probably the pedal I had the most fun playing through out of the builds I did last year. It's also a super simple build, so there isn't a huge time investment if you turn out not to like it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbppuFbaQi8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbppuFbaQi8)
The rhythm is fuzzilicious, and the lead on this is more overdrive. Skip to about 1:00 if the intro is too slow.
Quote from: lars on March 03, 2014, 11:16:47 PM
My favorite fuzz box is the EHX Micro Synth (big enclosure). Talk about a pedal with an array of different sounds and textures. I like that you can blend your clean signal with the square wave, as well as add high AND low octaves. Its like getting several fuzz pedals in one, very versatile. When it's set right, the "synth" section can be used like an EQ to add presence and attack without going into the whooshy spaceship sounds most people have heard in the youtube demos. And unlike the Big Muff, it can cut through the mix very well.
Why did I go from never having heard of this pedal before to NEEDING one. Quite possibly one of the coolest pedals ever. I want one so bad....
I'm pretty much in the same boat as the OP. I don't get these guys with 24 flavors of Big Muffs or 1-knob jobs.
Having said that, I built a Sprout that I eventual gave to my brother that used generic PN100 transistors. It was ok, but didn't do much for me. When I ran the pedal workshop for the kids I put bc548 and bc549 in the sprouts, and THAT was pretty cool. I still think it's a bit one-dimensional, but it's awesome for what it does...
I'm about to build a hipster. Any tranny suggestions (I'm going to put a beforementoned BCs in there).