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never enough fuzz

July 7th, 2010 | music

I love fuzz! If you aren’t a guitar player or musician that hangs around guitar players you’re probably looking at an old blanket thinking “huh”?

Fuzz is an effect. I’ll keep this basic: It kinda started with the Fuzz Face and the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff. Yes, I know there are others, so don’t burn me because just because I didn’t include. This isn’t a history of fuzz post, this is a “I want more fuzz pedals” post. The point is…if you’ve listened to any music with a guitar since the late ’60s I will bet you any money you’ve heard a fuzz pedal on an album.

You know how people always ask “are you a Beatles or Elvis guy?” Well the same can kind of go for fuzz: “are you a Fuzz Face or Big Muff guy?” I have found that I’m a Big Muff kinda guy. That said, I’m open to anything. Currently I have the Red Witch Fuzz God I (link is to version 2, which is a bit different but my version isn’t made anymore). I love the Fuzz God…it’s probably my most used pedal, as long as you don’t include my T.C. Jauernig Luxury Drive boost, which is never turned off.

Anyways, I want more fuzz pedals. No, not to replace the Fuzz God…just to have other flavors to choose from. You don’t always want to drink cherry Kool-Aid do you? Sometimes you want black cherry instead haha. Here are a few choices I’m looking into:

Blackout Effectors Musket Fuzz:
This thing is based on a Big Muff. From the demos I’ve listened to, it sounds great and is extremely versatile, thanks to all the knobs like “focus” and “pre”. This is a strong contender.

EarthQuaker Devices Hoof Fuzz:
I’ve read good things about this fuzz, but have yet to find a really good demo of it. It’s based on the old green russian muff (variant of the Big Muff). I’m keeping my eyes out for more demos on this one.

Stomp Under Foot:
This guy makes a bunch of different Big Muff pedals. Civil War muff, Ram’s Head muff, green Russian muff…they’re all there, and the demos sound good. The biggest problem with these pedals is I can’t decide which one I like the best.

Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi:
I’ve always been one to just go for the original, and this is it. But is this too easy? Some say current EHX Big Muffs are like Fender Amps: the were great back in the day, but cheap manufacturing makes them crappy now. Another thing to consider, the Musket IS much better than this…is the price difference justified though? Maybe I should get this muff instead…

Audio Menagerie Timber Wolf:
This was the only photo I could find of this online. I actually played this pedal at another shop in Portland called Old Town. It’s a nice pedal. Concerns: for the price would the Musket be better? Also, is it too close to the Fuzz God? Still would be a neat addition I think. I don’t think this one is purely based off a Muff, but that’s not a problem (variety is great).

Bigfoot F.X. Spaghetti Western Fuzz:
Oddly enough, just like the Timber Wolf builder, this builder is in/near Portland, OR too. This one is a bit different…it even says in the description it’s not based on a Fuzz Face or a Muff. This could be very nice because it would be different from my Fuzz God. Here’s how much I like this pedal: I never see people talk about it, I don’t see advertisements for it, but yet I keep going back to the website every now and again just to hear those wonderful sound clips. hmmmm it’s too tempting.

Wattson FX Classic Fuzz:
I’ve had my eye on this one for a long while. Listen to the demos…it’s amazing. So why don’t I already have it? For one, price. Another reason, it’s a bit huge…but the main reason is price. ouch.

Z.Vex Fuzz Factory:
Yes, the handpainted ones are pricey, but there’s always the Vexter series, which is the same effect, minus the handpainted case. This fuzz is awesome. If you were ever wondering, this is what the guitarist in Muse uses (he likes it so much he has it built into his guitar). My only hesitation is that it might be a bit similiar to my Fuzz God. Not a huge problem, but since there is a variety available, maybe a different sound would be better.

Death By Audio Fuzz War
In the clips I’ve heard, this sounds like a brutal fuzz…amazing. D.b.A. pedals are sometimes quite expensive, but this one is quite reasonable. My only question is, do I want something a bit more “musical/less intense” or do I want the destruction? This is another strong contender because it does sound pretty great.

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