That was my take on the video: more fuzz, more transistors, more knobs, more loud, more better! Maybe Josh should make a new pedal and call it the More Fuzz
First time I've heard someone discussing number of transistors. Usually it's a history lesson on when they were used, or silicon versus germanium. Josh's explanation makes a lot more sense and I plan on using this in better understanding and using fuzz.
Thanks so much for that explanation on the bias control, it was really interesting. As you sweep past noon I kind of hear the Smashing Pumpkins saturated, ripping fuzz, but once you reach 3 o clock you're in White Stripes territory. As for the max setting, I'm not a fan, I'm not sure who would or does use a bias setting that high, but it's still interesting.
I’m an octave fuzz junkie!! Ace tone fuzz master fm-2 professional. It’s Perfection! Sad the super fuzz took the spotlight.. but the super fuzz is great as well. Pedals are so expensive. I’m all guitar effect processors and guitar synthesizers but I had to start getting analog fuzzes!! Thanks to you there’s 2 overdrive pedals to get too after watching your overdrive video. Dang it! Thanks for your channel and videos! Makes me hope one day I’ll find a JHS fuzz pedal I’d like to get. This is my favorite guitar content to watch. Thanks again!! Great work!
Yeah, mudhoney got corrected before you heard them, though. Live, the dude was playing with 2 bigMuffs in series. They went in two record and it sounded so terrible, the engineer had to break it down and help the guitarist figure out what he was trying to do. Cause it was unrecordable crap (do you know how noisey those beat2f#ck bigMuffs they had were? One was almost unbearable…. Then again; didn’t help the music. That engineer should have recorded all their noise and stumblings. That would have made i more timeless. Closer like something to an artist doing art. And not a failed attempt to make a Soundgarden Album. People wouldn’t hear it and go, “that smell like Stone Temple Garden in Chains
This is a great video, it explains fuzz really well. Your explanation about the big muff helped me a lot. I always had it second on my board after the compressor, it did work but after watching this I put it first in the chain and it is much better, I think.
I built my own fuzz with 2 germanium and 2 silicone transistors and made them switchable and biased to use either paired or combination of the 2 types. I call it the *_Fuzzy Mug._* Germaniums are smoother, but I like the silicones because they're more abrupt and distorted and "spitty". Also, I the decay on the silicones better.
@@TinkerToneworks Sorry, I had another reply, but the algorithm took it off because I had a hyperlink to the article where I got my idea. Yes, it's just 2 switches with 2 transistors per switch. I guess it could be cascadable? I'll try to add the link another way.
Nice video, thanks; watched more than once. It convinces me that I am a distortion and somewhat soft/cleanish/overdrive guitarist...who used many effects and still do, especially delays and loopers. Originally explored looping in the late 70's via the Echoplex. In the mid 70's when I finally decided to get my first ax, I also saw the Big Muff and Vox Wa and got those, soon after my Fender Mustang and Fender Princeton amp. Therein I found I could achieve very close to the Hendrix at Woodstock sound, Trower along with the proper placement of my next pedal, an Ibanez Phase Tone, and finally could also get the evil, lizardy sound of Fripp on the U.S.A live lp, notably "Asbury Park" After that I explored and bought The Rat, Boss DS-1 and finally the Metal Zone, before I moved onto the GT-3 and multieffects once I could afford them. A wonderful journey
Okay...stupid question time. First, some context. My current signal chain is: input buffer > EQ > compressor > noise gate with drive pedals (fuzz > OD > distortion) looped thru > amp sim/IR loader > multi-FX for modulation and time effects > output buffer. Given this particular chain, what might be a good candidate for a fuzz that can fit its place in the chain without sounding like a truck ran over it? That spot is taken by an EHX Nano Big Muff at the moment, but I'm not exactly happy with the sound. Suggested alternatives include the Boss FZ-1W or the Walrus Fundamental Fuzz. Is there another (reasonably priced) option I should consider for a fuzz? ANY info helps. Thanks, Josh!
Dear Mr. JHS-Guy...Hi. I hope you are having a nice day. It is snowy here, but I like so snow. Anyways, I am writing to tell you that this video is very useful and it helped me learn some stuff about how and why fuzz boxes can make different kinds of noise. And I want to thank you for that. But I also want to mention that I think that when you say "topology" (which refers to objects in relation to each other, like on a map), you really mean to say "typology" (which is closer, but still probably not the best word), and you would probably do best to use your rule with fuzz boxes, by keeping it simple and just say that there are different "types" of fuzz boxes. Thank you and have a good day! Your friend, V PS...If fuzzes should always be "dimed," then maybe we can get rid of one of the potentiometer/resistors and just have, for example on a two-transistor fuzz, and on/off switch with only one knob, and then paint it orange like a phase 90 or something, so we all know it is really easy to and fun to use?
Sooo helpful! I've always liked the idea of fuzz, but I've experimented and decided that it's not for me. Turns out I'm probably more of a Fuzz Face guy than a Big Muff guy. Thanks!
HOW does this only have 90k views 5 days after post?? Super episode guys. Also, record time is a great plug - have lost track of MMW in recent times and this plucks the string of theirs I liked the most. What are you doing tomorrow (Wednesday)? How about a JHS Live kicked off by this and continue onward further into the weeds?
Most of the time I am a blues player, so traditionally I would go for soft overdrives. One time I made a radical decision to put a RAT on my pedalboard an discovered the versatility of it, and that it also sounds nice when you use less compression/distortion (it doesn't have to be metal, it gave me ZZ Top sounds). Then I started buying fuzz and octave fuzz pedals; it changed my world. I also learned to tune in more sounds, and not turning the knobs to extremes.
Thank you for doing these, especially this one. I never got into pedals until recently & I want to try a fuzz, but picking out a first is tough. I normally play metal & use high gain distortion so I love that tight aggressive sound, & fuzz always seemed so unruly & wooly, or even muddy to me. But ive recently been getting into more stoner & doom. I guess this is kind of contradicting, but I would like a fuzz with alot of clarity if possible. Out of this vid the features I like are the clarity/stability of the 3 transistor, but the attack or aggressiveness of the 4. Im thinking a grunge style fuzz would be best for me. I'm still not sure exactly what I should get, but this vid helped SO much in pointing me in the right direction.
@Ayinde Best I actually got a DOD Carcosa a few weeks back, which I love but ALOT of ppl recommended a rams head &/or Green russian style muff. Plan on getting one of each later on.
Never knew about the ibanez overdrive! They even have a mini reissue! I have an old ibanez pue5 with a 12ax7, giving you a true tube screamer and drive! You should do a video on those”the first tube multieffect!
Josh is telling you right about playing a fuzz into a clean or somewhat clean amp. Gilmore played his Muff through a DR103, and you don't get much more loud and clean than that. I have more amps than I need, but my fuzz pedals sound the best through my ultra linear 1980 Fender Pro Reverb {70 watt amp}. Any of them just sounds glorious through that amp, it is a poor man's DR103.
tone bender for me, keep the fuzz at a little past 1 and volume at 2 and a half on clock, then boost it with a boss sd1 with volume on full, tone a little under half full, and drive BARELY THERE it's my main drive tone
i have EHX east river drive set as a slight dirty boost running into my tc Rusty Fuzz with the fuzz knob cranked. It sounds super nasty (in a good way), and if you roll off your guitar volume it cleans up to a slight overdrive. the over drive tightens up the effect so you can play palm muted rhythms and hear them. Single coils only doing this, as the humbucker guitars i'v tried it with sound muddy.
Hands down my favorite pedal channel! Thanks for the great work Josh and staff. I was wondering if you could help me out, I want to get an affordable 2 transistor fuzz with bias control. Could you please recommend one?
The truest word Josh said was Fuzz needs bottom end. This is particularly true of a Fuzz Face. Hitting the first valve hard with lots of volume helps too. I’m wondering who were all the famous guitarists who played a Fuzz into a clean amp. I’m not wishing to dispute what Josh says, just curious. To my ears, Sunshine if your Love sounds like a Tonebender into a 45/100 Marshall played clean.
Your playing is dope. I purchased the JHS series 3 fuzz. Gonna keep it for jack white tones (amps are blues jr 3 and 82 dean markley, its an amazing amp. Ill drive it to you to try). Gonna get the smiley tomorrow.
"wurdz is hard" great episode. So I am clear 2-3-4 transistor fuzz can go where distortion pedals would go but octave fuzz needs to be absolutely first. Is that correct?
Favourite? All of them, idealy all of them in both germanium, silicon and hybrid form. And Muff also with OP amp variant. Not sure still about octa fuzz, but maybe it need bit of time :D
My five year old daughter is now saying "Don't let guitar nerds tell you that silicon is bad". A valuable lesson, thank you! And we also had the "what is a nerd? " discussion. So thanks again. You rock, as always.
I have the Blue Hendrix fuzz face (what that means I don't know in regard to the different colours ?) I have the Big Muff pi. The Hendrix one for some reason will not work with a Wah in front of it on the chain. And to be honest I used it VERY rarely.
Interesting tour of the most classic topologies. How the Jen Harmon Booster fit in this ? It has a strange dual transistor stage in the circuit, different of the FF.
I’m venturing back into electric guitar via way of audio interface and vst. Being digital would fuzz pedal vsts still need to go in front or was this specifically a physical circuit limitation?
Hello, does the muffelletta works well with buffers, other pedals with or without true bypass, a lot of pedals etc. please ? I mean, does it sound as if it is plugged direct into the amp , even with a ton of pedals, and buffer ? I got many fuzz faces and a fuzz factory, and it don't work at all... i'm looking for this type of "transparent" fuzz 2 or 4 transistors, that works with a ton of pedal please. Thx for the knowledge, et bonne continuation à vous.
My go to "high-gain" tone is a RAT pushing the Behringer FZ-2 clone (Mode 1) into a Plexi-esque amp. Ungodly thick and the shoved octave makes lower tunings super punchy and jump out of the speaker.
Anyone know what the Pine-Box customs FAR is closest to? It is not so much a fuzz in my rig but an absolutely glorious overdrive. Kinda like to know what all are close to. He’s vague on the website.
I have a question: If especially the fuzz faces need to be put first in the chain that probably also applies to noise gates with sidechain/send-return mode like the tc electronic sentry, right? Or is there a sidechain noise gate without a buffer in the sidechain?
As a 60s garage collector I can tell you that most of the bands you mentioned that use fuzz do nothing that a collector would call a fuzz lead. Unfortunately you missed the number one topology that will give you an actual 60s garage fuzz that you hear on biker soundtracks and many of the most collectible 60s garage 45s. The Fuzzrite. ruclips.net/video/27sk1fNPL88/видео.html ruclips.net/video/JKaK4xojQ3Q/видео.html
I’ve been playing fuzz pedals all my life and I think this was such an easy to understand and comprehensive Fuzz demo, because Josh used obtainable pedals instead of original super rare holy grail shit to explain the core differences. Even though this was a shameless plug of course, haha.
I loved this episode. I enjoy the goofy, in-joke ironic stuff but I have missed these more history/information based episodes. They’re what made me really get into the JHS show (and pedal history) in the first place
My favorite is the Russian Big Muff. No matter what I've tried, I keep coming back to it. I got the reissue and loved it. I got the Muffuletta to play with different Big muff circuits, still went back to the Russian setting. I got the Animalizzer, which is the ultimate adjustable Big Muff-style pedal, set basically to the Russian setting. I am going to try coaxing fuzz face sounds out of the Animalizzer since it's so adjustable. That way I can justify having both that and the Muffuletta on my board.
I feel so blessed for finding my fuzz. Jhs got me curious about fuzz after hating it my entire 20 year musical career. One morning, I was messing with my pedalboard and I asked my kid to pick a pedal to use. She picked the Mxr blue box. I hate that thing. But it was her call, so I used it. Then I went to a guitar center later that afternoon and saw an Animals Fishing is as fun as fuzz pedal. The artwork reminded me of my daughter, and we were about to go camping so there was a theme. Yet another example we shop with our eyes not our ears. I plugged it in and hated myself, it was perfect. The coolest fuzz and so subtle but also huge depending on the setting. It became the most important pedal on my board. I was hooked. So thank you Josh. I didn’t know how deep the rabbit hole went and I’m glad I found my pedal on the first try.
@@jhspedals I’ll add to the awesome; on the episode Josh built a fuzz pedal he inspired me to start making my own pedals. I bought some basic supplies and I’m beginning my journey with the support of my awesome wife. Now we sit at home coming up with pedal ideas together. Thank you guys for making the seemingly impossible become completely possible!
I had to move some fuzzes off my board because half of my board was fuzz. That’s said, I’m building more, including an octave down fuzz, and a monster, 7-transistor “fuzz-stortion.” Trying to decide on what transistors are going in it - spec calls for 3 2n3904s followed by a BC337, and then 3 more 3904s. Considering breadboarding it with 2n5088s in the second half, or maybe a MPSA18 right at the end. It might cause a mushroom cloud.
This episode is really close to what I would really love to see, namely Josh talking about circuits in general. How are time-based effects created, what makes a fuzz go *zing, how do you create which sound. I mean, this could be an awesome learning resource that could put people on the path to trying to put something together themselves
Josh seems to go out of his way not to use any maths in his descriptions. The octave fuzz description did not use the term absolute value, but rather resorted to using worm holes theory for some reason. Sometimes I think Josh is just trolling us.
@@moddquad8362 I am totally clueless when it comes to circuits and electronics, but fumble with Reaktor DSP and modular synthesis. And the octave fuzz bit sounded like wavefolding and then I thought: a series of generic explanations of what is done to achieve certain sounds would enable the soldering-lings as well as DSP-anese people to build stuff
@@Mu1974 Having a good ear seems to be the most important attribute to make a good sounding pedal. JHS started with Josh modifying existing pedals though experimentation. His electronics chops came later.
@@moddquad8362 yea, it's just that as I am into digital sound processing only, I can only go and take a look under the hood of digital FX (which is fun). But that notion that an octave fuzz might be wavefolding was quite exciting, because I always knew that it was not about pitch shifting, but couldn't really figure out what was going on instead. That's why I think it might be interesting to learn (from Josh) about how to approach certain FX in general, without regards for the actual physical components, if that makes sense. Kind of the mindset behind a sound, the idea behind the manipulation, you know?
Not sure if you purused the older JHS episodes and live streams, but he’s done some pretty good ELI5 style summaries. This channel is a treasure trove of information disguised as entertainment.
Jeez, I clicked on one of the links in the description and found out that the Analogman Sun Face NKT Red Dot fuzz pedals like the one that I bought in 2019 for $260 are listing on Reverb for $850-$1200. Apparently Mike ran out of the NOS NKT Red Dot transistors in 2020. However, he still has numerous other germanium and silicon transistor options available. Now, I love my Sun Face, it's a fantastic sounding Fuzz Face pedal, and I don't really shop on Reverb much so I have no idea if those listings in any way reflect actual selling prices of these pedals currently, but I'd have to say you'd be a fool to pay that much for one. But hey, I'm 56 years old, maybe if I hold on to mine for another ten years I can fund my retirement (or at least pay for a really nice vacation). EDIT: Oh, by the way: "🎵🎶I have the box!🎶🎵"
Transistor numbers really don't matter. Having matched and properly biased transistors will get you better tone. It's not like the number equates to some sort of tone magic.
I'm poor. I get by with a Moen Fuzz Moo (Rams Head Muff clone) and a Behringer SF300 (Boss Hyper Fuzz clone). The Fuzz Moo is good for 90's Alt and Grunge, but the SF300 is the superior circuit. It can be used for everything from early 1960's pop all the way through Doom and Stoner.
The opening two words remind me of the Ruttles movie where the black musician says he learnt everything from the Ruttles. He says, I became a musician and I’ve been starving ever since.
The Boss FZ-2 Hyper Fuzz is actually based on the Univox Superfuzz circuit, as demonstrated in the video, just with the addition of an active boost/cut Bass and Treble control. Which the name of the Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz clone quite obviously, and more directly than the Hyper Fuzz name of the Boss, hint at. And the Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz is indeed an amazing sounding fuzz, especially used with bass, and not just for the price. An amazing fuzz, period!
Hey Josh ! Very interesting episode ! You should make an "everything in a box fuzz" like you did with all the tube screamers which is amazing !! Thank you for your quality content !
@@onerandombruh No? Not at all? The muffuletta switches between a bunch of different big muffs, but they're all 90% the same. At least all the same circuit type. A fuzz face is wildly different from a big muff, as is it from a fuzz tone, or an Octavia, or any other fuzz pedal. Each topology is quite different and the muffuletta only includes the big muff. Just various versions of the big muff. As i said each big muff circuit is 90% the same, just small component changes.
Best fuzz pedal I ever played: "Dead Man Walking" by AnalogWise. extremely versatile and tweakable and it works with any pick ups. The only way to play Hendrix on an LP, trust me!
Josh you did it again , prior to viewing this video fuzz to me = farts. The voodoo of diming the fuzz pedal and backing down the volume knob on the guitar is magical ....period
i always thought i wasn't interested in fuzz, that it was too aggressive and, like... fuzzy. but seeing you get these really nice sounding vintage tones out of the 3 transistor circuits specifically, got me thinking that's something I want in my arsenal.
@@tsarbamba642 I love Fuzz & have 11 in which one of them is the Bender. My question for you is do you use yours with the red mod button pushed in or out?
Love the episode, but on 2 transistors territory there's my favorite: the Vox Toneberder!!! It's not Hendrix, is not Zeppelin, it's agressive like a Tonebender, it's super feedback prone, it's the greatest combination with a Jazzmaster pickups and whammy bar, and it cleans great. Like really great. On Les Paul I prefer a Tonebender MK2 or a Fuzzface type of thing. I love the Earthquaker Dream Crusher for face type sounds.
Awesome & informative video. I learned more about the different fuzz pedals in 30 minutes than I learned in the past 30 years playing. Thank you Josh for sharing your knowledge with us.
Was really hoping you would mention Jesus and Mary Chain and their possibly broken Shin-Ei Companion Fuzz-Wah. Supposedly the treadle had broken in such a manner that the wah was always half-cocked, and whenever Jim Reid paused in his playing, his rig would feedback like a MFer
My favourite fuzz is one I made myself, with a 47k pot on the input wired as a series variable resistor, acts like your guitar volume. Great for both Strats on full volume and Les Pauls with it dialed back. I copied the circuit from a Jen Double Sound Super Fuzz Wah, which is identical fuzz to the Vox Distortion Booster. No fuzz control, it's fixed to max, no volume control, it's fixed to unity with input volume dialed all the way back.
Congratulations Josh! I've been following the channel for a long time and it's great to get to Friday after a long hard week and just enjoy a great video about pedals where you learn something and it's entertaining! Big shout out to you and your team from this Portuguese follower!
I run the Bender or a Big Muff into a cranked Neve preamp and straight into my DAW and that is my version of perfect fuzz tone. I hated fuzz for 30 years until I hit that combination and it’s awesome👍
What a warm and fuzzy episode, thank Josh, very insightful too. Extra praises go out to the video editor/director's use of visual cut-aways and inserts.
I had a Havalina (Germanium) and switched to a Hendrix Mini Fuzz, partially because the heat sensitivity of Germanium drove me nuts, so take that Germanium snobs!
I just recently realised that I've bought more fuzz pedals than anything else. Every other effect I wanted, I managed to nail within 1-2 purchases and it stayed on my board, but right now I'm on my 6th fuzz pedal and I'm still having second thoughts. Getting fuzz to sound right on bass is hard
Also a bass player who loves fuzz: my main go-to is a big muff (favorite cheapie is either the honeypot fuzz or ultra cheap, dolamo d2) but I’ve also added a harmonic percolator clone to the lineup as well. As clean or as mean as you want. I love it
EVH was a big fan of starving circuits of voltage. It's alleged that the name "brown sound" to describe his tone was named as such because of the brown out term. That refers to a dip in voltage in electricity. His rig was fascinating
He used the variac to drop the voltage on his Marshalls, but not because it changed the tone, just because it lowered the volume. Anything else was secondary, he just wanted to dime everything on his Super Lead Plexis without pissing off club engineers. Ed was also the one that coined the term "brown sound" but was referring to the sound of Alex's drum, which he said sounded like he was pounding on a log
I've loved the velcro fuzz sound for a long time without knowing how it's created, or that the sound is actually called "velcro fuzz" until watching this video. Great episode, really informative
@NDA dude awesome thanks so much for the insight! I've been eyballing the fuzz factory and there's one by Danelectro that looks pretty interesting called the Eisenhower
I’m really intrigued by the octave fuzz, but in particular what Spencer did with it in the Doom 2. The “clean blend” with an LPF to retain the fatness but keep the unique fuzz character for bass & synth applications sounds very fun. It’s a very musical circuit!
I started this video basically knowing that I wanted a Fuzz Face. When he explained it, he confirmed that for me. That's the one I want. That's for me. But now that it's over, I want one of each.
“See the word ‘Fuzz’ on a pedal. Buy it. Keep buying more, because you need all of them.” - what Josh probably means, because he’s correct
fuzz fuzz fuzz....I love fuzz!!!
That was my take on the video: more fuzz, more transistors, more knobs, more loud, more better!
Maybe Josh should make a new pedal and call it the More Fuzz
nope. Even had the Boss TB2w and it didn't do it for me.
Yup.
I was thinking the exact same thing.
This is the way.
First time I've heard someone discussing number of transistors. Usually it's a history lesson on when they were used, or silicon versus germanium. Josh's explanation makes a lot more sense and I plan on using this in better understanding and using fuzz.
Wow I was experimenting with my fuzz pedals today and decided to watch this and was amazed. Very interesting.
🖤🖤🖤
Getting a Fuzz Face (Hendrix Version) may have changed my life, it probably changed my game, and it definitely changed my time strangling strats.
Yes!
Thanks so much for that explanation on the bias control, it was really interesting. As you sweep past noon I kind of hear the Smashing Pumpkins saturated, ripping fuzz, but once you reach 3 o clock you're in White Stripes territory. As for the max setting, I'm not a fan, I'm not sure who would or does use a bias setting that high, but it's still interesting.
I’m an octave fuzz junkie!! Ace tone fuzz master fm-2 professional. It’s Perfection! Sad the super fuzz took the spotlight.. but the super fuzz is great as well. Pedals are so expensive. I’m all guitar effect processors and guitar synthesizers but I had to start getting analog fuzzes!! Thanks to you there’s 2 overdrive pedals to get too after watching your overdrive video. Dang it! Thanks for your channel and videos! Makes me hope one day I’ll find a JHS fuzz pedal I’d like to get. This is my favorite guitar content to watch. Thanks again!! Great work!
You did it again, how on earth is Mudhoney's classic debut EP on Sub Pop Records "Superfuzz Big Muff" not the "record time" choice?
He can’t keep getting away with this!! Find me another record with not ONE but TWO classic fuzz pedals in the title
Yeah, mudhoney got corrected before you heard them, though. Live, the dude was playing with 2 bigMuffs in series. They went in two record and it sounded so terrible, the engineer had to break it down and help the guitarist figure out what he was trying to do. Cause it was unrecordable crap (do you know how noisey those beat2f#ck bigMuffs they had were? One was almost unbearable…. Then again; didn’t help the music. That engineer should have recorded all their noise and stumblings. That would have made i more timeless. Closer like something to an artist doing art. And not a failed attempt to make a Soundgarden Album. People wouldn’t hear it and go, “that smell like Stone Temple Garden in Chains
@@peterwelsh1932 U mad, bro?
@@elarr8733 don’t make me quote Lewis Carroll at you
@@peterwelsh1932 You're probably into prog rock and ukulele
This is a great video, it explains fuzz really well. Your explanation about the big muff helped me a lot. I always had it second on my board after the compressor, it did work but after watching this I put it first in the chain and it is much better, I think.
I built my own fuzz with 2 germanium and 2 silicone transistors and made them switchable and biased to use either paired or combination of the 2 types.
I call it the *_Fuzzy Mug._*
Germaniums are smoother, but I like the silicones because they're more abrupt and distorted and "spitty". Also, I the decay on the silicones better.
is it 4 transitors cascading or do you just switch between the two different pairs of transistors?
@@TinkerToneworks I also put in the 4 trimpots as well.
@@TinkerToneworks Sorry, I had another reply, but the algorithm took it off because I had a hyperlink to the article where I got my idea.
Yes, it's just 2 switches with 2 transistors per switch. I guess it could be cascadable? I'll try to add the link another way.
@@TinkerToneworks /guides
@@TinkerToneworks/diy-workshop
Nice video, thanks; watched more than once.
It convinces me that I am a distortion and somewhat soft/cleanish/overdrive guitarist...who used many effects and still do, especially delays and loopers. Originally explored looping in the late 70's via the Echoplex. In the mid 70's when I finally decided to get my first ax, I also saw the Big Muff and Vox Wa and got those, soon after my Fender Mustang and Fender Princeton amp. Therein I found I could achieve very close to the Hendrix at Woodstock sound, Trower along with the proper placement of my next pedal, an Ibanez Phase Tone, and finally could also get the evil, lizardy sound of Fripp on the U.S.A live lp, notably "Asbury Park"
After that I explored and bought The Rat, Boss DS-1 and finally the Metal Zone, before I moved onto the GT-3 and multieffects once I could afford them. A wonderful journey
Wow, very impressive explanation of the architectures of these electronics! Thanks man.
I just got the JHS Series 3 Fuzz pedal today. I absolutely love it, it is amazing.
Okay...stupid question time. First, some context. My current signal chain is: input buffer > EQ > compressor > noise gate with drive pedals (fuzz > OD > distortion) looped thru > amp sim/IR loader > multi-FX for modulation and time effects > output buffer. Given this particular chain, what might be a good candidate for a fuzz that can fit its place in the chain without sounding like a truck ran over it? That spot is taken by an EHX Nano Big Muff at the moment, but I'm not exactly happy with the sound. Suggested alternatives include the Boss FZ-1W or the Walrus Fundamental Fuzz. Is there another (reasonably priced) option I should consider for a fuzz? ANY info helps. Thanks, Josh!
Dear Mr. JHS-Guy...Hi. I hope you are having a nice day. It is snowy here, but I like so snow. Anyways, I am writing to tell you that this video is very useful and it helped me learn some stuff about how and why fuzz boxes can make different kinds of noise. And I want to thank you for that. But I also want to mention that I think that when you say "topology" (which refers to objects in relation to each other, like on a map), you really mean to say "typology" (which is closer, but still probably not the best word), and you would probably do best to use your rule with fuzz boxes, by keeping it simple and just say that there are different "types" of fuzz boxes. Thank you and have a good day! Your friend, V
PS...If fuzzes should always be "dimed," then maybe we can get rid of one of the potentiometer/resistors and just have, for example on a two-transistor fuzz, and on/off switch with only one knob, and then paint it orange like a phase 90 or something, so we all know it is really easy to and fun to use?
Sooo helpful! I've always liked the idea of fuzz, but I've experimented and decided that it's not for me.
Turns out I'm probably more of a Fuzz Face guy than a Big Muff guy. Thanks!
One of my favorite episodes yet!
HOW does this only have 90k views 5 days after post?? Super episode guys. Also, record time is a great plug - have lost track of MMW in recent times and this plucks the string of theirs I liked the most. What are you doing tomorrow (Wednesday)? How about a JHS Live kicked off by this and continue onward further into the weeds?
Most of the time I am a blues player, so traditionally I would go for soft overdrives. One time I made a radical decision to put a RAT on my pedalboard an discovered the versatility of it, and that it also sounds nice when you use less compression/distortion (it doesn't have to be metal, it gave me ZZ Top sounds). Then I started buying fuzz and octave fuzz pedals; it changed my world. I also learned to tune in more sounds, and not turning the knobs to extremes.
Thank you for doing these, especially this one. I never got into pedals until recently & I want to try a fuzz, but picking out a first is tough. I normally play metal & use high gain distortion so I love that tight aggressive sound, & fuzz always seemed so unruly & wooly, or even muddy to me. But ive recently been getting into more stoner & doom. I guess this is kind of contradicting, but I would like a fuzz with alot of clarity if possible. Out of this vid the features I like are the clarity/stability of the 3 transistor, but the attack or aggressiveness of the 4. Im thinking a grunge style fuzz would be best for me. I'm still not sure exactly what I should get, but this vid helped SO much in pointing me in the right direction.
Try a Ram’s Head
@Ayinde Best I actually got a DOD Carcosa a few weeks back, which I love but ALOT of ppl recommended a rams head &/or Green russian style muff. Plan on getting one of each later on.
I truly needed this
Never knew about the ibanez overdrive!
They even have a mini reissue!
I have an old ibanez pue5 with a 12ax7, giving you a true tube screamer and drive!
You should do a video on those”the first tube multieffect!
Thank you for this, Josh.
Josh is telling you right about playing a fuzz into a clean or somewhat clean amp. Gilmore played his Muff through a DR103, and you don't get much more loud and clean than that. I have more amps than I need, but my fuzz pedals sound the best through my ultra linear 1980 Fender Pro Reverb {70 watt amp}. Any of them just sounds glorious through that amp, it is a poor man's DR103.
Great Ep! this explains everything so well!
Simply amazing video. Thank you.
tone bender for me, keep the fuzz at a little past 1 and volume at 2 and a half on clock, then boost it with a boss sd1 with volume on full, tone a little under half full, and drive BARELY THERE it's my main drive tone
i have EHX east river drive set as a slight dirty boost running into my tc Rusty Fuzz with the fuzz knob cranked. It sounds super nasty (in a good way), and if you roll off your guitar volume it cleans up to a slight overdrive. the over drive tightens up the effect so you can play palm muted rhythms and hear them. Single coils only doing this, as the humbucker guitars i'v tried it with sound muddy.
Hands down my favorite pedal channel! Thanks for the great work Josh and staff. I was wondering if you could help me out, I want to get an affordable 2 transistor fuzz with bias control. Could you please recommend one?
The truest word Josh said was Fuzz needs bottom end. This is particularly true of a Fuzz Face. Hitting the first valve hard with lots of volume helps too.
I’m wondering who were all the famous guitarists who played a Fuzz into a clean amp. I’m not wishing to dispute what Josh says, just curious. To my ears, Sunshine if your Love sounds like a Tonebender into a 45/100 Marshall played clean.
Your playing is dope. I purchased the JHS series 3 fuzz. Gonna keep it for jack white tones (amps are blues jr 3 and 82 dean markley, its an amazing amp. Ill drive it to you to try). Gonna get the smiley tomorrow.
Before watching the video, I owned the Bender. As of today, I own the Supreme and the Crimson. The Smiley is on order!
I was looking to make a foxx tone machine and I definitely am after hearing the octave fuzz circuit
"wurdz is hard" great episode. So I am clear 2-3-4 transistor fuzz can go where distortion pedals would go but octave fuzz needs to be absolutely first. Is that correct?
I like the more clean fuzz tone. not the strong popcorn sound. but I just play alone so in a band recording anything may work with different bands.
Favourite? All of them, idealy all of them in both germanium, silicon and hybrid form. And Muff also with OP amp variant.
Not sure still about octa fuzz, but maybe it need bit of time :D
Have you ever listened to Os Mutants? They're a 60s band out of Brazil. They are quite cool, and they made their own effects.
Josh & team, I was wondering if you ever tried KingTone Fuzz pedals. I really like the Germanium version and the Octavia clone
I love the fuzz on the keeley dark side.
My five year old daughter is now saying "Don't let guitar nerds tell you that silicon is bad". A valuable lesson, thank you! And we also had the "what is a nerd? " discussion. So thanks again. You rock, as always.
Oh my gosh! That's incredible!
I have the Blue Hendrix fuzz face (what that means I don't know in regard to the different colours ?) I have the Big Muff pi. The Hendrix one for some reason will not work with a Wah in front of it on the chain. And to be honest I used it VERY rarely.
I think my Blue one has that Germanium
Wish you'd spoken about which models use a power supply and which run on 9v battery or both.
Never owned a fuzz but always wanted that Ernie Isley tone.
Interesting tour of the most classic topologies.
How the Jen Harmon Booster fit in this ? It has a strange dual transistor stage in the circuit, different of the FF.
what category of fuzz is Mini Foot Fuzz & The Crayon? Thanks!
Ehx Green Russian Muff is the best sounding fuzz I’ve used to date
I ran my Soviet Big Muff through my 1941 Epiphone Zephyr amp and it was fuckin awesome 😂
I’m venturing back into electric guitar via way of audio interface and vst. Being digital would fuzz pedal vsts still need to go in front or was this specifically a physical circuit limitation?
Some are a little fuzzterated trying to find the right pedal.
Josh I feel like I went to fuzz pedal high school thanks teach
Hello, does the muffelletta works well with buffers, other pedals with or without true bypass, a lot of pedals etc. please ? I mean, does it sound as if it is plugged direct into the amp , even with a ton of pedals, and buffer ? I got many fuzz faces and a fuzz factory, and it don't work at all... i'm looking for this type of "transparent" fuzz 2 or 4 transistors, that works with a ton of pedal please. Thx for the knowledge, et bonne continuation à vous.
I get the feeling that you really don't like the Pollinator....not a mention in a show that I can find. I love mine. And all your other fuzzes. ❤️
Yea...well that's just like your opinion, man.
I kid. I love these videos!
If i have a compressor and i throw it directly after my fuzz will it pick up noise? Should i still throw my compressor first?
So does a “gated” fuzz refer to the bias control of a three transistor fuzz??
Playing that Seuf guitar, made in KC.
Josh you say that the fuzz must be at the begining of the chain,,ok but may I put an EQ for example ge-7 before ?
My go to "high-gain" tone is a RAT pushing the Behringer FZ-2 clone (Mode 1) into a Plexi-esque amp. Ungodly thick and the shoved octave makes lower tunings super punchy and jump out of the speaker.
Interesting, but the camera position does show the whole guitar, specially the knobs.
So what
Anyone know what the Pine-Box customs FAR is closest to? It is not so much a fuzz in my rig but an absolutely glorious overdrive.
Kinda like to know what all are close to. He’s vague on the website.
So, to get that "spitty" sound, it's always gonna be 2 transistor?
why does no one tries to pass put a treble booster before the big muff? It sounds good
What type of fuzz is the MXR Bass Fuzz Deluxe?
What about Fuzz Factory? it has 3 transistors... 2 like fuzz face, 1 like oscilator
I have a question: If especially the fuzz faces need to be put first in the chain that probably also applies to noise gates with sidechain/send-return mode like the tc electronic sentry, right?
Or is there a sidechain noise gate without a buffer in the sidechain?
Hi Josh....noise is always a battle...does anybody make a fuzz circuit with a noise gate built in?
Could you name some Fuzz Face clones besides the Smiley and the SunFace?
As a 60s garage collector I can tell you that most of the bands you mentioned that use fuzz do nothing that a collector would call a fuzz lead.
Unfortunately you missed the number one topology that will give you an actual 60s garage fuzz that you hear on biker soundtracks and many of the most collectible 60s garage 45s. The Fuzzrite.
ruclips.net/video/27sk1fNPL88/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/JKaK4xojQ3Q/видео.html
I’ve been playing fuzz pedals all my life and I think this was such an easy to understand and comprehensive Fuzz demo, because Josh used obtainable pedals instead of original super rare holy grail shit to explain the core differences. Even though this was a shameless plug of course, haha.
😎
You mean like “That Pedal Show”? Haha
He made them sound like crap.
@@citoante lies!
@@citoanteyou may not like his playing, but the pedals all sound great
I loved this episode. I enjoy the goofy, in-joke ironic stuff but I have missed these more history/information based episodes. They’re what made me really get into the JHS show (and pedal history) in the first place
Great feedback, thanks so much!
My favorite is the Russian Big Muff. No matter what I've tried, I keep coming back to it. I got the reissue and loved it. I got the Muffuletta to play with different Big muff circuits, still went back to the Russian setting. I got the Animalizzer, which is the ultimate adjustable Big Muff-style pedal, set basically to the Russian setting. I am going to try coaxing fuzz face sounds out of the Animalizzer since it's so adjustable. That way I can justify having both that and the Muffuletta on my board.
I have it as well. It's real good! Gets those Siamese dream/Gilmour solo tones quite nicely!
But which Russian muff. There's green, there's black. There v7, v8 etc lol
@@JMohlerThe russian setting is the V8 but the civil war is V7A and practicly the same as the tallfont green
I didn’t know you are a musician! Is there a place where i could check out your stuff maybe?
@@6oundStudio it trips me out everytime I see him on a guitar video, not sure why...
I feel so blessed for finding my fuzz. Jhs got me curious about fuzz after hating it my entire 20 year musical career. One morning, I was messing with my pedalboard and I asked my kid to pick a pedal to use. She picked the Mxr blue box. I hate that thing. But it was her call, so I used it. Then I went to a guitar center later that afternoon and saw an Animals Fishing is as fun as fuzz pedal. The artwork reminded me of my daughter, and we were about to go camping so there was a theme. Yet another example we shop with our eyes not our ears. I plugged it in and hated myself, it was perfect. The coolest fuzz and so subtle but also huge depending on the setting. It became the most important pedal on my board. I was hooked. So thank you Josh. I didn’t know how deep the rabbit hole went and I’m glad I found my pedal on the first try.
this is awesome!
@@jhspedals I’ll add to the awesome; on the episode Josh built a fuzz pedal he inspired me to start making my own pedals. I bought some basic supplies and I’m beginning my journey with the support of my awesome wife. Now we sit at home coming up with pedal ideas together. Thank you guys for making the seemingly impossible become completely possible!
How can my Fuzz pedal go first when I have 7 Fuzz pedals?
I had to move some fuzzes off my board because half of my board was fuzz. That’s said, I’m building more, including an octave down fuzz, and a monster, 7-transistor “fuzz-stortion.” Trying to decide on what transistors are going in it - spec calls for 3 2n3904s followed by a BC337, and then 3 more 3904s. Considering breadboarding it with 2n5088s in the second half, or maybe a MPSA18 right at the end. It might cause a mushroom cloud.
What a brilliant episode. Josh with his serious head on.
He did use the word “topology” a lot!
Thank you!
@@Ronphayes topology is just another buzzword borrowed from geography and used to make you want to buy more pedals
@@Ronphayes bottomology just isn't quite as convincing...
@@juancarlossuarez7486 Topology seems like one of them "big words" that people use to make themselves sound very photosynthesis.
Josh you're an absolute treasure to the music world man. Brilliant video
This episode is really close to what I would really love to see, namely Josh talking about circuits in general. How are time-based effects created, what makes a fuzz go *zing, how do you create which sound. I mean, this could be an awesome learning resource that could put people on the path to trying to put something together themselves
Josh seems to go out of his way not to use any maths in his descriptions. The octave fuzz description did not use the term absolute value, but rather resorted to using worm holes theory for some reason. Sometimes I think Josh is just trolling us.
@@moddquad8362 I am totally clueless when it comes to circuits and electronics, but fumble with Reaktor DSP and modular synthesis. And the octave fuzz bit sounded like wavefolding and then I thought: a series of generic explanations of what is done to achieve certain sounds would enable the soldering-lings as well as DSP-anese people to build stuff
@@Mu1974 Having a good ear seems to be the most important attribute to make a good sounding pedal. JHS started with Josh modifying existing pedals though experimentation. His electronics chops came later.
@@moddquad8362 yea, it's just that as I am into digital sound processing only, I can only go and take a look under the hood of digital FX (which is fun). But that notion that an octave fuzz might be wavefolding was quite exciting, because I always knew that it was not about pitch shifting, but couldn't really figure out what was going on instead. That's why I think it might be interesting to learn (from Josh) about how to approach certain FX in general, without regards for the actual physical components, if that makes sense. Kind of the mindset behind a sound, the idea behind the manipulation, you know?
Not sure if you purused the older JHS episodes and live streams, but he’s done some pretty good ELI5 style summaries. This channel is a treasure trove of information disguised as entertainment.
I used to say the Fuzz Face was my favorite, but now I see that it changes to whichever one your playing at the moment.
One of my favorite affordable fuzz pedals is the Russian big muff pi. Absolutely killer sound
We're talking about fuzz here. Don't expect the silly, joke crackin Josh today. This is some serious man stuff.
#RespectTheFuzz
I did like the less silly/more educational tone of this video as well
"We talking bout fuzz man, not a drive, not a drive, but we here talking bout fuzz man"
@@jasoncarrasco7682 Same!
Jeez, I clicked on one of the links in the description and found out that the Analogman Sun Face NKT Red Dot fuzz pedals like the one that I bought in 2019 for $260 are listing on Reverb for $850-$1200. Apparently Mike ran out of the NOS NKT Red Dot transistors in 2020. However, he still has numerous other germanium and silicon transistor options available. Now, I love my Sun Face, it's a fantastic sounding Fuzz Face pedal, and I don't really shop on Reverb much so I have no idea if those listings in any way reflect actual selling prices of these pedals currently, but I'd have to say you'd be a fool to pay that much for one.
But hey, I'm 56 years old, maybe if I hold on to mine for another ten years I can fund my retirement (or at least pay for a really nice vacation).
EDIT: Oh, by the way: "🎵🎶I have the box!🎶🎵"
Transistor numbers really don't matter. Having matched and properly biased transistors will get you better tone. It's not like the number equates to some sort of tone magic.
I'm poor. I get by with a Moen Fuzz Moo (Rams Head Muff clone) and a Behringer SF300 (Boss Hyper Fuzz clone). The Fuzz Moo is good for 90's Alt and Grunge, but the SF300 is the superior circuit. It can be used for everything from early 1960's pop all the way through Doom and Stoner.
you can sound great even if you don‘t spent a ton of money. and in the end, it‘s more about what you play, than if you use expensive pedals.
I have some pretty expensive fuzzes and the SF300 is still the one I play the most. It's a monster and I love it.
The opening two words remind me of the Ruttles movie where the black musician says he learnt everything from the Ruttles. He says, I became a musician and I’ve been starving ever since.
The SF300 is insane...great for punishing an audience at a reasonable price
The Boss FZ-2 Hyper Fuzz is actually based on the Univox Superfuzz circuit, as demonstrated in the video, just with the addition of an active boost/cut Bass and Treble control.
Which the name of the Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz clone quite obviously, and more directly than the Hyper Fuzz name of the Boss, hint at.
And the Behringer SF300 Super Fuzz is indeed an amazing sounding fuzz, especially used with bass, and not just for the price.
An amazing fuzz, period!
Hey Josh ! Very interesting episode ! You should make an "everything in a box fuzz" like you did with all the tube screamers which is amazing !! Thank you for your quality content !
@Ameer Najarali but like, imagine one fuzz pedal with each topology in it
@@levimorrison1135 that's basically the Muffuletta
@@onerandombruh
No? Not at all? The muffuletta switches between a bunch of different big muffs, but they're all 90% the same. At least all the same circuit type. A fuzz face is wildly different from a big muff, as is it from a fuzz tone, or an Octavia, or any other fuzz pedal. Each topology is quite different and the muffuletta only includes the big muff. Just various versions of the big muff. As i said each big muff circuit is 90% the same, just small component changes.
Best fuzz pedal I ever played: "Dead Man Walking" by AnalogWise. extremely versatile and tweakable and it works with any pick ups. The only way to play Hendrix on an LP, trust me!
I got the Op-Amp Big Muff and it sounds killer. Very happy with it. :)
Can we have Addie go through fuzz pedals on bass? Pretty please?
Josh you did it again , prior to viewing this video fuzz to me = farts. The voodoo of diming the fuzz pedal and backing down the volume knob on the guitar is magical ....period
i always thought i wasn't interested in fuzz, that it was too aggressive and, like... fuzzy. but seeing you get these really nice sounding vintage tones out of the 3 transistor circuits specifically, got me thinking that's something I want in my arsenal.
update: bought a JHS bender and I love it.
@@tsarbamba642 I love Fuzz & have 11 in which one of them is the Bender. My question for you is do you use yours with the red mod button pushed in or out?
the JHS bender is the only non muff fuzz i use, it’s excellent
@@emmettyoung7603 I have one as well. Question, do you use it more with the JHS mod button or as is?
@@barnaclestval i kinda switch back and forth, if it's going into a clean amp, as is, if the amp is slightly dirty, mod switch
Love the episode, but on 2 transistors territory there's my favorite: the Vox Toneberder!!! It's not Hendrix, is not Zeppelin, it's agressive like a Tonebender, it's super feedback prone, it's the greatest combination with a Jazzmaster pickups and whammy bar, and it cleans great. Like really great. On Les Paul I prefer a Tonebender MK2 or a Fuzzface type of thing. I love the Earthquaker Dream Crusher for face type sounds.
Dream Crusher is one of my favorite fuzzes!
Awesome & informative video. I learned more about the different fuzz pedals in 30 minutes than I learned in the past 30 years playing. Thank you Josh for sharing your knowledge with us.
Congrats! In this very moment you sold a Smiley and a Crimson pedal to a fuzz hater!
Was really hoping you would mention Jesus and Mary Chain and their possibly broken Shin-Ei Companion Fuzz-Wah. Supposedly the treadle had broken in such a manner that the wah was always half-cocked, and whenever Jim Reid paused in his playing, his rig would feedback like a MFer
Basically a Super-Fuzz in those things, yeah? My god I want one so bad
I use a Dwarfcraft Necromancer to get Psychocandy tones. Its a Superfuzz with an EQ and an absurd ammount of gain
My favourite fuzz is one I made myself, with a 47k pot on the input wired as a series variable resistor, acts like your guitar volume. Great for both Strats on full volume and Les Pauls with it dialed back. I copied the circuit from a Jen Double Sound Super Fuzz Wah, which is identical fuzz to the Vox Distortion Booster. No fuzz control, it's fixed to max, no volume control, it's fixed to unity with input volume dialed all the way back.
Congratulations Josh!
I've been following the channel for a long time and it's great to get to Friday after a long hard week and just enjoy a great video
about pedals where you learn something and it's entertaining!
Big shout out to you and your team from this Portuguese follower!
I run the Bender or a Big Muff into a cranked Neve preamp and straight into my DAW and that is my version of perfect fuzz tone.
I hated fuzz for 30 years until I hit that combination and it’s awesome👍
Gotta try this!!
What a warm and fuzzy episode, thank Josh, very insightful too. Extra praises go out to the video editor/director's use of visual cut-aways and inserts.
I had a Havalina (Germanium) and switched to a Hendrix Mini Fuzz, partially because the heat sensitivity of Germanium drove me nuts, so take that Germanium snobs!
That temperature thing is so real!
I just recently realised that I've bought more fuzz pedals than anything else. Every other effect I wanted, I managed to nail within 1-2 purchases and it stayed on my board, but right now I'm on my 6th fuzz pedal and I'm still having second thoughts. Getting fuzz to sound right on bass is hard
Im thr same way! Ive tried them all. Currently playing a Fuzz Face and still thinking "Yeah but what about....?"
Russian Big Muff is my recommendation
@@Ninjametal Tried it, sounds amazing on its own but its wayy too muddy in the mix. Right now I'm using a DOD carcosa and its kinda doing what I want
Also a bass player who loves fuzz: my main go-to is a big muff (favorite cheapie is either the honeypot fuzz or ultra cheap, dolamo d2) but I’ve also added a harmonic percolator clone to the lineup as well. As clean or as mean as you want. I love it
@@ileutur6863 gotcha, totally makes sense. ...Maybe an eq pedal post fuzz could dial in more precisely what you want
EVH was a big fan of starving circuits of voltage. It's alleged that the name "brown sound" to describe his tone was named as such because of the brown out term. That refers to a dip in voltage in electricity. His rig was fascinating
He used the variac to drop the voltage on his Marshalls, but not because it changed the tone, just because it lowered the volume. Anything else was secondary, he just wanted to dime everything on his Super Lead Plexis without pissing off club engineers.
Ed was also the one that coined the term "brown sound" but was referring to the sound of Alex's drum, which he said sounded like he was pounding on a log
A brown out is the same as a pressed ham. Has nothing to do with guitars.
@@TheKitchenerLeslie Just great. It's already Pressed Hams season, and I still have my Steamed Hams decorations up.
@@somethinghumblestudios But do you know what it is?
I've loved the velcro fuzz sound for a long time without knowing how it's created, or that the sound is actually called "velcro fuzz" until watching this video. Great episode, really informative
Dude same here. I came here looking for this comment lmao
Valco or Velcro?
Now I'm wondering how Jack White gets some of those gated velcro sounds when AFAIK he uses only a big muff for fuzz. Maybe it's the POG doing that idk
@NDA I'm assuming the clean boost goes after the fuzz? And how does a clean boost like the micro amp help to get that velcro/gated sound?
@NDA dude awesome thanks so much for the insight! I've been eyballing the fuzz factory and there's one by Danelectro that looks pretty interesting called the Eisenhower
I’m really intrigued by the octave fuzz, but in particular what Spencer did with it in the Doom 2. The “clean blend” with an LPF to retain the fatness but keep the unique fuzz character for bass & synth applications sounds very fun. It’s a very musical circuit!
I started this video basically knowing that I wanted a Fuzz Face. When he explained it, he confirmed that for me. That's the one I want. That's for me. But now that it's over, I want one of each.