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
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’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
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.
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.
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.
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.
I love the episodes where u describe & compare circuits of different pedals & show us how they are either different or similar. I love nerding out on circuit descriptions. I guess I'm really weird like that & not only do I love it. I also feel like there are not a ton of people who are trustworthy with your experience & knowledge who are on RUclips & willing to share your experience & knowledge with the rest of us. It's almost like there is a total vacuum in this area. I guess people don't understand that the more we share knowledge & experience for free with the world. Then the better chance that someone else will soak it up & take it the extra mile & keep the crafts moving forward. Thank you Josh & all of your team for sharing.
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!
Josh I dig how much you remind me of my uncle, the old TV repairman. Using common sense to make your point? BRILLIANT!! And a twisted sense of humor. BRILLIANT!!
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?
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.
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.
Definitely the most genius-incitefull description I've ever seen in a very long time! Awesome job of isolating and specifying where, on essential pedals, classic electric guitar tones are to be found.
I've been hoping for something like this for a while... a vid that explains the 4 basic flavors of fuzz in just enough detail, & Josh is an expert who is most earnest in his desire to help people learn.
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.
Oh my God! The Elmo insert killed me! That was absolutely perfect, Josh loves fuzz! He is very intensely in love with fuzz. It shows on his face and in his circuit knowledge. Loved this episode! Keep them coming, please and thank you.
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
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.
Josh's tip at the very end - plug your 2 or 3 transistor fuzz (ie: Keeley Fuzz Bender), directly into the guitar before your tuner, overdrive, etc.. - was a *chef's kiss* game-changer. Brilliant tip - thanks, dude!
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’ve decided to comment on old episodes as I watch them. Completely silly. But makes me feel engaged hahaha! Great content for players and for budding pedal moders/builders.
My dad got me a FZ-2 back in the 90s and it took me until a couple years ago to really appreciate it. I almost sold it back in the mid 2000's when I was getting rid of some old gear, but I decided it would be rude to sell it since my dad gave it to me. In 2022, I'm so glad I kept it. Also, apparently they're rare now, which is cool, but I just think it's a dope pedal.
I once had the super-fuzz. I had no clue how to apply it because my playing skills were horrible. You hit a chord and the pedal did fold over with a harmonic sound . Gosh thanks for this lesson. I found my fuzz sound.
Not very often does a pedal demo speak so directly to a specific need I’m looking for in my tools. I know you’re good at demos, but this was something else. So sold. Old Blood Noise kills it again.
Well this was clairvoyant as I was just looking at getting the Supreme to and to the Crimson (which I absolutely love!). Thanks for the explanations and pedals!
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👍
Loving the throw away "historical re-enactment" at 20:44 , and the pristine Elmo Impression at 12:07. My favourites are my Boba Fuzz [gloriously packaged ZVX Woolly mammoth clone with every available tweak including "gate" and "tone"] (2 transistor fuzz) Boss Hyper Fuzz which I bought when they were brand new/ unheard of/ affordable (£45) (Octave Fuzz) ,and my Big Muff which turns out to be the op-amp version which every guitar player I knew hated in the 80s [hence purchased used for £15 in 1989] everything else didn't have the staying power for my array of styles. It's a fun journey I guess my timing was good to try them at affordable o'clock, on the down side I'm way old now, and I never tried a Russian Muff.
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!
This was such a great video. Super informative, both as a guitarist and as someone who wants to get into building circuits. Just picked up the Muffuletta and am absolutely loving the variety of tones I can get out of it. Thanks for the wicked pedals, and all the great content!
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.
Thank you Josh!! I have a much better understanding of fuzz now. The Fuzz Face(two transistor) and the Bender(three transistor) are my favorites. Seriously considering your version of both of these circuits. Thank you so much! Keep doing what you do!
My go-to fuzz pedal is a three-transistor germanium circuit from Fulltone called the Custom Shop Queen Bee. The #1 and #2 transistors are configured to achieve maximum gain in order to hit transistor #3 extremely hard, creating more sustain and distortion than is possible with the 2-transistor Fuzzes while making the pedal rather low-noise for such a high-gained design. Another thing the Bee has, something no other fuzzes have, is ample MIDRANGE! Fender amp owners will appreciate the Passive Hi-Cut Tone control for taming the treble, and further sonic sculpting is accomplished via a smart, loss-less 3-position Bass switch (placed before transistor #3) tailoring the low frequencies and keeping the bottom-end tight. Looking at this pedal’s signal on an oscilloscope reveals what your ears already knew...a wildly asymmetrical waveform high in second-order Harmonics, culminating in a sweet, rich, commanding voice with tons of sustain. Translation: This pedal will not get lost in the mix. Inside the pedal is a trimmer for adjusting the bias of transistor #3 by a range between 2 and 6 volts DC. My favorite tending to be somewhere between 3 and 4 volts. The trimmer should be adjusted by ear as there are no wrong settings, a slight turn results in a drastic change in sound, in volume, and in compression characteristics. Suddenly firm becomes soft, bright becomes warm, grainy becomes smooth...it’s astonishing what this little trimmer does.
When jhs pedals first appeared in my field of awareness I was kinda reluctant to know them and thought they were meh. Then I started watching your show and *you* made me want to buy one of your pedals _just because it's you_ Idk if that's the intention of your channel, but it worked, I've watched a sh't ton of your videos and podcasts and I keep on watching your stuff due to your coolness. The rest of your gang feels like great people to be with too, congrats for that too
Awesome content as usual, Josh. Thank you for this amazing information on fuzzes, I needed it a lot! Congratulations on your amazing work, not only on JHS Pedals, but on this here RUclips channel!
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!
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
I've loved fuzz pedals throughout my entire guitar playing life. This J/H/S presentation is the best fuzz primer I have run across. Highly recommended viewing!
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.
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.
So - thank you very much. Up until now I didn‘t know that I‘d need a Fuzz Face AND a Tonebender in my life. And, adding to that, the Oliver Twist-Visualisation was probably one of the best explanations I‘ve ever seen for Bias Control.
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!
I remember in the 2000s there used to be a lot of talk about the Big Muff not being a fuzz (IIRC Keely and Analogman both came down in the "not a fuzz" camp at various points in the web 1.0 days) because the signal is being clipped by diodes rather than transistors, and that (among other things that make the circuit pretty dissimilar to most fuzz circuits) makes it more of a high gain distortion than a fuzz. I mean, it's obviously a fuzz because just listen to it, but it's still an interesting point and I was happy to hear you mention it. WRT amp choice, I played a black Russian Big Muff into the clean channel of a Polytone Minibrute in high school and it sounded good; through the 2000s I played a Ge Fuzz Face into a Sunn Solarus (the cleanest amp I've ever played) and it also sounded very good. All those great, 60s Os Mutantes fuzz sounds were recorded direct.
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!
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
Masterfully put and the elmo bit was hilarious. I just love the way your collective minds work because it's random and perfectly in tune with the brand of humor that I wish I had the talent to communicate lol.
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!
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.
I've been searching for a fuzz that does the same as my uncle had. Being a producer (Dave Goodman) through out London's 70s crazyness, he had a fantastic collection of stuff. Among his pedals there was super nasal acidy ripping fuzz pedal without a name. NOW I know how that soumd comes about. Bias control!!! Thank you for that. Now... which one to get...
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
I have the Supreme and the Bender for now. In my pedal chain, the Bender comes first and the Supreme just after it, and one thing I can tell you is that the Supreme sounds amazing when the Bender is engaged before. What a massive sound. This combination blew my mind away first time I tried it. Thank you Josh for your work and your videos. Cheers from France.
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
I will basically watch everything you guys make because you are awesome, but this was soooo helpful. I bought an op amp big muff because I always loved hearing other people play it, but then couldn’t seem to get the setting right. Now I actually understand how it works (imagine that) and I’ve got it dialed in just right. Thanks!
In my opinion, I pictured a light layer of overdrive making each of these demos sound better. You don’t have to run into a dirty amp though, Josh himself has recommended running overdrives in front of fuzzes. That is the sound I seem to prefer
funny you mention this, i was goofing around with my pedal board the other day and on a whim put my tube screamer in front of the big muff, and holy shit was there (in my opinion) noticeable and positive change in my tone
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!
New to fuzz here and so far Ive had a fuzzface type and now a Muff style on my small board. The newer, a TLpedals StingerFuzz ( Rams Head) is really allowing me to get close to the Black Keys type tone I like when not playing blues. I did enjoy cleaning up the Fuzzface though and may have to put both on the board. Of your Legends of Fuzz line, its the Supreme that as always caught my attention. Its on the wishlist.
Thank you, Josh and Team for the demonstrations and information. I have a much better understanding of the different variations and sounds of different fuzzes, and now I'm able to identify the ones I like best. I appreciate the time and effort you put into sharing your knowledge with the ignorant (me). Also, the ideology of showing pedals made by other manufacturers is practically unheard of. Seems counterproductive, but really helpful for making an informed decision. Thank you, JHS
Thanks! What I’ve been looking for (without knowing how to describe it) was the bias control. I like the Velcro/tearing sound and have been trying to find something that would do it. I appreciate you, your channel, and your sense of humor. 👍
I was luckily gifted a V7D black russian muff. At the time I wasn't even a fan of fuzz or even distortion. That pedal changed it all. It can be used many different ways. From fizzy boom background to more creamy solo tones to straight buzz saw treble. I use it with wah, envelope filter, analog delay and phaser. The V7D is a green Russian in the large black enclosure.
My favorite fuzz is the DOD Carcosa, based on the Maestro circuit that Josh says doesn't sound good LOL In all fairness, it's modified, but it's still a Maestro at its base. After that, I love Tone Bender MKII and MKIII sounds.
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
This may sound like I'm being a troll, but that isn't my intention. Overall, I'm a massive fan of your work. But, I have never liked your take on the Fuzz Face style of fuzz (the Pollinators 1 and 2). I'm a huge fan of the FF sound, but I have never meshed with your translation of it. They sound good on video and I've purchased them, but whenever I've played them live they just didn't work well for me. Others like Fulltone, Deep Trip, and Vemuram i've connected with immediately. Ive heard Jorge Tripps and others say that because of the crude nature of that circuit the builder has a big influence on the end. JHS pedals what do you think?
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've always thought if you use single coil pickups play a Fuzz Face. If you use humbuckers use a Tone Bender. Now obviously that's not a hard rule but I find the Fuzz Face really bass heavy so it will had girth to thin single coils. On the flip side Humbuckers are darker sounding so using a Fuzz Face might be too much bass. Just so happens alot of the famous Fuzz Face users also use Strats with single coils and Tone Bender users play Les Pauls with humbuckers.
Well said. Only one I can get away with both is a Band of Gypsys Fuzz. It as a good tone control, and wide range of fuzz. Sold every other fuzz I have, just because it work with everything, when none other would. Even on a pretty dirty amp, it rolls off to a true clean.
I use a FF that I built with my gold guitar all the time and it sounds great 🤷 Seymour Duncan 59s with A5 magnets. Funniest part is I actually built 4 of those 🤣 2 on pcb's and 2 different ones on breadboards.
This isn't universal. One of my favorite fuzzes is a TB/JHS Bender. I mostly play single coils and I can get what I need out of it. Just to make sure I'm covered, I have several different fuzzes. One of my favorites is the Zappa-esque Frederic Effects Weasel Stomp.
Y’all are so helpful with these videos so thank you! I’ve had a big muff for years but never really knew what to do with it but now I’ve got a better idea on how to approach using it on my board. Thanks again!
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.
“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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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
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...
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.
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.
I love the episodes where u describe & compare circuits of different pedals & show us how they are either different or similar. I love nerding out on circuit descriptions. I guess I'm really weird like that & not only do I love it. I also feel like there are not a ton of people who are trustworthy with your experience & knowledge who are on RUclips & willing to share your experience & knowledge with the rest of us. It's almost like there is a total vacuum in this area. I guess people don't understand that the more we share knowledge & experience for free with the world. Then the better chance that someone else will soak it up & take it the extra mile & keep the crafts moving forward. Thank you Josh & all of your team for sharing.
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!
Josh I dig how much you remind me of my uncle, the old TV repairman. Using common sense to make your point? BRILLIANT!! And a twisted sense of humor. BRILLIANT!!
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
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 love that even with these crazy fuzz tones I can still hear the hum of Josh’s tube amp.
This is one of the best educational guitar tone channels. Learning. Laughing. Learning some more. Falling out of chair laughing. It's great.
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.
Definitely the most genius-incitefull description I've ever seen in a very long time! Awesome job of isolating and specifying where, on essential pedals, classic electric guitar tones are to be found.
I've been hoping for something like this for a while... a vid that explains the 4 basic flavors of fuzz in just enough detail, & Josh is an expert who is most earnest in his desire to help people learn.
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.
Oh my God! The Elmo insert killed me! That was absolutely perfect, Josh loves fuzz! He is very intensely in love with fuzz. It shows on his face and in his circuit knowledge. Loved this episode! Keep them coming, please and thank you.
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
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.
Josh's tip at the very end - plug your 2 or 3 transistor fuzz (ie: Keeley Fuzz Bender), directly into the guitar before your tuner, overdrive, etc.. - was a *chef's kiss* game-changer. Brilliant tip - thanks, dude!
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
One of my favorite affordable fuzz pedals is the Russian big muff pi. Absolutely killer sound
I’ve decided to comment on old episodes as I watch them. Completely silly. But makes me feel engaged hahaha! Great content for players and for budding pedal moders/builders.
My dad got me a FZ-2 back in the 90s and it took me until a couple years ago to really appreciate it. I almost sold it back in the mid 2000's when I was getting rid of some old gear, but I decided it would be rude to sell it since my dad gave it to me. In 2022, I'm so glad I kept it. Also, apparently they're rare now, which is cool, but I just think it's a dope pedal.
The fz-2 definitely sits atop the dope throne. Wait a minute...
I once had the super-fuzz. I had no clue how to apply it because my playing skills were horrible. You hit a chord and the pedal did fold over with a harmonic sound . Gosh thanks for this lesson. I found my fuzz sound.
Just brilliant, as always. Thanks for these deep dives, they are SO useful.
Not very often does a pedal demo speak so directly to a specific need I’m looking for in my tools. I know you’re good at demos, but this was something else. So sold. Old Blood Noise kills it again.
Well this was clairvoyant as I was just looking at getting the Supreme to and to the Crimson (which I absolutely love!). Thanks for the explanations and pedals!
💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼
These are the most exhaustively analysing, yet simple and educational videos about pedals I've ever watched, you guys are great!!!! ❤️
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!!
Loving the throw away "historical re-enactment" at 20:44 , and the pristine Elmo Impression at 12:07.
My favourites are my Boba Fuzz [gloriously packaged ZVX Woolly mammoth clone with every available tweak including "gate" and "tone"] (2 transistor fuzz)
Boss Hyper Fuzz which I bought when they were brand new/ unheard of/ affordable (£45) (Octave Fuzz)
,and my Big Muff which turns out to be the op-amp version which every guitar player I knew hated in the 80s [hence purchased used for £15 in 1989]
everything else didn't have the staying power for my array of styles.
It's a fun journey I guess my timing was good to try them at affordable o'clock, on the down side I'm way old now, and I never tried a Russian Muff.
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!
This was such a great video. Super informative, both as a guitarist and as someone who wants to get into building circuits. Just picked up the Muffuletta and am absolutely loving the variety of tones I can get out of it. Thanks for the wicked pedals, and all the great content!
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.
Thank you Josh!! I have a much better understanding of fuzz now. The Fuzz Face(two transistor) and the Bender(three transistor) are my favorites. Seriously considering your version of both of these circuits. Thank you so much! Keep doing what you do!
I got the Op-Amp Big Muff and it sounds killer. Very happy with it. :)
Thanks for explaining all these aspects of these Fuzz Pedals ! It'll start me down another journey ! Best of times to you and yours mate !
I’ve used lots of fuzz pedals deep into my pedal chain and they sound great.
My go-to fuzz pedal is a three-transistor germanium circuit from Fulltone called the Custom Shop Queen Bee. The #1 and #2 transistors are configured to achieve maximum gain in order to hit transistor #3 extremely hard, creating more sustain and distortion than is possible with the 2-transistor Fuzzes while making the pedal rather low-noise for such a high-gained design. Another thing the Bee has, something no other fuzzes have, is ample MIDRANGE! Fender amp owners will appreciate the Passive Hi-Cut Tone control for taming the treble, and further sonic sculpting is accomplished via a smart, loss-less 3-position Bass switch (placed before transistor #3) tailoring the low frequencies and keeping the bottom-end tight. Looking at this pedal’s signal on an oscilloscope reveals what your ears already knew...a wildly asymmetrical waveform high in second-order Harmonics, culminating in a sweet, rich, commanding voice with tons of sustain. Translation: This pedal will not get lost in the mix. Inside the pedal is a trimmer for adjusting the bias of transistor #3 by a range between 2 and 6 volts DC. My favorite tending to be somewhere between 3 and 4 volts. The trimmer should be adjusted by ear as there are no wrong settings, a slight turn results in a drastic change in sound, in volume, and in compression characteristics. Suddenly firm becomes soft, bright becomes warm, grainy becomes smooth...it’s astonishing what this little trimmer does.
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!
When jhs pedals first appeared in my field of awareness I was kinda reluctant to know them and thought they were meh. Then I started watching your show and *you* made me want to buy one of your pedals _just because it's you_
Idk if that's the intention of your channel, but it worked, I've watched a sh't ton of your videos and podcasts and I keep on watching your stuff due to your coolness. The rest of your gang feels like great people to be with too, congrats for that too
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!
Awesome content as usual, Josh. Thank you for this amazing information on fuzzes, I needed it a lot! Congratulations on your amazing work, not only on JHS Pedals, but on this here RUclips channel!
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!
TDWP cameo was legendary 😂. Awesome episode. Volume is definitely the biggest factor in the spectrum of tones you can get from a fuzz.
Josh, thanks for the "Shimmy" recommend - I'd never heard it before, I like it!
I might have said this before; this the best explanation of a fuzz anywhere!
That EJ at Austin City Limits is one of the most amazing sets by anyone anywhere.
Thanks JHS, your show has had me buying at least one new pedal every 6 months for a few years now. I think you like to call it a pedal journey lol
This is one of the best channels on RUclips! Love it!
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
I've loved fuzz pedals throughout my entire guitar playing life. This
J/H/S presentation is the best fuzz primer I have run across. Highly recommended viewing!
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 episode Josh! JHS 3 Fuzz for me. It’s just absolutely my favorite, big muff is amazing too - so versatile.
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.
So - thank you very much. Up until now I didn‘t know that I‘d need a Fuzz Face AND a Tonebender in my life. And, adding to that, the Oliver Twist-Visualisation was probably one of the best explanations I‘ve ever seen for Bias Control.
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!
I remember in the 2000s there used to be a lot of talk about the Big Muff not being a fuzz (IIRC Keely and Analogman both came down in the "not a fuzz" camp at various points in the web 1.0 days) because the signal is being clipped by diodes rather than transistors, and that (among other things that make the circuit pretty dissimilar to most fuzz circuits) makes it more of a high gain distortion than a fuzz.
I mean, it's obviously a fuzz because just listen to it, but it's still an interesting point and I was happy to hear you mention it.
WRT amp choice, I played a black Russian Big Muff into the clean channel of a Polytone Minibrute in high school and it sounded good; through the 2000s I played a Ge Fuzz Face into a Sunn Solarus (the cleanest amp I've ever played) and it also sounded very good. All those great, 60s Os Mutantes fuzz sounds were recorded direct.
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!
You sold me on the the two transistor fuzz. Simple and sweet.
The OpAmp Big Muff is my fav! More of a rhythm distortion/fuzz, Smashing Pumpkin tones. The re-issue is cheap, small footprint, and sounds amazing!
This show is the best example how to correct adverties/sell your own products...mentioning competition+ classic pieces
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?
Third visit to this episode. Such good, useful info here re: topologies. Thank you, JHS!
Masterfully put and the elmo bit was hilarious. I just love the way your collective minds work because it's random and perfectly in tune with the brand of humor that I wish I had the talent to communicate lol.
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!
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
I've been searching for a fuzz that does the same as my uncle had. Being a producer (Dave Goodman) through out London's 70s crazyness, he had a fantastic collection of stuff. Among his pedals there was super nasal acidy ripping fuzz pedal without a name. NOW I know how that soumd comes about. Bias control!!! Thank you for that. Now... which one to get...
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
I have the Supreme and the Bender for now. In my pedal chain, the Bender comes first and the Supreme just after it, and one thing I can tell you is that the Supreme sounds amazing when the Bender is engaged before. What a massive sound. This combination blew my mind away first time I tried it.
Thank you Josh for your work and your videos. Cheers from France.
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
I will basically watch everything you guys make because you are awesome, but this was soooo helpful. I bought an op amp big muff because I always loved hearing other people play it, but then couldn’t seem to get the setting right. Now I actually understand how it works (imagine that) and I’ve got it dialed in just right. Thanks!
Thank you!
In my opinion, I pictured a light layer of overdrive making each of these demos sound better. You don’t have to run into a dirty amp though, Josh himself has recommended running overdrives in front of fuzzes. That is the sound I seem to prefer
funny you mention this, i was goofing around with my pedal board the other day and on a whim put my tube screamer in front of the big muff, and holy shit was there (in my opinion) noticeable and positive change in my tone
Despite what a lot of people say I LOVE putting pedals in front of fuzz. Especially reverbs.
He says at the end not to put anything in front of a fuzz even a tuner…
@@shermanbaker if you like the sound, I say do it. Nothing is a hard and fast rule with pedals.
Thanks for a great video. Been wanting to get into fuzz but really knew nothing about it. Now I think I have a handle on what I need. Thanks Josh.
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!
Freaking awesome episode, Josh. I learned more about fuzz in these few minutes than I have in 20 years playing. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
New to fuzz here and so far Ive had a fuzzface type and now a Muff style on my small board. The newer, a TLpedals StingerFuzz ( Rams Head) is really allowing me to get close to the Black Keys type tone I like when not playing blues. I did enjoy cleaning up the Fuzzface though and may have to put both on the board. Of your Legends of Fuzz line, its the Supreme that as always caught my attention. Its on the wishlist.
@@hiltonseawright it really is the best $25 you could ever spend
Thank you, Josh and Team for the demonstrations and information. I have a much better understanding of the different variations and sounds of different fuzzes, and now I'm able to identify the ones I like best. I appreciate the time and effort you put into sharing your knowledge with the ignorant (me). Also, the ideology of showing pedals made by other manufacturers is practically unheard of. Seems counterproductive, but really helpful for making an informed decision.
Thank you, JHS
Question for JHS: which category does your Cheese Ball fit in? I’ve got it on my board and I love it. Just curious about its typology.
Same question!
Amazing that no one has ever made a video quite like this. Great job Josh!
Can we have Addie go through fuzz pedals on bass? Pretty please?
Thanks! What I’ve been looking for (without knowing how to describe it) was the bias control. I like the Velcro/tearing sound and have been trying to find something that would do it. I appreciate you, your channel, and your sense of humor. 👍
I frequently enjoy the sound of other players using fuzz, but have yet to find a fuzz that I enjoy playing.
Can't go wrong with a swollen pickle. Versatile af
I agree, it's one of those effects you have to play to know which one is "it".
I frequently enjoy the sound of other players using pedals, but have yet to buy one :/
Are you playing loud enough?
I’ll let you in on a secret… with fuzzes especially, your guitar’s Volume knob is an extension of the pedal.
I was luckily gifted a V7D black russian muff. At the time I wasn't even a fan of fuzz or even distortion. That pedal changed it all. It can be used many different ways. From fizzy boom background to more creamy solo tones to straight buzz saw treble. I use it with wah, envelope filter, analog delay and phaser.
The V7D is a green Russian in the large black enclosure.
My favorite fuzz is the DOD Carcosa, based on the Maestro circuit that Josh says doesn't sound good LOL
In all fairness, it's modified, but it's still a Maestro at its base.
After that, I love Tone Bender MKII and MKIII sounds.
The only maestro is the”fuzztain”
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
This may sound like I'm being a troll, but that isn't my intention. Overall, I'm a massive fan of your work. But, I have never liked your take on the Fuzz Face style of fuzz (the Pollinators 1 and 2). I'm a huge fan of the FF sound, but I have never meshed with your translation of it. They sound good on video and I've purchased them, but whenever I've played them live they just didn't work well for me. Others like Fulltone, Deep Trip, and Vemuram i've connected with immediately. Ive heard Jorge Tripps and others say that because of the crude nature of that circuit the builder has a big influence on the end. JHS pedals what do you think?
As he says, he likes fuzzes with the amp set clean, so he likely tunes his fuzzes to a clean amp too, the reason they sound a bit different.
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've always thought if you use single coil pickups play a Fuzz Face. If you use humbuckers use a Tone Bender. Now obviously that's not a hard rule but I find the Fuzz Face really bass heavy so it will had girth to thin single coils. On the flip side Humbuckers are darker sounding so using a Fuzz Face might be too much bass. Just so happens alot of the famous Fuzz Face users also use Strats with single coils and Tone Bender users play Les Pauls with humbuckers.
Well said. Only one I can get away with both is a Band of Gypsys Fuzz. It as a good tone control, and wide range of fuzz. Sold every other fuzz I have, just because it work with everything, when none other would. Even on a pretty dirty amp, it rolls off to a true clean.
I use a FF that I built with my gold guitar all the time and it sounds great 🤷 Seymour Duncan 59s with A5 magnets.
Funniest part is I actually built 4 of those 🤣 2 on pcb's and 2 different ones on breadboards.
@@JC-11111 It's funny how people's taste differ. The 59 neck is probably my least favorite pickup ever.
Rock on.
This isn't universal. One of my favorite fuzzes is a TB/JHS Bender. I mostly play single coils and I can get what I need out of it.
Just to make sure I'm covered, I have several different fuzzes. One of my favorites is the Zappa-esque Frederic Effects Weasel Stomp.
Commenting to feed the algorithm so you guys know I want more episodes like this. Diving into circuits, even if simplified like this, is more good
Thanks!
Some are a little fuzzterated trying to find the right pedal.
How is this so underrated
fuzz is the best effect admit it
Truly is
Y’all are so helpful with these videos so thank you! I’ve had a big muff for years but never really knew what to do with it but now I’ve got a better idea on how to approach using it on my board. Thanks again!
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.