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#1
03-06-2021, 02:04 PM
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Fuzz Pedals
I'm keen on getting myself a fuzz pedal and have narrowed it down to two choices.
EHX Big Muff or the Boss FZ-5. Boss pedals have always been a staple for me due to reliability and durability and have heard the EHX pedals can be poorly built but since I've never used one I can't really comment... Any of you guys got either of these pedals and are they any good? Both my electric guitars have single coil pickups so not sure if this will have an effect on tone as opposed to humbuckers. 
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#2
03-06-2021, 02:56 PM
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#3
03-06-2021, 02:59 PM
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#4
03-06-2021, 08:18 PM
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BigMuffs are kinda legendary, and mine from the 80s is bullet proof. Like so many things, I dont know if thats true of the new ones, but they have a pretty good reputation.
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Dave F ************* Martins Guilds Gibsons A few others 2020 macbook pro i5 8GB Scarlett 18i20 Reaper 7
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#5
03-06-2021, 09:38 PM
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A Big Muff is a classic for a reason, and they do more than fuzz. There are a confusing number of versions. I have two, a Big Muff Pi from the '70s and a green Russian from the '90s. I think the green is better. Another classic is a good old Rat, which has also been around quite awhile for good reason - if you're considering a Rat, I'd also check out a Little Bear, which has the 3 main Rat variants all in one Rat-sized pedal. Great pedal and not expensive. FYI, I have a Rat and a Little Bear and use them both.
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#6
03-06-2021, 11:14 PM
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I own the FZ-5. It's not the first Fuzz pedal I would recommend. The Maestro is pretty twitchy in live settings. You have to have the knobs set up just right. A hair off in either direction and it can sound bad. The Fuzz Face is nice but pretty generic. The Octavia is by far my favorite setting on the pedal. I got mine as a factory refurb ages ago and it certainly is good enough that I've held onto it. It's just not magical. It's a modeler.
I've owned plenty of Muffs over the years, not to mention a Holy Grail, and many other EHX pedals. Never had issues with EHX quality. The worst part of getting a Muff is figuring out which one to get! Crazy number of versions. Of the more recent releases the Rams Head knocks me out! Not cheap but worth every penny. The Op Amp model is equally awesome. It is NOT subtle. Definitely listen to some demos. You'll know immediately if it's for you! Or if it's NOT for you  A real sleeper pedal is the BBE Free Fuzz. Used ones are going for around $65 on Reverb. It's a Silicone Fuzz Face type. Super high quality. Amazing sound. A real bargain at that price. Mine stays on my pedalboard as my "fuzz face". The "Muff" that stays on my pedal board is a Keeley Darkside because the delay functions are so killer. Don't worry about single coils. Want a Big Muff? Worked out pretty well for David Gilmour and his strat. Want a Fuzz Face? Worked out pretty well for Hendrix. Just crank either pedal to 10 and control the amount of fuzz with your guitar's volume knob. You'll be happy.
__________________
I only play technologically cutting edge instruments. Parker Flys and National Resonators
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#7
03-08-2021, 08:50 AM
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I had a bit of trouble taming the Big Muff I had. But I suppose many fuzz applications are not meant to be subtle! I ended up on a Fulltone ‘69 and really like it.
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Martin D28 Guild GAD F-130 Gretsch 6228FM Fender Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster Michael Tuttle T style
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#8
03-12-2021, 11:08 AM
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I have a Violet Rams Head clone and it's a great pedal. I don't think you can go wrong with a Big Muff. I've never had any quality issues with any of the EHX pedals I have. The Boss is a digital modeling pedal really. On the plus side of that is you get some decent COSM modeling but it's not the analog real deal if that matters.
If you like Boss though that Boss ToneBender sounds like a killer fuzz at least in the video's I've seen. It aint cheap though.
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#9
03-12-2021, 11:50 AM
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Quote:
The most interesting thing on paper about the FZ-5 is the Boost range on the fuzz knob. You can beyond the fuzz range of the original pedal. But two of the three models don't like to be pushed. The Fuzz Face doesn't care, but the other two? The Maestro gets horribly spitty, in my rig, and the Octavia starts losing the octave in all but the most predictable situations. Neck pickup over the 12th or 14th fret might work, but that's about it. It's fun pedal to play around with at home. But I wouldn't want it to be my only fuzz.
__________________
I only play technologically cutting edge instruments. Parker Flys and National Resonators
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#11
03-19-2021, 08:01 PM
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1973 - Les Paul, Big Muff, Fender Bandmaster, produced by Ted Templeman 1972 - ES-335 tuned to open G played with a serrated pick, Big Muff, run directly to console * I've got the Triangle Big Muff Reissue, and by George, it does that Big Muff thang. More HERE. Bob * I ran into Tony Peluso, the guy who played that solo, at a guitar shop in my little Southern town, back in '73 when I was about fifteen. Read about that, HERE.
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"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website)
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#12
03-20-2021, 10:26 AM
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I've used a variety of Big Muff models over the years, and the one I've used the most lately is the Triangle Big Muff "reissue" that Bob mentioned just upthread. One thing I've always liked about the EHX stuff is that it's priced lower, and for me they make sounds at least as interesting (if not more so) than some more boutique-price-level pedals.
Another fuzz that I like that can do the more "spitty" vintage sound is the DOD Carcosa. Here's a piece of mine with electric and acoustic guitar with the electric line using the Carcosa that deploys that fuzz in a more subtle way: In August Moonlight (words by Thomas Hardy)
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----------------------------------- Creator of The Parlando Project Guitars: 20th Century Seagull S6-12, S6 Folk, Seagull M6; '00 Guild JF30-12, '01 Martin 00-15, '16 Martin 000-17, '07 Parkwood PW510, Epiphone Biscuit resonator, Merlin Dulcimer, and various electric guitars, basses....
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#13
03-20-2021, 01:35 PM
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I have had the Big Muff nano for several years and it has been fine. I like it, although it doesn't always live on my board.
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#14
03-21-2021, 05:41 AM
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