What Makes a Fuzz Face Great? Are New Ones Any Good?

[@ItsJustRyan89]

I’m not really into fuzz, so I’ve only got 3 on my board.

[@chefmcd7788]

Me too, band of gypsies FF, hizumitas, & Billy Gibbons signature octave fuzz.

[@davedavem]

Me too, although I make sure they're all first in the chain.

[@NintenDub]

I hate fuzz and I've got 4. Actually not true I only own 3 pedals and that's after 20 plus years of playing

[@jamesonnewhouse1298]

Yea so I hate fuzz so I don't have any but I only one 2 'effect pedals' and another which is a good old boss tuner

[@donaldjessop690]

Damn bro, must really not like it

[@PedalPawn]

What an honour 🤯😄 So much Fu💤 Thanks so much guys 🎸

[@jloiben12]

It just works. You can do a classic fuzz sound with it but the Fuzz Face is also a great “always on” pedal to build off of

[@TybudX]

I love how Chris is able to instantly play to each fuzz pedal's strengths as if he's used them all for years.

[@bingobongo1615]

Wasn’t a fun of his fuzz face playing but otherwise amazing. A fuzionato

[@garyjames326]

I have the MXR. The buffer switch is so you can place the pedal after a wah.

[@GordonPavilion]

Nice!

[@jeffv.akaonsjeffke9865]

This young man has done a brilliant job, creating that Pedal Pawn fuzz. The best of the whole lot to my ears.

[@jloiben12]

The JHS 3 series Fuzz has everything I want. The Fuzz Face’s fuzz setting dimed, the ability to control the input volume from the pedal not just from the guitar, the bias control, the output volume not being way too quite. The only thing that would be nice to have is a high pass filter but that is a very small thing

[@zachary963]

I love my 3. It never leaves my board.

[@stoneysdead689]

The clean up on it just isn't that spectacular though- which is the main reason I wanted a FF to begin with- for the bluesy clean up. I ended up selling the series 3 and getting a Poison Noises Glut Cheeks- it's amazing. It's a FF and a Tone Bender in one enclosure- uses BC108s so you get a really powerful sounding clean up, and germanium diodes on the Tone Bender. But if you're not in it for the cleanup- the Series 3 is great.

[@_rafael_b]

This has been one of my favorite videos so far. I didn't like fuzz for a long time. Then I started noticing more subtle ways to use it like Hendrix of course but also players like Paul Leary of the Butthole Surfers. I started using fuzzface types more like a tube screamer into an already overdriven amp or pedal. Set the fuzz relatively low and it becomes more of an ingredient, like a spice if you will instead of the main flavor. Using it this way into a cranked Marshall was Hendrix's secret sauce when it comes to overdrive tones. In the future, when doing fuzz demos I would like to see you guys run these fuzz pedals thru one or more of your British style amps when driven. Many players use fuzz like that. Thanks to Anderton's for having the best demos and videos on KZbin.

[@djaybeetoo]

i use my germanium fuzz face in a similar way, minimal fuzz and vol all the way up, you can get some nice harmonic effects from it

[@davidforsythe8231]

Lightly dialed in fuzz face with a AC30 is glorious! I am a yank but I love the brit amps 😂.

[@yessitsme6884]

That disappointment on the Cap's face when he turned on the JHS Smiley... Haven't tried that one, but the JHS Bender is freaking amazing, probably the best fuzz I've ever toyed with.

[@joeydurant6267]

Yeah I wondered if I was the only one who spotted it... How he tried to be generous when asked what he thought of it... I preferred the 3 series personally. Which is good for me cuz it's def more in my budget. I aspire to eventually get a jhs pedal but am going to have to save for a bit and even then it counts as a major decision for me. They got me interested in pedals through these past couple years and some fairly insane circumstances in general so it's a whole thing to me... Sorry for the rant... Point was I saw it too... Also a bit later on when lee throws the jhs a bone about 'not sounding like the FF but more likely what he would buy personally' ... Stand up guy. Wanted to give Josh kudos.

[@richardtownsend2150]

Love my Smiley, not sure they had the settings right but mine cleans up well

[@dimsonvenus684]

The jhs 3 series fuzz is a fuzz face with variac controls.just turn the variac to min to have a pure fuzz face tone.the gain control is an extension of the guitar vol ..just like how you control the regular/ vintage fuzz face.thats why when you put the gain knob to min..you have no sound same as you dial the gtr vol to 0

[@joeydurant6267]

@@dimsonvenus684 at this point my next investment is going to be some equipment for modding circuits and what not. I've never even really dabbled beyond wiring some pickups but I do understand more than I expected to when jhs talks specs etc. I feel like it's another thing I can learn the basics of with relative ease but then spend the rest of my life just toying with those very basic concepts and that is right up my alley.

[@YaYa-ke1zr]

The 3 series fuzz is awesome… when it’s not transmitting radio stations.

[@punottedbumhucker3974]

All this video tells us is how gorgeous the SV20H sounds. Killer amp!

[@Strotophonic]

Yes, I think is destined to be a modern classic.........EASY!!

[@TheBigbrizzle]

MXR wow! Love what pedal pawn is doing by the way, great sounding pedals

[@donoteatglass]

For the TS, you should Track down a Seafoam Trident from a small builder in the US. Its a TS with 3 band EQ & drive knobs for each band of EQ. It has a sort of "Q" switch to control the EQ giving you a semi-parametric EQ on a Tube Screamer.

[@robinjgill]

Great you guys. Fuzz of any variety is an acquired taste like wine and you can easily get addicted. Yesterday's EON sounded fantastic. anyway, I've been through loads of fuzz faces and have a couple of newish Germanium pedals (bought) that are killer and do the whole strat/volume knob thing. Germanium transistors are very sensitive to heat (think sun and outdoor gigs - the ff doesn't work): It's easier to get good silicon transistors so I've made a few Si versions myself. Think Time, Dark Side of the Moon. BC109s. There are some great youtube videos on how to play around with experimental breadboards and differrent component values.

[@DevilsAvocado69]

I suppose tone is subjective but that opening was not pleasant.

[@Matthew-qk1xi]

The EQD Dream Crusher V2 is a fantastic germanium fuzz face, the clean up is so wide ranging and for just having 2 knobs there's a lot of tone/drive/fuzz options.

[@DudeMcGuybro]

I can't be the only one looking at this dudes picking technique going WTF, I mean fair play he makes it work, but watching it makes my hand hurt and scatters my picks on the ground. 😂

[@bballgod237]

lol legit the very first thing I noticed immediately as the video started

[@randa4382]

Kimd of wish ya hadnt pointed it out. I have a weird technique as well so i tend to not even look at the picking hamd most the time... unless someone draws attention to the fact this guy plays like hes part dolphin... got a friggin flipper with a pick strapped on the end of it. I kid of course but lord it does look awkward and uncomfortable.

[@gregmize01]

Dont watch Marty Friedman

[@stratosexual1329]

He definitely doesn’t have a soft touch

[@aftertheendtimes]

It is easy to be a "fuzzoholic" can´t get enough of fuzz =)💚🎸 Love cheers

[@danielellingsen2780]

Oh my, that Eric Johnson fuzz. Ok, now i have to buy a fuzz face!

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

I have had several of these pedals. When you play in a band the mini MXR Classic 108 is perfect ..Yes and with the buffer on to cut thru the mix. Cheap too at $100.00 USD

[@sarahhey8654]

Love my Analog Man Sunface NKT275 white dot from 15 years ago!

[@mikejefferis2748]

I would to if I could get one. There's a waiting list longer than the Chinese phone book for them in Australia.

[@D1TemplarKnight]

After listening/playing all kinds of fuzz pedals, I only use two of them. A Diaz Texas Square Face and a ZVEX Fuzz Factory. I love 'em for different sounds.

[@SomeKindOfMadman]

Chris is a killer player. I do dig guitar into fuzz into wah as well, gets more filter sweep like to my ears.

[@the_nondrive_side]

Fuzz face germanium has a reactive input. Low ohm makes big wild fuzz. Higher DCR tend to make them sound more driven. Evidence is having a parallel wired humbucker or pair of pickups is most fuzz.. I play with my humbucker junior quite a bunch with fuzz. Basically.. You find the lowest DCR combination your guitar has.. Set the fuzz so it doesn't oscillate there and use the volume pot and load switching to clean it up. I use the blue Panasonic carbon Zinc batteries for fuzz. I read it was an internal load resistance for the battery itself makes a more reactive circuit. Seems legit. Alkaline and plugged in to a power supply does different things. 21:20 Lee knows whats up and is just doing the thing. 23:38 PNP NPN on the same power supply... Without charge pump.. Like a simple Germanium fuzz.. Gonna burn some things.. Usually the modulation effects. I just use the Battery with GErmanium FUZZ The mini fuzz in red was by far the best

[@shamsam4]

The first one really sounds like early Hendrix! Those transistors make a difference.

[@augustusbetucius2931]

I've always dismissed fuzz pedals, as so many are just too square wave sounding. Never realized how much the fuzz face figured into some of the sounds I've loved for years. I checked out a lot of fuzz pedals. Came real close to getting a Dunlop mini germanium, or the MXR. Decided to get the Chase Tone Red Velvet with the BC183. Killer fuzz, and I was never a fuzz person!

[@johnpickk7526]

that ending just says it all.... chris knows his stuff and his pedals prove it more than anything. That pedal pawn fuzz sounded almost identical to the vintage

[@stevenbryson4824]

How in the world did you guys know I needed this exact video!?!?!

[@LostPlanet2024]

One of my favorite Fuzz Face is the Pedal Pawn Fuzz. Just killer!

[@hgostos]

This episode was pure Fuzz Face -esque : bloated, chaotic, funny and yet inspiring. Well done!

[@Dani-El.]

The Pedal Pawn one does sound really nice. Along with the Square Face and the Red Dunlop.

[@RishPanjeetJr]

I don’t adore Strats, but those banana yellow cream ones are just gorgeous.

[@PozerAdultRacingTeam]

Love that Fuzz. I play a lot of music from the 60's and 70's. Got to have that Fuzz.

[@LennonStephens]

Wow, from where I'm sitting the red mini took it all. You could hear the beautiful breakup on the sustain at 53:57 for just a second- not fizzy at all, perfection! 53:18 on that lead line...

[@realdmc]

Somehow, I got stuck on Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky” tone today. Ended up ordering a Keeley Fuzz Bender because of it.

[@realdmc]

@@theAxehound You’re right. It was a custom-built fuzz built into the Telecaster. However, hearing the Keeley, and with it having the ability to change the bias and shape the tone, it sounded pretty close. Andy over at Reverb did a demo a few years ago and that was the first song he played using it.

[@watchesvideosonline]

The last bit of playing comparing the 3 fuzzes was fantastic! I find it really hard to chose between those 3 pedals as they all had amazing unique tonal qualities.

[@wesmitchem825]

Fuzz is the pedal I have the most of and I still don't have all the fuzz pedals I want I have two Dunlop fuzzfaces a germanium and a silicon and probably another couple fuzzes based on the fuzzfaces i love how it cleans up

[@jfo3000]

DOD Carcosa is a very adjustable, useable fuzz. My favorite I've tried after quite a few.

[@TheKaptainKernow]

This is the correct answer, and the correct fuzz

[@aljohno72]

Great stuff but wished you did the clean up tone(roll off volume) on each pedal ... for me that's a massive plus if it cleans up nice 👍

[@dancrowe7860]

For me, fuzz is not about the sound, but about the feel. None of the fuzz pedals I've heard on KZbin do any justice for how it feels to play them in your rig.

[@wesmitchem825]

The pedal pawn was probably the best really I've got the Dunlop germanium fuzzface mini and a full size Dunlop silicon Jimi Hendrix fuzzface and neither of them sound the same all the time it's weird like they decide if there gonna sound great or suck that day and amplifiers make a huge difference between them

[@seanjessie9921]

Exactly my experience with mine. I have the Hendrix mini and the Band of Gypsy’s mini as well. I also have the Jhs Bender, Wampler velvet fuzz and the jhs muffuletta. I have an addiction lol. The Bender is by far the most consistent of them all. When they’re on they’re on, but when they’re off, I want to sell them!! Haha. Kinda like golf. You hit that one good shot and it makes you go back. That’s my experience with my fuzz faces. I love ‘em though!

[@metart93]

Did they mention what transistors are in the red one? I think I missed it if they did.

[@BruceHamiltonmusic]

Got an original from the 60’s, when it works it’s the greatest Fuzz pedal ever!

[@TheRickJames09]

I'd be more than happy to take it off your hands if you ever wanna sell it, working or not ;)

[@BruceHamiltonmusic]

@@TheRickJames09 Thanks, but it’s staying with me till I’m in the ground!

[@stockholm1752]

33:11 - The little red one isn’t smiling. 😯 But I am.

[@tonepilot]

I’m a fuzz fan and out of the 7 or 8 pedals that I own, my favourite is the Pedal Pawn. The Earthquaker Devices Black Ash is my second favourite but it’s not very well built and keeps failing on me.

[@wimcoppens73]

The pedal pawn fuzz is absolutely great, i' ll never sell mine !

[@jetlee7743]

what about swollen pickle or iron fist ?

[@themightymoosh9788]

I once had a conversation with my best mate in the middle of English where I was talking about how I had recently had to replace a broken nut on my 1991 Mexican strat (a seriously underrated guitar) with a cheap one due to time restrictions before a gig, leading to the guitar just not sounding as creamy as before. I’m sure you can see where this is going. Because my mate already knew the context for this situation, I was not very careful with my wording and got some very dirty looks from my teacher after I blurted out “I just don’t feel as creamy since my nut got busted” in the middle of a GCSE revision session.

[@backlom]

A pity you didn’t set up a loop switcher.

[@redguitar6062]

I bought a red mini Fuzzface. Incredible pedal but I had to contact Dunlop...... Me: I have recently bought mini Fuzzface and I'm really disappointed with the adhesive that hold the plastic bottom to the unit. It's useless and the unit slips around on it, the glue gets on the velcro on my board and my fingers and if I move the pedal on the board the plastic comes off and pulls off the battery cover. Any suggestions? Dunlop: Sorry to hear about the troubles with your pedal. Velcro adhesive does not adhere well to the rubber on the bottom of our pedals. We typically suggest removing the bottom plate of the Fuzzface and flipping it over so that the exposed pedal side is now on the bottom for a better surface for adhering Velcro to. Me: Many thanks for getting back to me. I’ve done what you suggest but have had to take off the rubber bottom completely as the supplied screws are not long enough if I simply flip the base over. Now to ensure the battery cover does not fall into the unit it stands slightly proud on the metal plate so I’m going to have to see if my velcro is thick enough to hold to the pedal board. Surely it would be much better to supply the rubber bottom as an optional extra like other manufacturers do with their stick-on button feet? I’m covered in glue again

[@mikewick77]

3-Series Fuzz, Smiley & FZ-1W we're specifically designed with extra gain & volume, and for the treble to retain texture over the entire volume spectra. Matching an old fuzz face circuit requires turning everything down to match the tonal properties. They spent a lot of years & money studying the circuits to make this happen. Pushing everything at high gain & volume on the pedals, the amplifier will need adjusting to match that high output.

[@mozartsp]

Why is Chris only using the neck pickup? That only makes things more bassy and boomy

[@elwolf8536]

He's over rated

[@jetlee7743]

mxr buffer is designed so the fuzz behaves with a wah pedal ..cheers

[@TylerJohnstonGuitar]

For anybody looking to get their feet wet with a fuzz pedal, Behringer makes a lovely sounding fuzz for 29.00.

[@gregmize01]

Super Fuzz! Literally a classic pedal!!!!#

[@angrycumbrian395]

It’s the Behringer one I thought twice about giving to my son, but a big muff on ebay solves that.

[@nickfanning]

The Josh Scott Indiana Jones bit got me lol

[@AndrewNichols921]

I'm not sure if anyone's mentioned it but I believe a group of pedals like you referenced should be called a Board of Pedals, right? 🙃

[@sharonlee4773]

When im on my death bed,I'll be thinking of these 54 minutes I wasted waiting for you to discuss the Marshall feckin Supafuzz! Aaarrrgghh!

[@jozsefkaposi]

Guys for me the only one fuzz pedal is from black arts toneworks pharaoh.😃

[@leeshobbyheaven3307]

If you want a creamy best feeling fuzz ever then go for Dunlop fmm4 Joe Bos or even better the catlinbread 5f6 red light, it will blow ur mind and can be sculptured in tone anyway you feel

[@jefffree6990]

Nice job! Though I don't think you spent quite enough time tweaking each. but as presented, here's my cork sniffing results: The grey 66 had a thick yet articulate sound . The Red FF sounded like the grey, submerged in oatmeal. The Dunlop and MXR were surprisingly good. Disappointed that the JHS pedals sounded like a swarm of angry bees. I was also surprisingly disappointed in the Boss FZ1. The Pedal Pawn had a nice articulation, though perhaps not quite the same thickness as the grey. But overall a very useful musical tone. Well done. In every case the Marshall sounded better than the Fender

[@mrshiney2]

I have the Dunlop BOG Hendrix red mini and it is very controllable, All my fuzz pedaols are different, the BOG, Keeley Dark Side, Keeley Fuzz Head. They all go pretty well with my Tube Screamer

[@Iggytommy]

The BOG isn't a Fuzz Face although Dunlop try to make it appear that way with the enclosure.

[@Moreno280161]

Hi, I heard that if you use carbon zinc batteries instead of alkaline it sounds better, is this true?

[@jetlee7743]

i biught blue baby fuzz face ..not sure difference from red. but its amazing..i can hear a phaser effect and creamy . controlling the punch from the guitars volume is absolute

[@隠れた]

Lol his face when Captain plays… he can’t control his excitement.. he can try to stop smiling but it won’t work he can try to keep his eyes in one spot but he doesn’t know where to look lol

[@magnavista2009]

Im hearing Josh’s and the red Dunlop sounding very similar. I think Josh built his off a Fuzz Face he actually has? So it could be different from the grey reissue they’re comparing to. But like they said, fuzz’s are inherently all different even if built same factory in the same week or day lol

[@Mattwillo]

I’m stuck between the big muff violet rams head, Hendrix fuzz face, or red fuzz face!

[@dougferrell7047]

Try using the normal input on the Fender next time. It has no bright cap and can work better with overly bright fuzzes.

[@johnballantyne3458]

Listen to the solo on "Tightrope" if you want to hear SRV's Fuzz Face sound.

[@user-xy6uy9je2v]

you did no favors to the boss pedal... it is actually a great pedal... you have to use the tone knob... and that tone knob acts differently based on vintage or modern mode....

[@starshineraiser6729]

Best channel ever.

[@Notpetedoherty]

I’ve got one of the last dennis cornell fuzzfaces. Such a lovely pedal. Ballache that the input and outputs are the wrong way round 🤣

[@RobertAcurso]

@6:15 Wait.. when Chris says "em kay 1.5 tonebender," isn't "MK 1.5" short for "Mark 1.5"? They're not initials that stand for something, right? Am I taking crazy pills?

[@ttswan]

You're right, it's MK (for Mark) 1.5.

[@richardbeaton7324]

You need to demo the JHS Muffaletta !

[@chrisharman5336]

I have a silicone fuzz face mini. Obsessed with it. But the red mini and the PP Fuzz just sounded mega. Is it ok to build a board purely with Fuzz Pedals?

[@simonkormendy849]

Actually, the very first Fuzz pedal was the Maestro FZ-1 Fuzztone, it's the pedal that started it all off in the first place.

[@Iggytommy]

I'm sure Lee said that

[@timmungenast]

FWIW, my 1970 Fuzz Face (silicon BC108s) would absolutely not work below 60 degrees F.

[@Hesohi]

I want the JAFOD shirt!

[@andertons]

(we sell them... in 3 different colours too)

[@randa4382]

Also the best i can tell is mitchells music is now heros sports bar... they seem to have a music venue though... and maybe not the best neighborhood cuz most of what i found was about patrons getting shot.

[@tomisfer]

Great episode Captain!

[@keithbriscoe99]

Seemed like he kept adjusting guitar volume which didn't help for some of the comparisons. Basically confirms you can only discover fuzz by testing yourself, with your gear. As good as these sound in videos, there's just too much variance with how these interact with amps, guitars, other pedals, etc.

[@justinhaught]

The buffer is for the input, not the output, so some wah pedals placed in front of the fuzz - when turned on with the fuzz - don't result in an oscillation effect... buffers in the wah help this too...

[@mikejefferis2748]

Yeah. I thought they should have known that.

[@effingclexiss1337]

No tc electronic Rusty Fuzz??

[@limerot]

The buffer on the MXR - buffer on if you use a buffered signal, like from anather pedal or active pickups?

[@darrenofdrivers]

Geeat video about my one of my favourite subjects

[@RobertFisher1969]

A preponderance of pedals

[@Anton_the_Vampire]

Collective noun for a group of pedals? How about a STOMP?

[@joe.b944]

Fuzz is a way of life

[@scottrattray5454]

Outstanding!

[@paulcopemusic108]

Fuzz Face - the simplest circuit and the hardest to get a good sound out of also you pay hundreds/thousands for a pedal that costs pence relatively to build. Here's what you do - turn up an old marshall amp up to 11, plug in a Strat and ideally be Jimi Hendrix :)

[@eliasp8645]

This demo would have been better if Chris played the similar licks and volume levels on the guitar for all the pedals

[@mindfield9832]

Should have turned the bass down on the fender and it would have worked the fender without the pedal was too bassy

[@twanto]

I don't think the buffer would matter as much with a silicon fuzz....just doesn't behave the same as Ge

[@MrRobinescobar]

Why you never talk about KR fuzz and Gypsy Fuzz? The are amazing. I have both, i have even AnalogMan bc108, RM axis fuzz. The are all incredible.

[@Millo1868]

The Boss sounded great.

[@craigjamm4847]

I love the MXR if met it at a party I'd ask it for a dance

[@fndrn8]

he played the only part of Cliffs of dover that i can play lol.

[@RyanGunns]

THE SECRET IS : THE AMP

[@dankauffmanmusic]

Kingtone Mini fuzz

[@隠れた]

Crank the fuzz with bias on zero and the 3 series fuzz sounds more traditional fuzz facey

[@NintenDub]

Does anyone know where captain got his pickguard for that fender? It's concave.and it looks really cool.and I've searched high and wide on the internet for a concave pickguard and never found it.ive thought that it's happened naturally, but I just don't believe that.it has to be the pickguard, and it had to have come that way.its reminds of the edges of a Les Paul, when they call it "cupped" or "teacupped" edges on the body.if anyone knows,that'd be great

[@andertons]

It is an old pick guard - maybe 25 years, from an Italian brand. It is cupping & has just done it over the years

[@pier6240]

Hey guys, are there any rumors on a replacement of the American original series?