Dunlop Fuzz Face Shoot Out w/ Jeorge Tripps & James Santiago

[@brain21]

If you want to jump around you should be able to click on the times below...: Basic test 2:07 - 2:35 - Bonamassa GE (mp3xx?) 3:11 - 3:38 - Eric Johnson Si BC183 4:00 - 4:42 - Jimi Hendrix Si BC108 4:59 - 5:35 - Standard JDF2 GE NTE158 Lead test 5:58 - 6:02 - Bonamassa (Ge) 6:03 - 6:05 - EJ (Si) 6:06 - 6:09 - JH (Si) 6:10 - 6:13 - Std (Ge) Lead Test 2 6:15 - 6:18 - Bonamassa 6:18 - 6:22 - EJ 6:22 - 6:25 - JH 6:26 - 6:30 - Std Lead test 3 6:40 - 6:43 - JB 6:44 - 6:47 - EJ 6:48 - 6:50 - JH 6:51 - 6:55 - Std Full-Range lead 7:09 - 7:17 - JB 7:18 - 7:25 - EJ 7:26 - 7:33 - JH 7:33 - 7:40 - Std Vol Rolled back 8:04 - 8:09 - JB 8:10 - 8:13 - EJ 8:14 - 8:18 - JH 8:19 - 8:24 - Std 8:25 - 8:32 - JB 8:33 - 8:37 - EJ 8:38 - 8:43 - JH 8:44 - 8:50 - Std W/ a Les Paul Lead 9:06 - 9:11 - JB 9:12 - 9:16 - EJ 9:17 - 9:21 - JH 9:22 - 9:27 - Std 9:52 - 9:54 - JB 9:55 - 9:57 - EJ 9:58 - 10:00 - JH 10:01 - 10:04 - Std 10:06 - 10:08 - JB 10:09 - 10:11 - EJ 10:12 - 10:15 - JH 10:16 - 10:19 - Std 10:22 - JB 10:25 - EJ 10:28 - JH 10:31 - Std Rhythm 10:35 - JB 10:40 - EJ 10:44 - JH 10:48 - Std Fuzz on 10 11:18 - 11:59 - JB

[@MiguelBaptista1981]

Amazing post, thanks for helping out.

[@jordandangelo180]

Thanks bro!

[@elvis_chen]

Awesome man, thanks for your effort.

[@SweetSpotGuitar]

"Silicon", not "silicone." One is for boost, one is for bust. :)

[@MindsetMotiv8ors]

All beautiful children but the EJ has the special gift that stands out :)

[@ckhgator]

I've got a red germanium, I run it into a ridiculous amount of gain for the doomy tones. It's ridiculous, bassy and meaty. I had a band that tuned to Drop A and wow was that low A note HEAVY with this pedal

[@Bergermans2]

Hendrix all the way. Has the most bite en cuts trough the most. Altough, cleans up a little less, isn't really a problem. Bonamassa also pretty nice. Like the low gain germanium. Johnson, I think too compressed, specially with buckers. And the standard one is just too dark and muddy with everything.. I've a sunface BC108, compared it against my friends Hendrix Fuzz. Both are pretty close. Like them both. The thing is to cut trough; now I use a Durham Crazy Horse. Is silicon also. Really has that fuzzface vibe, but with that extra drive control, it just cuts trough even better for live usage.

[@rwmcgeesr]

I am the original owner of a 60's Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face. After replacing the electrolytics capacitors it sounds as good if not better than all 4 of the newer models.

[@BESkala]

I like the Hendrix the best. Most toneful, sizzling, tight, and most midrangey. Love it! It's the only one I bought for now, but I'm thinking about getting the Bonamassa too. Thans for the great demo! Cheers!

[@stevenburvenich168]

Hendrix signature... Quite smooth gainy while the roll off gives really shiny cleans AND .... the turquoise is both more classy and unique than the others.

[@mckay91095]

Great demo. My Fav list is: 1: Eric Johnson FuzzFace 2: Jimi Hendrix FuzzFace 3: Dunlop Standard FuzzFace 4: Joe FuzzFace All of them are great (especially the under congratulationed Dunlop Standard Fuzz, a lot of people are biased against them for some reason). But there can only be one winner. Eric!!!

[@maxmoore4782]

02:07 bon 03:12 john 04:00 hend 04:58 stand 05:58 sequence 08:08 clean 8 08:25 clean 7 09:06 lp 09:51 lp + amp 10:35 lp riff 11:18 bon

[@Noodlerification]

As soon as I hear the name James Santiago I know I’m in for something good! Some ear candy I’m going to want to hear again

[@NintendoSinceBirth1]

i own the jimi one now but this makes me want to buy them all!

[@frankfeud]

They are all very similar. the guitarist makes the difference. Thanks for the video!

[@fishypaw]

Nice demo, Good to hear them side by side with the same guitar riffs. I'm probably biased but I do love the Hendrix one and I'm glad I bought one. I have my Strat, my VOX V847 Wah-wah and my Hendrix Fuzz Face plugged into an old WEM MKIII valve amp and it sounds amazing.

[@darthmoridin]

Wow. Those are some awesome pedals. As a mostly Les Paul guy, I've got to rank the Bonamassa and the red face JDF2 as my favorites.

[@MrCrapheadist]

Feelin the Bonamassa which surprises me

[@michaelarmstrong1730]

They all sound real cool. If I could, I would have one of each. I have to go with the Hendrix Fuzz with the bc108's as my fav.

[@mintlp]

Beautiful fuzzes. Beautiful playing from James! Best demo of the fuzzes ever. Inspiring but also humbling.

[@MrUltraworld]

I liked the way the Bonamassa cleaned up. I really like the 308 transistor.

[@BESkala]

Been listening to this demo over and over ... Still like the Hendrix FF the best. Cheers!

[@Super0062]

Thank you, that was the best comparison video I've ever seen!

[@TinyCatBand]

the best pedal demo ive ever seen

[@PBTazo]

Man! I fell in love with fuzz'! The rude, dirty, almost "fuck you" attitude you get from these is simply tribal in nature. Great test, rock on!

[@PeteLayburn]

Very instructive, guys! Congrats on this perfect demo!

[@TinyCatBand]

greatest pedal demo ive ever seen in my life!

[@jackarthy]

I think ill go for the standard fuzz face

[@jackarthy]

Changed my mind joe bonamassa all the way!

[@thenatmartinband8003]

A really helpful comparison video - thanks so much guys!!

[@dill__pickles]

I like the standard the best.

[@jeremydmccann]

I would be happy with any one of those but I must admit, the Bonamassa is my favorite.

[@wonnie]

It sounds REALLY good through humbuckers. It's really warm and smooth. Both the Eric Johnson and Bonamassa fuzz caught my ear. The original and the Hendrix have some grit to it that I don't really like too much.

[@deanallen927]

I hear a lot of difference when the guitars are cranked, better clarity and tone with the Hendrix to my ears. GREAT VIDEO!

[@heshwuan]

Feedback at the end was sick..I want to buy one just for that.

[@davidmorinsweden]

Great stuff! Geniuses at work. The last 30 seconds really made my day:-)

[@atrumluminarium]

The red one's got a very cool muddy sound. Plus it cleans up nicely

[@deathscythekim729]

man! those fuzzfaces sure looks happy smiling at you!

[@christianseaman4692]

Wow this is still on YT…Should’ve bought an EJ fuzz when they were making them!

[@ColeDrankWilly]

I love the high end roll off of the red. I know you wouldn’t be able to hear it live but damn it sounds sweet l

[@janvankrimpen]

read your comment, got the pedal kit from a german website, works like a charm!

[@oldmanofcotati]

This was a great demo.

[@weaselsuit]

The blue one is my favorite.

[@stevenburvenich168]

Yes, mine too. (t is in fact the turquoise Jimi though. Blue is not in the test. ;))

[@DavidDayton]

So glad they made the mini fuzz faces! Hopefully they'll come out with more signature mini fuzzes soon!

[@pingshanluan8049]

6:39, EJ sounds the best in lead.

[@SixStringHarmonies]

This is nice for showing what each element (Ge, Si) really brings to the table. The JoeBo Fuzz just buries them all when the LP is plugged in. Wow! Dunlop did a great job on that circuit. Imo, the ZVEX Fuzz Factory is the overall King, if not just for the sheer weirdness it can produce, but the JB is the best "straight-up" fuzz I've heard demo'ed.

[@WorkingManMedia]

TONE CHASING!! nice straight forward shoot out; wow its easy to forget about the old red guy what with all the sig models but I think it held its own. For me its the JB by a length followed on its tails by the JH blue guy...

[@TheOldOakSyndicate]

I'm not a fan of Joe Bonamassa at all, but I think I like his (and the red one) the best. I'd gladly own the silicon ones too just to switch up my sound from time to time, but I really love germanium transistors a lot. As a matter of fact, if you have any electronics skills at all, building your own fuzz face is quite simple. I mean, it's only got 9 components for crying out loud! 4 resistors (5 if you want an LED light on your DIY pedal), 3 capacitors, and 2 transistors! And the beauty of it it you could use just about any 2 germanium or silicon transistors you like, just make sure you adjust the bias resistor values accordingly because different transistors require their own special bias resistors.

[@jaded777777]

i still love that new Silicon Mini Fuzz Face. Its the cheapest one and definitely the nastiest and grittiest, and isn't the point of fuzz to be nasty and gritty? But out of these ones i like the EJ one for sure.

[@AmpsforBuddha]

Bonamassa FTW! ...Especially on that Les Paul.

[@AmpsforBuddha]

The Bonamassa is sounding great on the Les Paul. …It's the JDF2 Fuzz Face and the JBF3 Bonamassa for me.

[@dstrats]

Awesome demo!!! Thanks!

[@ralfcaetano]

you guys are awesome for doing this!!!

[@joshw974]

germanium sounds the best imo. I like the silicon for the highs and clarity, but i'd rather have the germanium benefits and just add an eq.

[@DansGuitarCorner888]

Well Done! Thanks! They all sound good, it´s a matter of taste!

[@Bmont1491]

perfect playing to demo FF good job james.

[@andyslowhand89]

EJ is the man here.

[@007snipershot]

JB then Red Original

[@gnahueldiaz]

germanium all the way!!!

[@AeolianSeventh]

They were picking up the internal noise of the amp and pedals. The output transformer in particular always beams out a pretty intense audio-frequency pulse. That triggered a feedback loop.

[@nylonsteel]

This is a great demo btw!

[@stbreal]

Wow, I really thought I’d prefer the germanium, turns out I’m a silicon guy.

[@TheAsaBay123]

I think this is the best pedalboard ever..

[@Hallman88]

Im liking the Bonamassa the most.

[@iagobroxado]

Best Fuzz Face demo ever. By the way My favorites were the EJ and the Bonamassa, followed by the blue Hendrix and the Red std in last place.

[@imaradiostar]

It might be interesting to hear the EJ model into a Marshall with 6L6's that's cranked up to ear-bleed levels with the fuzz backed off a touch for more of the EJ/Hendrix thing but I guess you can hear that by listening to any of EJ's latest stuff. Also- I'm hesitant to argue with Jeorge because I have the utmost respect for his knowledge and ability...but it's silicon, not silicone. Feel free to hate me. Thanks for what is clearly the best fuzz face demo I've ever seen!

[@pirateradio808]

That's probably the best shootout of pedals I've ever seen... very informative, done pretty scientifically instead of just goofing around. My favorite was the Eric Johnson, followed by the red germanium. With those two you'd have your bases covered. The Hendrix was my least favorite -- had an irritating nasal quality to it. I've seen other demos where I liked the Hendrix a lot, though, so I think it depends a lot on your particular guitar + amp combination. Thanks to the guys who did this shootout.

[@PracticalGuitarist]

I really dig the Dunlop FF mini and fullsize lines they are doing now and I think they are cool options for a lot of players, but I shot my Band Of Gypsys out with a Sunface with RCA transistors--and the Sunface was a clear winner. The older fuzz faces were very hit or miss, but some of these new boutique units are made by guys who are working really hard to match the correct vintage transistors. Also James Santiago is the dude for these demos! kzbin.info/www/bejne/omqro2qlnrR9jLs

[@iodax]

Actually a power jack is helpful for those of us with many pedals we use often. Also the LED light helps if (like me) a player uses several pedals which give distorted fuzz tones. For example - I also use an Octavio pedal for fuzz (which it does in addition to offering octave tones) and the LED would help me quickly see which one is engaged - so it's not about hearing or laziness. In the 60's these pedals were not retro - I'm happy to embrace the new. Completely agree they are way overpriced!

[@joshie4330]

JB was the best. When he rolled off the volume, it sounded just like Jimi...not identical obviously, but close enough.

[@MrUltraworld]

We are weird yes. But EQ's are sterile and kill the a tube amps feel. It may work in the studio, but live it changes the feel. Most times it's something the audience can't hear. But it's something the player can feel. Certain notes with gentle feedback just come about easily when things are working just right. They become difficult or impossible with certain things in the circuit. It's a pleasure to play when those nuances are effortless. That's the best way I can explain it

[@holyswordsmanoffaith]

That bonamassa is godly...Too godly. Are you guys running the pedals through a clean channel?

[@wildonekj]

copper fuzzface sounded the best clear and perfect fuzz

[@TimBirkenholz]

Wow nice tone!

[@theobynight]

I would say, JB best tone for humbucker and EJ best tone for single coil. But if you use both type of pickups JB is alot better since EJ with HB's was way to muddy for my liking. Thanks for a great video!

[@bradtwo]

I like the Hendrix one more, mainly because of the voicing of it. It seems more buzzing it and a bit less bass heavy. But I love The Bonamasssa one... f* it i'm buying all four.

[@bernhardtsen74]

I got the original blue fuzzface and love it to death!

[@vancitycanucks]

Bonamassa FTW.

[@Rotary_Phone]

When I experiment with the Fuzz Face circuit on my bread board, I always get good results with Ge. transistors, but every time I try Si transistors I end up picking up radio stations through my guitar amp. Any other pedal builder/tinkerer have the same problem?

[@luistijerina]

Man, the Bonamassa fuzz speaks!

[@NintendoSinceBirth1]

i wish someone would demo fuzz with distortion sometime bc thats how fuzz is supossed to be used

[@VioletDeliriums]

That's good advice! I like that this and some other demos use both Strat and Les Paul to see the difference for guitars, but I don't know what they don't use different amps once in while. I see a Twin Reverb on the left. Since my main amp is an old Silverface, it sure would be nice to hear the fuzzface go through that to see what it does. They have that fancy switcheroid machine to switch the pedals, why not set up amps too?

[@1971SuperLead]

I just inherited a mint 1959 Gibson Les Paul. I immediately routed it out and put a Floyd Rose whammy bar on it. Now it frikkin rocks!

[@bernardoconnor5512]

Why is that relevant?

[@DRFerguson]

I am liking the Bonamassa and the red top the best. Bonamassa first for me.

[@brianilmeisonalarcon1235]

Nice ending!

[@guitarnerd_luke]

Bonamassa Fuzz ist the best! If you are using a Les Paul. There i really love it! But for the Strat i would choose the Eric Johnson.

[@wilrecar77]

You can use a power supply with PNP transistors just fine. Just make sure that you have a dedicated supply and don't daisy chain positive ground and negative ground pedals.

[@RockOn7007]

Great demo. I want to cover Hendrix and Gilmour, which of these would you recommend?

[@MrUltraworld]

Thank you. There's hundreds of OD's & Fuzz's on the market. And they all use a very similar circuit that costs nothing to make. The case is the most expensive part. If my amp can't get those tones with nothing in front of it, then I'm using the wrong amp.

[@rjbron3038]

should do the exact same with the mini fuzz pedals, now that there are so many of them. and make an index so you can jump back and forth to compare.

[@ThiagoBragaMusic]

Bonamassa!!

[@Fredzik]

I dig the blue hendrix one, nice mids.

[@Rampensau99]

the bonamassa sounds warm and incredible with a les paul, but the strat facts: i like the jimi hendrix the most, it makes a strat sounds like a strat. the ej sounds more like a synthesizer. the red one is very dark and too fuzzy for me...

[@GeroLubovnik]

I think I like the Bonamassa the best with the EJ a close second. Third would be the red one. Didn't care for the Jimi one very much, but I don't do any Hendrix which might explain it.

[@indigochannel]

Do you mean build-build as in DIY? If not, that just looks like a normal pedaltrain pedal board. It's basically just some bars of metal with some velcro on it.

[@stevenburvenich168]

+1 for the JHF1

[@steveymoon]

So how come if Joe runs his Fuzz Face on max, it doesn't sound like a pile of mud like it did here? What does he do differently?

[@bigman12583]

The eric johnson and the red one have more mids,the jb and the jh seem to scoop the mids.The jb says in the description that it was voiced for humbuckers.I have the ej and love it, its dead quiet even at high gains.One trick to these is to run it in front of a clean amp.If i try a distorted channel it becomes to muddy.

[@SuperHotrod4]

Keep in mind, EJ's is a little brighter because he runs his amps with the highs rolled off. So, if you get the EJ and it too bright, that's why. They won't tell you that so I did!

[@MrKnisterable]

You will not believe what the Dunlop Designer did with the FF... they presented at namm 2013 a status LED and an AC power jack...

[@davidramos4317]

The Jimi signature sounds the best but it's so close you can barely tell so just get the one you like visually.

[@zimonslot]

What's the difference between using humbuckers and single coils using fuzz pedals? What effect would active pickups have on a fuzz pedal?

[@diminishedseventh]

The transistors are made of silicon not silicone.