Fuzz Shootout: The 5 Most Popular Fuzz Pedals on Reverb | Reverb Demo

[@Luigiman555]

These shootouts are so incredibly useful, being able to skip back and forth between sounds using the exact same riff is amazing and really shows the difference between each pedal. Please keep these coming, the pickup shootout was amazing too.

[@the1khronohs40]

Luigiman555 - Agreed!

[@alphanumeric1529]

A pedal like the Swollen Pickle has such a huge range of tones... If you listen to this and think that that is how the Swollen Pickle sounds, you're just dead wrong. They set this pickle really high and crinchy, and while it obviously can do that tone if you want it, the pedal excels at heavy, deep fuzz that still has a rusty serrated edge, as well as so many other tones. I don't know if this is a fault of this presentation, or a fault created by the great range of the Pickle. I don't think these other pedals have the range, so maybe you are getting a better representation of their tone because they have such a limited tonal pallet. Bottom line, I didn't like how the Pickle sounded in this comparison, and I've never set my Pickle anywhere near the sound of the pickle in this demo. I'll go even farther and say the Pickle could probably cover the range of tone of all of the other pedals in this presentation, it is that flexible. I'm returning to guitar based music really late in the game, and a lot of water has gone under the bridge, and I can tell in some of that water there is a fair amount of distaste for Way Huge pedals. I don't know if it is because of their business practices (like the limited edition shit they do, or the fact that they are so reasonably priced, I've noticed guitarists turn up their noses if pedals [or guitars for that matter] are affordable, maybe they think if they use a pedal that is affordable, other people can too, so they won't appear unique... and notice the irony because in their quest to appear unique they end up with the same pedal as every other shnobby guitarist out there, it's all fronts, no backs, it seems) , their size, or if the herd just happened to turn away from them. Guitarists are the most lemming like creatures I've encountered in the music domain. I remember a time when everyone was trying to stand out, but now, its almost like how much can we sound the same? And to end my screed, I don't even want to suggest to people to take a real actual listen to Way Huge, because it suits my purposes to have these pedals drop in price, and for more guitarists to be locked out of the font of power and range contained in these WH pedals. It is so hard to find a gem these days, and an economical gem, at that.

[@bimscutney1242]

I owned the Swollen Pickle and although it wasn’t my cup of tea it never sounded as bad as it does in this demo.

[@Clebardman]

Big Muff be like "Medium gain/high gain/sludge" Never change, Big Muff

[@davidhovey5152]

Well a fuzz face is a fuzz face... A known thing.. and unless you play with your volume knob to almost but not quite clean up you don't get it's mojo? ( And the one demoed here was nothing to write home about..) The rest??? There are much better fuzzes out there! (I'm surprised there were no tone benders in there? Bummer... ) Fuzz is an expensive taste/mistress.. believe you me I've spent much to much... And Still looking for a better one.. the ones demoed here are really not all that great! 7 years ago I bought 2 identical big muffs from the same place on-line and one sounds wonderful the other like ass..

[@duffman18]

@@davidhovey5152 I've bought a lot of fuzz pedals. I even have ones that cost over £200. But the very best one I've ever bought? A Behringer super fuzz. Really. It's only £20. And it just sounds so amazing, that perfect kind of wildness, and it almost sounds like an octave fuzz at times. It's a very 60s sounding fuzz that's for sure, and nothing else I've tried comes that close. Just talking about position 1 on it though. It has 3 positions with a 3 way switch on it, and position 2 is this god awful 90s style fuzz that is simultaneously way too trebley and way too bassy and muffled. You wouldn't be able to hear it in the mix, that's for sure, with the no midrange thing, but that's a good thing because it sounds terrible, like a box of wasps. Then position 3 is just a boost pedal basically, which is fine, but it's not fuzz

[@ASM881]

Clebardman it's still the best.

[@staylucky4727]

SLUDGE 😍😍😍

[@tritonmosquito9348]

I have it locked on sludge, it's my favourite pedal.

[@The10000lbGorilla]

Big Muff is Love, Big Muff is Life.

[@lautarosimonetto3167]

WTF XD

[@pmjosh]

Thank Maggie Cutlass

[@climbr12212]

I like this style of shootout

[@remib1522]

me too

[@OHHnoYOUdidntMAN]

The hoof kept up with having that nice breakup sound and not sounding like an “octaving feedback frequency” if that makes any sense. It helps the note stand out better with that break-up. I love it

[@dropd8288]

I love the format. No talking, no pleasantries, right down to business. EXACTLY what I'm looking for.

[@amosandrecantini3453]

Perfect video: 0 annoying words, no "stairway to heaven riff", no 225bpm tapped riff and for the first time use of the simplest and most incredible function of youtube : selection mode.

[@innocentoctave]

A useful comparison. It's interesting to hear how well the Fuzz Face holds up. Of the Muff/Muff variants, the Hoof Fuzz sounds best to my ear, but they all have their qualities.

[@BowserSpaceLaser]

the swollen pickle has so many more effects than can be covered in a simpleshoot out like this

[@crackedspyglass]

Having owned one in the past, I think your amp doesn't like how much output the swollen pickle is spitting out.

[@JackFou]

You're probably right. Goind from medium gain to high gain the Jupiter went from sounding amazing to crapping itself.

[@LoneJabroni]

Agree. I think what they did was turn everything on each pedal to 12 o'clock. Would explain why the swollen pickle sounds mid-scooped and makes the amp shit a brick at high gain

[@thomasredmond4030]

@@LoneJabroni this made me laugh. I own a pickle and yeah that pedal gets crazy after 10 oclock

[@LoneJabroni]

@@thomasredmond4030 omg I guess I didn't notice first time watching the video but if you look at the bottom left-hand corner you can see the settings and the loudness knob on the pickle is completely cranked for each gain setting he demoed lmfao

[@thomasdenkers5854]

yall did the swollen pickle dirty in this.. probably the most versatile fuzz ive ever played but you just need time to get to know it

[@DavidRFIT]

exactly this. very bad shootout, you can't properly show a pedal so complex playing just a bunch of riffs with random knob settings...

[@craignesbitt7856]

I agree. I use it over my black russian muff and muff with tone wicker because it is easier to lock in the tone I want. The scoop knob and curve knob needed adjustment at least.

[@recemarkou3223]

I’ve known it for 13 years. Still hate it.

[@readysetmoses]

@@recemarkou3223 skill issue

[@kruzti]

Low Gain: Fuzz Face, Hoof Fuzz (no particular order) Medium Gain: Big Muff High Gain: Hoof Fuzz With these settings the Swollen Pickle doesn't sound that great.

[@kruzti]

man i haven't thought about it. thank you for giving me another perspective on the matter :D

[@lonelypotato520]

I think it sounded kinda nice, fuzz gets really muddy with chords so the clarity it had at the high end would be nice

[@lonelypotato520]

At least on the low gain setting

[@cosmicdebris5834]

The pickle sounds like shit in this demo, but I own one and I can tell you it’s one of the best sounding fuzzes I’ve played

[@powercourageandwisdom]

Agreed, most are not even usableat high gain. Time to play with the Hoof next time it's available to be played with.

[@rofelcoptarlo]

something I want to point out, I have a Guild thunderbird, and this guy was playing the neck pickup the whole time. The small switch next to the volume and tone knobs is flipped 'up' which means only the neck pickup is activated. Also, those other switches are all flipped 'down' so they're de-activated anyway. Doesn't take away from the video, and the guild is an amazing guitar. But if you're wondering why all these fuzzes sound especially heavy, its cause they're on the neck pickup, not the bridge. Just wanted to get this out there haha

[@teknomanning]

I agree,mine is black,love it👍🏿

[@badinfluence262]

Hands down the best pedal comparison video format I've ever seen.

[@JeffStarr]

The Hoof is such an amazing pedal. Please continue this series!

[@FuguZaKat]

The Hoof and the Fuzz Face are awesome in every situation, and the Big Muff is cleary to be used at high gain ! Now I just need to go find my credit card and buy them all

[@Phant0mTim]

Woah this is the best use of the overlay navigation on videos I have ever seen. I'm seriously impressed.

[@HunterJs2]

The fuzz face gives you the added benefit of being able to clean up to completely crystalline. In my experience even better than any overdrive I've used.

[@pagnol3226]

I tried a few Fuzzes and went with the Swollen Pickle because of the interior tone knobs. On this video sounds like the factory settings all the way to the left, which is very different sounding than all the others. I am using it with these knobs almost all the way to the right which has more mids, more like the rest here BUT different! They are all great!

[@TheEarCandy]

Reverb never ceases to amaze me with the quality of their video's.

[@RhythmGrizz]

hoof doesnt fuck around

[@lunchpin403]

RhythmGrizz Hoof'll fuck you up

[@MikeTaffet]

RhythmGrizz I was gonna say, I know it's based off a (Russian) Big Muff but at Low again it OWNED the real Big Muff.

[@paddling_out]

You get extra mid control on the Hoof, so you can dial out some of that classic Muff scoop. I just got one and took my Russian off the board.

[@MikeTaffet]

I have the cloven Hoof, which has a slightly different sound signature than the Hoof.

[@meathdetal4042]

you aint kidding

[@mattdayne2585]

Great shoot out for the mild settings and some of the medium. However, the swollen pickle, Jupiter, and big muff need a different set up to truly bring out the best of the pedals. Like a single coil guitar and/or an amp with more low end. People hating on the fuzzier pedals, please learn how different fuzzes interact with equipment and understand that the video didn't use ideal set up for the heavier fuzzes, to bring out their true beauty. The Hoof is based off old Russian muffs which are lighter in fuzz and as you can see in the video are a good versatile pedal, EQD did a great job of recreating it with their own touch imprinted into it. I had one for a while and I definitely enjoyed it. Sold it since I felt like I had too many fuzzes at the time, also I have the Black arts tone Pharaoh which if dialed and tinkered with enough can get hoof like sounds.

[@25hourpartypeople]

This is the way shootouts should be done! You guys are the best.

[@tentomushi2371]

4 different big muffs vs fuzz face...

[@burninglcd]

Tentomushi ouch... The clones are shown for what they are... To be fair, it's 3 classic Big Muffs vs the NYC Big Muff.

[@SockbatReplicaOne]

I thought the Swollen Pickle was based off of the Rat.

[@yaki_font]

@@SockbatReplicaOne russian muff

[@SockbatReplicaOne]

@@yaki_font That's the Russian Pickle.

[@twoys440]

@@SockbatReplicaOne got him

[@busterjuan99]

The Big Muff is one of the best pedals to ever exist.

[@ItsBkaayy]

check out the Death By Audio Fuzz War it’s much better

[@duffman18]

Which one? There's like 5 different types of Big Muff and they all sound very different. Though luckily Electro-Harmonix sell all the different kinds now so you don't have to pay thousands for a vintage one

[@bloc01]

Hoof sounds the best imo, but God damn does the Swollen Pickle sound like weak ass

[@teej7081]

bloc01 it might be because of the pedal's output. It is EXTREMELY loud, even on mild settings, but it has to be cranked to get the best sounds. Once it's dialed, it's beautifully filthy.

[@Boggleforever]

Teej I second this. Swollen Pickle is my second favorite fuzz pedal I don’t own.

[@Julius_Seizure]

agreed. the swollen pickle lacks testicles.

[@Mike_Hancho]

@@Julius_Seizure this guy didnt daily it in at all. Mine can go from mild to wall of fuzz

[@robertevans6428]

this way of A/Bing them in a video is brilliant

[@markflick5001]

Low Gain: Jupiter Medium Gain: Hoof Fuzz High Gain: Hoof Fuzz

[@avgmaster1]

Awsome job!!! This is the way its done. My vote is for the Hoof . I use a Peachtree Fuzz, sweet!

[@BetinhoSM]

Wow, nice. I love how authentic the Swollen Pickle sounds like. The Hoof is very in your face in a good way. The Jupiter sounds gread with higher gain settings. The big muff sounds meh and the fuzz face is great as it always has been

[@nicholasp339]

the Jupiter surprised me, love the high gain velcro fuzz

[@mattgilbert7347]

Hoof FTW! Jupiter close second, Way Huge for versatility and the Muff & FF do one thing really well. My personal faves: MI Audio Neo Fuzz & GI Fuzz. Lovepedal White Dragon EHX Green Russian Muff EHX Op-Amp Muff

[@petercarley79]

Swollen Pickle has so much treble I can't stand it.

[@DavidRFIT]

this shootout was made so badly I can't stand it. the swollen pickle is one of the best and most versatile fuzzes in existence.

[@Adventrium]

Honestly this video is what made me start looking at the Pickle because I liked it the best.

[@rickmilam413]

@@DavidRFIT Glad you made the point. It was horrible here.

[@saturnskull1242]

@@DavidRFIT totally with you on that. the shootout totally undermines the capabilities of the sp. it's like doing it more bad than good

[@shillian4770]

You can make so many sounds on the pickle. There’s like 5 nobs on it, this video did not do it any justice.

[@MikeTaffet]

Swollen Pickle sounds like the biasing is off at high gain, but has a neat tone at medium gain. Big Muff is super muffled in low gain. Jupiter had a very QOTSA vibe at high gain. Hoof is stellar at all settings it seems. Fuzz Face really opens up at High Gain.

[@jacobiskandermusic]

Low gain: jupiter Medium gain: big muff high gain: hoof fuzz

[@gregorywilliams9354]

OK, been looking for a fuzz. My buddy recommended the Hoof and after this comparison he is spot on! Hoof is my next pedal.

[@marcospintor1333]

That Jupiter is blissful

[@killa771000]

The swollen pickle sounds amazing

[@rawknbearbell7032]

Like the short riffs , makes it easier to compare them , nice work bro

[@tombola1990]

Great demo and fantastic editing with the clicky stuff. Really great video!

[@mrgoat3774]

Big Muff and Hoof were my favs

[@stephenpirie8900]

Great demo! Clearly shows up the differences between those 5 pedals.

[@AdoreYouInAshXI]

Fuzz face and Hoof are where it's at.

[@jakekroontje]

love this shootout style

[@michaelbell75]

Bridge pickup? You're in Mode 1 the entire video which is neck pickup only. Not only that, all the pickup switches are off anyways so there would be no sound in Mode 2.. Perfect guitar for this demo. I need one of these ASAP!

[@vanessajazp6341]

Recently picked up a Big Muff Ram’s Head, and all I can say is DAMN! (in a good way)

[@theraditz]

Woow I love the Jupiter!

[@GuitarSolosInc.]

I use one daily. It's my muse.

[@adjentb]

Me too

[@seagers_studio]

Hoof stamps on the pickle

[@greggjohnson305]

Great demo setup. The best without a doubt. I'm sold on the Big Muff

[@abelramirez7320]

would have loved to see a zvex pedal in this shootout

[@drearynonsense203]

The fuzz factory haha

[@therealsi-b1141]

Wow that's a pretty clever way of doing this - thanks for the great demo !

[@clarencejeyofficial]

Fuzz Face sounded best to my ears in terms of balance and warmth. Big Muff and Hoof sounded great but were more on the brighter side (almost like they went into an OD pedal). Fuzz Face sounded like the original sound Fuzz from 62 onwards. All except the Pickle are extremely useful depending on taste.

[@tommyhjelmgren2108]

These reviews are awesome! I love how complete they are. My only gripe is I wish you guys would use less obscure guitars - Humbuckers and single coils are much easier for most to compare their home rigs to.

[@metalbeast1998]

Just got a Band of Gypsies Fuzz Face. Sounds amazing with my Les Paul and Marshall DSL40c

[@PeteJake100]

metalbeast1998 I have the same guitar and amp. I have been researching a while and I am leaning to the hoof or maybe Jhs, but I'll have to give yours a try

[@Ip2always]

The zvex Woolie mammoth fuzz pedal is a great pedal very underrated

[@hippydippy]

I thought I'd probably pick the Big Muff before watching this, but the Fuzz Face & Hoof Fuzz sounded the best. Both very early 60's sounding. The Pickle, although very different to the others, was pretty interesting as well . The Jupiter seemed lame compared to the rest though.

[@joelghuggins]

My opinion is; The best way to test a fuzz is full out. And use the volume control on the guitar, to chose different gain intensity..They will react much better than just twisting the gain on the pedal. A fuzz face cleaned up w/ the guitar is nothing like backing the drive down on fuzz..Same w/ the muff

[@dakotawilson2921]

Hoof is where it's at... swollen pickle needs to go

[@madmoneymike2362]

Watch other swollen pickle demos. I used to own one, but stupidly traded it with a friend. Great fuzz, though. Sounds way different than this demo.

[@docnova]

Sounds nasally here

[@keepitwolf23]

the cloven hoof is the only pedal that still has high fuzz gain with chord clarity, all the other ones get muffled when you play chords. its a nasty ass pedal

[@nesfan8]

Too bad its so expensive.

[@1mihayes]

Fuzz Face and Hoof Fuzz are my favs

[@stevet876]

very helpful, i am going for the big muff based entirely on this video.

[@fuzzyduckeffects9572]

If this was out years ago, I could have saved so much time watching pedal video...after pedal video... after pedal video...

[@LEgoiste]

I’m lovin’ that Guild.

[@remib1522]

More shootout like this please

[@andrew3606]

Fuzz Face to nail the Hendrix sound if you own a strat. Turn the volume to ten for maximum distortion, or to like 4 or 5 for little wing tone

[@alancrapo2881]

My Faves: Low gain = Fuzz Face/Jupiter, Mid Gain = Big Muff, High Gain = Hoof.

[@meesterdinglefritz2064]

Great comparison video! Thanks!!

[@midtown3221]

I didn't wanna like fuzz. Now I like fuzz. Now I _need_ fuzz.

[@federatedrev]

I came into this sure that I would prefer the Jupiter. I found the best way to use this video is to open another browser tab so you can listen but don't watch which is coming next. At high gain, the Jupiter was dead in the water for me, but the Hoof wound up retaining the clarity I'm after. I agree with others that this is the best way to a/b pedals on video. I listened with my trusty Sennheiser HD280 pros and I think I got a pretty good picture of the differences. To those who say "just big muffs and a fuzz face" so what? They all sound different. I sold my last fuzz face years ago, and I don't get anything out of the current EHX fuzzes. But my DOD Carcosa is fun and versatile (esp for USD99, great on bass too) and I'm looking forward to picking up a Hoof next.

[@nathankearney3180]

Man, I hate that Swollen Pickle. Big Muff and Hoof are definitely the best sounding out of all of them. I bought a Spruce Effects fuzz pedal that is very unique. I would recommend getting one of those after getting a Muff or Hoof for an extra fuzz effect.

[@robcerasuolo9207]

IMO, the Jupiter and Hoof sounded the best on all three gains--a great mix of fuzzy mush, articulation, and harmonic clarity (mostly, I mean chords, but I liked the overtones, too). The Pickle is fine for a more trebly sound, and would probably be better for a bass to add grit on a parallel channel; but the Pickle goes to shit on the highest gain settings. The other two sound like they always do--unrefined and suitable for something mixed to the back. This is just my opinion. I'm going to look more closely at the Jupiter--not sure I've heard of it before today.

[@remembercitadel-videogamemusic]

Hoof was killer! Jupiter also not bad. Would've loved the addition of a Pharaoh fuzz.

[@everonlyallforthee]

Reverb we need MOAR SHOOTOUT VIDS!

[@simon01ize]

Fuzz Face is beautiful and warm

[@LittleBirdFarmProductions]

I came here because of the Guild S-200 T-bird. Very cool and very versatile guitar!

[@andrewpappas9311]

I’m not gonna lie, I was getting some Black Keys-vibes from the Swollen Pickle

[@1Dcorace]

It would have been helpful to hear guitar-cable-amp before each gain stage or pedal to determine how much if any color was added. Peter Carley nailed it, "Swollen Pickle has so much treble I can't stand it."

[@filteredwaters9171]

This is perfectly produced. Thank you

[@alvin.sozidatel]

Fuzz Factory - one love. Although Big Muff and Hoof sound pretty good here.

[@MindfulProgramming]

Justice for the Swollen Pickle!

[@hershiekopper]

Love these Demos! Hope to see a DRUM HEAD comparison!

[@opwave79]

Nice! Some are noticeably brighter than others. The Big Muff is definitely the crunchiest of the lot (which is why I have it). But I'm kind of intrigued by the Swollen Pickle. For some reason that "AM radio" sound appeals to me.

[@AlexPriceMusician]

If anyone watching this video is in the market for a fuzz pedal, you should also check out the McCaffrey Audio Green Vodka fuzz. Smaller company but it has a competitive price tag. It's one of my favorites.

[@TheRocknrolla12]

These pedals sounds great with particular amplifiers....like a Big Muff sounds great with certain hi-gain Marshall type amp. The FUZZ face works wonders with a tweed and a Vox AC15.....:) I really liked the tone of the Earthquaker Devices Fuzz pedal...sounds awesome in all settings

[@matt.fromtheinternet]

I think that, out of all of these, the Big Muff is the most responsive of the fuzzes. I'm not sure though, because I generally seem to have a bit of trouble dialing my own Big Muff in to get a good fuzz sound.

[@stevengilesmusic]

Big Muff for me based on this demo!

[@tonyd7137]

great formatting

[@GabrielVelasco]

Fantastic video. Very helpful.

[@claudionieva8772]

Muy bueno, asi se hace una buena demostracion de un pedal. Muchas gracias

[@christianc9409]

Carcosa gonna be replacing jupiter soon

[@ElvisPriceless]

I get my Carcosa last week. I'm going to try it today !!! I can't wait !

[@Noise_H]

Well uhhh

[@alexmarquez444]

hoof fuzz took the cake for me. Swollen pickle not so much.

[@nuudelimuusikko1608]

this is really good video. thanks. I love fuzz sound

[@scottyducati35]

I came for the pedals and stayed for the guitar. Cool man!

[@tomscotland]

Hoof in every category. Easily.

[@skyfox490]

B-b-b-biiiiiiig Muuuuuuuuffffffffff

[@Pauly421]

I say hoof as well. Although fuzz is super sensitive to amp settings and guitar type and stuff so yeah

[@Nightbreed82]

Let me guess...you own a Hoof.

[@olas591]

The best crack distortion signal has the swollen pickle in my opinion, however when you play down the strings sounds like a telephone, radio effect which is not good.

[@FlyingV555]

Hoof fuzz sounds great.

[@judeodom2428]

I love the swollen pickle but it sounds bad with the settings in this video. You need to either play it or watch a video of the swollen pickle

[@SpaceJockey805]

As an owner of several Muffs over the years, as well as a Fuzz Face… I can tell you that the Hoof out-performs them all and is much more versatile with that mid shift. Cuts through the mix far better than any of the others. Although this video makes all of these pedals sound bad 😂

[@Rusli1659LPSoldier]

I want these types of pedals so bad with the fuzz. But sounds like muse.

[@bigwoodbury88]

I’m not a big fan of the swollen pickle so that’s out. Which of these pedals would sound good through a fender hot rod?

[@thehandseesall]

hoof fuzz all the way for me man!