What is Fuzz? * The History of Fuzz * 9 Tips and Tricks to Making a Fuzzier World * The Famous Fuzzy Artist * Famous Fuzz Pedals * Other makers of fuzz boxes * Software * Do It Yourself Fuzz Effects * Further Reading and Listening
What is Fuzz?
Fuzz is a wonderful rich form of distortion unlike that of regular distortions and overdrive. It is a sound that reflects the time of its birth. It is the sound of the transistor and a noisier new technology of the post war era. An onomatopoeia it sounds like its name. From a little sizzle to a big noisy immutable wall of sustaining sound. That is fuzz.
Sine Wave
The science of fuzz is not as complicated as you might think. Fuzz is created, in the case of an effect box, when the signal is boosted then sent through a clipping circuit. The signal is boosted by a single transistor or multiple transistors. Most modern effects use chips which are just transistors and their supporting component built into a single device. Most opamp chips used in fuzz pedals contain multiple transistors to amplify the signal. The boosted signal from the chip or transistors goes into two or three diodes that do the clipping. Two diodes is known as symmetrical clipping and three asymmetrical, which is considered to produce a more natural sound. That normal sine wave of a plucked string get its rounded peaked boosted by the transistor that peak gets chopped off resulting in the a square wave and a fuzz tone. In the digital world a mathematical approximation of this process is used to generate the new fuzzy new wave form.
Square Wave
This
illustration of a square wave(above)would have a bell like tone because
it is a perfect square wave(which not exist in the real world.)
We know fuzz doesn't sound like that.
The square wave of fuzz is not even close to perfect. Fuzz
is too messy for absolutes like perfection. But this gives
you an idea of what happens. Our sine wave clipped off square
by
a fuzz effect would be more well...fuzzy. The wave would be a
lot
more squiggly and irregular and still have sloping sides.
This
results in added harmonics and sometimes octave and ring modulator like
effects. The rough around the edges sound of fuzz is caused
by a
wave that is also rough around the edges.
The History of Fuzz
The very beginning of fuzz is fuzzy as the sound. The beginnings of rock music are of course rooted deeply in the blues. Unfortunately and unfairly those blues roots are not well documented. There are stories of blues axemen like Ike Turner, Charlie Christian, T-Bone Walker and Lonnie Johnson using distorted sounds due to overdriven or malfunctioning amps and tubes. Or sometimes the distorted sound was the result of a damaged speaker cone. Most of the time this was an unintentional occurrences as was when Fuzz first reached the mainstream. If any one person should be named the father of fuzz it would be Glen Snoddy. In 1960 Grady Martin, a longtime Nashville session picker, was recording a 6 string bass part for the Marty Robbins hit Don't Worry. A faulty mixing board caused the bass to become fuzzy. Really fuzzy in fact. Having a good ear and an open mind they made the decision to keep the fuzz. The song reached #1 one on the country charts and #3 on the pop charts and fuzz was to stay around for good.
The afore mentioned Glen Snoddy happend to be the recording engineer on Don't Worry. And he new a good thing when he heard it. Despite the fact that many people think of steel guitar and sparkle clean picking when they think of country music in the sixties, country was more adventurous. Fuzz becomes in demand in both the country hot beds of Bakersfield and Nashville. Big name acts mike Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Waylon Jennings, Wanda Jackson, and Kay Adams adopted fuzz. Snoddy needed a way to make fuzz reliably.
He came up with a device and pitched it to Gibson. It would become known as the Gibson Maestro Fuzz-tone. The Maestro name came from the fact that Gibson never really understood what they had. It was a time when the electric guitar was still just a way to make an acoustic guitar louder rather than roaring beast we know it can be today. Gibson thought it would be best used to get horn sounds out of a guitar. Just another case of corporate suits not understanding the potential of a device. Much like Roland not understanding what the TB-303 or TR-808 could be used for.
Fuzz might have just become a novelty of the wild country music scene in the sixties if it was not for a young English lad from just outside London that picked up Snoddy's box in 1965. That sound English lad was Keith Richards and the song he used it for was (I can't get no) Satisfaction. It is some what ironic that a guitarist known today for mainly plugging a vintage guitar into a vintage amp started the effect box craze. Satisfaction of course became an iconic hit and its popularity was the big bang of fuzz.
The Gibson Maestro Fuzz-Tone sold out quickly. Soon there was other boxes like the Fuzz Face and Tone Blender hit the market. Fuzz was quickly adopted by classic rock guitar hero's like Clapton, Hendrix, Page, Beck, Townsend and Davies. Artists pushed pass the Satisfaction sound to find more heavy fuzz sounds. This culminated in the The Kinks' #1 hit All Day and All of the Night.
Fuzz continued through the 60's and into the 70's. Famous guitarists used it to make great rock music. Slowly, though, its popularity waned. Distortion was still a popular tool but it became less and less about fuzz. Blues influenced rock music opted for the overdriven sounds of pushing a tube amp hard. Heavy Metal came on to the scene and brought with it heavy distortion that was rarely fuzz. Into the eighties hair metal and hardcore acts like Metallica stilled used distortion but choose edgy but "neater" distortion. All this would soon change.
Some call 1991 The Year That Punk Broke.
Others think of it as
the time when grunge, indie or alternative music broke into the
mainstream. All the labels are really silly as well as the
notion
that new music suddenly appeared in the early 90's. It was
always there but
the formulaic nature of popular rock music changed for a while. And the
music that had lurked in the shadows burst into mainstream
consciousness. And
what was old became new again. Whether it was noise artist
like
Sonic Youth, grunge acts like Mudhoney, new fangled guitar heroes like
J.
Masic and avant garde rockers like Beck and Radiohead fuzz was back.
The sonic pallet grew large and less regimented.
Fuzz
disciples looked to the past and the future in search of fuzz.
Famous vintage pedals were reissued and new devices were
introduced. Fuzz even moved into the virtual world. Now the
future of fuzz never seemed brighter.
9 Tips and Tricks to Making a Fuzzier World
1. EQ
EQ is the friend of fuzz and a dedicated EQ unit can do a lot more than a simple tone control. It helps you sculpt the fuzz to the sound how you want. This is especially useful for big aggressive thick fuzz. They can get out of hand quickly so EQ can be used to tame unwieldy fuzz. Scooping out some midrange is a common practice. Also it can be used to clean up any offending harshness in the highs. It you like a ballsy bass fuzz EQ can give your bottom end a big deep kick. For more info on EQ see my guide.
2. Fuzz For All
Fuzz is not just for guitars. Of course a lot of bass players love it but it can add its special character to anything. It is great for synths. A nice fuzzy synth bassline can liven up a track. But fuzz can really be used on anything from drums to vocals so keep an open mind.
3. Good Noize & Bad Noize
Fuzz pedals are noisy but there is some kinds of noize you just don't want especially when the pedal is off. Fuzz pedals can also "tone suck" even when off. This can be especially true of vintage and fuzz wah pedals. The way to get around this is using a true bypass pedal or modifying one to be true bypass or using a bypass loop. True bypass is really a buzz word in the world of guitar pedals but you shouldn't get carried away. Each true bypass pedal you patch together is like attaching another length of cable together. And well all know what happens with long runs of cable linked numerous times. You get signal loss that can start to effect your sound. There is nothing wrong with the buffered switching in most modern pedals. It is often a good idea to mix true bypass with some buffered pedals or use a line buffer.
4. Playing Nice With Others
When playing with band members or recording it takes some work getting fuzz to play nice with others. If you are using thick fuzz with octave up or ring modulator sound that sustains forever you run the risk of overpowering the other instruments. Again EQ is your friend and don't over do the volume. Recording gives you more options to deal with all that fuzz. Not only can you utilize equalization but you can use panning as well to carve out a nice cozy space to move your fuzz into.
5. Too Much of a Good Thing
You may want to wrap yourself up in a thick blanket of fuzz but there is such a thing as to much of a good thing. There are a lot of great tracks that are solid fuzz but that is not always the way to go. The juxtaposition of clean and dirty sounds can be a wonderful thing. Also fuzz kicking in for the chorus can really add a dramatic impact.
6. The Order of Things
The order of effects is important. There is nothing wrong with guitar->fuzz->amp but if your setup is more complicated the order of the effects can really make a big difference. While there are typical orders there is no such thing as the right order. Experiment to see what sounds best. If you are working in the virtual world you can easily try out a lot of different orders and complex routing without having to deal with patch cables.
7. The Sincerest Form of Flattery
If you are looking to emulate someones sound Guitar Geek's Rig Database is a good place to start. Google is also your friend. Once you find out the artist's gear remember when you are trying to capture that famous sound the whole signal chain matters including the guitar. Now some of those vintage pedals and other gear is hard to find or just way too expensive for most people but there are usually clones of most famous vintage equipment at a more reasonable price. Most of them sound pretty close and sometimes even better than the original. I believe that you can get close, but exact matches may be impossible. Consider that vintage pedals often used different transistors in the same model and old germanium transistors can vary quite a bit even if it is the exact same part. Plus so much of anyone's sound is in their fingers and soul. Also be aware sometimes an artist's gear is modified by themselves or their guitar techs. Also if you are after a sound on a studio album often the sound on the record is different equipment used in the artist's live setup. A big chuck of the a records sound is due to the things outside the signal chain going from guitar to amp. The effects of a mic and its placement, mixing and even the room it was recorded in have a big effect on the sound. Still with careful research and shopping you can probably can get a satisfying famous tone.
8. Be a Mad Scientist
Copying someone else's sound is alright but but coming up with your own is even better. Fuzz and all distortion sounds started off as accident. Overworked amps and malfunctions gave us fuzz. Happy accidents and experimentation were how all those great sounds were found in the first place. There are millions of things to try. You could split your signal and send two different fuzz's to two different amps. You could mix in modulation effects, use radical EQ settings, user a filter, modify your equipment, play through a cheap transistor radio or old beat up speaker, mix clean and fuzz sounds, try weird mic placement and spaces, strange tunings etc., etc. Nothing is out of bounds.
9. Silicon and Germanium
Germanium is kind of a buzz word when it comes to fuzz. The important fact is that the germanium transistors were lower gain the the silicon variety and provide a a less harsh distortion. Many players consider germanium a much more organic sound. Some people prefer germanium and some siilcon. Is a matter of preference.
The Famous Fuzzy Artist
Marty Robbins
The Rolling Stones
Jimi Hendrix
Jimmy Page
Eric Clapton
Merle Haggard
Jeff Beck
The Kinks
The Who
Smashing Pumpkins
Silersun Pickups
My Bloddy Valentine
Sonic Youth
J. Masics
Jesus & Mary Chain
Mudhoney
Silversun Pickup
Radiohead
Famous Fuzz Pedals
The Gibson Maestro Fuzz-Tone Pedal was the first commercial success. Keith Richard used it for one of the greatest rock songs ever the Rolling Stones (I can't get no) Satisfaction. There may have been roots of fuzz that came earlier with 50's blues artist and some country songs in the early 60's but this device and Satisfaction brought fuzz mainstream. As mentioned in the section above this pedal was the brainchild of Glen Shoddy who engineered the Grady Martin and his fuzzy bass solo on the Marty Robbins hit Don't Worry. When the sound caught on he decided to create a box that could duplicate the sound of Grady Martin malfunctioning bass. He partnered with Gibson and the first fuzz box was born. When Keith Richards picked it up music history was changed forever. When the word got out that the Fuzz-Tone was what created the sound on Satisfaction is quickly sold out. Users found the simple volume and attack controls easy to dial in the fuzz. The original FZ-1 models have been sought after ever since for those seeking that Satisfaction tone. Their vintage and scarcity make them collector's pieces. There are faithful reissues and clones available at prices the rest of us can afford.
Sola Tone Bender came out right after the Gibson Maestro Fuzz-Tone and its circuit was heavily influence by it. There are 3 different varieties the MKI, MKII and the VOX. The MKII's though have both 3 and two transistor models and 2 and 3 knob models. The original transistor was the Mullard OC81D a germanium number nearly impossible to find now. A MKI was used by Townsend but the MKII is more famously used by Jeff Beck and Jimmy Paige in the Yardbirds. Page also used it on the first Led Zepplin album. In any form these pedals are known for their great germanium fuzz tone. These vintage boxes are difficult to find in any form. But there are quite a few clones and you can build one yourself.
Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face is maybe the most famous fuzz box. Released in 1966 and used by Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page. This is the effect that made germanium transistor a big deal. The original transistors were either AC128, NKT275 or SF363(there is some debate about this.) I think it is very possible that the first runs used whatever was laying around at the time. Simple controls for volume and fuzz made it easy to use. They are almost impossible to come by now and extremely pricey if you can find one. But don't fret. There are reissues and a vast number of clones and hybrids. Many more than I wish to ever list in fact. Or you can build one yourself and get exactly the fuzz face you want.
Big Muff from Electro-Harmonix and their Russian partner company Sovatek debuted in 1971 and quickly gained a cult following. Electro-Harmonix went out of business in 1982 and the original Big Muff's became cult items. They gained wide popularity when the company was restarted and the Big Muff went back into production. The Big Muff is known for it thick harmonically rich sustaining sound. It's sound can vary widely but it is great for creating that wall of fuzz. It was used originally be artist like Carlos Satanna and David Gilmour. Later generation artists like Smashing Pumpkins, Dinosaur Jr., Mudhoney, Mogawi, Sonic Youth, Korn and The White Stripes added it to their pedal boards.
Shin-ei Companion FY-2 is like one of those funny Engrish translations. I think they intended to make a Fuzz Face and got the Godzilla of Fuzz. It had a short run of production out of Japan starting in the early 70's. It pretty much has one sound that is a wall of severe fuzz. You haven't heard a wall of fuzz pouring from you speakers until you have heard the FY-2. It was used extensively on The Jesus and Mary Chain's Psychocandy and if you heard a super fuzzy Radiohead track thats the FY-2. They are very hard to find these days but there is a kit for you DIY'ers from GGG.
The
Univox Super
Fuzz is another lenendary fuzz pedal from the company that
would later
be swallowed up by Korg. The Super Fuzz circuit was actual
licensed by Shin-ei to Univox and a few other companies like Ibanez,
Teisco, Roland so the same pedal existed under different brand.
It is a very similar design and sound to the Fender Blender
and
Roland Bee-Baa. It started production in 1968 and ran about
10
years. This is the same period the pedal was used by Pete
Townsend.
You have to wonder if he smashed them up on stage and was
unable
to
replace them after they went out of production. It has also
been
used by Clapton and fuzz connoisseur J. Masics of Dinosaur Jr.
It is
loved for it's aggressive fuzz tones and up octave effect.
Fender Blender this pedal will wash you way with thick harmonically rich fuzz. The secret weapon of Smashing Pumpkins and My Bloody Valentine. Much like the Univox Super Fuzz it is capable of over the top fuzz and upper octave craziness. Originals will be hard to come by and expensive but Fender has released a reissue. You also could build your own.
The Ampeg Scrambler you could say is an octave up fuzz. But that is like saying Hendrix played the guitar a little. It is an insane fuzz that can be down right nasty in a bizarre sort of way. One of the few effects that is really its own thing. It can sound some what normal but it is best when the fuzz gets thick and strange ring modulator type harmonics appear. Not many were around even when it was in production so the vintage units today fetch over $1000. Thankfully it has been reissued and you can build your own clone also if you need its insane brand of fuzz.
Tycobrahe Octavia from Roger Mayer is another super rare fuzz box. Famously used by Jimi Hendrix. This the Octavia or Octavio is what provided Jimi with his heavier fuzz octave sound. The octave up sounds can really get wild. The pedal is so well thought of there are over 20 clones. Or you always could get a DIY kit.
fOXX Tone Machine only had a few years run in the 70's originally but its legend lead to a reissue. The fOXX is best loved for its wide range of fuzzy. It can get thick and hairy but also can do a nice Fuzz Face imitation. You also can switch between sustain and octave modes. That versatility has attracted users from Adrien Blew to ZZ Top.
The Zvex Fuzz Factory is a Legendary boutique pedal. Not modeled after any vintage effect it is its own monster. These hand painted boxes are capable of a wide range of fuzz tones. Many fuzz freaks absolutely love it for its ability to dial in unique tones. Fuzz from cashmere to Velcro.
Lovetone Big Cheese provides big sound out of a big box. While inspired by vintage pedals it really is its own box. Humorously named controls Curds, Whey, Hog/Bee were colorful but less so than the big fat fuzz. The J. Masic is a user of this pedal but lesser fuzz addicts like Lee Greenwood, Jeff Tweedy, Jimmy Page, Billy Duff, Gary Moore, Bootsy Collins, The Edge and Mathew Sweet have all used the pedal. The production ran from 1995 to 2001. The orange box is pretty hard to come by for a new pedal. Unless your are lucky about the only option is to build one.
Other makers of fuzz boxes:
Analogman Makes quality Fuzz Face clones and provides loads of information
Fulltone makers of quality clones of vintage guitar pedals
Roger Mayer fuzz for a fuzz pioneer
Voodoo Lab maker of the Superfuzz and Proctavia
MG Pedals makes of some of the best looking fuzz boxes ever
devi
ever these pedals are fuzz unique and somewhat insane
Robert Keely You might want to check out his Fuzz Head
Nick Greer a few excellent fuzz boxes
Chicago Iron have a cool Tycobrahe Octavia clone
Red Witch maker of the Fuzz God
Software
Fuzzplus 2.2 is a free fuzz plugin from quality plugin developer Audio Damage. Does a great job of simulating a classic fuzz sound of vintage pedals and it is free.
Guitar Rig 3 is of course a full guitar amp and effect simulation software. But there is some wonderful fuzziness to be had with a collection of very convincing emulations of classic hardware. There are emulation of based on the Fuzz Face and Big Muff pedals. Those are the obvious choices but there are a whole host of other effect and amp emulations that creative minds can find fuzz with. Coming to mind are its collection of filter effects imported from Native Instruments synth plugins. They are perfect for some fuzz sculpting and enhancing.
AmpliTube 2 and the Hendrix version much like Guitar Rig is a complete set of guitar amp and effects simulations. It has a lot of the fuzzy potential including a chance at Hendrix's unique fuzz sound.
Voxengo Boogex a free amp simulation giving you a wide variety of distortion shaping possibilities there is some fuzz in there.
Tin Brooke Tales Software Projects offers TLs Saturated Driver version 1.0. It is a great compressor/limiter plugin that can take you along way down the road to fuzz by shaving off the peaks of our waves.
Camel Audio's Camel Phat 3 is billed as a versatile fattening plugin. It is just that. With four different distortion types and it filters there is fuzz to be had.
Do It Yourself Fuzz Effects
If you can solder and have the inclination to learn how to make your own fuzz effects is not that difficult with the right mentality. For those of you that making own own electrical gadgets seems to daunting a task you always could take the Dave Davies approach and take a razor blade to the a speaker cone for that All Day and All of the Night sound. I would suggest you use a cheap speaker though.
For those that want to give it a go here is a list of reference material and resources to get yourself started:
Further Reading and Listening:
Gibson's Effects Explained: Overdrive
