Why you need more than one fuzz
Fuzz is one of those guitar effects that’s really made a comeback in recent years. It was a standard on rock and blues boards through the late 60s and 70s, but sort of slipped into the background during the shredder years of the 80s.
Leave it to 90s grunge and 2000’s alternative to go after that “vintage” sound and cause a resurgence in this surprisingly diverse effect.
Today, fuzz is so ubiquitous it’s hard to find any pedal company that doesn’t have at least one on its menu (and people sometimes look at me funny when I tell them I don’t really use fuzz that much). But, with so many options, how do you choose just one?
Well, for starters, I have two policies I live by:
If it sounds good, it is good. (Credit to Josh Scott at JHS for this one)
Effect choices must serve the music.
If you’re looking for fuzz just because you’re supposed to have one, don’t. If you’re exploring sounds or looking to do covers, a fuzz might be an important part of your rig.
Flavours of Fuzz
Simply put, there are three basic flavours of fuzz:
Big Muff – that warm, fluffy sound of the 60s.
Fuzz Face – a more dramatic, electric, borderline synth sound, more common in 70s rock.
Tone Bender – a much more aggressive, almost wild sounding fuzz with a ton of clipping and often weird bias effects (think Led Zeppelin or The Who).
Yes, that is obscenely oversimplified, but it’s at least a starting point for beginners. Of the three – and this is strictly my own opinion – the Fuzz Face type circuit is the easiest entry point. It takes a lot of practice to be articulate with a Big Muff, and a certain amount of confidence to rein in a Tone Bender.
So, why do you need more than one fuzz pedal?
Well, let’s assume you need a fuzz pedal at all. Why would I suggest you need more than one?
Obviously, it’s because I rig pedalboards and I think more is more good. But also, it’s for the same reason you probably want more than one overdrive. They’re different, and they have different applications.
I would NEVER recommend triggering more than one fuzz pedal at a time, unless you want there to be so much clipping the sound literally chokes itself out. However, being able to go from one type to another is a valuable solution to creating different tone palettes for different types of songs. If you’re in a cover band, shifting gears from “Spirit in the Sky” or “Sunshine of Your Love” to “Black Hole Sun” or “Lithium” is much easier if you have the gear to do it.
We’ve included two fuzz pedals on the Great Canadian Pedalboard for 2023.
Roy Electronics: Fantasio Fuzz
The first is the Roy Electronics Fantasio Fuzz. This little monster is a limited edition (we have #20 out of 50) designed in collaboration with Montreal punk rock legend Hugo Mudie (The Ste. Catherines, Yesterday’s Ring). If I had to put it on that three-step spectrum listed above, I’d say it’s leaning Tone Bender in its overall character. It’s aggressive, but also a lot of fun. It’s surprisingly articulate for how fractured the tone can get, and it includes a bias control that can produce some really wacky synth effects as well.
I’m hoping after the limited edition they produce at least a generic version of this circuit, because it’s pretty freakin’ cool.
More on Roy Electronics
Ellman Tone: Abstract Fuzz
The second fuzz on our board is the Abstract Fuzz from Ellman Tone. I’m feeling a little more Fuzz Face on this one. It’s nice and creamy without being too muffled, and it can crunch a bit if you set the tone just right. This pedal is unique in that it includes both a Tone and an EQ control for some added mid-frequency adjustment. A little toggle switch acts like a low-pass filter, letting you really bomb out some super fat low end. Geoff has also added an oscillator switch that, when stepped on, creates a sustained oscillation “feedback” that’s controlled by the pots on your guitar. It’s weird, but outstanding when you play with it a bit.
More on Ellman Tone
Whatever your style, having a fuzz pedal handy can really open up some new and creative sonic possibilities. If you’re a fuzz user, consider getting a second pedal in a new flavour. You may just find yourself changing up the menu more often.
Guest Article by Steve Baric
With over 35 years of professional guitar playing and pro-level guitar tech experience, Steve Baric Custom has evolved into a one-stop luthiery with services ranging from restringing to pickup installation, kit customization to fully customized builds from scratch. Rig Hacker Pedalboards, the pedalboard arm of Steve Baric Custom, provides boutique pedalboards, custom boards, and custom cases from locally-sourced Canadian native, felled, and reclaimed lumber. Tone consultations, custom hard rigging and wiring, and more are available to guitarists ranging from new players looking for their first pedals to seasoned professional touring artists.