Best fuzz?

[Alexander]

I have a Soviet Big Muff that sounds great on my bass - same model used by Robert Slegde, bass player in Ben Folds Five, who used it on every song! But are there any other fuzz pedals that people reccomend? A friend of mine bought the new Fender Blender pedal for his Mustang bass and that sounds great.

[baalroo]

I have a Soviet Big Muff that sounds great on my bass - same model used by Robert Slegde, bass player in Ben Folds Five, who used it on every song! But are there any other fuzz pedals that people reccomend? A friend of mine bought the new Fender Blender pedal for his Mustang bass and that sounds great.

I <3 you for mentioning Sledge.

The only thing I would recommend is a blend pedal like the xotic x-blender, they make every distortion more amazing on a bass. I still haven't gotten around to getting one, but every clip I hear of what those things can do is fantastic.

[andrew]

What's an xotic x-blender?

[baalroo]

What's an xotic x-blender?

I'm afraid that maybe I screwed up the name and your post is in jest, but in case you're serious it's a variable clean blend.

[MysticBoo]

baalroo, you got the name right.

But getting back to the general question... there isn't a "best" fuzz. With so many options and sounds out there, it really narrows down to personal preference.

For example... I like the new Bass Big Muff's overall range of tones better than all of the other Big Muff pedals I've used (including the Sovtek, which it most closely resembles). But it can't do the insane chaos at maximum gain that the Little Big Muff could do. I'm also a big fan of the MXR Blowtorch, which is one of the most unique-sounding fuzz pedals I've ever tried. That one's very synthy and industrial-sounding, and it would be considered a "medium-gain" fuzz.

Overall, I'd say there are at least eight major "varieties" of fuzz tones:

- Fuzz Face
- Big Muff (i.e., Supercollider, Ram's Head, Swollen Pickle)
- Brassmaster (i.e., B:Assmaster, Depth Charge)
- Shin-Ei (i.e., Ultra Fuzz)
- Gated / Synth (i.e., Woolly Mammoth, Blowtorch)
- Tonebender
- Octave Fuzz (i.e., Octavia)
- "Blender" (i.e., Fender Blender, and I think the Ampeg Scrambler counts, too)

A lot of fuzz pedals are modified clones of these (for example, the Malekko B:Assmaster is an awesome-sounding clone of the old Brassmaster, and the Prescription Electronics Depth Charge is somewhat based on the Brassmaster as well). Others, like the Blowtorch, try to break new ground with new sounds.

[andrew]

What's an xotic x-blender?

I'm afraid that maybe I screwed up the name and your post is in jest, but in case you're serious it's a variable clean blend.

No, just something I'd never heard of, but I'm glad you mentioned it, it seems pretty cool and is now on my pedal wishlist.

Mystic, who makes the Ultra Fuzz, based on the Shin-Ei (I'm guessing the Shin-Ei Fuzz/wah)?

[MysticBoo]

Zoom makes the Ultra Fuzz (UF-01 is the model, IIRC).

It's also my understanding that the Guyatone TZ-2 "The Fuzz" is based on it, too.

[andrew]

I'd like to hear it.

I also want to hear the Malekko B: Assmaster, anyone here have one of those?