Does anyone actually prefer a Fuzz Face over a Big Muff?

[JVG]

I’ve never heard a FF I like and basically associate them with blooz lawyer types

yer what mate

My thoughts too.

Nothing wrong with muffs, they have a cool thing going, but a good fuzz face is like having an extra instrument. There is so much you can do with them, not just blues.

J.

[fuzzjunkie]

Long time shoegazer, long time FF hater. I’m okay with being wrong so if y’all know a FF variant that’ll get me “that sound” link plz.

You’re going to hate finding out a good portion of the fuzz tones on MBV’s Loveless were made by a silicon Fuzz Face.

[tune_link]

I think Kevin Shields just has a “one of everything” motto tho right?

In all seriousness, someone that loves fuzz faces suggest a model that might help me overcome this bias. I’m not immune to new experience. I can’t imagine a fuzz face that would cure my love of big muffs though.

[zhivago]

i'll take most things over a big muff these days, and i love a good fuzz face. much more versatility than a muff, all in the guitar volume knob. they really only work when run into something compressed/clipping, like a good overdrive or cranked amp.

This sums it up for me. I have an Analogman Sunlion and the Fuzzface side of it really is nothing to write home about unless it is going into a driven amp or overdrive pedal. Even then it is a bit "meh" to me...

...adding the Beano boost side of the Sunlion (a treble booster to those who don't know about the Sunlion), really makes it a killer pedal though for them old-school tones. Rolling the volume down yields so many great shades of overdrive.

I flip-flop about selling mine...it is currently on ebay, but priced high enough that I'll probably end up keeping it.

[MayTheFuzzBeWithYou]

I think Kevin Shields just has a “one of everything” motto tho right?

In all seriousness, someone that loves fuzz faces suggest a model that might help me overcome this bias. I’m not immune to new experience. I can’t imagine a fuzz face that would cure my love of big muffs though.

I‘m one of those „one of everything“ guys too!
I got a (Super) Fuzz War to cover the Muff style (directly compared it to several Muffs and among them it‘s a clear winner for me) - but it shares the stage (my board) with a Silicon Bender style Fuzz - Blackout Effectors Fuzz Bear - and a Germanium/Silicon Hybrid Fuzz Face kind of pedal - Surfadelic Soundwaves Mind Fuzz - that our own livinlavidaloca builds!

He has different versions of them - also a new all silicon - mine is the big box version that has a slider to control the Gain (which is great to work with your foot during a song) - and it has plenty of volume-reserves. Can sound really mean and heavy but also pretty tame - depending on the Gain-slider/pot and your volume.
So this might possibly be one that could suit you?! But nobody wants to talk you out of your love for Muffs. No worries!

In contrary to Muff style pedals - the Bender and the Fuzz Face type fuzzes tend to clean up better with volume-roll-back or the Strangle switch - which suits my playing well!

But depending on the song I might need the other‘s features in another part - or both together. Stacking works great with all three of them!

[Pacafeliz]

Cool, thanks for all the replies, interesting!

I can't wait to use it LOUD in the rehearsal space. I can't really fall in love with it so far but I'll keep it, no matter what.

[MechaBulletBill]

I think Kevin Shields just has a “one of everything” motto tho right?

In all seriousness, someone that loves fuzz faces suggest a model that might help me overcome this bias. I’m not immune to new experience. I can’t imagine a fuzz face that would cure my love of big muffs though.

creepy fingers creepyface
EFE black acid
dunwich fuzz throne

[jorri]

I'm not sure about a stock fuzz face, but if fatter, I muddier sounds are wanted I do prefer it. Woolier and more strained. But I have used a DAM meathead clone with additional EQ.

Of course, modded muffs may have more pronounced mids too, and like my FF mod that is allowed to scoop mids. Results are still very different timbres even if you were to match the eq

Ultimately I want to pair them together. If there are two guitars they must compliment nicely.

I find a muff bit too smooth and the well known disappearing act in the mix. Mid boost or germanium might be better.
The pairing I've done is with a fuzz war, which is muff like but also tonebendery, so is a bit like the grit I'm after.

[fuzzjunkie]

I think Kevin Shields just has a “one of everything” motto tho right?

In all seriousness, someone that loves fuzz faces suggest a model that might help me overcome this bias. I’m not immune to new experience. I can’t imagine a fuzz face that would cure my love of big muffs though.

Well, today yes, lots of builders have sent him pedals and he has a ton of them, so he shows them off. In 1991 though, it was a Rat, Fuzz Face, and Octavia for dirt.

Now the pedals he’s paid for and actually uses seem to be a Roger Mayer silicon Fuzz Face clone and Octavia, along with a yellow Solasound Tone Bender MKIV. So basically going for the same sounds he had in 1991, just more refined. I prefer my Solasound over my Rat too.

[fuzzjunkie]

If a Fuzz Face is too low gain or too wooly sounding, or if a Big Muff is too hi-gain and too scooped, here are a few alternatives:

Tone Bender MKII - higher gain and mid focused, not as compressed or as smooth as a Muff. No tone control.

Burns Buzzaround - right between a Tone Bender MKII and a Big Muff. Sustain can get into Muff territory but the tone stack is completely different and it cuts much better.

Tone Bender MKIV - plenty of gain, smoother than a Fuzz Face, but more open than a Big Muff. Full range tone control. Cuts for days. I can hear why Kevin likes his so much.

All of the above use 3 transistor germanium circuits, although the Buzzaround is also available in silicon. All clean up more than a Muff will, but being higher gain, don’t do the sparkle cleans that a Fuzz Face is known for unless your pickups are really low gain, like Gold Foils or similar.

[mgeek]

I had a 90s fuzz face, new back then and never really got on with it. Not very high gain, quite wooly. Perhaps they work best with an amp that's already being pushed, or perhaps I got a duff one, but thinking back, I was pretty anti-fuzz for AGES after that.

What would have suited me better was something I could DI into my four track and get a good sound with from the off.

[fuzzjunkie]

I had a 90s fuzz face, new back then and never really got on with it. Not very high gain, quite wooly. Perhaps they work best with an amp that's already being pushed, or perhaps I got a duff one, but thinking back, I was pretty anti-fuzz for AGES after that.

What would have suited me better was something I could DI into my four track and get a good sound with from the off.

I used to have a Yardbox years ago that was good for that. Maggie-o swears by hers, but I moved on to more vintage/accurate Tone Bender clones.

[mgeek]

I had a 90s fuzz face, new back then and never really got on with it. Not very high gain, quite wooly. Perhaps they work best with an amp that's already being pushed, or perhaps I got a duff one, but thinking back, I was pretty anti-fuzz for AGES after that.

What would have suited me better was something I could DI into my four track and get a good sound with from the off.

I used to have a Yardbox years ago that was good for that. Maggie-o swears by hers, but I moved on to more vintage/accurate Tone Bender clones.

Nice... I've got a tone bender build partially finished that I need to revisit. Managed to harvest some Mullard OC81Ds from a couple of broken radios!

[sholkham]

I use a silicon fuzz face, I always found the big muff to be a bit much for the kind of stuff I play. What it does is cool, but not as usable as a FF.

I'm interested in branching out and building some other 60's fuzzes though, maybe a Fuzzrite or a vox tonebender

[Shadoweclipse13]

If a Fuzz Face is too low gain or too wooly sounding, or if a Big Muff is too hi-gain and too scooped, here are a few alternatives:

Tone Bender MKII - higher gain and mid focused, not as compressed or as smooth as a Muff. No tone control.

Burns Buzzaround - right between a Tone Bender MKII and a Big Muff. Sustain can get into Muff territory but the tone stack is completely different and it cuts much better.

Tone Bender MKIV - plenty of gain, smoother than a Fuzz Face, but more open than a Big Muff. Full range tone control. Cuts for days. I can hear why Kevin likes his so much.

All of the above use 3 transistor germanium circuits, although the Buzzaround is also available in silicon. All clean up more than a Muff will, but being higher gain, don’t do the sparkle cleans that a Fuzz Face is known for unless your pickups are really low gain, like Gold Foils or similar.

Great post! Thanks for that! I like hearing all types of fuzz, but am a little pickier when it comes to playing fuzz. I frequently love the roots of the classic fuzzies, but frequently want something of a hybrid between the classics.