A Strat, Fuzz Face and a Plexi (what made me a gear nerd)

[DrewJD82]

When I was 11 and had been playing for about 6 months my uncle handed me EJ's Total Electric Guitar on VHS and said "Learn everything you can", which wasn't much. But was it was effective at was turning me into a gear nerd. If you skip to 0:50 in this vid, you'll see the exact seconds that did it-

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2z1b...ey=vnspedkc4nate0txmbdzgkrku&st=q3wpzjz2&dl=0

I had no clue what any of that shit was, I didn't know about pedals or anything, it looked like lab equipment to me. But when he steps on that Fuzz Face the sound that came out of the gutiar just blew my fucking mind. It still blows my mind.

EJ hasn't even gotten that tone since that era, so I'm not expecting to nail it any time in my life and I won't chase it much further than this. I've had this EJ Fuzz Face for 3 years and thought it sounded like shit, as I did most Fuzz Faces I've played. Turns out all ya gotta do is run it into a cranked Plexi and half the work is done for you!

 

[griff10672]

Sweet !

 

[JackBootedThug]

Hit it with a boost…or run it into a boost… gets rid of a ton of noise for some reason… trust me…it’s science! Trust the science!

 

[DrewJD82]

Hit it with a boost…or run it into a boost… gets rid of a ton of noise for some reason… trust me…it’s science! Trust the science!View attachment 417801

I've got it running into a NOTADUMBLE, it's cleaning up some pick attack stuff but as far as hiss there's still AMPLE. I'm hoping once I have all this shit in a loop switcher and everything has a legit power supply instead of this Amazon 'just wait til i catch fire' PSU, it'll quell some hiss.

Then again, the amp is dimed on the Treble channel, I expect there to be some hiss.

 

[Meanjoegreene]

A strat into a Fuzz Face into a Marshall with the guitar volume backed down one of the best and most usable tones ever

 

[VonBonfire]

I've got it running into a NOTADUMBLE, it's cleaning up some pick attack stuff but as far as hiss there's still AMPLE. I'm hoping once I have all this shit in a loop switcher and everything has a legit power supply instead of this Amazon 'just wait til i catch fire' PSU, it'll quell some hiss.

Then again, the amp is dimed on the Treble channel, I expect there to be some hiss.

I never could get fuzzes to work to my satisfaction even with a big Marshall. They always sounded like bacon frying in a pan to me. The only one I could ever make do with was a Fulltone '70 with BC103 silicons but that was probably because it sounded more like an OD. Looks like you've put some miles on that strat Drew, nice bro!

 

[CoreyW]

I've got it running into a NOTADUMBLE, it's cleaning up some pick attack stuff but as far as hiss there's still AMPLE. I'm hoping once I have all this shit in a loop switcher and everything has a legit power supply instead of this Amazon 'just wait til i catch fire' PSU, it'll quell some hiss.

Then again, the amp is dimed on the Treble channel, I expect there to be some hiss.

Ive been deep in this rabbit hole for years... thank you TPS...

Having a variable power supply that will let you set it around 4-6 volts helps a lot. The 9v adjustable battery looking thing from Gigrig seems to be pretty common, have not gotten one yet. I am also really intrigued by the Tone King battery box. Running a cheap dollar store 9v will give you more consistency than a cheap power supply.

Not all switchers are created equally, when I was using a Boss ES8, I kept my FF in front of the switcher and only had a non buffered wah in front of it. I still have yet to finish building my Gigrig G3 board to see how well a FF works in one of its loops.

Coil cables actually do help.

I may not be the best person to be giving advice on this, as I still cant get the sound I am wanting...

62 AVRI strat with CS69 pick ups, 61 CS strat with fat60s pick ups, 17' American Professional stock pick ups.
JTM45 Reissue, 1959HW.
Analogman Sunface nkt275 reddot (original run), BC183, and Kingtone Fuzz GE. Had several lower priced FF variants and even a NKT725 white dot.
Run into either two notes torpedo live, UA Ox, or Suhr Reactive load/IR, even have a 1960A with british greenbacks, but its very hard to run a plexi at home through an actual cab...

Dont get me wrong, it does sound pretty good, but chasing that Hendrix sound... I can get the clean up where I want it but the full volume isnt right.. or I can get the neck picks ups to sound pretty close with the volume turned up but other positions are not useable or the clean up isnt right.

 

[DrewJD82]

Ive been deep in this rabbit hole for years... thank you TPS...

Having a variable power supply that will let you set it around 4-6 volts helps a lot. The 9v adjustable battery looking thing from Gigrig seems to be pretty common, have not gotten one yet. I am also really intrigued by the Tone King battery box. Running a cheap dollar store 9v will give you more consistency than a cheap power supply.

Not all switchers are created equally, when I was using a Boss ES8, I kept my FF in front of the switcher and only had a non buffered wah in front of it. I still have yet to finish building my Gigrig G3 board to see how well a FF works in one of its loops.

Coil cables actually do help.

I may not be the best person to be giving advice on this, as I still cant get the sound I am wanting...

62 AVRI strat with CS69 pick ups, 61 CS strat with fat60s pick ups, 17' American Professional stock pick ups.
JTM45 Reissue, 1959HW.
Analogman Sunface nkt275 reddot (original run), BC183, and Kingtone Fuzz GE. Had several lower priced FF variants and even a NKT725 white dot.
Run into either two notes torpedo live, UA Ox, or Suhr Reactive load/IR, even have a 1960A with british greenbacks, but its very hard to run a plexi at home through an actual cab...

Dont get me wrong, it does sound pretty good, but chasing that Hendrix sound... I can get the clean up where I want it but the full volume isnt right.. or I can get the neck picks ups to sound pretty close with the volume turned up but other positions are not useable or the clean up isnt right.

No worries about advice, man, I love talking gear and gaining any insight I can!

I’d like to try a variable PSU! I’ve got a box of cheap batteries from Amazon that was suggested for fuzzes but I haven’t sat there and swapped them to hear any tonal differences.

I’ll be going with the Morningstar looper/MIDI pedal. I might just grab an Un-Buffer from Axxes to stick in front of the fuzzes just to eliminate any extra thinking/routing.

And I’ve been eyeing those Sunfaces on Reverb!!!! I’ll have to try one in person before I drop that kind of money on any NKT 275 pedals, but I’m anxious to!

Had I known my boss wasn’t going to be here today I would have brought my 50watt Plexi to work; I keep my 1960 cab in the back of my truck and I work on a commercial campus, we’ve got some HUGE suites that are empty and I can crank up as loud as I want in them. I’m DYING to hear the fuzzes coming out of a blaring amp!!

I’m mainly chasing Eric Johnson’s fuzz tones from the late 80’s/early 90’s, but considering he was running his FF into a Dumble, there’s only so far I’m going with that chase! I’m perfectly happy finding something that works for me that may not be identical to his fuzz tones. What’s been surprising me the most is how I can still, mostly, play the fuzz once it’s going into a dimed Plexi like I would a normal distorted tone. Without the amp being cranked that’s not nearly as possible to do.

 

[DrewJD82]

I never could get fuzzes to work to my satisfaction even with a big Marshall. They always sounded like bacon frying in a pan to me. The only one I could ever make do with was a Fulltone '70 with BC103 silicons but that was probably because it sounded more like an OD. Looks like you've put some miles on that strat Drew, nice bro!

I almost sold this last year and now I’m REALLY glad I didn’t!!!

Apparently these were made to replicate the exact Fuzz Face from that EJ vid I linked above. I never dug this pedal until I plugged it into that Plexi a few days ago. It’s far brighter than the EJ Fuzz Face and seems to have a lot more fuzz on tap. I know what you’re saying about the OD-like aspect, it’s definitely easier to maneuver the fingerboard with that than it is the FF.

Being fair, some of those wear marks were on the neck when I got it, but about half the size they are now. In the 3 years I’ve had it I’ve added a couple new ones and widened the existing ones quite a bit. I imagine by the time I drop dead this neck will quite well worn…..minus the shiny SS frets!

 

[CoreyW]

I almost sold this last year and now I’m REALLY glad I didn’t!!!

View attachment 417958

Apparently these were made to replicate the exact Fuzz Face from that EJ vid I linked above. I never dug this pedal until I plugged it into that Plexi a few days ago. It’s far brighter than the EJ Fuzz Face and seems to have a lot more fuzz on tap. I know what you’re saying about the OD-like aspect, it’s definitely easier to maneuver the fingerboard with that than it is the FF.

Being fair, some of those wear marks were on the neck when I got it, but about half the size they are now. In the 3 years I’ve had it I’ve added a couple new ones and widened the existing ones quite a bit. I imagine by the time I drop dead this neck will quite well worn…..minus the shiny SS frets!

Ive got the 69' mkii also I forgot to mention.

Regarding the batteries, its not so much finding the right specific battery, its just the cheap batteries in general. The amazon ones should work fine, but what you want to compare is one of those to say a Duracell.

I have a True Tone CS12, and 7? i believe both have variable power for 1 port, its not limited to just the top end supplies. Gigrig has a 9v adapter which looks like a 9v battery, but you run from your power supply to it, and it to the pedal.. and it has a dial you can adjust in it, I believe they are around 50 bucks new.

 

[CoreyW]

Here is a family photo.

 

[cobrahead1030]

Analogman Sunface into Suhr SL67 is a sound I wish I’d discovered years ago. I can even fake it decently enough using a bluesbreaker pedal into a low volume clean amp, after the fuzz.

I can’t say how it would measure up to the OG

 

[Eazy-ESP]

Oh damn. We’re discussing batteries!

 

[Dave L]

Been thinking about exploring some fuzz stuff lately, thanks for the added GAS

 

[DrewJD82]

Ive got the 69' mkii also I forgot to mention.

Regarding the batteries, its not so much finding the right specific battery, its just the cheap batteries in general. The amazon ones should work fine, but what you want to compare is one of those to say a Duracell.

I have a True Tone CS12, and 7? i believe both have variable power for 1 port, its not limited to just the top end supplies. Gigrig has a 9v adapter which looks like a 9v battery, but you run from your power supply to it, and it to the pedal.. and it has a dial you can adjust in it, I believe they are around 50 bucks new.

For the batteries, wasn’t it carbon zinc/non-alkaline that work better than alkaline for fuzzes? I have to remember to A/B them later.

I kind of hate that I just said that.

 

[VonBonfire]

For the batteries, wasn’t it carbon zinc/non-alkaline that work better than alkaline for fuzzes? I have to remember to A/B them later.

Those cheap eveready 9v's with the cat on them are smoother sounding than any duracell or energizer but man they just don't last more than a single gig.

Apparently these were made to replicate the exact Fuzz Face from that EJ vid I linked above. I never dug this pedal until I plugged it into that Plexi a few days ago. It’s far brighter than the EJ Fuzz Face and seems to have a lot more fuzz on tap. I know what you’re saying about the OD-like aspect, it’s definitely easier to maneuver the fingerboard with that than it is the FF.

Mine was the old school large box from when he was a boutique brand. It was a nice pedal but I still liked my TS clone from VS better for my purposes so I let it go.

 

[CoreyW]

Those cheap eveready 9v's with the cat on them are smoother sounding than any duracell or energizer but man they just don't last more than a single gig.


Mine was the old school large box from when he was a boutique brand. It was a nice pedal but I still liked my TS clone from VS better for my purposes so I let it go.

The Electro Harmonix ones with Mike on them are the best!