Anyone have an effect not work with a particular guitar?

[BlackFlag1313]

I built up a straight forward Fuzz Face clone for a friend and it worked fine with a guitar with humbuckers as well as a Mex Strat.  When I gave it to them, they used a Japanese Strat and said that they couldn't get decent gain or distortion.  I tried it out again and it worked just with my gear.  Any thoughts? :?:

[ExpAnonColin]

The humbuckers are much louder pickups than the stratocaster has...  The pickups DO effect the sound of the pedal.  Perhaps more input boost is the key...  Although, if it's totally drastic, possibly it's a problem with the guitar.

-Colin

[80k]

were they active pickups?  that might affect the performance of a GE based fuzzface type pedal.

[Mark Hammer]

The amount of gain built into any distortion unit is planned around the amount of signal boost required to bring the anticipated input signal up to the required level to clip, given the other aspects of the circuit.  Usually, most fuzzes have enough potential gain to bring just about anything up to clipping level, but occasionally you get subtle mismatches wherein either the input signal is not hot enough to get the "textbook" type of gonzo clipping people are used to from a given unit, or else is unable to get the subtler shades of overdrive from a unit because it is just too hot - works both ways.

The difference in signal level between humbuckers and single-coils can be pretty big, and when you factor in individual differences between different SC and different HB pickups, the level difference can be VERY substantial.  The SCs will most certainly be able to get something other than a clean tone from the Fuzz Face, but may not be able to get quite the degree of distortion that a hotter pickup would.

And as noted, it works the opposite way too.  I made myself a TS-808 clone, and attempted to use it with my main guitar, which had a x4 preamp in it.  I *hated* that TS, and could not for the life of me see what the magic was.  A year or two after I made it, I finally picked up a more "normal" SC-equipped instrument without a preamp, andtried it out with the TS.  Promptly fell in love with the TS.  The difference was that the much hotter preamped guitar simply could not put out the modest signals needed to get the touch of overdrive the TS is loved for.

[bwanasonic]

Assuming they had the Fuzz Knob all the way up, another issue could be the amp rather than the guitar. If it is a germanium FF, temperature could be a factor also. It would seem unlikely there would be a vast difference between your MIM and the MIJ strat as far as the FF is concerned, but the FF is so notoriously picky about impedances. Are they using any other pedals in the signal chain?  If you can, have them  come over with the guitar in question and play through your rig. This would narrow things down.

Kerry M

[BlackFlag1313]

When a TURNED OFF nobels OD is placed in front of it, he said it worked great.  I've been told that these, when they are in bypass, will increase the impedance through some sort of an output impedance buffer.  He said with the turned off nobels OD, it worked great.

[Ge_Whiz]

I believe the FF is very sensitive to the impedance of the pickups. When I attempted to test my clone with a guitar containing a low-impedance-out buffer, the FF drive control does absolutely nothing - not maxxed out, just sounds like it's stuck halfway. I'm sure this is an impedance issue.

[AL]

A Fuzz Face seems to be happiest when placed by itself. They are stingy, selfish little guys and don't like other pedals.  It has been my experience to keep them by themselves and they will sound fantastic.  Place them with other pedals and maybe they'll work, maybe they won't.  Fuzz Face = does not play well with others.  I think RG Keen has some articles on his page regarding effects compatabiltiy and the Technology of the Fuzz Face.  Give those a read and see if clears things up.  http://www.geofex.com/  Cheers

AL

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

If a fuzz fzce needs to be driven by a higher input impedance that what you have, you could put a resistor in series with the input. With a booster before the resistor, if you run out of signal. (havn't tried this, just a suggestion for the experimentally inclined).

[Robin]

Tim Escobedo got me started on audio transformers and now I'm using them for lots of stuff: impedance matching, isolation, octave rectifier stages, audio power amp outputs, balanced cables, RF .....

[drew]

You know, this is funny... I have mostly single-coil guitars (mustang, tele) and my fuzz face sounds good...

But just the other day my sis came over with her detuned-to-a-low-B guitar strung with heavy jazz strings, and I played it through the fuzz face for a bit and it was HUGE. It must be the humbuckers. Maybe I'll get some and hide 'em in my Tele...


drew
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