Any Maestro Fuzztone alternatives?

[sengo]

Hey guys,

I was wondering if there were any Maestro Fuzztone alternatives which will get the same epic fat tones the originals got? I've read that the Maestro fuzzes are difficult to duplicate because of their reliance on leaky transistors to bias correctly. I'd really like to find something that will emulate the horn/stringed instrument sounds it can achieve, sort of like the ones in this song.

http://www.supload.com/listen?s=C5UGH2JXVKFD

The fuzzy bridge between the rhythm sections, and the fuzz guitar/harmonica solo is the sound I'm referring to.

I once read that the Tonebender MK I or II was a more stable maestro fuzz, but all the clips I found online were really fuzzy/crunchy, not at all like what I was expecting. Can you get those smooth tones out of a Tonebender?

I'm guessing the amp and heavy reverb contribute to the epicness of that tone, but anything that can get me close to that would be awesome. I might already have a fuzz that can do that, but I have not been able to find a setting on any of them that will.

Thanks,

Nick

[brett]

Hi
Maestro fuzzes had lots of bass cut.  You can get some of the same tones with a slightly mis-biased transistor (towards cut-off) with a small input cap (so that the cutoff frequency is abouut 150 Hz).  You could even try a fuzzface with a small input cap (0.047uF ?).
cheers

[gez]

I've read that the Maestro fuzzes are difficult to duplicate because of their reliance on leaky transistors to bias correctly.

Wimp! 

Yes, transistor selection can be a pain, but if you have a bag of trannies (always wondered what the collective noun for them was) and a breadboard you can get away with testing using a DMM and get good results.  I've posted notes in a number of threads about how I bias(ed) them, and it seems to work.

[doug deeper]

that doesnt really sound like a fuzztone to me.
id go with somthing fuzz face like for that sound.
or although quite different, a foxx tonemachine with out the octave should get you in that area.

[sengo]

You could even try a fuzzface with a small input cap (0.047uF ?).

that doesnt really sound like a fuzztone to me.
id go with somthing fuzz face like for that sound.
or although quite different, a foxx tonemachine with out the octave should get you in that area.

Interesting. I'll have to mess around with my fuzz face some more. The only real reason I assumed it was a fuzztone is because I saw a photo of the band performing, and on the floor was a fuzztone, but I know that does not really mean they used one often. I think I'll try e-mailing the guitarist, Randy Holden, and see if he could give me some insights as to what he was using. I believe he said in an interview he used a Les Paul, a stand-alone reverb unit, and a Fender Showman, but he did not specify the fuzz.

Yes, transistor selection can be a pain, but if you have a bag of trannies (always wondered what the collective noun for them was) and a breadboard you can get away with testing using a DMM and get good results.  I've posted notes in a number of threads about how I bias(ed) them, and it seems to work.

I'd like to try that, but I'll have to get my hands on a bag of trannys first, I only have a bunch of Russian ones which are low gain and very low leakage. I remember reading a thread where you specified the leakage for each transistor. I'll have to try and dig it up again.

Thanks guys,

Nick

[gez]

I remember reading a thread where you specified the leakage for each transistor. I'll have to try and dig it up again.

I also gave voltage readings, which is the lazy way of doing things: stick random trannies in, measure voltage and if they lie within the range it will probably sound OK.

Try the transistors that you have, you never know.

[tcobretti]

In my gallery is a schem for the Roger Mayer Page-1, which is a modern, more complicated version of the FZ-1 with a big muff pi tone stack tacked on the end.