Chug Fuzz

[Gorn]

Hi guys!

I'm currently looking for a new project. I'd like to build a fuzz that is high-gain and tight enough to deliver good percussive chunky palm-mutes, so something more towards the border between fuzz and distortion, I think.
Pedals I already have that roughly go in that direction would be a Rat, an Acapulco, a Superfuzz and a Russian Muff. However, the project can devinitively become more extreme than the mentioned. I also don't mind if it is a little gated.

What I am NOT looking for are fuzzes that have a woolly undefined low end like a fuzzface, thin fuzzes like a fuzztone or classic distortions.

I also realize that you can't get classic metal chugs with a fuzz, I just named it Chug Fuzz to have a concise title

So far I only have two pedals that come to mind:

Devi Ever Hyperion
BAT Pharaoh

I'm looking forward to your suggestions!
Gorn

[Gorn]

In short: chunky fuzz, tight enough for percussive palm-mutes

Suggestions so far:

Boost with HPF
Proco Rat
EQD Acapulco
Shin-Ei Superfuzz
EHX Russian Muff, Opamp Big Muff, BAT Pharaoh, Montarbo Sinphoton
Devi Ever Hyperion, Devi Ever Soda Meiser
Sola Sound Tone Bender MKI
Rosac Nu-Fuzz
Os Mutantes Fuzz
Jordan Bosstone, Rockett WTF
D*A*M Meathead
Tim Escobedo Tripple Fuzz
Way Huge Conquistador
Fuzzrocious Pedals 420

[FiveseveN]

To make a distortion "tight" put a high-pass before it, usually with some gain to compensate. Compare a Guv'nor to a Rat or this to an Acapulco Gold:

[Gorn]

Yes you are right, to put some kind of HPF in front is a classic approach to tighten things up, most metal players use some kind of TS, which would also give a mid hump. I dont have a TS but I have a Gt120 style preamp with variable HPF. Rat with gain down all the way as a boost might also work to get my existing pedals over the edge. Very reasonable advice, but I still want to built a high gain fuzz 

[antonis]

[andy-h-h]

Hi guys!

What I am NOT looking for are fuzzes that have a woolly undefined low end like a fuzzface, thin fuzzes like a tonebender or classic distortions.
I also realize that you can't get classic metal chugs with a fuzz, I just named it Chug Fuzz to have a concise title

So far I only have two pedals that come to mind:

Devi Ever Hyperion
BAT Pharaoh

I'm looking forward to your suggestions!
Gorn

A good MKI Tone Bender does chug, and they don't have a loose bottom end.  They can also be a bit gated.  Apart from the Vox, and maybe a MKIII with the treble turned up, I've never considered any Tone Benders to be thin.

Nu-Fuzz are pretty cool and simple to try if you want something a little different.  Montarbo Sinphoton also cool, but may need a smaller cap here and there to reduce the wool.   

[Fancy Lime]

For what you describe, if I understand it correctly, I love me some Jordan Bosstone. Very versatile and, if necessary, heavy fuzz that can easily be tuned to be as tight or as flubby as you like. Try the Rockett WTF, which is a modern descendent with some improvements.

The Fuzz Face architecture is also pretty versatile and not at all confined to the "classic fuzz face sound". Have a look a the D*A*M Meathead (regular or dark variant), maybe that is a worthwhile starting point and very simple indeed.

More complicated but even more versatile is the opamp big muff. With some modifications, this can be made into pretty much the heaviest, chuggiest fuzz I know.

Simple and fun and similar to the Nu-Fuzz is the Os Mutantes Fuzz. Try that one with 2N2222 if you have any. Great fun.

[Gorn]

Never heard of the Tim Escobedo Tripple Fuzz, but it sounds sick! Unfortunately not a lot of demos available

[Gorn]

I thought of the "Satisfaction" tone when describing thin fuzz, corrected it in the original post 
Tone Bender was always a vintage fuzz for me, but it is heavy, heavier than I remember

Not sure about the Nu Fuzz, but that might be the demos

[Gorn]

Funny that you all bring up vintage designs, I never had them in consideration to be honest. But maybe thats the case because they viewed as perfect gate to vintage tones and not a vehicle to absolute chunky madness... Anyway its hard to find demos of vintage pedals that try to achive heavier tones, so maybe I need to breadboard and try some of your suggestions myself!

The meathead is doom glory, one day I will built one, and Muffs... You never can have too many right?

[antonis]

Never heard of the Tim Escobedo Tripple Fuzz, but it sounds sick! Unfortunately not a lot of demos available

Not even a small breadboard..??

[Gorn]

Yeah, I should breadboard and test all suggestions myself

[Gorn]

More complicated but even more versatile is the opamp big muff. With some modifications, this can be made into pretty much the heaviest, chuggiest fuzz I know.

Do you have any specific mods in mind?

Devi Ever Soda Meiser might work, typical over the top Devi fuzz, high gain, gated, octave up effect in some settings, bit fat tho.
Way Huge Conquistador, its called Fuzzsortion, but like the Soda Meiser it seems a little bit to fat and round for this application, more of a doom fuzz
Fuzzrocious Pedals 420: their description of the thing is basically my description of what I want, didnt find a schematic tho

[Steben]

Fuzz Face style circuit with a smaller input cap will do fine.

[Gorn]

I have one, so I can try 

[Fancy Lime]

Opamp big muff mods: mostly, I would change the first stage, which is originally inverting, to a non-inverting one and increase the high frequency gain of that stage a bit. With a corner at 720Hz, that is like feeding a TS into a BMP: noice! I would also change both opamps to TL072 and use the extra fourth stage as a buffer (maybe with 6db gain, wither full range or only below 200 Hz) between the tone stack and volume. Lastly, I would change the tone stack to a Rat tone control for more mids and fatter chug. There are a few boutiqueueueue pedals out there that seem to maybe possibly do something similar, or so some people claim, but I haven't seen schematics of those and forgot the names.

[andy-h-h]

Fuzz Face style circuit with a smaller input cap will do fine.

True - check the Colorsound Fuzz box.  Fuzz Face with 100n in, 220n out and fixed gain.  They're great, easy to build.

The Nu-fzz version that I like is the D*A*M Fuzzing FR-70.   Same bones, some different component values. 

I guess a few people with Tone Benders might like to play vintage style tracks or in that style, so they have that reputation.   They can also be absolute monsters and could easily drop into other really heavy styles.

[antonis]

Opamp big muff mods: mostly, I would change the first stage, which is originally inverting, to a non-inverting one and increase the high frequency gain of that stage a bit. With a corner at 720Hz, that is like feeding a TS into a BMP: noice! I would also change both opamps to TL072 and use the extra fourth stage as a buffer (maybe with 6db gain, wither full range or only below 200 Hz) between the tone stack and volume. Lastly, I would change the tone stack to a Rat tone control for more mids and fatter chug. There are a few boutiqueueueue pedals out there that seem to maybe possibly do something similar, or so some people claim, but I haven't seen schematics of those and forgot the names.

So another BMF(ancy)L(ime),,
(pas mal..)

[Phend]

Whatever circuit you select to try, breadboard it first.
If you can, make it just like the schematic, right down to the components used, if possible.
Guess what, it might not sound like you think it should.
That's where You come in with the good ole dmm..

[Fancy Lime]

+1 to the "breadboard a fuzz face style circuit and go from there". My other suggestions aside, a one knob high gain silicon fuzz face (one-knob Colorsound fuzz, D*A*M Meathead, Emanating Fist Black Dust...) Is my personal favorite too for heavy dirty fuzz of doom. Easy to build, easy to tune to a wide variety of tastes, easy to use and just all around awesome.