Crowdsourcing fuzz suggestions

[Mark Hammer]

So, I drilled up a 2U rack panel for a sort of "fuzz universe" with two groups of 6 distortions/fuzzes (selected by rotary switch) and a 3-band EQ unit.

I have 9 spaces for 2-knob circuits, and 3 spaces for 3-knob units.  Eleven of the 12 slots are accounted for, and there is one open slot left, for which I'm looking for suggestions.  Keep in mind, I have a LOT of pedals, and feel no need to have everything under the sun in this unit.  I want it to be more of an idea box, where turning a switch delivers up something different and maybe changes the way one thinks about using the distortion, or provides better complement to a different kind of guitar.  It can always be supplemented by external devices.

Here are the constraints. 

• I'm NOT looking for oddball noisemakers, but things you can use to play a melody/solo.
• All of its normal functionality should be accessible via three controls; presumably a distortion, tone, and volume. I can probably tolerate one trimpot behind the panel, but 5-knobbers are uninvited.
• It needs to be something representative of a different family of distortion/fuzz, or produce a qualitatively different sort of sound than what I already have wired up.
  

Here is what I have either completed or committed to so far:

Heathkit Fuzz
Knight/Allied Fuzz
EHX Muff Fuzz (modded for variable gain)
Orpheum Fuzz
Jordan Bosstone
Roger Mayer Octavia
MXR Distortion+
Interfax Harmonic Percolator
Gretsch Controfuzz
Tonebender Mk III
Big Muff (issue to be determined)

So what am I missing that would be discernibly different and provide a "well-stocked pantry"?

[Mac Walker]

What about a mixer/buffer/splitter to blend different signals, at varying proportions?  Could open up a whole new palette of sounds....

[Mark Hammer]

What about a mixer/buffer/splitter to blend different signals, at varying proportions?  Could open up a whole new palette of sounds....

That'll happen offboard.

[R.G.]

I think you might want to include a comparator style fuzz, something like Anderton's "Optimum Fuzz" for sounds like in "Spirit in the Sky" or "Jesus Is Just All Right" kinds of licks.

Maybe a diffamp-style fuzz as well. I think these are different from the ones you already have in there.

[Chugs]

Is the free slot looking for a two or three knob suggestion?

[~arph]

Roger Mayer montezuma fuzz?  Uses a lm308. Not a rat

[Mark Hammer]

The free slot is for a 3-knobber.

[wavley]

I think you might want to include a comparator style fuzz, something like Anderton's "Optimum Fuzz" for sounds like in "Spirit in the Sky" or "Jesus Is Just All Right" kinds of licks.

Maybe a diffamp-style fuzz as well. I think these are different from the ones you already have in there.

+1 one on that!  It's bordering on one trick pony, but it sure is a great trick!

Or maybe a Rat?  I don't have one and I keep meaning to build one, but I often say to myself: "Self? Yes? That sure is a nice guitar tone, what do you think that guitar player is using? Well, I don't know, let's go look at that pedalboard. Well look at that, it's a Rat. Why couldn't you get a good tone out of Rat when you borrowed one as a kid and he offered to sell it to you for $20? I don't know, but now I'm really sad because I probably spent that $20 on surf wax, gas, and hamburgers."

[Mark Hammer]

I have a couple of Rats, so no great hurry to fill the slot with one.  I had pondered a Mayer Mongoose, or an Ibanez SD-9, both of which are of the same general family as the Rat.

A comparator fuzz is certainly a very different family of  distortion from what I have so far, so I'll put a sticky on that one.

[Kesh]

Low voltage valve.

[~arph]

Mongoose is what I meant. A friend of mine has a DIY two knob version which sounds great on a les Paul. Can't say that about a regular rat..

[LucifersTrip]

All of its normal functionality should be accessible via three controls; presumably a distortion, tone, and volume. I can probably tolerate one trimpot behind the panel, but 5-knobbers are uninvited.

remember, any 5 knobber can be a 2 knobber with 3 knobs hardwired to your favorite position...and any 2 knobber can be made a 3 knobber with one simple mod

It needs to be something representative of a different family of distortion/fuzz, or produce a qualitatively different sort of sound than what I already have wired up.

Here is what I have either completed or committed to so far:

Heathkit Fuzz
Knight/Allied Fuzz
EHX Muff Fuzz (modded for variable gain)
Orpheum Fuzz
Jordan Bosstone
Roger Mayer Octavia
MXR Distortion+
Interfax Harmonic Percolator
Gretsch Controfuzz
Tonebender Mk III
Big Muff (issue to be determined)

So what am I missing that would be discernibly different and provide a "well-stocked pantry"?

I don't know if it was intentional since they're so obvious, but you are missing 3 of the "biggest" fuzzes: Fuzz Face, Tonebender Mk II, Maestro FZ-1. None of those topologies are represented in your list above and will give different tones.  That being said, the UMI Buzztone is also nothing like any of those and you have nothing that can do a more extreme octave like an Ampeg Scrambler or Univox Super Fuzz...Good for solos, but melody?

[Mark Hammer]

Interesting.  Note that the Rat uses the feedback resistance to set gain, where the Mongoose uses the ground leg.  One of the consequences of that is that as gain is increased on the Rat, you lose top end but maintain the same bottom end.  On the Mongoose, as you turn up gain, you lose bottom end, which may be more appropriate for an HB-equipped guitar.

The open slot is for a 3-knobber and the stock Mongoose is a 2-knobber, with Gain and Volume.  But, yes, any 2-knobber can be turned into a 3-knobber.  I can see augmenting the basic circuit with a variable filter.  I'll put a sticky on that one.

next!

[Electron Tornado]

How about a Moserite Fuzzrite? Add a pot in place of the resistor to ground that comes after Q2.

I guess you already have something that is close enough to a Fuzz Face? If not, add a tone or bias control for a 3rd knob.

Univox Superfuzz?

Ugly Face?

How about an overdrive? Tube Screamer variant or Yamaha Overdrive?

[Mark Hammer]

The Orpheum covers the same ground as a Fuzz-Rite and Shin-Ei Companion.

The Muff Fuzz with variable gain covers the Fuzz Face ground moderately well, though I won't claim that a pair of BC550s will do what a suitably selected pair of AC128s will do.

The Superfuzz turf is more or less covered by the Mayer Octavia and the Orpheum, though it doesn't sound exactly like those two.  I made one and sold it earlier this year, and frankly I don't really miss it.

I was pondering making #12 one of the feedback loop diode clippers like a TS808, or a Bluesbreaker, or a Timmy.  Still thinking about that.  Keep those suggestions coming folks.

But I'll tell you what ain't getting booted out.  I just walked back in from the garage after firing up a Harmonic Percolator clone for the first time, and "Baby, where you been all my life?!!"     I used George Giblet's 2007 drawing, a 2n3565 (hfe 150) and a 2SB172 (hfe 54), a pair of unmarked germanium diodes, and used the 20k resistor to ground rather than 91k.  It's every bit as good as the Steve Albini demo video.  I feel like I'm playing Lauren Bacall's voice, not a guitar.  Just so damn throaty, and it makes harmonics on the 5, 7, and 12 fret true musical statements.  It easily meets my criterion of not sounding like other things.  No wonder it is so prized.

[garcho]

Scrambler?
21st Century Green Ringer?
Smokey?
Too noisey?

[Mark Hammer]

All decent units, but I have the Mayer Octavia on there already.  Admittedly it's tricky finding something that is of a different family.  A Scrambler, Green Ringer, Fender Blender, Foxx Tone Machine, Tychobrahe Octavia, et al, sound different enough from each other for us to notice the difference and have preferences.  But they all treat the signal in an approximately equivalent way, such that they can sound very similar when you tweak and pick a certain way.  'm looking for things that would sound pretty different no matter what you did, turning the distortion down to clean notwithstanding.

[digi2t]

WEM Project V fuzz. Two knobs, but two switches as well (drive and edge). Fairly big circuit for a fuzz, but ask Jimi, he tried mine, and well worth it.

[WGTP]

Obsidian/Vulcan 

[FiveseveN]

Speaking of which, how come no multi-stage JFET distortion? A BSIAB, maybe? Have you found they don't offer a significantly distinct "character" that couldn't be duplicated with some simple clipping arrangement? 'Cause I have .