my fuzz quest.....

Progrockabuse · Post by **Progrockabuse** » Wed Sep 26, 2012 2:59 pm

so, as many peeps know. i keep moaning about how my beloved orange dual terror is a picky bastard when it comes to pedals.

before i got it, my tweed would take any pedal really well. the best was my MBM tonebender, cleaned up well and sounded really full and rich.

when trying it with the dual terror, it just sounded like mush. tried everything i could to get it to sound well with the amp. i sold off nearly all my dirt pedals as i couldn't get any of them to sound "right".

so mike has kindly lent me a fuzz face, so i can try it with my amp before taking the plunge. so far i'm growing on the sound. still not sure how the bias and contour work.

the thing i've found with most pedals i've tried is that they make the low end really mushy.

anyone reckon a low end roll off or eq with bass cut might sort this out?

anyone got suggestions for fuzzes that might go well or general advice?

Post by **Mike** » Wed Sep 26, 2012 3:19 pm

Just for your reference.

The Bias is a true bias control to allow you to compensate the Germanium Transistors for Summer or Winter temperatures. Otherwise Fuzz Faces can sound great or terrible depending on how warm or cold they are. Basically set Fuzz to Max, and Contour to min, and try with Bias at 0, and then move it up, playing notes and chords - you should hear a subtle point at which the circuit levels out, or becomes less efficient as the transistors bias up or fall out of the perfect operating region. But as with all pedals there is no right answer so set this where it sounds best to you.

Contour adds gain, midrange, and harmonics when dialed up, so dial up until you're getting things cooking, or leave it off if you want a more vintage sound.

Dial back your guitar volume control for less bass, or favour single coils over buckers.

However it sounds like the Dual Terror might be a tricky input stage - I would dial as clean as possible and maybe a little on the bright side and see how that goes.

benecol · Post by **benecol** » Wed Sep 26, 2012 3:32 pm

For fear that I may well go blue in the face telling you this:

Rob, Dano Fabtones go amazingly well with this circuit. Amazingly well.

(also, on the fuzzface, just crank the bias and think of the contour as a mids control, or vice versa).

sp3k · Post by **sp3k** » Wed Sep 26, 2012 4:24 pm

Mike wrote: However it sounds like the Dual Terror might be a tricky input stage - I would dial as clean as possible and maybe a little on the bright side and see how that goes.

This is what i do on my dt when I use pedals, a shiva sounds really good this way btw. The channel that i use dirty only sounds good with boosts and overdrives, or if you use distorcions/fuzzes with the gain knid of low and with the tone a bit bright. A green russian muff does sound awesome in the dirty (i use tiny channel for dirt) channel, but in a doom way, it's probably not that easy to use if you're playing with a bass player.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Wed Sep 26, 2012 4:36 pm

Too lazy to check Dual terror specs but my Blackstar HT5 seems to take my mighty Mike IC muff better in the effects loop (oo err missus). I know that's against recieved wisdom but it is true nonetheless. [/possibly useless post]

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Wed Sep 26, 2012 5:59 pm

http://www.home-wrecker.com/bazz.html

HNB · Post by **HNB** » Wed Sep 26, 2012 6:04 pm

I have a whisker biscuit pedal done by Sean. I LOVE that pedal. Probably my favorite effect pedal.

SGJarrod · Post by **SGJarrod** » Wed Sep 26, 2012 7:01 pm

Proggy...... get your hands on a 5751 tube for the first pre=amp tube in the channel you use for you clean tone. Also, since you use the Fat channel for your clean that may be part of the issue. That channel has more gain and bass than the TT chan.

I put a 5751 in V1 of my TH30 and it has more clean headroom and actually takes pedals MUCH better.

I think I spent $10 on a JJ 5751

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Wed Sep 26, 2012 7:09 pm

Get a DS-1 lad.

Post by **Doog** » Wed Sep 26, 2012 7:36 pm

Dave wrote:Too lazy to check Dual terror specs but my Blackstar HT5 seems to take my mighty Mike IC muff better in the effects loop (oo err missus). I know that's against recieved wisdom but it is true nonetheless. [/possibly useless post]

PERVERT

Johno · Post by **Johno** » Thu Sep 27, 2012 6:45 am

SGJarrod wrote:Proggy...... get your hands on a 5751 tube for the first pre=amp tube in the channel you use for you clean tone. Also, since you use the Fat channel for your clean that may be part of the issue. That channel has more gain and bass than the TT chan.

I put a 5751 in V1 of my TH30 and it has more clean headroom and actually takes pedals MUCH better.

I think I spent $10 on a JJ 5751

Yep, try changing the first or first and second pre amp tubes.

kpstafford73 · Post by **kpstafford73** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 2:55 pm

I've had a lot of fun with the ZVEX Fuzz Factory. It seems to work well with my AC30, my old Gretsch amp, and my Fender Super Champ. No muddiness at all... http://zvex.com/fuzz.html

batsbrew · Post by **batsbrew** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:21 pm

the barber trifecta gives some control over those low end freqs.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Fri Oct 05, 2012 5:38 pm

Rob, just drop acid and you'll sound like GUITAR-JEHOVA whatever pedal you're using