ShortScale.org

I saw a reissue pop up second-hand on FB so went for it. I've not had chance to properly try it out because my guitar's jack socket is on the blink and I'm moving at the end of next week, so I'll probably come back to this thread later to give a more informed opinion.

On first impressions, it's an interesting thing with more versatility than many people give it credit for. Its selling point is the crazy over-the-top fuzz sound that you get when you max everything out, but I tried it like you'd try a Fender amp: set all the knobs around halfway and work from there. The blend control doesn't seem to go completely transparent (it blends the fuzz and a not-quite-bypass in other words), but that on its own makes it worth a shot as a bass fuzz before you get onto the gain and tone knobs.

If you want snarly, vicious "Touch Me I'm Sick" superfuzz toanz with an unpredictable octave effect then yes, it can do that. I also think it can also do lots of other cool things too though. Such as piss off the tattooed douche who hammered on my living room window to complain about the noise when I got this thing home (I'd already decided to move before that point, btw ).

As for the volume drop issue, I'm not sure where people are coming from. Mine may have been modded already, or maybe the RIs were altered during the production run, because it sounds plenty loud enough for me (and plenty loud enough for the prick upstairs). Unless there's a volume drop on certain settings and not others, which I admit could be a bit annoying because it's a fuzz that likes to be tweaked.

I'm still on a bit of a fuzz collecting binge though...I'm going to hunt down a Dano French Toast and eventually wind up with one of those Bee Baa clones that Black Cat do. In the meantime, I'm going to have some fun with this.

Fuzzes are fun, but you have to try them with as many guitars as possible because the results vary very much depending on the pickups.

i use it for synthy leads by rolling back the guitar tone knob, sticking a fairly middy overdrive (think ocd) before it and using the following rough settings (o'clock)

blend: 12
tone: 9.30 (or tone boost engaged usually)
sustain: 11
volume to suit

other than that i find it pretty shit/garbage, least not because it goes all dissonant when you play anything other than perfect 4ths, 5ths, and major 3rds and octaves. totally unsympathetic to minor chords so good luck playing those

dano french toast was better for me. if you stick a drive either side of that you can get some neil young tonez

Cool. I liked the Danelectro French Toast more in the non octave mode. Would like another at some point. Try a Behringer SuperFuzz as well if you get the chance.

George wrote:i use it for synthy leads by rolling back the guitar tone knob, sticking a fairly middy overdrive (think ocd) before it and using the following rough settings (o'clock)

blend: 12
tone: 9.30 (or tone boost engaged usually)
sustain: 11
volume to suit

other than that i find it pretty shit/garbage, least not because it goes all dissonant when you play anything other than perfect 4ths, 5ths, and major 3rds and octaves. totally unsympathetic to minor chords so good luck playing those

dano french toast was better for me. if you stick a drive either side of that you can get some neil young tonez

Tradez?

what have you got? it's a preowned mbm clone, by the way. despite not really getting on with it (except the synth leads) im a little reluctant to let it go, but would be interested in "dumble/tweed in a box" style drives (not so much fuzzy).

Concretebadger wrote:it can also do lots of other cool things too though. Such as piss off the tattooed douche who hammered on my living room window to complain about the noise when I got this thing home

From that description alone, I think I'd like it.

After trying it out at my new place, I'm getting a good handle on this thing. Short answer is, I like it, but it's not something I'd use very often. The search for 'my' octave fuzz continues (and will probably lead me to a North Effects Roobarb or similar).

The tracking's very messy, and I have to use the neck pickup with the tone rolled off to really hear the octave (I guess that this artifacting aspect of the pedal's sound is lost in the jangle of the bridge pickup or the natural treble of the guitar's 'normal' tone). It certainly sounds robotic and synth-y - far better for single note leads than chords, depending on what nastiness you're trying to achieve at the time. It'll probably sit in a box for ages, then one day I'll be working on a song that demands a particular type of FB ring mod fuzz gnarliness and I'll thank my lucky stars that I'd decided to keep it.

so yeah. This probably isn't the most versatile octave fuzz around so won't be a permanent fixture on my board (the enclosure does look VERY cool though), but for certain situations it's worth holding onto. I still daren't try it on my bass, because the neighbours at my new place seem really nice.

WOULD TRADE x

Concretebadger wrote:the tattooed douche

You live next to Ed Shearan?


(Ok, cheap shot, sorry Ed.)