The world of effects is a vast and complex one, a world that remains a mystery to many but that we guitarists must master if we are to find our own sound. From pitch shift to echo, from chorus to whammy... the possibilities are endless, and this complexity is compounded with each additional link in the chain. Effects are available in many guises today, with rack-mounted devices and software on our computers; however, we will concentrate on good old fashioned pedals.
This month we look at Fuzz – a specific type of distortion with a voice and history all its own.
The Science
Fuzz is in the distortion family sonically speaking, but the effect is achieved differently to standard distortion and overdrive effects. Like a distortion, fuzz consists of a signal boost and clipping circuit which distorts the input signal. Where fuzz differs is that the sound wave is boost and then clipped so aggressively that the usual graduated curve of an unprocessed guitar signal or sine wave is blocked off closer to a square wave. Were the sound wave truly square, fuzz would not sound fuzzy – the sound wave is rough and edgy which gives the fuzz effect the same sound. Along with Wah it shares the distinction of being named after the sound it makes.
Roots
The classic fuzz sound as we now know it is attributed to the early blues artists and ‘scene’ as a whole. As this period in music history is notoriously badly documented no single artist is credited with its discovery. Like distortion the emergence of what we think of as fuzz was accidental and usually the result of a malfunctioning or damaged amplifier, mixing desk, power tube, punctured speaker cone and so on.
Fuzz as an effect came in to being thanks to Glen Snoddy, who was sound engineer on many country tracks and in 1960 on the track ‘Don’t Worry’ by Marty Robbins. Fuzz made an unscheduled appearance on the bass part of this track thanks to a faulty desk. Snoddy saw the potential and set about constructing a device to provide the effect on demand, eventually pitching the idea to Gibson in what would become the Maestro Fuzz-tone. Gibson envisioned the device being used to replicate horn sounds on a guitar, and we might not be where we are today had Keith Richards not picked up the pedal and used it on ‘(Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’. Fuzz pedals from many manufacturers started to spring up and the 60’s and 70’s are awash with recordings prominently featuring fuzz driven guitar lines. Popularity waned as rock and metal artists of the 80s headed toward distortions mimicking an amplifier at maximum load, only to return with punk and grunge in the 90s.
Products
There are still many fuzz pedals on the market from a variety of manufacturers at every price point, and as ever it’s a matter of personal preference and budget.
The Danelectro Cool Cat CF-2 is a good budget choice. It lacks the myriad of switching options of some of its competitors but the out of the box tone is a good 60s fuzz. At $58 if you’re in the market for a pedal to introduce you to fuzz this might be the one. Plastic construction makes it a bad bet for the road though, so bedroom heroes only on this one.
The Dunlop Dallas Arbiter Fuzz-Face is the current reissue of the classic used by many artists over the years. It is a ‘classic’ fuzz meaning that it produces a sound that is reminiscent of all those old recordings. With the effect set mid way and your guitar volume at about 7 you’re straight in to ‘Satisfaction’ tone... at $118 RRP that’s pretty satisfying!
Finally if you’ve got $130 burning a hole in your pocket I can thoroughly recommend the Way Huge Swollen Pickle. As well as having a downright hilarious name, the Pickle is capable of a variety of fuzz tones and it is this versatility that wins it a place on my pedalboard. It can get a little noisy in a signal chain so you’ll need to be careful where you place it, and you will also want to be careful with balancing the ‘loudness’ dial against the need to replace a blown amplifier... but it’s a great pedal with a voice all its own.
So that's fuzz in a nutshell... until next time, it might be worth investing in some earplugs...!
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