what specs are better for fuzz?

[Hutzbordello]

im looking to get a new amp in maybe a few months and im wondering whats better for fuzz

bigger speakers, deeper cab

not exactly sure, but i do know that my mb 210 kinda farts due to there being too much fuzz. im hoping adding an extension cab will take care of this as the signal will be going to both amps.

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by Hutzbordello

im looking to get a new amp in maybe a few months and im wondering whats better for fuzz

No tweeters.

my mb 210 kinda farts due to there being too much fuzz. im hoping adding an extension cab will take care of this as the signal will be going to both amps.

Fuzz alone will not cause any woofer farting, as the added content from fuzz is all in the mids and highs, not the lows. If it's farting out it's from too much bass EQ boost.

[greenboy]

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

If it's farting out it's from too much bass EQ boost.

And often having the gain so much further up on the fuzz than the un-fuzz. More volume means more evrything.

One time when I first was gigging on bass I had a related embarrassment. I always got to play a huge bass solo on Wild Thing just to break up the monotony. I'd just programmed up this awesome new fuzz patch in my headphones a few days ago, and it seemed to be pegging the meters about the same, and switching it on and off not too different in volume.

HOLY COW!!! When I stomped on at the gig, for my entrance with bass power chords, I totally buried the guitarists! Not even a bubble comin' up! The drummer was circling the drain too! And when I rolled my bass's volume knob down it was practically at the bottom before the suprahypermegagain was backed off enough to hear anything else.

Good thing I had a real 18" subwoofer on a real crossover in my rig or there would have been some bent voice coils. I check my relative levels at performance levels before gigging them now.

[Hutzbordello]

Originally Posted by greenboy

And often having the gain so much further up on the fuzz than the un-fuzz. More volume means more evrything.

One time when I first was gigging on bass I had a related embarrassment. I always got to play a huge bass solo on Wild Thing just to break up the monotony. I'd just programmed up this awesome new fuzz patch in my headphones a few days ago, and it seemed to be pegging the meters about the same, and switching it on and off not too different in volume.

HOLY COW!!! When I stomped on at the gig, for my entrance with bass power chords, I totally buried the guitarists! Not even a bubble comin' up! The drummer was circling the drain too! And when I rolled my bass's volume knob down it was practically at the bottom before the suprahypermegagain was backed off enough to hear anything else.

Good thing I had a real 18" subwoofer on a real crossover in my rig or there would have been some bent voice coils. I check my relative levels at performance levels before gigging them now.

lol thats awesome

[greenboy]

It sounded awesome. I had a fantastically extravagant rig with tons of power, biamped. The tone was incredible. The massiveness was undeniable. Trouble was, the rest of the band pretty much vanished behind its sonic behemothness! Nobody was throwing 'em a life preserver until too late. They were caught in the giant turning screws. Not good teamwork!

[Mr. Foxen]

Originally Posted by Hutzbordello

im looking to get a new amp in maybe a few months and im wondering whats better for fuzz

bigger speakers, deeper cab

not exactly sure, but i do know that my mb 210 kinda farts due to there being too much fuzz. im hoping adding an extension cab will take care of this as the signal will be going to both amps.

If it is a big muff you are using for fuzz, the mid scoop is killing your audibility, and you are cranking the volume to compensate, pushing your speakers further than they are happy with. Also, a cab pointing at you ears helps, you'll be able to hear what is going on that way.

[Hutzbordello]

nope its a fuzz factory. im not sure if the volume levels between the amp and the pedal were set right but it wasnt so much farting out as the fuzz was being held back so to speak.

it could be too much bass or what not. but i was also jamming with a drummer and a guitarist who has a 4x12 with an egnater head so i may have been pushing them a bit far for just a 2x10

also greenboy it sounds like that rig would be good for a sunn 0))) cover band lawl

[Zeb Norris]

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

No tweeters.


Fuzz alone will not cause any woofer farting, as the added content from fuzz is all in the mids and highs, not the lows. If it's farting out it's from too much bass EQ boost.

Which would be a common mistake. SUBTRACTIVE EQ is the way to go.

[Hutzbordello]

im assuming that means cutting my levels instead of a different kind of EQ im unawares of?

[AwkwardLoudness]

To get the most out of the fuzz pedal....

-Use an amp with lots of headroom, i.e. loud cleans, and dial in for those loud cleans. I much prefer tube amps especially with a fuzz pedal, but your mileage may vary. Make sure that the fuzz pedal doesn't boost the pre-amp into gain territory when activated.

-Get a bigger cab or add another cab. Turn off the tweeter if it has one.

-Dial in the ZVex Fuzz Factory to taste. Adjust the amp's EQ as needed. You will probably want to boost the mids on the amp to compensate for the scooped sound of the pedal.

[Sartori]

Make sure that if the cab has a tweeter it can be turned off.

[Hutzbordello]

oh yea lol i blew the tweeter a while ago using fuzz lol

never really used it tho

[Hutzbordello]

so today i cut the highs and rolled back to my bridge pickup and it sounds much better.

i noticed on the higher frets it was more farty-ish so i figured it was the highs. and i guess i was right.

the FF was putting not reacting well with all the highs on my bass so after i cut them, i got a much better tone.

thanks for the help, when i get my blender i should be able to get more mids and lows i guess which should be better for the low frequency

[Zeb Norris]

Originally Posted by Hutzbordello

im assuming that means cutting my levels instead of a different kind of EQ im unawares of?

Right. Subtract unwanted frequnecies rather than boost desired frequencies. Preserves headroom.

Now, you can boost some and cut others, but the idea is to not get your gain to amplification stage too high. Otherwise you get un-intended distortion.

For recording many virtual EQs have a way to adjust output level. That makes it possible to boost the frequencies you want, then reduce overall output from the EQ. Same difference in the end.

It's kind of a mark of a rookie engineer to boost frequencies.

[Mr. Foxen]

Also, if you were running both pickups on full, that scoops the mids and does same as big muff, losing your perceived volume, whilst having loads of low frequencies.