Audio Monk Fuzzpotion Univox Super-Fuzz Clone?

[Mark Olson]

Well here's the Audio Monk Fuzzpotion:

http://www.pedalgeek.com/cgi-bin/new...and=link--amfp

Notice it has two knobs and a footswitchable notch filter and claims to be modeled after a notorious Japanese fuzz box but made friendly with bass.

Here's a Wikipedia article on the Univox Super-Fuzz:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Univox_Super-Fuzz

Notice that the Univox Super Fuzz was originally designed by Shin-ei and has two knobs and a switchable notch filter.

So putting two and two together... the Audio Monk Fuzzpotion might well be a bass friendly version of the Univox Super-Fuzz, right? Or am I just way off base here? I'm intrigued I may have to give one of these a try down the road.

[Toasted]

There's loads of Super Fuzz clones, Mr.Boglin

[markjazzbassist]

the guyatone fuzz is a univox clone as well.

[Mark Olson]

I know I've had the Guyatone. Cut too much bottom for me. I'm just wondering if this thing is friendly on the bottom.

[Pilgrim]

I have one of the original 60's Univox Super-Fuzz boxes; here's my opinion....

I have tried to use this for bass for years, but the fuzz is so aggressive that TO MY EAR, it takes all the definition out of the notes and all I end up with is kind of a continual roar with no definition under the guitar lines. Much of the time I can't hear where my notes start. For that reason, I've removed it from bass service and it's sitting on a shelf in my practice room. I now use a Boss OBD-3 or just turn up some distortion in my Behringer BDI-21 direct interface pedal.

My preference to date is the Boss OBD-3, as it can get plenty aggressive and still maintain some attack when each note starts. Also, the blend control built into it helps control the amount of signal distortion. But it's not fuzz (the most extreme signal disruption), it's a distortion pedal so it's designed to be a bit less aggressive.

I never thought the Univox took too much of the bottom out, as there's a two-position tone switch and I just used the lower of the two tones...that was OK.

But unless you want an extremely radical fuzz, this is probably not a pedal that you will be able to use very much. My candid opinion is that it's a better pedal for guitar than for bass, unless you have a specific need for what it does. And for absolute chainsaw, bring-the-walls-down fuzz, there's not much that can touch it.

The pedal in this photo is identical to mine, although mine's in better condition.

[Mark Olson]

Every now and then for me obnoxious noise is the name of the game, hahaha! Thanks for your input.

[Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by Toasted

There's loads of Super Fuzz clones, Mr. Boglin

Yowzah. Some online research will probably yield a number of derivatives that are a lot less expensive than an original 60's Super-Fuzz.

A reflection....back when the Super-Fuzz was made, there weren't separate guitar and bass pedals. There were just pedals. You tried 'em, and if you liked the sound, you used 'em. Although there are now often different models for guitar and bass, I don't think the "try it and then decide if it's a keeper" process has changed very much. I'll bet a lot of musicians have spent thousands of dollars over time just swapping pedals. Of course, that's also a reason that there are usually used pedals on da'bay.

[Mark Olson]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

Yowzah. Some online research will probably yield a number of derivatives that are a lot less expensive than an original 60's Super-Fuzz.

Yeah I'm perfectly aware of the clones out there but my point is how many of them are advertised as acting "equally as well for guitar and bass"? I don't know if it's just hype, of course the original and it's clones have been used on bass and sound cool, or if it means modifications have actually been made on the circuit to better accomodate bass. That's what I'm curious about.

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

I'll bet a lot of musicians have spent thousands of dollars over time just swapping pedals.

I'm one of them. Tens of thousands of dollars. I'm sure there's a lot more around here.

[Pilgrim]

I hear you. To me, the whole fuzz/distortion/overdrive continuum of signal distortion poses real perceptual problems...the challenge of auditioning solo vs. how the pedal sounds when playing with a band.

I LOVE the sound of that Univox Super-Fuzz when I play it solo. Problem is, when I drop it into a mix, I can't get it to give me any separation between notes. The fuzz effect seems to soften the attack so much that the notes are just moofmoofmoof.

Problem is, they ALL sound great solo! it's only when you mix them with other music that their shortcomings become audible. What I have learned over the past couple of years is that I want some amount of distortion (or overdrive, however you want to categorize it) on certain tunes, but I don't want to lose the initial attack of the notes; I want to be able to distinguish those individual notes.

I tried a Boss SD-1 and liked it, but the more I listened to it the more I felt that it was dropping the lower frequencies and sounded too thin. I opted not to modify it (there are some fairly easy mods for bass use discussed in various fora). Instead, I went back to the Boss OBD-3 my wife gave me for Christmas. After more tweaking, to my individual (and possibly warped) ear, it provides the flexibility and control that I need.

I may find a pedal I like more, but for now the OBD-3 is cool.

I don't have a way to record that Super-Fuzz and digitize the signal or I'd do so for you. ..but there are some samples on youTube.

Here's one of the same vintage that I have...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChvmvnBYG7Y

Here's one identical to mine, and part way through he switches the tone from treble to bass. I can also see that he has the knobs fully clockwise, so they're at maximum effect:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N23Ek...eature=related

...both are guitar demos.

[grygrx]

1) I have one of these on order.
2) I e-mailed the guy who makes them to check on his comments about it's clone status.

[Mark Olson]

Ok cool. I emailed pedalgeek about it and they told me to contact him so I was about to do that. Please let me know what you find out, and I'd be curious to hear your opinion when you get the thing. Thanks!

[eshears]

Originally Posted by grygrx

1) I have one of these on order.
2) I e-mailed the guy who makes them to check on his comments about it's clone status.

grygrx, you've got a fever...and the only prescription is more fuzz pedals.

[grygrx]

Originally Posted by eshears

grygrx, you've got a fever...and the only prescription is more fuzz pedals.

I've decided I'm going to give into the urge and just start collecting bass fuzz pedals. Then I can be that crazy bass fuzz guy.

[grygrx]

Sharing my conversation:

The FuzzPotion clipping characteristics and production of harmonics are akin to the Univox Superfuzz

and

Thanks for your interest in finding out more about my pedals. I read the thread about the Fuzzpotion on the TalkBass forums and I'm fairly certain I can address any questions.

I would like to add that all of my pedals are engineered by me. There are cumulative scientific tests that happen during the design process...meaning the reasons why things do or don't work are recorded and used to better the design toward a specific goal. I would also like to add that I lecture about audio for music related applications at universities and engineering clubs.

My first pedal, the "Fuzzbeard" has amazingly smooth overdrive/fuzz for bass. There is another member of Talk Bass, Patrick Nelson, who can attest to this claim. It is worth checking out this pedal as well.

The Fuzzpotion is over the top in terms of "clipping" or distortion. It also incorporates an octave generator within the circuit. So not only do you get hard clipping to notes you are also getting overtones to that note. There are two buttons on this pedal....on/off and the Twiggy and Wiggy control. Wiggy is extremely heavy in harmonic generation and Twiggy cuts this for more "defined" lead work. None the less the FuzzPotion is over-the-top and would definitely add enjoyment to any bass players pedal board.

[Mark Olson]

Thanks for the info!

[grygrx]

Note: The low end on this pedal in (umm the big mode) is HUGE. It feels a little bit like 'rock star mode' when I turn it on and jam some power chords.

[Max Roberts]

Originally Posted by grygrx

Note: The low end on this pedal in (umm the big mode) is HUGE. It feels a little bit like 'rock star mode' when I turn it on and jam some power chords.

Have you got this now? Any clips coming up? I'd love to hear this monster.

[grygrx]

Originally Posted by Max Roberts

Have you got this now? Any clips coming up? I'd love to hear this monster.

Came yesterday, I didn't get in till late. I played for about umm 15mins before work this morning... so no judgements as of yet

[NYCBass]

Hey All, I have an Audio Monk Fuzzpotion and it is a killer. I don't know or care about the whole clone thing, all I care about is the tone. And this is all the Fuzz you will ever need.

[Mark Olson]

Cool. How much gain would you say the Fuzzpotion has on a scale of mild grit to all out can't tell what the notes are feedbacking mess?