IE Oxide or JHS 4 Wheeler?

BruceBass3901 · #1 02-12-2011, 07:50 AM

Calling all Fuzz addicts!!!

I'm looking to upgrade the fuzz on my pedalboard. Currently, I am using an EHX BBM fed into an EHX Knockout to get a synthy kind of Muse 'Time Is Running Out'/'Hysteria' sound, but I am look to get something a little more versatile.

The only other dirt on my board is a Way Huge Pork Loin, which I really love playing with to get a nice warm sound.

I know that the Oxide gets an awful lot of good publicity around here, but I have recently seen the clips of the JHS 4 Wheeler on their site, and think that it is a very versatile fuzz, so I was wondering if the Oxide can offer similiar (or the same) sounds of as the JHS with maybe a few more?

As both of these are 'boutique' pedals, I cannot try them before I buy them, plus I am in the UK, so they would need to be shipped abroad anyway.

So, can anybody help sway my decision at all? Or offer any other versatile fuzz pedals?

Thank you

Eric! · #2 02-12-2011, 08:26 AM

Of your two, get an Oxide.

Elsewise, I'd look into a Team Awesome Fuzzmachine by smallsound/bigsound,
or Fuzzrocious is completing his Grey Stache Plus sometime soon.
Or a McSpunckle Gnomeratron VTF (or even its deluxe version!)

BruceBass3901 · #3 02-12-2011, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric!

Of your two, get an Oxide.

Elsewise, I'd look into a Team Awesome Fuzzmachine by smallsound/bigsound,
or Fuzzrocious is completing his Grey Stache Plus sometime soon.
Or a McSpunckle Gnomeratron VTF (or even its deluxe version!)

Thanks Eric!

I was favouring the Oxide anyway

Do you mind if I ask why the Oxide tops the JHS?

Eric! · #4 02-12-2011, 08:37 AM

Well, to be honest, I've never researched JHS pedals. Im sure they're (probably) fine, but I personally know that Iron Ether, ss/bs, mcspunckle, and fuzzrocious are all top-quality builders that I'd recommend to anyone!

Also, I'll be borrowing an Oxide from a good buddy, so I'll be sure to post some review comments somewhere.

bongomania · #5 02-12-2011, 08:47 AM

JHS has three negatives in my book:
--the build quality is good enough but not great.
--the prices are quite high for what you get.
--none of his designs are original, he just copies existing circuits. E.g. "The Pollinator" is a direct copy of the BJFE "Honeybee".

BruceBass3901 · #6 02-12-2011, 08:49 AM

Thanks a lot Bongo

I reckon I will order an Oxide as soon as I have the funds to do so

Eric! · #7 02-12-2011, 09:02 AM

Iron Ether is a wizard or something.

Matt Dean · #8 02-12-2011, 01:11 PM

+1 too all the oxide love. The more I use mine, the more I think it's the best. What the oxide has that no other fuzz has (that I'm aware of) is the strangle switch that splits the lower freq from the high and fuzzes the high, leaving the low clean. This sounds killer!

Very versatile fuzz. That said, I just got the TAFM thats on tour and I'm digging that too.

RCCollins · #9 02-12-2011, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric!

Iron Ether is completely original design! Dude's a wizard or something.

isn't it actually designed around the brassmaster circuit?

Eric! · #10 02-12-2011, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCCollins

isn't it actually designed around the brassmaster circuit?

You are correct, I was mistaken.

Smallequestrian · #11 02-12-2011, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCCollins

isn't it actually designed around the brassmaster circuit?

I don't know if its designed around the brassmaster circuit directly, its capable of the tones, but also does a whole lot more. Its definitely its own thing though...way more thought put into one of these (even excluding the aesthetics) then say your average Muff clone that a lot of high end builders make.

Matt Dean · #12 02-12-2011, 05:10 PM

From Taylor's website:

"Morph knob: Morphs from the classic Brassmaster sound on one side, to a gated synthy sound on the other side. This isn’t simply a blend between 2 fuzz styles; it morphs continuously from one extreme to the other. On the right side of the dial lives the Brassmaster-inspired sound. Changes of the Morph knob on this side result in subtle tonal changes. As the knob is turned towards the left, the sound becomes increasingly gated and synthy; in this range the morph knob effects both how gated the sound is, and also the pulse width (starting as a thick square wave and getting increasingly narrow and pulse-like)."

The way I interpret this is that Taylor used the Brassmaster as a frame of reference when designing a portion of the circuit, but did not necessarily do a clone because the fuzz circuit does a lot more that just Brassmaster.

surfingbird1 · #13 03-13-2011, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

JHS has three negatives in my book:
--the build quality is good enough but not great.
--the prices are quite high for what you get.
--none of his designs are original, he just copies existing circuits. E.g. "The Pollinator" is a direct copy of the BJFE "Honeybee".

If this is the case, what do you think the 4 wheeler is a copy of, I have to say, the gate and drive functions in the demo sound nice

also, the Oxide is a beast of a fuzz pedal, you will not be disappointed

phatbass30 · #14 03-13-2011, 09:35 PM

Oxide all the way! i love mine!

iamdenialNJ · #15 03-13-2011, 11:07 PM

The build quality on the oxide was great but I could not bring myself to like the sound that came out of it. It sounded very dark through my rig even with the EQ cranked. I ended up trading it. I really want a cygnet though.

/isreadyforthebashing

the byronic man · #16 03-13-2011, 11:13 PM

+1 here on the Oxide. all i need from a fuzz and much much more.

Matt Dean · #17 03-13-2011, 11:24 PM

The Oxide is an excellent fuzz machine and I won't be taking it off my board any time soon. However, I'm also running the FEA dual band distortion and the Xotic bass bb. And I predict that I'll be buying another fuzz at some point (guess I just like dirt).

BruceBass3901 · #18 04-03-2011, 02:08 AM

I know that this is resurecting an old therad, but thought that it may be helpful to anybody else wondering.

Instead of the Oxide, I placed an order for a Fuzzrocious Grey Stache +

I heard some clips on another TBer's Soundcloud account and fell in love

Skrogh · #19 04-03-2011, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by surfingbird1

If this is the case, what do you think the 4 wheeler is a copy of, I have to say, the gate and drive functions in the demo sound nice

also, the Oxide is a beast of a fuzz pedal, you will not be disappointed

The controls match those of the Z.Vex Wolly Mammoth, sounds similar too, though it sounds like they have mod'ed it to be more active bass friendly.

TheWoodShed · #20 04-03-2011, 11:19 AM

Tyler is a mad scientist. Pure inspired genius. When I rebuild my pedal board from when I sold it off from being unemployed, that is the first place I am going.