MXR Blowtorch Overdrive?

Ryan Mohr · #1 12-17-2007, 01:58 PM

I am looking for a fuzz pedal and I have been looking around on various threads and I saw the MXR Blowtorch mentioned countless times as a great synthy-fuzz pedal. Also I saw that Stuart Zender uses it and he is the king of synth/fuzz tones IMHO. When I went on Guitar Center, I saw it advertised as an overdrive pedal capable of "tube-like growl". This made me utterly confused, because synthy-fuzz is nowhere near tube-like growl. Am I missing something or is this pedal advertised incorrectly?

bongomania · #2 12-17-2007, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AqueousView11

...is this pedal advertised incorrectly?

Based on the reviews I've read here, yes.

Darkstrike · #3 12-17-2007, 02:25 PM

You can get either if you use the blend knob right.

JanusZarate · #4 12-17-2007, 03:11 PM

Yeah, you can pull off some tube-like growl... but it's thick and wooly. It won't do grit or anything with a sharper edge. Generally, it's not something I'd recommend for overdrive; get it as a fuzz pedal.

In terms of OD... I think it could work for stoner rock. I should probably record a clip when I get a chance later this week.

Jared Lash · #5 12-17-2007, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkstrike

You can get either if you use the blend knob right.

That wasn't my experience with it.

In general, if I see a pedal that claims to do "mild, tube like overdrive all the way to full on fuzz madness" I'm surprised if it can do either very well.

The blowtorch can do a very synthy fuzz and with use of the blend you can get a very mild fuzz sound out of it, but it never sounded like a "tube like growl" to me.

I didn't care for it, but it will do what the OP is looking for.

Zappstorius · #6 12-17-2007, 05:01 PM

I own the Blowtorch, and its great for "chainsaw" like buzz tones. I'm not so sure how it would work as a smooth tube overdrive? I've never actually tried to get that tone out of it...but I doubt it could be done...although I can get a great synth tone from the Blowtorch and Chorus!

bugsyM · #7 12-19-2007, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AqueousView11

I am looking for a fuzz pedal and I have been looking around on various threads and I saw the MXR Blowtorch mentioned countless times as a great synthy-fuzz pedal. Also I saw that Stuart Zender uses it and he is the king of synth/fuzz tones IMHO. When I went on Guitar Center, I saw it advertised as an overdrive pedal capable of "tube-like growl". This made me utterly confused, because synthy-fuzz is nowhere near tube-like growl. Am I missing something or is this pedal advertised incorrectly?

Buy a Sovtek Big Muff and be done with it.

Geddyfleaharris · #8 12-19-2007, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zappstorius

I own the Blowtorch, and its great for "chainsaw" like buzz tones.

See that's what I hear. Yet I continue to read opinions on the Blowtorch where people call it a fuzz. Not that they are wrong but when I think fuzz I think Muff type fuzz. I also think the Blowtorch "chainsaw" buzz tones are way more user friendly then Boss ODB-3 "chainsaw" tones. I still want to give this pedal another try because it seems like a solid, well crafted pedal.

::Saint:: · #9 12-19-2007, 11:26 AM

I have a Blolwtorch and Little Big Muff and they are both great pedals. The blowtorch is great for a buzzy fuzz sound with good low-end tone, due in part because the fuzz is all directed in the mid-range, and also because of the built in blend knob. With that magical knob, you can dial in all out fuzzy-buzz sounds, or you can REALLY pull it back and get a milder kind of sound, with just a bit of buzz/fuzz flowing over the mid-range. The nice thing is that there is a lot of different sounds you can get out of it, as it has a full 3-band EQ, a gain knob, blend knob, and a mid-shift to 3 different frequencies, which all sound completely different. There is also the "Torch" switch which basically increases the gain by a big step.

One thing I am finding is that it doesn't work very well when hooked up to the LBM .. even with the LBM turned off, the Blowtorch tends to crap out and just doesn't sound the same as it did when I was using the BT exclusively. I am hopefully going to be solving this problem with a Morely ABY box this week though.

::Saint:: · #10 12-19-2007, 11:28 AM

I have some sound clips up, if you want to take a listen. Most of these are the Blowtorch - the only song that I have recorded with the LBM is "Prey for Deliverance", where the LBM is more prominent - during the chorus I switch to the Blowtorch (though in the latest version there is a second bass track with the LBM on top of it).

All the other songs use the Blowtorch exclusively, at different settings (please ignore my crappy vocals and fake drum tracks, BTW):

http://fire-forge.com/music

Sean S · #11 12-19-2007, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ::Saint::

One thing I am finding is that it doesn't work very well when hooked up to the LBM .. even with the LBM turned off, the Blowtorch tends to crap out and just doesn't sound the same as it did when I was using the BT exclusively.

How are you powering your pedals? I've found a lot of issues/problems with pedal interaction is powering different pedals (reverse polarity, 18v, etc.) with a daisy chain, if you know what I mean.

::Saint:: · #12 12-19-2007, 12:38 PM

Well, the BT is 18V, and I am powering it with the requisite Dunlop power adapter .. the blowtorch I am just using batteries at the moment. I want to get a 9V daisy chain so that I don't have to have so many pedals, but I wouldn't put the BT or anything that wasn't 9V on it.