All-Purpose Fuzz Suggestions Wanted

[bignc]

I know nothing but the Maleko Diabolik I had was cool as heck. I stupidly decided I didn’t need a fuzz and sold it.

But in a MORE all-around way, I picked up a Fuzzrocious Lil Fella which can definitely go from mildish to a beautiful fuzz- and that Gate Toggle is gnarly!!!! However, not random unusable squiggles like a few fuzzes I’ve tried (Montreal Assembly Your & You’re comes to mind as TOO wild for me.)

 

[mouthmw]

I purchased the Tall Font Russian, but I have to agree with @sunbeast. It might work as a rock fuzz, but it doesn't work all that well as a synth fuzz. I guess gated really is the way to go. Also, my band leader (finally) removed that Muse song from the setlist, so I really have no reason to keep it now.

Which one did you get? W&C? If so, that one is pretty scooped and big in the low end, definitely quite far from synhy tones. CMC could get closer though thanks to the extra controls.

 

[groove pump]

Hello,

I'm looking for an all-purpose fuzz. Primarily, I want to use it with an octave pedal for synth tones, but I also need one that works well on its own. There's a recent thread with suggestions, but I have some particular needs, hence the new one:

• People suggested gated fuzzes in the previous thread, but my band also covers Muse's "Uprising," and I don't think a gated fuzz would work for that
• I prefer smooth, warm fuzzes (e.g. Russian Muff) to overly bright and brittle ones
• I play an active six-string bass (I'm new to active basses and basses with a B string, so I'm not sure if this is relevant)*
• I want a normal-sized, vertical pedal (i.e. I don't want the small horizontal Zvex and Fairfield Circuitry fuzzes)
• Please no suggestions for unobtainable, such as the Doom 2 or the various Broughton pedals (I know TB likes to think the more unobtainable the pedal the better it sounds, but I don't think it adds much to the conversation)
• No Source Audio pedals; I appreciate what they're doing, and I've tried them a couple of times, but they're not for me
• I don't really have a budget

* For example, one complaint about the Muffs is the mid-scoop. Could I add back those mids with the active bass, or does it not worth that way? Same with low-end.

Four pedals I've looked at are the Jam Pedals Red Muck Fuzz, Wren and Cuff Tall Font Russian, Way Huge Smalls Pork & Pickle and the Fuzzrocious Grey Stache. I'm not particularly looking for a Muff, it's just what I know. I'm open to anything.

Jam Pedals Red Muck Fuzz

• (-) I prefer the Russian Muff tone over the Civil War
• (-) I don't know that I'd need the two switches, and it seems more annoying (too close together) than useful
• (?) From what I gather, people don't really like blends/dry on fuzzes
• (?) No mids control (is it needed?)

Wren and Cuff Tall Font Russian

• (+) Russian Muff
• (?) No mids control (is it needed?)
• (?) It's kinda old by now... is it still a great option in 2025?

Way Huge Smalls Pork & Pickle

• (+) Russian Muff
• (?) Don't foresee using the OD mode
• (?) No mids control (is it needed?)
• (?) From what I gather, people don't really like blends/dry on fuzzes

Fuzzrocious Grey Stache

• (-) I prefer the Russian Muff tone over the Civil War
• (+) Mid control
• (?) It's kinda old by now... is it still a great option in 2025?

What else is out there?

Thanks!

I can only say that I'm digging into the combo of fuzz and octave a little bit myself and I'm trying to get to know what different things will do both on their own and together. My current band does a lot of covers - classic rock and some dance stuff - so I don't get to do too a lot more with this band than drive the bus. Most of my experiments are happening at home... not quite the mad scientist in his laboratory, but willing to learn.

Fuzz first got my attention back when I tried my original Line 6 POD - the red kidney bean - with my bass plugged into it. That fuzz sounded rather rich with my bass - not "fizzy", which is very much NOT for me. When I eventually went looking for pedals, I suppose that the POD was sort of my reference.

The fuzz that I'm liking is my Pearl from Recovery Effects. This is billed as a vintage styled fuzz and it has a switch that will let it run in "Hi" or "Low" mode. The Hi mode is rather straightforward and this is probably the mode that I'll use when I have an octaver to experiment with at home. Then there's the Low mode... which is absolutely IMMENSE. I literally turn it way down before I engage this so that I can bring its level up under some control. Don't want to knock any of my teeth loose or disturb the fabric of space/time by accident - that sort of thing. Yes, I adore this pedal. My drummer very much digs it, too.

If I pick up a Line 6 HX One, I'll likely noodle with the octave effects in there and see what they do with some fuzz coming their way. That HX One seems to be a handy not-too-complex gizmo that can be a lot of individual pedals (one at a time!!), both for my bass endeavors and also some of my guitar noodling. It also has several fuzzes that could be worth some getting to know.

 

[Nunovsky]

Get the Duality fuzz DFZ by Darkglass. The Duality knob allows you to go from a gated fuzz to a more muffy thick tone.

 

[Just Wrong]

Which one did you get? W&C? If so, that one is pretty scooped and big in the low end, definitely quite far from synhy tones. CMC could get closer though thanks to the extra controls.

Yeah. It was available at store nearby that has a great return policy. With the CMC, I'd had to have gone through customs, etc. But I wish I'd seen the CMC Mastodone clone before, though.

 

[Jakeman]

ss/bs Team Awesome Fuzz Machine. Very versatile.

 

[el murdoque]

I want to suggest an under ... err, wolf. Underwolf:

The OBNE Haunt.

It can do both wooly and gnarly, has a gate - which you can turn up or down as you see fit.
If you take the big version, you get a three band EQ on top.

 

[groove pump]

Yeah. It was available at store nearby that has a great return policy. With the CMC, I'd had to have gone through customs, etc. But I wish I'd seen the CMC Mastodone clone before, though.

I can add that I just picked up a used HX One and it was simple enough for me to jump right in and go hopscotching through the different presets with no significant fuss. I'm playing a gig with the band tonight and I'll probably try both a fuzz and maybe a Q-Tron based envelope filter preset in this box at different spots in our sets just as long as I'm confident with setting their levels okay.

Lots of fuzz options in here - several (not just one or two) that seem entirely useful for bass and at least three or four have also been fun for some guitar noodling through my early adventures. And also impressive in terms of how easy it is to jump into a fuzz to tweak its tone, gain, output levels, and also other things with some of them like their gating or compression. Super groovy vintage personalities to more modern torn velcro spitty sounding fuzz patches, plus a lot in between.

Check into one of these if you get a chance. The layout and offerings may or may not be decent for your list of needs 'n wants. The essential in's and out's plug into the top along with the power supply - an optional footswitch can plug into the right side, midi in/out on the left side, but I'm not doing any of that. The big win that I see here is that I got many decent fuzz options along with a lot of other very useful sounds for less that the price of two (or even one) primo boutique pedals.