Bootsy Collins Fuzz

[BillSp]

I love this fuzz tone that he's soloing with. Any insider knowledge on what Bootsy used effect wise?

 

[Roy Royerson]

I love that clip. In that year I'm guessing it's a EHX Big Muff but it's exactly that, just a guess. People say there was a large range of sound from the old muffs. Bootsy already had the custom bass so could be a muff built or modded for him. Also, there definitely wasn't the huge number of fuzz pedals that there are today, so there's probably only a handful of other options. Probably a split signal too. Sounds like he's got his dry signal coming through for nice bottom end, clarity and definition to me and at the end he goes more straight fuzz. And at the beginning the filter (probably mutron) and delay is damn nice too.

 

[BassBrass]

Bootsy is a real effects lover and collector and likes to try everything, he's endorsed all kinds of brands like Pigtronics and TC, but a for that era Mutron III or EXH envelope and probably an old muff, but it could be anything. He did use at least 2 pedal boards for different frequencies, he could have a different effect on the low end and a fuzz on top, and he liked to hear what the effect is doing. I bet he loves the MXR bass envelope and the Moog and the DOD and even Source Audio.

 

[BillSp]

Thanks for the responses. I've been starting to go down the rabbit hole that is effects pedals which means I'm going to be broke (and I still need to upgrade my rig). After hearing a few bootsy solos I feel I really need a fuzz. I'd love to see a break down of the different pedals he's going through, both back in the time of that video and now. There's a nice go pro video up on YouTube that shows off his board but the angle makes it difficult to see the faces.

 

[Bo0tsy]

There's a really great summary of Bootsy's vintage rig and set up in the "Legendary Licks" book, which details that his Spacebass has multiple outputs to different amps for each of the high, mid and low frequencies independently with different effects, preamps and power amps in each signal path!

In the high frequency signal path was:

Big Muff
Mu Tron III
MXR Digital Delay
Morley Fuzz Wah
Morley Power Wah
Eventing Harmonizer

Mid frequency signal path:

Big Muff
Mu Tron III
MXR. Digital Delay

Low Frequency Signal Path:

Mu Tron Octave Divider
Roland Echoplex or Roland Space Echo
Big Muff
Mu Tron III