Fuzz with a useable blend

[6Bass101]

This looks about right, although never tried it.
But I did use the MXR Fuzz Deluxe with my Js for awhile, and it sounded pretty good in a power trio. Easy to dial in.

View attachment 5185673

This one. I have it and it hits the spot for me.

 

[SunByrne]

I have a Way Huge Pork and Pickle and I think does this pretty well. The Darkglass Duality also does this reasonably well, but is kind of a weird fuzz that certainly isn't for everyone.The deluxe version of the EHX Bass Big Muff Pi also has a clean blend that gives good results, at least to my ear, but I don't actually own one.

But as @Wasnex pointed out, these are treacherous waters. I actually run fuzz pedals before the compressor in my chain for this reason.

 

[PhatBottomBass1]

But as @Wasnex pointed out, these are treacherous waters. I actually run fuzz pedals before the compressor in my chain for this reason.[/QUOTE]

This is where routing can be important. Having distribution and loop options in a chain. I want to go straight into the Fuzz first, but it could go into a distributor like a MESA High-Wire. The Big Muff Pi Deluxe has IN - Wet Out - Clean Through & post Effects DI.

 

[PhatBottomBass1]

This thread had me reminiscing about the rig I was using slamming with these two 7 string guitar players recording in their converted living room...

Gibson LPB-3 (all Bartolini parts sold off)

The first ever matched set of Rio Grande "Muy Grande" Pitbull pickups wired with a 3 way-V-V-Tonestyler Bass 10 and tuned to Drop C.

Simple signal chain:

Mesa High-Wire Buffered Loop/Booster
EHX Deluxe Bass Big Muff Pi (in the loop)
Duncan Studio Bass

Aguilar DB680 (Dual Mono)
(2) Wayne Jones Audio 2x10" Powered Cabinets

This is the only rig I've ever played that could get feedback going, with the two guitar players, that was just off the hinges! It would tear your face off, throw it on the ground and then stomp on it for ya!

 

[thebandcircle]

Amptweaker bass tight fuzz
Blackhawk asgard

 

[heavyfunkmachin]

Here's the problem with using a clean blend with fuzz. Fuzz is very high gain, and therefore extremely compressed. If you blend in a clean signal that is not compressed, you frequently get the results you experienced--two sounds that do not really integrate.

Not sure if there is a single pedal solution. The solution I suggest is actually splitting your signal into two paths...this is called parallel processing. Send one path to your fuzz. For the clean path, you will need at least a compressor, so you can dial in a similar amount of compression to the fuzz. And of course you will need some sort of mixer pedal to smash the both channels back together.

Even better IMHO, run a low gain OD and a compressor on the clean side. Dial the OD in so it gives the clean sound more of a tubey feel and maybe a bit of texture, rather than producing obvious drive.

Another idea. Try stacking three relatively low gain pedals to create fuzz. IMHO stacking low gain pedals tends to result in a fuzz tone with more complexity that is more transparent and interesting IMHO.


By transparent, I mean the effect does not totally conceal all of the nuanced qualities of your bass's tone. With many fuzzes, it no longer matters what your bass sounds like, because all you hear is the fuzz.

I’ve gone back and forth in this rabbit hole and you’re right… I’m now using fuzzes with no clean sound but a strong fundamental, and lower gain settings than I would have diales in the past. For the blended sound and “dynamic” fuzz I recently fell in love with the ehx Hot wax: crayon with low gain and high volume driving the hot tubes with gain dimed so it pushes into fuzz territoriales, a bit of clean blend and all of it into a vt bass for added tube grittiness!

 

[Seth DuSith]

Here's the problem with using a clean blend with fuzz. Fuzz is very high gain, and therefore extremely compressed. If you blend in a clean signal that is not compressed, you frequently get the results you experienced--two sounds that do not really integrate.

Not sure if there is a single pedal solution. The solution I suggest is actually splitting your signal into two paths...this is called parallel processing. Send one path to your fuzz. For the clean path, you will need at least a compressor, so you can dial in a similar amount of compression to the fuzz. And of course you will need some sort of mixer pedal to smash the both channels back together.

Even better IMHO, run a low gain OD and a compressor on the clean side. Dial the OD in so it gives the clean sound more of a tubey feel and maybe a bit of texture, rather than producing obvious drive.

Another idea. Try stacking three relatively low gain pedals to create fuzz. IMHO stacking low gain pedals tends to result in a fuzz tone with more complexity that is more transparent and interesting IMHO.


By transparent, I mean the effect does not totally conceal all of the nuanced qualities of your bass's tone. With many fuzzes, it no longer matters what your bass sounds like, because all you hear is the fuzz.

Thanks for this tip I just improved my tone by miles by using it

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

People are suggesting pedals with separate clean and fuzz volumes. But that's what makes it sound like two basses are playing together whis is the exact opposite of what OP wants.

The OP needs a low-passed clean signal mixed in, or a fuzz pedal that has enough low end.

 

[Seth DuSith]

People are suggesting pedals with separate clean and fuzz volumes. But that's what makes it sound like two basses are playing together whis is the exact opposite of what OP wants.

The OP need a low-passed clean signal mixed in, or a fuzz pedal that has enough low end.

It doesn't sound like two seperate basses if you compress the clean and use the same EQ pedal on both channels.

My joyo has an output that bypasses the entire pedal, giving only what came before it, through it

So I used this, using it to go to my zoom pedal, which I have a gnarly, compressed, clean SVT tone on it. I have an EQ pedal before both pedals, and both pedals meet up into the two inputs of my amp. I adjusted the levels as if they were my "blend", and it makes on homogenous, beautiful sound, at least to my ears. It doesn't sound like two basses, like when I use my joyo alone, using the blend knob. I have my joyo entirely for distortion and zoom entirely for clean, and an EQ pedal Before both to help the tones be homogenous

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

It doesn't sound like two seperate basses if you compress the clean and use the same EQ pedal on both channels.

My joyo has an output that bypasses the entire pedal, giving only what came before it, through it

So I used this, using it to go to my zoom pedal, which I have a gnarly, compressed, clean SVT tone on it. I have an EQ pedal before both pedals, and both pedals meet up into the two inputs of my amp. I adjusted the levels as if they were my "blend", and it makes on homogenous, beautiful sound, at least to my ears. It doesn't sound like two basses, like when I use my joyo alone, using the blend knob. I have my joyo entirely for distortion and zoom entirely for clean, and an EQ pedal Before both to help the tones be homogenous

Yes, but it is not an easy setup as you need to EQ etc. Some pedals sound fine without the low-pass filter on the clean channel (the mxr bass dist has a true clean blend and it sounds fine). But no matter how much you compress you clean channel, you will hear the clean high end when you blend in enough clean signal. It can work, but it's not the best solution.

 

[Seth DuSith]

Yes, but it is not an easy setup as you need to EQ etc. Some pedals sound fine without the low-pass filter on the clean channel (the mxr bass dist has a true clean blend and it sounds fine). But no matter how much you compress you clean channel, you will hear the clean high end when you blend in enough clean signal. It can work, but it's not the best solution.

Then again, I enjoy that. To me it's a feature, not a bug. But I just realized that's maybe not the sound OP wants

 

[heavyfunkmachin]

Just adding to the mix: beware when mixing clean signal or hpf clean with a fuzz, if your fuzz has lows it can do very weird things with the phase of the low end, not necessary reverse phase but odd peaks and valleys!
I’ve been there, felt wrong but could not put my finger on it, runned a spectrum analysis to discover healthy ultra lows but peaks and valleys at 100hz-200hz!

 

[Sugarbear08]

I think the fuzz on the way huge Pork & pickle sounds great, but if I had to pick one based on the useability of the blend, that would be the broughton calamity.