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MXR Fuzz Deluxe vs El Grande & Blowtorch

henryjurstin13

henryjurstin13

Supporting Member
Jun 5, 2005
1,471
897
NWAR - 72764
#1
I've tried to search for this, but was coming up empty -- if there is a thread, please just link me over.

Can anyone comment or compare/contrast between the MXR Bass Fuzz Deluxe, MXR El Grande fuzz, and the MXR Blowtorch?

I'm interested in the Bass Fuzz Deluxe, but can't find one local to try out... I already own the El Grande & Blowtorch and am curious how they are all similar/different.

Thanks!
 
#2
I can't attest to the El Grande or the Blowtorch, but this pedal is incredible. I stopped at a local Sam Ash yesterday and tested 8-10 different pedals, since my Boss ODB-3 was sounding like crap, as was my sansamp bass Driver. I liked what I heard online from the Ibanez Phat Hed, which I found cheap and ordered for my chili pepper like distortion (Around the World kind of tone). I had never heard of this pedal, but they had one used. I bought it today, and it is a badass pedal no doubt. Great vintage fuzz sound. Can dial in a good Cliff Burton sound with my wah, as well as a strong Larry Graham old school funk fuzz. The separate Dry and Wet control knobs really make for a versatile setup. You won't be disappointed in this pedal. I'm only disappointed I didn't find it sooner. Works best in a pedalboard effects loop. I plugged in direct and sounded good, but when I ran it through the signal loop of my head it clipped some. Running it through my furman pedalboard though really brought it to 11. Great pedal all around. Think Big Muff Bass, on steroids. :)
 
#3
Out of those three, the BFD is the one you want. This has a blend option and retains low end punch throughout the fuzzzzzz. El Grande and Blowtorch are very different. There are clips on youtube that offer a good basis of comparison.

BFD:
worth noting... the Blowtorch is 18 volt.

Good luck.
 
#5
Let me try to help here.

The Blowtorch is primarily a distortion pedal capable of mild to borderline fuzz distortion. It's generally quite aggressive in tone and offers lots of tweaking tone options. I would describe it as modern sounding.

The El grande Fuzz is an over the top fuzz capable of huge amount of gain and bass. With most basses only the first third of the gain structure is usable, after that the gain is to intense the tone turns to white noise. It's a one trick poney but what a trick!

The Bass Fuzz Deluxe is a fuzz with a blend option. It's got the fizzy top Color Sound Tone Benders are known for. Because of the tone correction, blend and usable gain structure (from minimum to maximum) is capable of a lot of different tones. It generally has a retro feel to it.

If I could own one, that would be the Blow Torch, if I could own two out of the three, I would have the Blow Torch and Bass Fuzz Deluxe.
 
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#6
Thanks Laurent... that helps a bit more. I got smokin' deals on my Blowtorch & El Grande... dig 'em, but wasn't sure if there was a reason I should still be GAS'n for the new BFD. Looks like a different color is sure to be had, might as well own all 3!!!!!
 
#9
Had Blowtorch, didn't really dig the whole nasaly farty synth like very very focused gated tone. In band mix, it did cut through, but it didn't really have much noticable dirt (we're a loud hard rock trio though, but still, other pedals worked a lot better). Separate 18V adapter was also a PITA to carry. I prefer fatter, dirtier fuzz, OD and distortion pedals.
 
#14
my engineer friend just texted Vai yesterday and told me what you said... wow..
says it was a cranked up Ampeg amp..
I have an SVT too.. Ill need to wind it up.// and try that... its gonna get loud here in a minute....

vegas532 said:
This is more of a cranked tube amp thing. You could probably dial it up with a VT Bass.
Click to expand...
 
#18
Laurent said:
The Blowtorch is primarily a distortion pedal capable of mild to borderline fuzz distortion. It's generally quite aggressive in tone and offers lots of tweaking tone options. I would describe it as modern sounding.
Click to expand...
I own one and have for a couple of years now...

The only part of your assessment I disagree with is the "mild to borderline fuzz distortion" part.

It's capable of RIDICULOUSLY high amounts of sawtooth synth-style fuzz... it can reach almost obscene levels, which would probably be unusable for most situations.

There's a "Torch" button on the side, and with that control engaged, the gain up and the blend favoring the wet signal, the saturation is out of control... it hardly resembles a "bass guitar" anymore at all. This setting most closely resembles what the "El Grande" fuzz is capable of.

With the Torch button off, the pedal sounds/behaves much more like the Fuzz Deluxe.

Other points to note is that the Blowtorch has 18V 3-band EQ with switchable mids... the midrange control is especially handy in getting you to cut through the mix, as getting buried is typically the biggest problem when using a fuzz of this kind... at least in my experience.

I don't use it for much... a couple of MUSE covers I was doing in a money/cover band I was in had a need for it... but it's definitely an interesting pedal to have around.
 
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#20
Happy new year!
As an owner of the el Grande and the blowtorch... i have to say that i like more the sound of the first one but finally i prefer the second one because of its variety. The el grande is just Fuzz without a blender which means that in a band it's quite difficult to stand as a bassist. I'd like to have a BFD but i can't find it.

Here is my band's demo where i recorded bass using the el grande and only that... Link Removed
 

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