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Please help me decide on a Fuzz/Dirt pedal

A

abu treysh

Apr 29, 2012
18
0
#1
Hey everybody I have kind of narrowed down my desire for fuzz/dirt based on the discussions on this forum and your various recommendations to the following pedals:

Malekko B:Assmaster
Wren and Cuff TFL
Wren and Cuff Pickle Pie B
Iron Ether Oxide
Death by Audio Robot

I guess that's not so narrow, but what the hell. Please recommend anything else that you favor :hyper:

The ability to blend the clean signal in and retain low end fatness is my top priority, so I am leaning towards the Malekko and PPB. Will be using it with Soundblox BEF Pro, Micro POG, and Aguilar Tonehammer pedals in the signal chain. Any advice on fuzz placement? Never tried doing this before (noob city).

Your advice would be much, much appreciated :) My style is experimental, live funky hip hop with a P-funk obsession specifically!
 
#4
MSUsousaphone said:
What kinda of adjectives would you give your desired sound?

Examples: If you're looking for gritty, I would say TAFM. If you're looking for smoother, more refined, I would recommend the Oxide.
Click to expand...

I'm gravitating towards a smoother sound, but not a colder one, with a lot of low end with edge... if that makes sense.

Pardon me for my lack of experience with fuzz pedals and sounds kind of does not allow me to aim too accurately. I guess the more versatile the pedal the better then :confused:

I play fingerstyle, so maybe the Oxide is out...
 
#5
naruki said:
For active basses, the Iron Oxide has this annoying "fwap" sound when played fingerstyle. Otherwise, its an excellent pedal.
Click to expand...

Yup, that's why I'll sell mine. (I call it a "chuff" sound) I sure don't think of it as smooth! More like, overbearing, hard to control volume... and maybe it likes passive basses better...
I've been voting for the Team Awesome Fuzz Machine since I got it. Massive percussive attack when the input voltage is reduced.
Also nothing will remove me from my Wounded Paw Attack Goat. More of a superfuzz upper harmonic with a blend. As my last fuzz, it adds upper harmonics to any pedal, even sounds great with SA PEF before it.
 
#6
I never noticed that with my Oxide and I have a very active Status S2 Classic and use both pick and fingers. I went to the TA!FM because I wanted something less smooth and more gritty. Now I'm not saying the Oxide is smooth....it's more of an inbetweeny. But I liked it a lot. Just wanted more grit. It handled my B string well.
 
#7
Nah, it depends. What type of bass do you use. Is it an 18 volt active bass like Naruki uses?
I used an Oxide and a 9 v active bass together and it was great, yes fingerstyle.

The Oxide can cover the B:Assmaster pretty well. One half of the Oxide, there are essentially 2 main voices to the pedal, and the B:Assmaster are based off of the old Brassmaster. Then you have the gated side of the oxide which will kill with the pog into it, and the Oxide into the BEF Pro for some synthy goodness. The Oxide will take some time to learn it in and out, but when you can think of how you want the fuzz and set the Oxide for it, it is pretty versatile.
 
#10
No Problem Abu! On your Stingray, especially if it just has the bridge pickup, play near the neck, and the "Fwap" issue shouldn't exist. IME the Oxide can do a lot of stuff.
I would guess that Bootsy probably had a Maestro Brassmaster in the 70s. Somebody here knows for sure. The Brassmaster type fuzzes sound really good and were used on a lot of funky sounding songs.
Plus pog>oxide>bef pro will really get you some nice synthy sounds for sure. Plus using the LFO on the BEF Pro with those 2...WOW, that is where you can get your experimental hip hop to a new place. I use that for more "electronic" flavored stuff but still.
 
#11
abu treysh said:
Just got to thinking that the TAFM and TFL can be used extensively on guitar as well... whereas the B:Assmaster probably won't sound as good... just thinking bang for buck here tho.
Click to expand...

I know some people that do use the TAFM with guitar and it is thunderous.
Really TAFM with the gate mod(foot switch preferably) would be my choice.

It would do the synthy stuff just as well.
 
#12
Word up man! I am really interested in the IEO now, but all you had to say was Bootsy! I was messing around with my POG>BEF>Tonehammer yesterday and came up with a lot of cool stuff (by my low standards) and I realized Fuzz will really help as you were the first to point out to me in another thread :)

Will probably pick up both eventually, I think. Decisions, decisions :D
 
#15
I wound up buying the TAFM. I love it to pieces. All it took was 30 seconds with it. The dude at the store (nice fellow) recommended the GT 500, I tried it first. Then the TAFM. Suffice to say I didn't take his advice.
 

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