WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE. I hate really broken up/over fuzzed sound (though I get that it is a sound that some people chase, not judging) so I've never explored fuzz pedals in my entire playing life. A few months ago I watched a video on the Wampler Velvet Fuzz and loved what I heard. I also started noticing more and more that other players, who I didn't think used fuzz, were getting great sounds out of them (Bonamassa, Eric Johnson etc...)... On a whim I gathered a few unused pedals to trade and get my first fuzz at a local used guitar shop. I ended up with a Redwitch Ruby Fuzz, and it's tone is amazing. I do get some level drop when I engage it so I'm doing the set and leave it and controlling my gain with the guitar volume... apparently this is a fuzz thing? Anyways, a great experience so far. Anyone else here use tame-ish fuzz sounds instead of full nuclear? How do you guys deal with the level drop? I can't get it near equalized even with the volume full-on...
Usually a fuzz, or any other distortion/overdrive pedal increases the volume not decreases it. I'm not specifically familiar with the Redwitch Ruby Fuzz but I'll try to find a schematic and verify this is how it works as well.
I was not able to come up with a Ruby Fuzz schematic but did find a schematic for their Fuzz God pedal which is essentially a fuzz face circuit so I suspect the Ruby Fuzz is as well. One of the reviews I read stated that the Ruby Fuzz does not have as much volume gain as a conventional fuzz pedal but that they were changing that in future releases of the pedal, so that, along with other statements in the review, leads me to suspect that either the battery in your pedal needs changing (its a rechargeable) or you have a defective, or modified, unit, as clipper circuits by their very nature increase volume.
Hmmm... I'm new to fuzz and thought that might be just a fuzz thing... but its also doing some other odd ****, so I might have to go back in and get something else.. I've had plenty of ODs and distortions over the years, I just thought it may have been a fuzz thing...
Yeah, it may be the wise decision to return it to the shop and get something else. Good luck in your quest.
Took it back, which was bitter sweet cuz I love me some simple pedals, and the fuzz sound was awesome when it worked. Ended up with a voodoo labs superfuzz (which is honestly really great). I think the redwitch had a smoother fuzz (I really want to try a Wampler velvet fuzz now), but the other **** made it basically unusable (like the volume drop, and there was a weird kind of flutter when I sustained a note for a while.)... If ever I run into another one of those I'll probably check if it does the same thing, and if not, buy it again... It was pretty damn sweet!
I've had many fuzzes, and the Wampler Velvet Fuzz is my favourite; you won't be disappointed if you get one.
I love fuzz, but only under specific circumstances. I haven't played with too many fuzzes, because I'm so happy with the one I got. My co-worker, who goes by the name Dongeomac on Reverb, built me a fuzz pedal which is a clone of the Foxx Tone Machine. It is basically a octave fuzz with a switch that allows you to get regular fuzz. I wanted a fuzz that I could get to sound like Gary Clark Jr's Numb, and it turns out on the recording he used a Foxx Tone Machine. So I traded the bridge for a fuzz in an electrical box that I wouldn't get rid of
If I was you and just getting into Fuzz I would immediately seek and listen to Seattle Grunge Band Mudhoney who for me perfectly define that sound. I just discovered that singer Mark Arm played an SG.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. It'll give me some direction in my Fuzz quest... anyone ever use the Superfuzz though? I know there are a tone of fuzz "families", which I don't yet understand... but where does the Superfuzz fit in?
