Cheap Sleeper Fuzz Pedals for Guitar

Recording Techniques, People Skills, Gear, Recording Spaces, Computers, and DIY

Moderators: drumsound, tomb

User avatar
vvv
zen recordist
Posts: 10136
Joined: Tue May 13, 2003 8:08 am
Location: Chi
Contact:

Re: Cheap Sleeper Fuzz Pedals for Guitar

Post by vvv » Sat Aug 14, 2021 1:54 pm

CraigS63 wrote:
Sat Aug 14, 2021 6:52 am
Plus, free candy! It did trigger a lot of SW rep phone calls though.
I'd pay US$15 to avoid those calls ...

Wait, I did.

:twisted:
bandcamp;
blog.
I mix with olive juice.

User avatar
digitaldrummer
ghost haunting audio students
Posts: 3472
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2005 9:51 pm
Location: Austin, Texas
Contact:

Re: Cheap Sleeper Fuzz Pedals for Guitar

Post by digitaldrummer » Tue Aug 17, 2021 5:21 pm

I always ignore the calls, emails, texts... but I did get the pedal - delivered on Sunday by FedEx -which was unexpected. The pedal is plastic (and I knew that) so it's not a great candidate for gigs, but here in the studio it should be fine. played around with it for a few minutes so far and it was kinda fun. I think it has potential.
Mike
www.studiodrumtracks.com -- Drum tracks starting at $50!
www.doubledogrecording.com

User avatar
vvv
zen recordist
Posts: 10136
Joined: Tue May 13, 2003 8:08 am
Location: Chi
Contact:

Re: Cheap Sleeper Fuzz Pedals for Guitar

Post by vvv » Tue Aug 17, 2021 5:27 pm

Yeah, I'm digging the EQ, actually; allows for a real heavy fuzz w/out hiss and such.

By memory (not played it in a while) but it sounds a lot like a allegedly accurate Super Fuzz clone I have, altho' I swear I can only ever almost barely hear the high octave unless it's really loud.

On both of 'em.
bandcamp;
blog.
I mix with olive juice.

User avatar
A.David.MacKinnon
ears didn't survive the freeze
Posts: 3818
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 5:57 am
Location: Toronto
Contact:

Re: Cheap Sleeper Fuzz Pedals for Guitar

Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Wed Aug 18, 2021 4:43 am

My yellow Azur fuzz arrived yesterday. The low level talked about in the video I posted earlier seems to have been fixed. It's got tons of gain and sounds pretty fantastic. It's a very 60's, velcro ripping type of sound. I'm impressed. For $24 Canadian (which is what, $18USD?) it's totally worth having.

https://www.amazon.com/AZOR-Vintage-Gui ... B07BF6KQFG

User avatar
digitaldrummer
ghost haunting audio students
Posts: 3472
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2005 9:51 pm
Location: Austin, Texas
Contact:

Re: Cheap Sleeper Fuzz Pedals for Guitar

Post by digitaldrummer » Wed Aug 18, 2021 6:23 am

A.David.MacKinnon wrote:
Wed Aug 18, 2021 4:43 am
For $24 Canadian (which is what, $18USD?) it's totally worth having.
you'd think... but Amazon is telling me $24.90. of course "free shipping" is not really free. But any pedal under $25 that is not complete sh** is probably worth getting.

I mentioned it in another thread, but the Donner Square Harmonic is one of those (although not a fuzz by any means and technically under $30) - but really cool pedal on guitar or bass. here's 10% off (and was free shipping for me - delivered by Amazon) -- https://loox.io/z/EkkLSGuC5
Mike
www.studiodrumtracks.com -- Drum tracks starting at $50!
www.doubledogrecording.com

ashcat_lt
tinnitus
Posts: 1094
Joined: Thu Jan 04, 2007 1:54 pm
Location: Duluth, MN
Contact:

Re: Cheap Sleeper Fuzz Pedals for Guitar

Post by ashcat_lt » Wed Aug 25, 2021 1:20 pm

vvv wrote:
Tue Aug 17, 2021 5:27 pm
...altho' I swear I can only ever almost barely hear the high octave unless it's really loud...
I don't think the HyperFuzz is really meant as a true octave up fuzz, and I've never really heard that effect from it. With most octave fuzz type, you get the most clear octave up effect usually by using the neck pickup, turning the T pot on the guitar down and playing above the 12th fret. They don't really "track", but they have a better chance of approximating that octave doubling when there is less harmonic material, the input is weighted more toward the fundamental, and especially when that first octave harmonic is absent from the original. Sometimes the same effect as "turning down the T pot" is accomplished just by the pedal having a very low input impedance (and being first in the chain after the guitar), but the principle remains. Or course, it just can't work on anything but single note lines. They are not pitch shifters but basically rectifiers, and that action only really works with relatively simple signals.

User avatar
vvv
zen recordist
Posts: 10136
Joined: Tue May 13, 2003 8:08 am
Location: Chi
Contact:

Re: Cheap Sleeper Fuzz Pedals for Guitar

Post by vvv » Wed Aug 25, 2021 2:36 pm

I recently got (like, a cuppla daze ago) the Catalinbread Octapussy and it's my new fave octave fuzz. (I used it in places on the Basket Weaver's thing on my bandcamp page.)
bandcamp;
blog.
I mix with olive juice.

ashcat_lt
tinnitus
Posts: 1094
Joined: Thu Jan 04, 2007 1:54 pm
Location: Duluth, MN
Contact:

Re: Cheap Sleeper Fuzz Pedals for Guitar

Post by ashcat_lt » Wed Aug 25, 2021 3:00 pm

vvv wrote:
Wed Aug 25, 2021 2:36 pm
...the Catalinbread Octapussy...
Almost kinda the opposite of "cheap sleeper". Not exactly the most expensive boutique fancy crap out there, but... ;)

User avatar
vvv
zen recordist
Posts: 10136
Joined: Tue May 13, 2003 8:08 am
Location: Chi
Contact:

Re: Cheap Sleeper Fuzz Pedals for Guitar

Post by vvv » Wed Aug 25, 2021 3:34 pm

Yeah, sorry about that, I wasn't thinking "cheap" - altho' I did pay about US$80, used ...
bandcamp;
blog.
I mix with olive juice.

User avatar
digitaldrummer
ghost haunting audio students
Posts: 3472
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2005 9:51 pm
Location: Austin, Texas
Contact:

Re: Cheap Sleeper Fuzz Pedals for Guitar

Post by digitaldrummer » Mon Sep 13, 2021 6:36 am

One of the guitar players in (one of my) band decided he really liked my new Behringer SF300 and put it on his board and then took it to gigs. So I finally said to him - I'm not getting that back right? And he agreed to have me just take $27 out of his cut of our last show, and I ordered another to keep in the studio. He definitely liked the sound. :lol:
Mike
www.studiodrumtracks.com -- Drum tracks starting at $50!
www.doubledogrecording.com

User avatar
Rodgre
carpal tunnel
Posts: 1744
Joined: Fri May 30, 2003 3:19 am
Location: Central MA
Contact:

Re: Cheap Sleeper Fuzz Pedals for Guitar

Post by Rodgre » Mon Oct 04, 2021 11:43 am

ashcat_lt wrote:
Thu Aug 12, 2021 4:24 pm
vvv wrote:
Thu Aug 12, 2021 2:40 pm
Also, the Behringer SF300 gets a lot of love under US$50 - I've not tried it.
This was going to be my suggestion. It's a clone of the Boss HyperFuzz, which itself is switchable between two different transistor-based fuzzes AND a good clean boost mode.
So the Behringer Superfuzz is their version of the Boss Hyperfuzz, which is Boss's take on the classic Japanese Superfuzz circuit that was used in pretty much every Japanese fuzz from 1968-1980 (Univox, Honey, Shaftsbury, Royal, Aria, Ibanez Standard Fuzz, Marlboro Wailer, etc). Some are 6 transistor, and some are 8, but the overall vibe is similar. (Boss originally used this circuit in their Micro-Rack ROD-10 in the 80s). The two modes, like on a Superfuzz are not two different fuzz circuits. They are just choosing between two tone settings after the fuzz circuit, one being scooped and bassy, the other being bright and piercing. People have figured out that you can set the Behringer switch right in between the two settings for what might be the best tone out of the pedal. (Trivia: we take positions 2 and 4 on a Strat pickup selector for granted now (which is the bridge and middle or neck and middle pickups in parallel, but NOT out of phase, as is erroneously said. This was a "trick" people figured out early on by balancing the original 3-way switch in between settings where it shorted between the two pickups. It actually wasn't until the later 70s that Fender actually started putting 5-way switches in!!!).

The octave-up effect is a bit milder than on an Octavia or Foxx Tone Machine, but it's definitely there. Try playing single notes on the higher strings above the 10th fret, maybe with the tone on the guitar rolled down. You'll hear that "Purple Haze" octave-up thing pretty well. Also, try playing a dissonant cluster of notes and hear the crazy ring mod-like effect.

I would actually like to try one of my Superfuzzes with a tone BYPASS switch, like certain eras of Big Muffs have. It will be much much louder and have a more aggressive midrange, I'm sure.

Roger

User avatar
Rodgre
carpal tunnel
Posts: 1744
Joined: Fri May 30, 2003 3:19 am
Location: Central MA
Contact:

Re: Cheap Sleeper Fuzz Pedals for Guitar

Post by Rodgre » Mon Oct 04, 2021 11:52 am

Cheap sleeper fuzzes.... so many fun ones.

You can't go wrong with any Fuzz Face style pedal, germanium or silicon even. It's the simplest two-transistor circuit and it sounds gargantuan and cleans up nicely when you roll your volume down. The cheapest version might be the Mosky Fuzzface (silicon) for less than $30.

The Seymour Duncan Tweak Fuzz is pretty awesome for a sleeper. It seems to be a silicon Fuzz Face style circuit with switchable input caps for tone shaping.

Danelectro French Toast is a killer Foxx Tone Machine octave fuzz circuit. They're cheap and sound great, but do not have a status LED. Danelectro makes a more robust Tone Machine pedal as well called the 3699 Fuzz (3699 spells out FOXX on an old rotary phone like we used to have in the 1500s).

Donner Stylish Fuzz is a decent Big Muff clone for around $40.

There used to be a lot of great deals on sleeper pedals back in the day, but those days are over now as everyone has the internet and no stone has been left unturned at this point. Gone are the days of $40 Russian Big Muffs and $15 Kay Fuztones.

Roger

User avatar
floid
buyin' a studio
Posts: 983
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2006 1:39 pm
Location: in exile

Re: Cheap Sleeper Fuzz Pedals for Guitar

Post by floid » Mon Oct 04, 2021 12:39 pm

Rodgre wrote:
Mon Oct 04, 2021 11:43 am
The two modes, like on a Superfuzz are not two different fuzz circuits. They are just choosing between two tone settings after the fuzz circuit, one being scooped and bassy, the other being bright and piercing. People have figured out that you can set the Behringer switch right in between the two settings for what might be the best tone out of the pedal.
i can't speak to the behringer specifically, but on most of the Japanese circuits you can wire a pot in place of the switch, grounding the wiper so that it behaves as two variable resistors, and be able to sweep between the settings. There's a little more to it than that but it's a useful mod and not too hard to figure out.
Village Idiot.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 33 guests