Seeking 60's "Revolver-esque" kazoo/sitar-like fuz

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Goodnight60
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Seeking 60's "Revolver-esque" kazoo/sitar-like fuz

Post by Goodnight60 » Sat Sep 21, 2013 7:03 pm

I'm trying to find a 60's "Revolver"-esque fuzz pedal that will give me sounds similar to what you hear in the Beatles' "She Said, She Said" or the solo in the Velvet Underground's "What Goes On". I really love the sound. i know they used Vox amps and such, but what kind of fuzz could I get this sound with? Silicon type fuzz? It almost sounds like a dead, fretless guitar or something.

Thanks!

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Post by Nathangrn » Sat Sep 21, 2013 8:16 pm

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showth ... p?t=619486

According to this link, you want a Gretsch hollowbody, a solidstate Vox amp, and a Vox Tonebender fuzz to cop Lou Reed's sound.
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Post by lysander » Sun Sep 22, 2013 7:42 am

I think silicon is definitely the way to go for that type of fuzz. You might try John Lyons at Basic Audio -- there are some good youtube demos of his pedals. I bought a WEM Pep Rush version from him this spring and it's been great for the kinds of sounds you're describing.

One thing about fuzz is that it reacts in different ways depending on the amount of signal you put into it -- experiment with the volume on your guitar and the level of fuzz on the pedal until you get what you want. Watch out with compressors in the chain for this reason, as well -- especially before the fuzz.

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Post by Jim Williams » Mon Sep 23, 2013 8:14 am

There were only a couple of fuzz tones out back then. Vox had the Tone Bender and plug in the guitar Distortion Booster. Gibson/Maestro had their 3 transistor germainium fuzz tone. Both are germainium fuzz tones. Silicon fuzz tones came a couple of years later as germainium transistors were more available back then.

You can pay $$$ for originals in probably poor condition or just build them, they are simple and easy to make.

Fuzz Central has schematics, circuit boards and other links. I built a few up myself including a Roger Meyer Octavia, a Fuzz Face, a Sola 3 transistor Tone Bender and a Foxx Tone machine with that octave split. Painted aluminum boxes are available from Electro Harmonix for about 6 bucks in various colors.
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lysander
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Post by lysander » Mon Sep 23, 2013 9:35 am

Germanium transistors are apparently more sensitive to temperature changes too -- the silicon fuzzes are more stable in that regard, which might be another reason why they got adopted in addition to their better availability. I have both, and both are good -- my Germanium fuzz (MJM Brit Bender) seems a bit smoother to me, less nasty.

I don't know how to build even these simple circuits, though.

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Post by kayagum » Mon Sep 23, 2013 3:10 pm

The answer might be as simple as a reverse delay... yaled esrever...

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Post by losthighway » Wed Sep 25, 2013 5:33 am

I'm a big fan of Freakshow FX pedal. They designed something with this sound in mind I believe, called the Maharishi. There's probably a youtube demo out there.

In a different way the Oktavian does something maybe a little thicker, or the Zvex fuzz can go a lot of directions.

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Post by Gregg Juke » Wed Sep 25, 2013 6:05 am

No love for the EHX Big Muff?

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Post by CBA713 » Sun Sep 29, 2013 2:45 pm

I've been playing with pedals for 20 years, looking for those same sounds. At least for "She Said, She Said", I've never been able to get closer with anything other than a cranked Vox tube amp and an Epiphone Casino. Then you just have to mess with different guitar and amp tones.

You could also just get a Vox Conqueror.


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Post by Jim Williams » Mon Sep 30, 2013 8:15 am

The Beatles also used rack compressors as an overdrive effect. Some of those fuzz tones are just rack gear being overloaded, but I can't recall the exact tunes.

Back in 1965 there was the Maestro fuzz box and the Vox Distortion booster, that's all I could find. A year or so later there were some botique fuzzers around LA like the Leo Krebs fuzz tone, that was a potted module so I don't know what Krebs used inside. Silicon transistors were far more expensive and hard to get than germaniums in 1965. All of the Fuzz Faces used germaniums but the re-issues use silicon, sounding nothing like the originals.
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Jeff White
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Post by Jeff White » Tue Oct 01, 2013 2:23 pm

Build this fuzz pedal http://buildyourownclone.com/effects-pe ... zzpnp.html and thank me later. It is seriously my secret guitar weapon of choice. I love using this in front of distortion or with a Catalinbread Octapussy in front of it. It's the absolute shit.

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Post by Jim Williams » Tue Oct 01, 2013 2:44 pm

Did you use germanium or silicon transistors? I built mine with AC128's on perfboard.

You can buy NOS AC128's from
www.mouser.com
for about a buck.

I use the Foxx Tone Machine with original transistors for the silicon fuzz, it's a nasty sounding design. The octave split is an extra feature.
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Jeff White
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Post by Jeff White » Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:11 am

Jim Williams wrote:Did you use germanium or silicon transistors? I built mine with AC128's on perfboard.

You can buy NOS AC128's from
www.mouser.com
for about a buck.

I use the Foxx Tone Machine with original transistors for the silicon fuzz, it's a nasty sounding design. The octave split is an extra feature.
Vintage NOS germanium transistors, whatever BYOC had back in 2010 when I built the thing. Jim, I have to thank you for pointing me to http://fuzzcentral.ssguitar.com, Awesome resource over there. Looking at building an Ampeg Scrambler clone this fall, checking out a ton of other options. Definitely will be way cheaper than BYOC prices. Their kits are great, but obviously sourcing everything yourself will be like 1/2 the price.

Also, this video just blew my mind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKEe3otWstM

Jeff
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Post by KennyLusk » Wed Oct 02, 2013 10:12 am

^^^^^

That's an awesome link Jeff, thanks.
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Post by Jim Williams » Wed Oct 02, 2013 11:14 am

Everyone needs their own hand built fuzz tone, makes you a guitar god with mystic.
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