Fuzz pedals sound better with some amps than others.

[WarpCanada]

So maybe my tale can be of help to someone else who, like me, thought that they did not like Fuzz pedals.   Here's my story.

My first guitar amp was a solid state/digital amp with a single 12ax7 in a preamp circuit.  It was a horrendous low end amp, with a terrible speaker, and fizzy onboard effects.  My first real pedal, which I expected to make some use of the 12ax7 in the preamp, was a fuzz pedal. I thought, maybe that little fuzz pedal will unlock the great sounds in this otherwise trash amp.   It turns out that no, there were no good sounds in that trashy amp and that bolting a 12ax7 tube onto an amp doesn't always result in any really useful results.   Better to buy a completely solid state amp without any tubes in it, and save your money for one of the ones that has a nice speaker, and is well designed. These days there are many many options, most impressive being the boss Katana series. But in the early 2000s when I went from playing only acoustic guitar to buying my first electric guitar, I cheaped out.  The thing is, the bad experience also soured me on fuzz pedals.

I had heard some albums with fuzz guitar tones that I loved and I had seen folks play rigs with fuzz in them, and their fuzzes sounded completely unlike my fuzz sounds.

My second and third guitar amps were moderately better.  But it wasn't until my fourth amp, a blackstar HT5R that I really was able to get a clean sound that was dynamic, but felt "alive" when playing.      Finally, just recently, in my dotage, I went and bought a completely crazy monster amp, a 100 watt all tube Fender 94 Twin (evil twin).

However even though the Blackstar HT5R sounded great alone, and great with any digital effects, including my PodGO (which has most of the same sound effects as the Helix),   I still couldn't get great Fuzz sounds, and could not get Fuzz sounds with fuzz pedals either. Still can't.  This amp just doesn't take fuzz pedals, even though I love it to bit.

But this big brute Fender 100 watt beastie, besides being way too loud to play at home, mostly, takes fuzz pedals like a champ.  In fact, simple 5 watt Fender Champ all tube amps will probably ALSO take fuzz pedals and give you a wide variety of possible fuzz sounds.

I believe that fuzz pedals sound best through classic all tube amp designs, whether they are high or low power. And that you might even get some good fuzz tones through SOME DIGITAL AMPS, and some solid state amps, but it's NOT GUARANTEED.

My current fuzz pedals are cheapies-but-goodies:

- Cuvave Fuzz ($20 US on amazon)
- Behringer SF300 fuzz ($30-$40 on amazon)

Now that I know fuzz circuits can sound good on some amps, I'm willing to spend some more money on a more boutique fuzz pedal.

Because I never owned more than one amp before last year, ever, I never would have had the chance to try and compare things.  It sure would have helped me to have any buddies who play guitar.

Update:  After saying this I finally got some fuzz sounds that I love with the blackstar.   Mostly I feel if you can't get a sound you like with a pedal by itself, you should stick at the one pedal into the guitar and isolate it until you figure it out. In the case of fuzz pedals into modern hybrid practice amps, I think, sometimes MORE pedals is exactly what a fuzz pedal needs.   Fuzz into reverb, for example, is shoegaze heaven.

[guitarron]

I have the same Evil twin. Even set to 50 watts it's a beast. I bought when I was gigging in the early 90s. I haven't used it much lately in favor of a little 15 watt mono price amp. Which I dumb down to 1 watt
Both amps take pedals well, the twin I use the clean channel. But iis loud.

Recently  purchased a Spark amp which is a great little amp.

Anyhow, for a fuzz I have proco rat. Which I feel is more like a distortion rather than a fuzz.
I've been eyeing one of cheap behringer pedals or a Muff. Just for shits and giggles

I had a muff back in the seventies. My first ever pedal. I wish I still had.

[Zoltan]

I used to hate fuzz pedals and it was mostly because i didn't know how to use them properly and the amp(s) i was trying to use them with. At that time i had Big Muff and Roger Mayer Stone Fuzz.

Lately i've gone fuzz crazy! My wife probably sees red already, but i *swear* i've already got all the fuzz boxes that i need:
- Black Arts Pharaoh (based on Big Muff)
- Black Arts Black Forest (based on Coloursound Overdriver)
- Lovepedals BoneTender (based on ToneBender MK2)
- Fuzz Face mini (silicon)
- DOD Carcosa (based on Maestro FZ-1S)

Out of these pedals my favourite at the moment is Bonetender, but Carcosa seems to be the easiest to use. It isn't so fuzzy about the guitar and/or amps used. Pharaoh is pure bliss with a proper setup ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pySHebh90z8 ), but can also sound horrible...

That Cuvave fuzz has got great reviews. It's supposedly a real find! That Behringer fuzz is a clone of Boss Hyperfuzz and both are loved by the doom growd

[guitarron]

I used to hate fuzz pedals and it was mostly because i didn't know how to use them properly and the amp(s) i was trying to use them with. At that time i had Big Muff and Roger Mayer Stone Fuzz.

Lately i've gone fuzz crazy! My wife probably sees red already, but i *swear* i've already got all the fuzz boxes that i need:
- Black Arts Pharaoh (based on Big Muff)
- Black Arts Black Forest (based on Coloursound Overdriver)
- Lovepedals BoneTender (based on ToneBender MK2)
- Fuzz Face mini (silicon)
- DOD Carcosa (based on Maestro FZ-1S

damn dude! Nice
I gave up on fuzz for the longest time. It has its place though

The spark amp has a muff model that is quite good and useful

[Zoltan]

I'm probably overusing the fuzz, but i don't care as long as it's fun I like the chaos it brings to the playing. My whole style / lack of style is based on barely controlled chaos anyhow.
My favourite effect of all time is wah and i'm now trying to avoid it just because of it. Also worth noting for bargain hunters that it's rarely necessary to buy these things new. I've bought all of these pedals used and waited until i've found a real bargain!