The Fuzz Face and inherent problems !!!!!!!

[BD13UK]

Just been watching an old video of Hendrix at the Royal Albert Hall circa 1968, seems that he has the FF on nearly all the time and works it from the guitar volume to go cleanish slightly overdriven/more overdriven  and then full bore etc, I had an FF around 67/68 that worked exactly like this but all the models I've tried recently are nothing short of ghastly sounding, I know that the Band of Gypsies period was almost certainly a silicon model but even that one sounded great, possibly thru the intervention of RM !!!!!! I built Arons Hornet and although it's pretty good I feel that something isn't quite right, of course that could quite easily be my fault in the building process, I need to turn the Fuzz to around almost full on before things start to work, apart from that the tone is first class as is the overall sound of the fuzz I just need to get it sorted from the point of view of being able to pull the best out of it as I haven't really spent any time at all on the trimmers to get the correct readings, primarily because I'm not too clever with multimeters to be honest.

[RDV]

So much of what a Fuzz Face does is dependant on what amp it's plugged into. Those old non-master volume Marshalls are the only amps that FFs sound good through IMO. I've got 2 good sounding Ge FFs that I can't use cause they don't sound very good through my JCM900 50watt Dual Reverb. My Si FFs are pretty good also, but again only my Boss SD-1/808 and dual mosfet booster sound good through my amp.

Regards

RDV

[BD13UK]

I fancy your right about this, my old Ge FF sounded great thru my AC30 but at present I'm using two Blues Juniors, I never found that FF's sounded good with Fender amps they only seemed to work well with the AC30 and those older non master volume Marshall type amps.

[RDV]

Those Jr.s are nice though. I'd bet they sound quite good with a TS.

RDV

[BD13UK]

At present I'm using an AC Booster/Wasabi delay/ modded TS5/ Chicken salad/ Marshall ED comp and Boss CE3 chorus and they do sound great but I still remember with great fondness the sound that I used to get many moons ago with either the Rangemaster or the FF so I'm sure you appreciate where I'm coming from, I realise that it's all so different these days but I still dont think you can beat the sound of a great FF or Rangemaster (If you can get one),  I will say that I dont really like the early Marshall  amps having been a customer around,66/7 all they did was break down so my memories are not good hence the reason I stuck with the AC 30 in the early days although of all the Marshall amps I've ever used I would say that the JCM 800 is by far the best.
Thanks

[Lonestarjohnny]

I want to add some more to your thread, Hope I might find an answer to my year's with a FuzzFace and Plexi, I quit playing in 1979 and the Fuzz I was useing a friend that was somewhat more clever than I picked it out after we had hit every music store in So. St Louis, It seems if you find the right FuzzFace = Dallas Arbiter, there was an octive in the pedal if you set your guitar volume just right, this octive was just right also for a Hendrix tune, My Question would be =
How in the heck does just a plain old Fuzz pedal develope an octave without the proper cicuitry ?
and yes you are correct, there are a few thing's in life that go together and that's a Plexi,Strat, And a FuzzFace.
JD  

[brian wenz]

Hello Hello--
     The Band of Gypsies is all Axis Fuzz.
My  experience with ANY British fuzz or Rangemaster-type circuit is that they sound GREAT with British amps [EL-34 or EL-84 circuits].   I gave up trying to use 'em with Fender amps...........I guess some of the modern Fenders [with higher-gain circuits and master volumes] can sound good with FF, RM, and Tonebender pedals but I'd rather stick with the originals!
 Brian.

[brett]

Just been watching an old video of Hendrix at the Royal Albert Hall circa 1968, seems that he has the FF on nearly all the time and works it from the guitar volume to go cleanish slightly overdriven/more overdriven and then full bore etc, I had an FF around 67/68 that worked exactly like this

Yep, as Brian points out, that's what an Axis fuzz sounds like.  Maybe I'm a heretic, but the more I play with Fuzzfaces and Axis fuzzes, the more I find faults with the former and the more I like the latter.  True, there is a certain "soft hammering" that certain Ge transistors can provide, but it is elusive.  The Axis is consistent, has much tighter bass, is more controllable.....

As a bonus, the Axis also works quite well with Fender and related amps, too.

RM had the option of sticking with Ge fuzzfaces, but chose not to.

I'm not trying to inflame anything or anyone - I think these are fairly much the facts.

[Lonestarjohnny]

BD, You must'a got a Lemon, I bought a Brand new Plexi at Mel Bay's in 1968  and I still own it and it ain't ever failed to give'um NoseBleed's in the Front Row My Friend, I'm sorry you had such an experiance like that because you missed out on somethin that only happen's once in a great while, Somebody got it right, LOL ! I like your Vox AC 30 but it's a just a BABY amp compared to my ol Plexi.
JD

[petemoore]

I've had discussions about Marshall Amp reliability [the old ones].
 I shelled 200 for a nice used plexi in 76, It worked hard for me for about a decade [I should have it but sold it..dagg]. It was a bit large for club gigs IMO, outside, larger halls that get packed with people,,,can't beat it...just super fun. Fighting for great Marshall tone at less than what most bar-owners or other bandmates would consider extreme volumes gets tiresome fast.
 I talked to another [dissatisfied] Marshall Amp owner [still 70's], who claimed the same thing, and claimed they had a reputation for being hit or miss dependability wise. I had a 'scritch in the bias pot once...fixed by just 'touching' the adjustment to hit a fresh part of the pot wafer, other than that it worked great other than just being too darn BIg to 'turn on the cool sound at most gigs.
 I think the new ones are better, including the re-issue models, as far as dependability. I have a MkII 50w, and had a failed transformer replaced under warranty. Knock on wood, it is a great working amp. I read the "BIG AMP SHOOTOUT", and another article in a guitmag or two, at the time, just before getting the MkII. the article was pretty extensive, claimed to be a years worth of research, the amp got high marks, and was said to be 'all that' compared to the original ones they compared it to, so I bought. I love that amp/even more since I revoiced it to growl, not bark, taking the so called "Spike in the forehead high end" out of it forever...wheew what an improvement that was.
 Dinner.

[brian wenz]

Hello Brett-
    Was wondering if you ever experimented with  putting a 50k pot in place of the dreaded 47K res.    I've been getting lots of variations in tone and gain with that mod.
Brian.