Clipping Diodes with Fuzz Face?

[MetalGod]

I'm sure this has probably all been beat to death here, but since I'm new here...

anyway, I tried using a pair of back-to-back diodes (1N4148s) on the output of a Fuzz Face and noticed little difference.  The sound was quieter & more even but no more gain (like I expected).

anyone else have experiences with this?

[Mark Hammer]

Diodes will not add any gain.  Rather they will limit the signal.  Of course the signal has to be large enough for it to be noticeably limited by those diodes.  My 9 year-old tends not to hurt his head on the ceiling no matter how high he jumps.  My 19-year-old, on the other hand...

You'd be surprised how little clipping diodes can sometimes add.  You can lift the diodes on the Jordan Bosstone and the Univox Superfuzz and still get plenty of distortion.  Same thing for a Distortion+.  Of course the sound *does* get fuzzierwith the diodes, but it certainly isn't spotlessly clean before it reaches them.

The other thing to consider about diodes on the output isthat if they put a ceiling on the maximum signal level, it means you can't use a hot output to push your amp hard unless you add a booster stage after those diodes.  It's certainly POSSIBLE to do, but you still have to do it.  For some folks, the sweetest distortion comes from *some* distortion on the input signal, and additional distortion in the preamp, plus whatever you get from the amp and speakers.  The pedal alone is only a participant in the magic, not the source of it.

[MetalGod]

Thanks for the reply Mark, I was really surprised at the lack of added dirt & thought I'd check in here for the first time.  I've been posting on Ampage for years but it seems most people are over on this forum now (when it comes to pedals anyway).