Fuzz Hunter

[NJE]

I am hoping you folks with lots of pedal experience can help me with my hunt for a fuzz.

 

I have always been slightly obsessed with synth bass and recreating similar tones with bass guitar rather than just buying an actual bass synth like a sensible person. Recently Ian Allinson’s videos have tipped me over the edge and I want to start building a little pedal board.

 

The issue is, he uses a 3Leaf Doom fuzz type pedal but it doesn’t look like there is a single one for sale on the planet and 3Leaf seem inactive.
 

So is there a pedal that is really close to the Doom/Doom 2/You’re Doom?

 

[BadHands]

I'd get in touch with Bass Direct as they're stockists for 3LA over here. They'll probably know if there are plans for more to come out soon. If you're looking to create your own synth sounds from scratch though, there are dozens of pedals reknowned for adding that square wave sound to a bass, but without all the features of the Doom:

Black Russian Big Muff
Malekko Diabolik

Prunes & Custard

Brassmaster (and it's clones)

 

Also, if you have an octave pedal with a good solo octave down setting, pretty much any fuzz will do after that, as you're literally creating your own square wave oscillation from scratch.

 

Hope your search goes well

[Doddy]

What about something like the Way Huge Pork Loin? Tim Lefebvre uses one pretty often for his synth bass sounds.

[NJE]

Thank you for the replies, funnily enough a few of those pedals suggestions have come up in searches, particularly the Diabolik.

 

The Way Huge looks interesting and I have saved a few YouTube clips to watch later. I did wonder if after octave and filter how much difference I would hear between a Doom2 or another good fuzz. There just seems to be so many types of fuzz and I didn’t know where to look for Doom alternatives. 

 

 

[BadHands]

I thought Tim Lefevbre used the Doom 2.

The Doom is a particularly high-end pedal with lots of features, which a lot of fuzz pedals don't have.

The Diabolik is based on the Brassmaster - with fewer features than the original, but sounds great.

The Brassmaster is an attempt at a bass octave-fuzz pedal - Where the fuzz sound is so mid-heavy with lots of harmonics, that it sounds like it's being played the octave above. It really is it's own sound.

The Black Russian Big Muff is a favourite of the bass player from Muse. It's part of his go-to sound - Think Starlight and Supermassive Black Hole.

Realistically, as long as the fuzz has a good bass response, you'll be fine with whatever. If it doesn't, splitting the signal so you have a clean sound mixed with the fuzzed sound will cover the bassy end of things, and will sound even bigger.

[Doddy]

1 hour ago, BadHands said:

I thought Tim Lefevbre used the Doom 2.

I've seen him use that too. To be fair, he uses a load of different fuzzes- 3 Leaf Doom, Way Huge Pork Loin, Moollon Lotus Octah, Mantic Vitriol, Amptweaker Tight Fuzz, and others.

[lee650]

I too have been on this quest for a while and have owned/used a few Fuzzes in my synth search.

 

3 leaf Doom-

I loved this one! But found it works better with an octave/filter combo. Not so much on its own, It does sound good with the gain low anf a bit of clean blend. The tone control acts like a synth cut off and is fairly dynamic/touch sensitive, very Moog like as it was designed to do.

 

Crowther Prunes and Custard-

A very very dynamic and touch sensive pedal,and really synthy. Needs to be set at a sweet spot per instrument but sounds really harmonically rich. It can get quite aggressive when set high and difficult to control,but its a beautifully synthy sound, I felt I could use this without a filter as it has its own "Squelchy" fuzz tone.

 

Tech 21 Red Ripper-

Great versatile and synthy tone,it has loads of control and with a bit of patient tweaking, you can cop the sounds of a prunes and custard (only milder) or a smooth big muff, or even the octave up tones from a brassmaster. It has a nice dynamic feel and touch sensitivity and works well with octave/filter. At certain settings it does sound more like a distortion than fuzz, but some people like that. It also has a 3 band EQ and LPF. A great choice for a "one fuzz does all" 

 

Zvex Mastatron-

Not as dynamic as the others mentioned here,but a classic synthy fuzz that excels at octave/filter combo tones. It has a Gate which turns it into a Velcro like ripping tone,which simulates a keyboard being pressed/released. It also has 3 levels of bass and provides a lot of bottom end. It is based on the popular "wooly mammoth" which is a classic synth fuzz, but the Mastatron has an input impedance control, so it will work brilliantly with active basses or in loops, unlike it's furry cousin.

 

Iron Ether Oxide-

This is one crazy industrial sounding pedal and at its core it is two classic synthy fuzz pedals, The Wooly Mammoth and the Brassmaster. Has a clean blend and loads of control, and the main feature is the "Morph" control which gradually blends between the two sounds, and has interesting tones on its travel. I found the morph went away from the Mammoth/Gated tone, a little bit too early so you can't get the really spitty tone the Mammoths famous for. It also doesn't behave with active basses and gets difficult to control (but not impossible) I loved the Brassmaster side with the octave up craziness.

 

Mooer Fog-

Small wooly mammoth Clone, tone as above, but doesn't like active basses or buffers.

 

Emma Okto Nojs-

 

I've just got this and the Nojs side off the pedal is a synth fuzz in two parts. In the main it's a dynamic/touch sensitive octave up style fuzz,quite reminiscent of some settings of the Red Ripper and has a treble tone control similar to the Doom. It also has a synthy Square wave tone an Octave down,with a filter to make this tone smooth or edgy! It's a fantastic addition which is almost like having an Octave (but not as subby) This pedal also has a fantastic octave pedal as well so very much a synth machine on its own.

 

I have had other Fuzzes like the Bass Big muff and the Cog Grand Tarkin, and while they can be used for synth I've found they have a smoother tone and not quite "Synthy"

 

Other Synth fuzzes I've not tried that I know off, but have already been mentioned above.

 

Malleko Diabolik- brassmaster variant but dynamic too I believe.

 

Brassmaster- fuzz with a strong Octave up sound

 

Zvex Wooly Mammoth- a titan amongst synth enthusiasts. It is Gated but the Gate isn't as strong as the Mastatron and it doest like active basses/buffers

 

Darkglass Duality- never tried this, but I believe this is similar to the Oxide in that two distinct voices can be blended to taste.

 

Team Awesome Fuzz Machine

Is a very full featured fuzz with a Gate. I've not tried one,but I did come across a great synthy demo on you tube using this fuzz. Sounds as awesone as it's name.

 

Subdecay flying Tomato- admittedly I don't know much about this,buy I've heard it's synthy but also more guitar oriented. One was for sale recently by the wonderful GisserD.

 

I'm sure there a load more in the fuzz world,but I find a lot are muff/mammoth variants.

 

Also to mention the Source Audio Ultrawave! Not long out and very expensive, but has access to lots of programmable synthy fuzz sound.

Also don't discount the Source Audio C4 which has some great synth fuzzes and octaves/filters/,synths. And also the mighty Panda Future Impact

 

All this entirely my opinion/experience if course 😁 

 

Edited August 15, 2021 by lee650

[NJE]

Phenomenal reply and you have mentioned almost all of the pedals I have been reading about. Going to sit down and digest that when the kids are asleep!

[lee650]

47 minutes ago, NJE said:

Phenomenal reply and you have mentioned almost all of the pedals I have been reading about. Going to sit down and digest that when the kids are asleep!

My pleasure, I keep meaning to catalogue my findings as I've had a few intersting pedals in the synth world . DM me Anytime, if you want anything more detailed 😁

[NoirBass]

This was always my favourite for synthy bass fuzz, but it looks like the price has gone through the roof since i bought mine!

 

https://www.macaris.co.uk/colorsound-bass-fuzz/p/p3110

 

[paul_5]

Another vote for the coloursound, it’s got a really useful tone circuit, doesn’t take the miss out of the signal either.

[lee650]

5 hours ago, NoirBass said:

This was always my favourite for synthy bass fuzz, but it looks like the price has gone through the roof since i bought mine!

 

https://www.macaris.co.uk/colorsound-bass-fuzz/p/p3110

 

Ahh yes I've heard this is  a synthy fuzz! I believe The SFX Micro Fuzz is based on a Tonebender and quite synthy. The MXR Blowtorch is also supposed to have a very synthy tone too.

[dannybuoy]

Diabolik as mentioned has been my favourite synthy fuzz of all time. I didn't like the You're Doom at all by itself, although it did sound good in combo with octave and/or filter.

 

Darkglass Duality is another one to look into!

[NJE]

On 17/08/2021 at 20:09, paul_5 said:

Another vote for the coloursound, it’s got a really useful tone circuit, doesn’t take the miss out of the signal either.

Aren’t they silly amounts of money now? I need to go and have a google. I’m sure I have seen a fairly big company making clones??

[NJE]

20 minutes ago, dannybuoy said:

Diabolik as mentioned has been my favourite synthy fuzz of all time. I didn't like the You're Doom at all by itself, although it did sound good in combo with octave and/or filter.

 

Darkglass Duality is another one to look into!

I was thinking about the duality, but couldn’t find any demos that weren’t very ‘metal’ without someone playing super low and aggressive. I wondered if it did that cool harmonic like the Doom

[NJE]

Just watched a great video of the Okto Nojs, I think that might be the closest to the sound in my head so far. The demo I watched didn’t have crazy wild fuzz and it had that higher harmonic going on.
 

Oooh decisions….

[lee650]

7 hours ago, NJE said:

Just watched a great video of the Okto Nojs, I think that might be the closest to the sound in my head so far. The demo I watched didn’t have crazy wild fuzz and it had that higher harmonic going on.
 

Oooh decisions….

Yes the fuzz reminds me of a cross between the red ripper and Doom then has that great sub fuzz too. Im very pleased with mine

[NJE]

I have just seen the FEA Photon Fuzz, another good option there as well as being tempted by the Malekko B:assmaster and the Latent Lemon Brassmaster clone. 

[itu]

I think Duality is furthest away from pure metal, if we compare DG units. I liked the sound a lot, but couldn't find one, when I had the money. I have a Spruce effects Old growth fuzz for "passive" basses and James Brown's (please check) Amptweaker Bass tight fuzz for "active" units.

As @lee650 wrote about IE Oxide and "active" basses, I couldn't agree more. The difference between instruments' output impedances is substantial while trying to find "the one". I would only try a fuzz/OD/dist with the intended instrument. The results can be from lousy and ridiculous to a very special. Try before you buy, and if possible, try a few side by side.

[lee650]

On 25/08/2021 at 16:36, NJE said:

I have just seen the FEA Photon Fuzz, another good option there as well as being tempted by the Malekko B:assmaster and the Latent Lemon Brassmaster clone. 

That photon looks awesome, has octave up and a Gate with clean blend, possibly the ultimate fuzz. I've the FEA optifet comp and it's one of the best made pedals ive had.