#175 - 3rd October - Fuzzy
Everybody should have a paracentric fuzz filter. That's common sense.
When I abandoned my heavy guitar hardware around 2018, dismantled my pedalboard, sold the OR120, the 212 cab and moved over to the Kemper, with the gear I also got rid of the idea that every sound should be carried by an individual pedal.
Although I found out later that this change also made the sonic uniqueness I had developed previously, harder to achieve, I was mostly pleased with that decision and I remain to be to this day. The tools I use now are fit for purpose (which is not a guitar band).
Having said that, a particular kind of pedals always remained in my arsenal, regardless of my downsizing. And that's fuzz pedals.
I still remember what it was like to hit the EHX NYX Big Muff for the first time. Holy moly mother of Kyuss. That changed quite a bit for me.
And then of course there are QOTSA and Oceansize, two bands I mentioned a lot in my diary that also use fuzzes heavily, either for a main sound or as a shocker and to create a wall of sound.
Now that I think about it, Josh Homme and Mike Vennart (guitarists of the two bands) also inspired two fuzz pedals that I still have. In my repertoire, there is an octave fuzz designed around the FOXX tone machine circuit, called "Little Sister" that a DIY guy had built for me. It's inspired by QOTSA's Little Sister as the name might give away.
Also, I'm the proud owner of the MKII of Mike Vennart's signature fuzz - the Infatuator. It's got two different fuzz circuits in it and is able to produce that very broken square wavy velcro like fuzz as it can be heard e.g. at the end of Infatuate and at the end of 255.
Other than that, there are the Way Huge Swollen Pickle (what a name) and Stone Deaf Fig Fumb. Both have proper EQing/filtering in their circuits which makes it easier to tame the sound. The Fig Fumb is based on the Big Muff which has a tendency to reduce tightness because of its inherent smiley face EQ. So being able to get mids back is very helpful.
Also, I own a Fuzz Factory clone that I built as a DIY kit. It's nuts. But I wanted one as street rumors say Muse's Plug In Baby lead sound was achieved through this magnificent beast. Obviously one of the best riffs ever written. So the Fuzz Factory is awesome, also as a general noise and texture machine. Pure bliss.
A short list of other fuzz sounds important to me: