ShortScale.org

anybody had any experience of it?

im looking for a thick fuzz pedal with a bit of character and this seems to be something that i keep coming back to

other options are

proco rat vintage/2 (maybe a bit boring)
mjm london fuzz (very dear! and only available in america it seems)
coopersonic valveslapper (again very expensive)

the FB seems to be going at around the 100 notes mark and i like the posssibilty of the octave stuff on it, only thing thats making me have second thoughts is a lot of the online reviews seem to suggest it can be a bit unmanagable at times. although i like quirkiness and character i am in a gigging band so it needs to be usable.

any other ideas/recommendations at around the 100 mark

Careful with the Fender Blender. I have one and LOVE it but it's not an everyday fuzz, it hates pretty much everything you put through it and sounds like arse a lot of the time. If you're looking for one useable fuzz I'd say look elsewhere, but if you're after crazy 8 bit noises and jank sounds, and don't mind fiddling with knobs for ages then it's great.

I'd say it's giggable though, and I plan to gig mine. It just depends what you're using it for and expect from it.

If you want one, Mike still makes them I believe

[youtube][/youtube]

I believe that's the exact one I now own. Great.

GeorgeF wrote:I believe that's the exact one I now own. Great.

Tis indeed. MIke makes'm to 70s spec, so no giant volume drop.

Mike's demo made it sound amazing. Every now and then I get intrigued by Fender Blenders, but the youtube demos of the reissues sound like asshole.

Mike's sounds good.

Benmurray85 wrote:
im looking for a thick fuzz pedal

Then you want to run the hell away from the Fender Blender, unless Mike's doing some awesome mods to them.
Fender Blender is the definition of "mosquito fuzz"

aen wrote: "mosquito fuzz"

With all due respect to m'learned colleague, I disagree a lot: played a couple of clones (a perf build and a Ronsound Flender) and they were lovely and full: something I love about a good octave fuzz is how it'll make the bass sound all tubular (forgive me, I'll take my regular seat in Pseud's Corner...). Mosquito fuzz for me is the Shin-ei or the Fuzzrite.

aen wrote:

Benmurray85 wrote:
im looking for a thick fuzz pedal

Then you want to run the hell away from the Fender Blender, unless Mike's doing some awesome mods to them.
Fender Blender is the definition of "mosquito fuzz"

No way, I found my Blender copy to be plenty thick, although it can be pretty spiky- just use the tone and fuzz control carefully.

[youtube][/youtube]
In fact, here's Hurb demoing my clone that I done solded him, sounds at 2:00.

Dannymec wrote:Mike's demo made it sound amazing. Every now and then I get intrigued by Fender Blenders, but the youtube demos of the reissues sound like asshole.

Mike's sounds good.

agreed the stuff on youtube is absolutely shite but i hadnt seen mikes demo which has really made me want one. when he first kicks the tone boost switch on with the tone switch down sounds absolutely great

does anybody have any experience of the mjm london fuzz? i love the youtube vids of it but it is very expensive.

I ordered a Fender Blender RI, and it should be getting here today. I'll mod it if I have any serious problems with the volume drop, but nevertheless I'll come back with some opinions.

Doog wrote:

aen wrote:

Benmurray85 wrote:
im looking for a thick fuzz pedal

Then you want to run the hell away from the Fender Blender, unless Mike's doing some awesome mods to them.
Fender Blender is the definition of "mosquito fuzz"

No way, I found my Blender copy to be plenty thick, although it can be pretty spiky- just use the tone and fuzz control carefully.

In fact, here's Hurb demoing my clone that I done solded him, sounds at 2:00.

Maybe it because it was a superior clone instead of a RI? I've had nothing but shrill memories of the fender blender personally.

Benmurray85 wrote:
im looking for a thick fuzz pedal

options are

proco rat vintage/2 (maybe a bit boring)
coopersonic valveslapper (again very expensive)

A Rat won't give you particularly fuzzy sounds but do sound good in my opinion, although the new Rat 2's aren't supposed to be much good and a vintage Rat would probably be expensive. You could get a clone made or look for someone that has a used one up for sale (like me).

The Valveslapper is a really good pedal but again not really a fuzz, although mine sounds very similar to an IC Big Muff with the tone stack disengaged.

Thanks for all the comments above

I kinda decided that the FB may be a bit too wild to get any "usable" tones out of and it's fair expensive to buy just as an experiment. Maybe one day though coz I do love the vintage styling/look of it

in the end I've decided to try the mxr blue box. Durable, usable and interesting

any thoughts before I head out to splash the cash

Benmurray85 wrote:Thanks for all the comments above

I kinda decided that the FB may be a bit too wild to get any "usable" tones out of and it's fair expensive to buy just as an experiment. Maybe one day though coz I do love the vintage styling/look of it

There are PLENTY of usable tones in it. It's a tweakers pedal for sure, but it's not uncontrollable by any stretch once you have your sound dialed in it's perfectly giggable.

See, I hated the Bluebox - while the fuzz on its own was OK, I didn't like the octave, and it's a quiet pedal (though that's easy to remedy). A one-trick pony, and a pretty poor trick at that. There are dozens of better fuzzes for the money. A secondhand Dano French Toast is infinitely better, and about a quarter of the price.

Have to say I really disliked the Blue Box. Maybe didn't give it enough of a go, but to me it sounded pretty wank.

Isn't the dirt side of a blue box an overdrive not a fuzz? Could be wrong but thats what I thought.

I like it, but if you're not covering Melvins - Stoner Witch full time, you're gonna run out of uses for it.

You are wrong - fuzzy as fuck.

Well this is weird, because I ordered both a fender blender AND a blue box.

And they should be here TODAY.