Maggot Brain
Well-Known Member
I've been on a fuzz obsession and saw this locally for for a great price, couldn't pass it up. I've been determined to try to figure out Jimi's true fuzz tone and I wanted to investigate this circuit/pedal.
Ok, so this is not a "Fuzz Face" circuit, it is a Octavio fuzz/driver circuit minus the octave doubler. It is said Roger Mayer created a circuit much like this for Jimi along with many other prototype effects/fuzzes. It's supposedly inspired by the helios mic preamp circuit of Olympic studios. It is suspected that Jimi's red Fuzz Face with white knobs was really this circuit inside.
First off I am extremely impressed with Dunlop's offering. I've steered clear of Dunlop pedals since I began playing guitar. My first couple of pedals were Dunlop and I remember them sounding awful. The design of the "mini" Fuzz Face enclosure is just awesome and I love the modern size.
The Fuzz sounds very similar to a Fuzz Face but with way more boost and a bit more gain. It's texture reminds me of something between Germanium and Silicon and best of all it works with a wah wah. I am now entirely convinced this is the type of fuzz circuit Jimi used late '67 until about 1970 when he started using silicon. I have always had a feeling Jimi wasn't using a true Fuzz Face circuit and I've even elaborated on this here some time ago. I have owned and tried dozens and dozens of Fuzz Face circuit pedals and never felt 100% satisfied... There was always something missing in the character of the fuzzes and I just never felt 100% satisfied. I have read interviews with Roger Mayer where he stated he would make different circuits and just put them into spare Fuzz Face enclosures. That he would make different fuzz circuits for Jimi and/or for specific songs. Claiming sometimes using a custom fuzz circuit then a driver circuit before the fuzz and a shaping circuit after the fuzz to sculpt the sound... So there is a good chance a lot of what we believe is a Fuzz Face on Hendrix tracks/performances is not so. I believe Jimi favored this alternative circuit because it allowed for more boost and the ability to use a wah in conjunction. That was what sealed the deal for me, using a wah in front of the BOG nailed those wah tones of Jimi's. I am willing to bet he wanted to use the wah and fuzz in unison but the fuzz face didn't alow for that without buffers... I could go on and on, this is a passion of mine.
Anyways, this pedal is excellent and a great alternative to the Fuzz Face. It sounds totally related but has it's own character and slightly different behavior. It does not clean up to "glassy" cleans like a Ge FF circuit but does clean up to a clean/crunch. You have to push the volume on the pedal to add brightness to your tone, similar to a FF but the volume boost on the BOG fuzz is massive compared to the FF. This pedal sounds like Jimi circa '68-'69 and now I am curious to pick up a Roger Mayer Axis Fuzz, Castledine Olympic Fuzz and KR The Fuzz.... But for right now I love this pedal and I have to admit I love the fact it looks like a tiny Fuzz Face.
Ok, so this is not a "Fuzz Face" circuit, it is a Octavio fuzz/driver circuit minus the octave doubler. It is said Roger Mayer created a circuit much like this for Jimi along with many other prototype effects/fuzzes. It's supposedly inspired by the helios mic preamp circuit of Olympic studios. It is suspected that Jimi's red Fuzz Face with white knobs was really this circuit inside.
First off I am extremely impressed with Dunlop's offering. I've steered clear of Dunlop pedals since I began playing guitar. My first couple of pedals were Dunlop and I remember them sounding awful. The design of the "mini" Fuzz Face enclosure is just awesome and I love the modern size.
The Fuzz sounds very similar to a Fuzz Face but with way more boost and a bit more gain. It's texture reminds me of something between Germanium and Silicon and best of all it works with a wah wah. I am now entirely convinced this is the type of fuzz circuit Jimi used late '67 until about 1970 when he started using silicon. I have always had a feeling Jimi wasn't using a true Fuzz Face circuit and I've even elaborated on this here some time ago. I have owned and tried dozens and dozens of Fuzz Face circuit pedals and never felt 100% satisfied... There was always something missing in the character of the fuzzes and I just never felt 100% satisfied. I have read interviews with Roger Mayer where he stated he would make different circuits and just put them into spare Fuzz Face enclosures. That he would make different fuzz circuits for Jimi and/or for specific songs. Claiming sometimes using a custom fuzz circuit then a driver circuit before the fuzz and a shaping circuit after the fuzz to sculpt the sound... So there is a good chance a lot of what we believe is a Fuzz Face on Hendrix tracks/performances is not so. I believe Jimi favored this alternative circuit because it allowed for more boost and the ability to use a wah in conjunction. That was what sealed the deal for me, using a wah in front of the BOG nailed those wah tones of Jimi's. I am willing to bet he wanted to use the wah and fuzz in unison but the fuzz face didn't alow for that without buffers... I could go on and on, this is a passion of mine.
Anyways, this pedal is excellent and a great alternative to the Fuzz Face. It sounds totally related but has it's own character and slightly different behavior. It does not clean up to "glassy" cleans like a Ge FF circuit but does clean up to a clean/crunch. You have to push the volume on the pedal to add brightness to your tone, similar to a FF but the volume boost on the BOG fuzz is massive compared to the FF. This pedal sounds like Jimi circa '68-'69 and now I am curious to pick up a Roger Mayer Axis Fuzz, Castledine Olympic Fuzz and KR The Fuzz.... But for right now I love this pedal and I have to admit I love the fact it looks like a tiny Fuzz Face.
