The history of FUZZ!

Dear friends,
today I want to gather a few links about the birth and the history of fuzz, to have easier access to the information on the web and gain better knowledge about the world of vintage fuzz effects.

So, let's begin by reading a bit of history on the D*A*M forum:
http://www.stompboxes.co.uk/History.html

....and a nice article on Premier Guitar:
http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2009/Oct/Stompbox_Classics_Tone_Bender.aspx

You can check the "Tone Machines" blog (thanks Ed!), it's filled with interesting posts about vintage effect pedals, and also the great "Effects Database" (thanks Bart!):
http://tonemachines.blogspot.it/
http://www.effectsdatabase.com

For any information about the Big Muff we can go on Kit Rae's awesome site:
http://www.kitrae.net/music/music_big_muff.html
http://www.kitrae.net/music/Fuzz_Big_Muff_Timeline.html

If you want to know something else about "Fuzz Face" and "Tube Screamer" you can check:
http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/perfect-circle-life-death-and-resurrection-of-the-fuzz-face/5792
http://www.analogman.com
http://www.custom-sounds.com/Articles/FUZZ-FACE-by-David-Morin
http://proguitarshop.com/andyscorner/a-history-of-the-fuzz-face1
http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2008/Apr/Stompbox_Classics_Fuzz_Face.aspx

Finally, an interesting article (Guitar magazine) with Gary Hurst on the "Italian Shadow Community":
http://www.italianshadowscommunity.com/solisti/Gary/Gary.pdf
Reproduced on Italian Shadow Community website with permission of Guitarist magazine, issue 322 November 2009. © Future Publishing Limited

Other info (in italian language):
http://www.guitarnews.it/blog/2012/04/16/tone-bender-la-storia-il-recupero-di-un-esemplare-i-suoni/
http://www.ufoclub.it/?page_id=17
http://shadowsitalia.multiply.com/journal/item/766/Un_Po_Di_Storia_-_My_Story?&show_interstitial=1&u=%2Fjournal%2Fitem

...and... more...:
http://hewittsgaragestudio.com/fuzz-timeline.php
http://dam.10.forumer.com/index.php
http://stompboxes.co.uk
http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2007/11/country-fuzz-sp.html 










All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Moog MF-105 MuRF

Moog moogerfoogers MF-105 MuRF (with Strymon El Capistan)

A sample clip of the Moog moogerfooger MF-105 MuRF (with Strymon El Capistan), with a Fender Stratocaster Custom Shop '60 Relic Time Machine, a vintage '72 Hiwatt Custom 100 head + a 4x12 Simms Watts cab with Fane speakers... (with a Zoom Q3)

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

An experimantal sample with the Moog MF-105 MuRF and the Strymon El Capistan delay; we can obtain great atmospheres with them, check it.

EHX Deluxe Memory Man with Moog MF-102 Ring Modulator

Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man with Moog MF-102 Ring Modulator

A sample clip of the EHX Deluxe Memory Man with Moog moogerfooger MF-102 Ring Modulator, with a Fender Stratocaster Custom Shop '60 Relic Time Machine, a vintage '72 Hiwatt Custom 100 head + a 4x12 Simms Watts cab with Fane speakers... (with a Zoom Q3)

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

An experimental sample with delay and ring modulator... enjoy!

EHX Deluxe Memory Man is one of the best delay pedal in my honest opinion; I love it. The Moog Ring Modulator sounds really nice, from classic tremolo to weird effects.

Lovetone Meatball

Lovetone Meatball (with Strymon El Capistan)

A sample clip of the Lovetone Meatball, with a Fender Stratocaster Custom Shop '60 Relic Time Machine, a vintage '72 Hiwatt Custom 100 head + a 4x12 Simms Watts cab with Fane speakers... (with a Zoom Q3)

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

More info:
http://www.lovetone.com/meatball.html
http://www.idioteque.it/strumenti/lovetonemeatball/ (italian language)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovetone#Meatball
http://www.effectsdatabase.com/model/lovetone/meatball

Park Fuzz Sound

vintage Park Fuzz Sound

A sample clip of the Park Fuzz Sound, with a Gibson Les Paul Custom '57 Historic R7 Black Beauty, a vintage '72 Hiwatt Custom 100 head + a 4x12 Simms Watts cab with Fane speakers... (with a Zoom Q3)

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Jen Jumbo Fuzz

vintage Jen Jumbo Fuzz

A sample clip of the vintage Jen Jumbo Fuzz pedal, with a Fender Stratocaster Custom Shop '60 Relic Time Machine, a vintage '72 Hiwatt Custom 100 head + a 4x12 Simms Watts cab with Fane speakers... (with a Zoom Q3)

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


The Jen Jumbo Fuzz is a vintage (70s) box made in Italy. It has a musical, harmonic, fuzzy sound, really close to a Big Muff, but with more character. 

More info: http://www.effectsdatabase.com/model/jen/jumbofuzz

Vintage Ibanez Tube Screamer TS808 and vintage grey DOD 250 Preamp

Vintage Ibanez Tube Screamer TS808 and vintage grey DOD 250 Preamp 

A sample clip of a vintage Ibanez Tube Screamer TS808 overdrive pedal and a vintage grey DOD 250 Preamp pedal, with a Fender Stratocaster Custom Shop '60 Relic Time Machine, a vintage '72 Hiwatt Custom 100 head + a 4x12 Simms Watts cab with Fane speakers... (with a Zoom Q3)

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Some different vintage tones... 

Monolith Oracle

Monolith Oracle Fuzz

A sample clip of the Monolith Oracle fuzz pedal, with a Fender Stratocaster Custom Shop '60 Relic Time Machine, a vintage '72 Hiwatt Custom 100 head + a 4x12 Simms Watts cab with Fane speakers... (with a Zoom Q3)

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

In my honest opinion, one of the best fuzz on the earth!
More info:
http://www.effectsdatabase.com/model/monolithfuzz/oracle
http://www.myspace.com/monolithfuzz

EHX Polyphase, Strymon El Capistan, Strymon Blue Sky Reverberator

EHX Polyphase, Strymon El Capistan, Strymon Blue Sky Reverberator

An experimental sample clip of the vintage Electro Harmonix Poly Phase, the Strymon El Capistan dTape Echo delay and the Strymon blueSky Reverberator pedal, with a Fender Stratocaster Custom Shop '60 Relic Time Machine, a vintage '72 Hiwatt Custom 100 head + a 4x12 Simms Watts cab with Fane speakers... (with a Zoom Q3)

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


Some crazy sound with Polyphase, delay and reverb...

Electro Harmonix Polyphase

vintage Electro Harmonix Polyphase

A sample clip of the vintage Electro Harmonix Poly Phase pedal, with a Fender Stratocaster Custom Shop '60 Relic Time Machine, a vintage '72 Hiwatt Custom 100 head + a 4x12 Simms Watts cab with Fane speakers... (with a Zoom Q3)

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


An incredible vintage phaser with an envelope control. I love it.

Montarbo Sinfhoton

vintage Montarbo Sinfhoton fuzz

A sample clip of a vintage Montarbo Sinfhoton, with a Gibson Les Paul standard, a vintage Simms Watts 100 MKI + a Simms Watts cab with Fane speakers... (with a Zoom Q3)

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

The Montarbo Sinfhoton is an italian made silicon fuzz, produced in the '70s. It's an original and very nice sounding pedal.

More info here: http://tonemachines.blogspot.it/2011/11/montarbo-sinfhoton.html

and here: http://www.effectsdatabase.com/model/montarbo/sinphoton