u/Ecker1991

This had arrived yesterday. Admittedly 60 Cycle Hum had piqued my curiosity. My love of groups like Velvet Underground, Television, Beck, Sleater Kinney, The Modern Lovers, Mazzy Star and others that have used vintage Silvertone, Supro and Valco style amps had inspired me to purchase one of these. At $300, I honestly could not resist. For the price of a new reverb or delay pedal, I was able to purchase a truly unique tube amp that features a 15 inch speaker, which contributes to the lofi, vintage sound of this amp.

Prior to the amp arriving, I was potentially seeking an alternative speaker such as the Eminence Legend which became the default speaker installed on the Excelsior Pro, however that speaker increased the headroom and volume, which is not the intention in my use case.

I want the scuzzy garage rock tones. I own a Twin Reverb along with a Hot Rod Deluxe if I want higher headroom. I wanted something that sounded unique and akin to the amps that inspired the design, not another cleaner pedal platform amp.

I recently purchased this ST-57TX Strat from Coast Sonic as an attempt to rectify one of the biggest mistakes I’ve made in terms of gear flipping.

Around six or seven months ago, I randomly found an amp that had caught my attention at guitar center (Allen Amps Encore 4x10). This amp was part of their year end clearance and was around half the retailers MSRP. It was described as being in “Good” condition with no visible damage. I did not have the funds at the time, so I had traded in my Fender Custom Vibrolux with Fromel Mods (turned an okay amp into an excellent amp), along with my beloved JV Mod 60’s Strat with Lollar Blackface (aka Sixty Four) pickups.

Once the amp had arrived, I realized that I had made a grave mistake. Firstly, some of the tubes were shattered, secondly, the tremolo system was completely broken, and lastly, the grille was collapsing in on itself. The amp still sounded great and I eventually repaired it and am selling it soon, however I could not get my beloved amp and guitar back.

As I’m sure most users know, Fender Japan make some incredible instruments. I’ve owned two American Fenders, several Mexican Fenders, along with a handful of Japanese Fenders. Fender ought to be ashamed of themselves charging what they do for their North American guitars when compared to their Japanese counterparts.

Virtually every single Mexican or American (to a lesser extent) Fender I’ve purchased has had some major setup issue out of the box, with string ping and sharper frets being the biggest culprits. Japanese Fenders, on the other hand, have been playable out of the box.

My JV Strat was a revelation. I had thought that setup issues were just part of the process of purchasing a new guitar after years of owning Squiers and North American Fenders. The fretwork was incredible, I previously thought that you simply had to spend custom shop or American Vintage money for this level of care. My $1300 Strat played better than every American or Mexican strat I had tried previously.

Do not give in to impulse. Especially if you love the gear that you are planning on selling. Most of the time, the grass is not greener.

On to my new guitar. This model specifically aims to recreate the 57 Stratocaster. This particular model was built in 1997, and is basically an upper mid tier version of Japan’s 57 reissue lineup, as it features Fender Texas Special pickups in lieu of the stock pickups.

I’ve never owned a guitar that is this old, and I must say that it’s nice to play something that feels broken in, no sticky residue on the neck, the body feels smoother than new models with poly/gloss finishes.

The Texas Specials sound great. They were specifically designed for Stevie Ray Vaughan’s signature model. I myself am not a disciple of SRV and am more of an indie/psych/dream pop guy inspired by Mazzy Star, Spiritualized, Tame Impala, The Strokes, Fontaines DC, Radiohead and The Beatles, however these pickups will work with virtually any genre.

There’s more of a midrange push and slightly higher output, yet the differences are not as dramatic as some have stated. While I do enjoy these pickups, I did purchase some Fat 50’s which should arrive tomorrow.

My other Stratocaster (Partscaster that I’ve modded throughout the years) has Seymour Duncan Psychedelic pickups installed which are very glassy and rather thin, so having a yin to that guitar’s yang will provide more variety.

Anyways, enough rambling. If you’ve yet to check out Fender Japan’s lineup, please do so! I can vouch for their JV Mod 60’s Strat, ST-57, Traditional 60’s Jaguar, Traditional 60’s Jazzmaster, Traditional 60’s Mustang and Traditonal 60’s Telecaster and would easily recommend them over their Mexican counterparts any day of the week.

Pavlof Fuzz Face

Fuzz Faces are easily the most idiosyncratic topology within the lexicon of dirt and fuzz pedals. Germanium varieties are often celebrated for their warmth and volume knob cleanup, whereas their silicon counterparts generally feature more gain and provide a glassier volume knob cleanup.

I personally am not biased (pun intended), when it comes to preferences regarding style, there are upsides to both and at the end of the day, are arguably different enough to justify owning both.

I may have landed upon my favorite Silicon version thus far with the MMK Pavlof Fuzz Face. This version features some rather unique transistors via a pairing of Fairchild 2N2222A’s. Another unique aspect that sets this variant apart from the sea of others is the Cleanup footswitch, which is a nice alternative to cleaning up with your guitar’s volume knob and allows for preservation of high end frequencies for those of us without a treble bleed circuit.

The Frequency knob shapes the EQ, emphasizing Bass, Highs, or Midrange depending on where the knob is set. I personally would have opted for a simple tone knob but it’s nice to have control over the EQ of a Fuzz Face as these pedals are known for the amount of low end content they provide.

The fuzz itself is robust and provides a nice balance in terms of its EQ properties. I typically find that BC108C based Fuzz Faces are too dark, even when using bright guitar into a bright amp, the amount of low end can be overwhelming. I tend to prefer BC109C and BC183C based Silicon Fuzz Faces for that very reason.

Yet the Fairchild 2N2222A’s produce some of the loveliest Fuzz tones I’ve ever heard. The various adjectives used to describe great guitar tone are applicable here, glassy, harmonic, dynamic, touch responsive, and so on. Having the ability to shift around frequencies makes for a more diverse fuzz all around, I can easily attenuate bass, treble, or midrange to match the guitar and amp I’ve selected.

As much as I love the direct fuzz tones, it’s the cleanup tone that I find myself returning to time and time again. Fuzz Faces are my favorite topology within the pantheon of guitar pedals, as they explore the nuances between fuzz and overdrive with such grace, and the Pavlof excels in this category. This is the perfect match for a Stratocaster, as the cleaner fuzz tones produce a truly beautiful sheen that accentuates your chords and notes.

The aesthetics are also very pleasing to the eye, taking a more minimalistic and refined approach when compared to busier designs or simply copying the font of the original Fuzz Face. This pedal has the appearance of something you’d shell out $300+ for on Reverb, however the price tag is a very reasonable $189.

All things considered, this is one of the definitive offerings within the realm of Fuzz Faces. If you are seeking a Fuzz Face that provides the capacity to shape your EQ, along with simulating volume knob cleanup without losing top end, all for a relatively affordable price, this comes highly recommended. I’m glad I sold my boring Strymon Canoga, as this is a far more satisfying pedal to use.

The Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face is theoretically my favorite topology within the context of gain pedals. Honestly, these pedals are sold short by most manufacturers, as the vast majority of Fuzz Face based pedals possess the capacity to produce everything from harmonic clean tones, to dynamic overdrive, to distortion and fuzz.

The fuzz tones themselves, be it the Germanium or Silicon transistor based models, stand as my favorite as well. At one time, I preferred the massive, wall of fuzz effect that Big Muffs produced, however as time passed and my use of gain became more subdued, along with switching stylistically to more ethereal psych Americana (think Mazzy Star, Kurt Vile, Big Thief, Jesus and Mary Chain, Velvet Underground, Spiritualized, etc), I found the Fuzz Face to be favorable.

I have also found that the Fuzz Face pairs remarkably well with single coil guitars, which make up the bulk of my collection. The Fender Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazzmaster and Jaguar are my preferred models, and the Fuzz Face typically fills out these guitars tonal profiles, adding in lower midrange and low end warmth.

I also tend to lean on black or silver panel Fender amps, which again are typically brighter and more mid scooped, whereas the Fuzz Face once again saves the day with its warm characteristics.

I’ve also discovered that the various transistor pairings that are possible within the context of Fuzz Faces have lead to seemingly endless combinations, all of which react differently to each guitar and amplifier, along with possessing a unique voice with the volume knob dialed back. The NKT275 equipped Jext Telez Jext Face, for example, works well into my Twin Reverb or Hot Rod Deluxe. This pedal also works best with my Stratocaster. On the other end of the spectrum, the Jam Fuzz Phrase Si pairs better with humbuckers and also provides a tad more treble, which makes it a great pairing with my 5E3 Deluxe or Tweed Champ.

It’s a shame that virtually every YouTube demo of this topology features the same riffs, be it “Little Wing”, “Wind Cries Mary” or “Comfortably Numb”, as the Fuzz Face is so much more than a Time Machine for classic rock tones. When bias knobs are introduced, you can achieve more modernized fuzz tones that are more evocative of say, St. Vincent, Muse, or Black Midi than Hendrix or Pink Floyd.

Even more stock based Fuzz Faces that aim to simply replicate the original models from the sixties and seventies can be used in more unique applications. Want to spice up your clean tone? Roll the volume knob back. Want thicker fuzz tones and velvety sustain? Max the fuzz knob out and adjust the volume to taste.

The appeal of the Fuzz Face is due to the sheer variety of flavors on the market. For instance, compare a germanium fuzz face against a silicon, and you’ll notice that say a germanium NKT transistor based fuzz is often slightly brighter with lower gain whereas something like a BC108 equipped fuzz features more low end content and a good deal more gain on tap.

Even then, not all germanium or silicon transistors are created equal. The BC109C based Chase Tone Fuzz Fella for example is brighter and glassier than the BC108C version of the same pedal. Hence why I own a few variants, as there are a plethora of options, all of which have their own idiosyncrasies.

Unlike the use of different clipping diodes in Klon based circuits, or even comparing the TS808 against the TS9, the differences are palpable and more justifiable. At most times, I keep both silicon and germanium Fuzz Face pedals in my signal chain. So long as I’m not playing shoegaze, the Fuzz Face is my go to topology. The gain is generally more smooth and rich than other topologies, whereas unique overdrive tones are achieved via volume knob cleanup.

Here are some notes on my Fuzz Face style fuzzes:

Benson Germanium Fuzz- The gain is relatively low, whereas the cleaner end of the equation is beautiful and sounds a bit akin to a 5E3 Deluxe on lower gain settings.

Monsterpiece Classic- Classic Fuzz Face tones, perfect for replicating psychedelic rock tones akin to Cream, 13th Floor Elevators or Revolver era Beatles tracks. Cleanup is very sparkly, especially with a Stratocaster.

Monsterpiece Ge Fuzz- Bridges the gap between your Classic Germanium fuzz tones and more modernized Fuzz Factory tones. Higher gain than my other germanium fuzzes, yet lovely with the volume cleaned up.

Jext Telez Jext Face- Red Dot NKT equipped, albeit not the NKT275’s. Lower gain, smoother than most other Fuzz Faces. The fat switch is a great addition. Probably my second favorite germanium version aside from the Monsterpiece Classic.

Strymon Canoga- It’s nice enough. Darker, fatter than germanium examples. The travel on the volume knob cleanup is less thorough than my other Fuzz Faces, albeit treble is retained. Probably my least favorite of the lot, which is strange as I love Strymon pedals.

Jam Pedals Fuzz Phrase Si- Brighter than the Canoga and Fuzz Fella BC108C, albeit not as bright as the BC109C Fuzz Fella. Pairs better with humbuckers than most other Fuzz Faces. Lives between your typical germanium and your typical silicon fuzz face. A happy medium.

Chase Tone BC108C- Shares a lot in common tonally with the Canoga, dark, bassy, yet features better volume knob cleanup and the bias plus the EQ allows for more variety. If you want a great silicon Fuzz Face, I’d say the Fuzz Fella series is the way to go, at $159 it’s hard to compete.

Chase Tone BC109C Fuzz Fella- The brightest of the Silicon Fuzz Face pedals I’ve tried, yet has enough bottom end to balance the EQ. The volume knob cleanup is very glassy and dynamic. Pair it with a Black or Silver Panel Fender and you have a great match.

Monsterpiece and Chase Tone are the brands to look out for when it comes to Fuzz Faces. Don’t be fooled by $400 boutique manufacturers. I’m trying to unload some other fuzz pedals that I don’t use so I can afford the NPN or Scratchy Snatch by Monsterpiece. I’ve been blown away by both the Classic and Ge. Those two plus the Chase Tone BC109C are my current favorites. The Chase Tone Red Velvet is arguably the best of both worlds. The gain is more akin to a beefier germanium Fuzz Face, without the temperamental nature of the Germanium transistors.

Cheers and good luck on your fuzz face journey.