Top 5 favourite recorded fuzz sounds

boji

boji

Active member
I was listening to Cities on flame with rock n’roll by BOC and it made me think of awesome fuzz tones and my all time favourites.

If I had to list five I’d pick:
- T-rex - 20st century boy (the opening chord alone is killer)
- King Crimson - 21th century schizoid man
- Edwyn Collins - A girl like you
- Dinosaur Jr - Said the people
- Pink Floyd - Confortably numb

Curious to know your picks!
 
Coda said:
In no particular order:

-King Crimson: Larks Tongue’s in Aspic, Pt. 2
-Pink Floyd: Echoes (Live at Pompei)
-The Doors: When the Music’s Over (solo)
-Norman Greenbaun: Spirit in the Sky
-Jesus and Mary Chain: Just Like Honey
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This version of Echoes might be the best.
I had never heard When the music’s over before, what a great song!

I like that you picked very different flavours of fuzz, from dirty and gated (larks, spirit) to smooth and sustainy (Echoes, when).
 
I also really love the dying fuzz sound around 6:20 in Pipe Rider from Lowrider


As well as Nick's sound in Elder (he uses a BAT Pharaoh into cranked Hiwatts)
 
I dunno about a top five, but I have been curious about how to get that fabulous fuzz sound used sparingly in Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - the first track on the album of the same name. I also love the sound of Lennon's guitar on Revolution - and yes I know it was an overloaded desk... But I wish I could get that sound from a pedal.

Some of Kim Salmon's fuzz tones on the Scientists and Beasts of Bourbon albums are pretty spectacular.

 
HamishR said:
I dunno about a top five, but I have been curious about how to get that fabulous fuzz sound used sparingly in Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - the first track on the album of the same name. I also love the sound of Lennon's guitar on Revolution - and yes I know it was an overloaded desk... But I wish I could get that sound from a pedal.

Some of Kim Salmon's fuzz tones on the Scientists and Beasts of Bourbon albums are pretty spectacular.

Click to expand...
You should check out the JHS Colorbox. JHS has its critics in places, but the Colorbox is badass.. and expensive.
 
My top 5 I think, no order

- Rolling Stones: Satisfaction (just too classic)
- Pink Floyd: Time (solo)
- Monolord: Empress Rising
- King Crimson: 21st Century Schizoid Man
- Muse: can't narrow it down to one specific song but Matthew Bellamy is a big reason I got into fuzz pedals, so he's gotta go on the list somewhere
 
Ween - A Tear For Eddie (solo) ((also favorite use of phase shifting ever))
NOFX - My Vagina (rhythm guitar)
Ventures - Psyched-Out (lead guitar)
GodheadSilo - Friend Island (entire mix)
Butthole Surfers - 22 Going on 23 (bass and guitar solo)
 
The first and the best:
Marty Robbins, More Greatest Hits, "Don't Worry"


Frank Zappa, Apostrophe ('), "Apostrophe'"

Radiohead, OK Computer, "Exit Music (For A Film)

Nomeansno, Wrong, "It's Catching Up"
(also check out Nomeansno's "Now"... etc)

Green Jello, ?, "Three Little Pigs"
The band was forced to change its name by some mega-corp dessert company, now known as Green Jelly.


special mention
I'm not a Metallica fan, but you can't deny Cliff Burton's FUZZ.





Then there's double-tracked bass from The Beatles, Rubber Soul, "Word" ; Sly & The Family Stone, Dance to the Music, "Dance to the Music" (Larry Graham); Sleep, ? , "Dragonaut"; RHCP, Californication, "Around the World"; Beastie Boys, Ill Communication, "Sabotage" ("Gratitude", too)...


So much great bass-fuzz, how can you limit it to 5?

These posts are limited to 5 pieces of media, is that why it's a "post your top 5"? and if so, how come hardly anybody's posting links?
 
Feral Feline said:
Then there's double-tracked bass from The Beatles, Rubber Soul, "Word" ;
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The Rubber Soul track "Think for Yourself" has MK 1 (or maybe 1.5) as a Bass overdub. I point that out not to be a jerk, or even to correct an error, but because the bassline in "The Word" has one of my favorite bass runs ever...comes in at about 1:28 in the attached video...

 
Feral Feline said:
These posts are limited to 5 pieces of media, is that why it's a "post your top 5"? and if so, how come hardly anybody's posting links?
Click to expand...
At first I thought about doing a top 3, but it quickly appeared too restrictive.

I could have settled for an open question but I liked the idea of forcing myself (and inviting others) to select just a few. 10 seemed too many, so 5 it was.

My aim in starting the thread was to discover new stuff (or be reminded of great tones) so I maybe should have asked people to post links. But I didn't think of it. It's great that you did!
 
finebyfine said:
My top 5 I think, no order

- Rolling Stones: Satisfaction (just too classic)
- Pink Floyd: Time (solo)
- Monolord: Empress Rising
- King Crimson: 21st Century Schizoid Man
- Muse: can't narrow it down to one specific song but Matthew Bellamy is a big reason I got into fuzz pedals, so he's gotta go on the list somewhere
Click to expand...
How could I forget MUSE's first three albums? New Born, Plug in baby, Stockholm syndrome...

I mostly like Keith Richards tone, except for the solo on Sympathy for the devil. Awesome song, terrible shrill solo sound.
 
  • The Guess Who (Randy Bachman)- No Time (Garnet Herzog)
  • King Crimson (Robert Fripp)- The Night Watch (Guild Foxey Lady)
  • 10cc (Eric Stewart + Lol Creme)- Rubber Bullets (overloaded Helios Mic preamp w/ varispeed)
  • Adrian Belew- Big Electric Cat (Foxx Tone Machine)
  • David Bowie (Mick Ronson)- Moonage Daydream [Live, from the Ziggy Stardust concert film] (Tonebender MK1)
 
In chronological order.
  • Pink Floyd - Time - it sounds like David is shredding the tape with his tone during the solo.
  • Smashing Pumpkins - Cherub Rock - at the time I thought this was the heaviest sound of the 90s. Still kinda do.
  • stellastarr* - My Coco - This is probably the tone I've chased longer than any other.
  • Muse - Knights of Cydonia - Specifically the main motif that kicks in at about 0:56 mark.
  • Boris - D.O.W.N. -Domination of Waiting Noise - Introduced me to Doom.
Honorable mention - The White Stripes but I couldn't narrow it down to one song.
 
boji said:
How could I forget MUSE's first three albums? New Born, Plug in baby, Stockholm syndrome...

I mostly like Keith Richards tone, except for the solo on Sympathy for the devil. Awesome song, terrible shrill solo sound.
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Plug in Baby was the one I was really tempted to name as one for Muse but I honestly think he has better fuzz tones in some of the albums that came after. Been too long since I’ve listened to name one though
 
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