If you had to pick one: Fuzz or Distortion?

[BuddytheReow]

I have build plenty of both although many did not make it into an enclosure. Looking back I can say I've built more fuzz circuits than distortions, but more distortions have been boxed up. Every time I build a fuzz circuit it doesn't sound quite right for what I'm looking for. I really hate to say this, but I think I've realized I don't really like fuzz even though I seem to keep chasing this rabbit down the same path. OR maybe I just haven't found the right fuzz circuit yet.

My question is this: if you had to only pick one dirt pedal would it be a fuzz or distortion?

My style of playing over the years has fallen into 3 categories: heavy classic rock, blues, and metal. You can throw a good overdrive in the mix, but every time I do I always say it needs more dirt so I tend to put that before a distortion pedal to color the sound a bit more. I guess this means I'm a distortion junkie.

 

[Coda]

Fuzz. Distortion is good…but fuzz does distortion, and then some.

 

[Betty Wont]

My favorite fuzz is the Buzzaround, mostly because it is a misnamed metal distortion.

 

[Paradox916]

I mostly I like to get dirt from my amp and boost it with an OD but to date I would say my favorite distortion pedal has been the Valhalla. But I still have a few more I want to give a go, I have only begun to dip my toe into the murky fuzz world and haven’t found anything yet that grabs me by the boo boo. It seems to me at this point fuzz and distortion are two completely different animals suited for different applications.

 

[thesmokingman]

yeah ... I could sell off all my dirt and keep the tonebender mkii and be ok ... I wouldn't be great, but I'd be ok ...

 

[Harry Klippton]

Definitely fuzz. Historically, I've disliked distortion pedals with limited exceptions like the HM-2, but only for THAT sound. Playing in metal bands, I always used amp distortion. I don't really understand stacking pedals honestly, and I don't like typical tube screamer as a boost thing either

 

[finebyfine]

Fuzz hands down. In my guitar journey I have long relied on amplifiers for overdrive and distortion until recently. I used to almost have to get kicked out of my local guitar center for playing straight into Mesa/Boogie rectifier stacks for so long in high school. Never heard of an amp getting fuzz tones before.

Other missing a Rat a ton if I had to do without distortion pedals (also assuming we're calling a Rat a distortion), I'd be pretty comfortable. My personal preference in tone is closer to "getting hit by a fucking freight train" than "getting stabbed over and over" and the former basically just means a hyper fuzz to me - to say nothing of loving that sort of peach fuzz southern rock sound too.

Edit:

My favorite fuzz is the Buzzaround, mostly because it is a misnamed metal distortion.

I have somehow never dug too much into the Buzzaround but this just made me regret not doing so until now!

 

[Harry Klippton]

Never heard of an amp getting fuzz tones before.

I have a couple orange amps that will get pretty fuzzy in a great way

 

[Coda]

Fuzz hands down. In my guitar journey I have long relied on amplifiers for overdrive and distortion until recently. I used to almost have to get kicked out of my local guitar center for playing straight into Mesa/Boogie rectifier stacks for so long in high school. Never heard of an amp getting fuzz tones before.

Other missing a Rat a ton if I had to do without distortion pedals (also assuming we're calling a Rat a distortion), I'd be pretty comfortable. My personal preference in tone is closer to "getting hit by a fucking freight train" than "getting stabbed over and over" and the former basically just means a hyper fuzz to me - to say nothing of loving that sort of peach fuzz southern rock sound too.

The Rat is a distortion and the Big Muff is a fuzz.

 

[finebyfine]

I have a couple orange amps that will get pretty fuzzy in a great way

When you're right, you're right.

 

[Harry Klippton]

This discussion is reminding me that amps are the best

 

[finebyfine]

Is today the day I resume my off and on again hobby of trying to rationalize buying an orange as a bedroom guitarist who hasn't taken an amp past 9-oclock in years??

 

[Big Monk]

This is tough.

I think of two distinct scenarios.

Play at volume, it’s fuzz all the way because it’s simply adding to the natural overdrive of the amp and sounds glorious.

At lower volumes, fuzz tones fall apart. This is where a nice Big Muff or overdrive or distortion comes in.

I guess I vote fuzz because I love playing g loud through a tube amp.

 

[Dan M]

I can’t vote. My brain is melting. Thanks Buddy.

Can I cheat and put a rat and a big muff in the same enclosure with an order switch?

 

[Harry Klippton]

Is today the day I resume my off and on again hobby of trying to rationalize buying an orange as a bedroom guitarist who hasn't taken an amp past 9-oclock in years??

Despite having played in many many very loud bands over the years, I have a rockerverb 100 that's never left my house

 

[Paradox916]

Is today the day I resume my off and on again hobby of trying to rationalize buying an orange as a bedroom guitarist who hasn't taken an amp past 9-oclock in years??

Two words “ load box”

 

[Robert]

Is today the day I resume my off and on again hobby of trying to rationalize buying an orange as a bedroom guitarist who hasn't taken an amp past 9-oclock in years??

My bedroom amp is a Fender Twin.... despite the reputation it handles the task better than any "practice" amp I've ever tried.

It sounds full and huge even at whisper volumes in the middle of the night.

My other bedroom amp is a Friedman BE-100 Deluxe... it's not quite as versatile and is mostly furniture at this point.

 

[spi]

I also feel like I haven't found the right fuzz for me yet, but I only have a few.
I keep building overdrives/distortions but now I'm thinking I should try out more fuzzes and see if I can find some that I like.

 

[finebyfine]

Two words “ load box”

I’m a little lost on these - I haven’t used a tube amp in 15 years and haven’t thought about buying one until the past 3-4 years. Would these need an audio interface before running to headphones or is it case by case on the exact model?

 

[Paradox916]

I

I’m a little lost on these - I haven’t used a tube amp in 15 years and haven’t thought about buying one until the past 3-4 years. Would these need an audio interface before running to headphones or is it case by case on the exact model?

I haven’t kept up with the latest and greatest in this realm I’m still running aTHD hotplate I used to run it between the head and the cab so I could crank the amp with out pissing off the whole neighborhood. But now I just set it to the load and it has a lineout I connect to my audio interface, And then I have to run a IR or cab emulator, I imagine the new ones like the two notes stuff have a lot more options and almost guaranteed better response. At any rate I wouldn’t know what to do with a tube amp unless I had one, it’s definitely a great piece of equipment ... and for me takes priority over any pedal. There’s no point in a tube amp to me if I can’t get it to at least 12 o’clock.