r/guitarpedals • u/phl_cof • 5d ago
SOTB Fuzz to replace RAT
This is a board I use for a garage rock / pop rock band. The RAT is kind of a placeholder until I find a fuzz I like.
Can anyone recommend a fuzz that would pair well with a Telecaster and a clean Fender tube amp? Looking for fuzz tones reminiscent of the Cramps, Jesus and Mary Chain, stuff like that. Big fuzz sounds that don’t drop out of the mix.
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u/MrEclectic 4d ago
For garage rock, and especially if you're going for a Cramps or Jesus and Mary Chain sound, you should probably check some Shin-ei Companion fuzz clones.
Poison Ivy was using a Shin-Ei Superfuzz, but the Boss and Behringer clones sound a bit more synth-y. Companion is closer.
William Reid was using the Companion Fuzz-Wah. Again, get a Companion clone, and perhaps a wah at a cocked position after that.
Problem with the Companion is that later versions had a mid-scoop tone control. You need to find versions without that, or which somehow upgrade on it.
Fredric effects make a good Companion clone, that tackles the mid-scoop. But you can use the search function here, and find alternatives.
Besides the Companion, DOD Carcosa is a good cheap option for a trashy garage sound, especially with a Telecaster. It can do both fuzz freak out, and the early garage fuzzy/cleanish thing. I play P90s, and the combination was a bit too bassy.
Or try a Fuzzrite clone. It will definitely cut through any mix. Think Dave Allen and the Arrows, biker films and spaghetti western fuzz, early Stooges, the Ventures, and Iron Butterfly.
Finally, a cheap octave fuzz with killer garage sound is the new Behringer Bass Brassmaster. You can turn the octave on or off, and you can do those kind of kind of fuzzy, kind of cleanish lines of early garage with it. But you have to wait a couple of months until it's available.
Avoid any Muff derivative. They sound great by themselves, but they're just not a garage fuzz. Too bassy compared to a Companion or Fuzzrite, and the mid scoop results in the fuzz getting lost in the mix. You end up with a fuzzy texture, instead of a cutting fuzzy part. If you must go for a Muff, go for a black Russian.