How many fuzzes/distortions is "enough"

[fuzzjunkie]

I picked up a couple of Basic Audio fuzzes recently, and now I’m pretty certain I’ve joined a cult.

Which ones did you end up with? I’ve been thinking of trying their Tri Ram and the Scarab for a bit now.

I have a Fuzz Mutant, a Spooky Tooth, and a Solar Myth came in the mail today. The Spooky Tooth is the one that will definitely stay on my board for times when I need a fuzz that stands out as fuzz. The Fuzz Mutant is really fun to play—odd textures and decay that keep you thinking. The Solar Myth is a test against a germanium Sun Face. So far I prefer the Sun Face, but I might get the Solar Myth out at practice to see how it sounds in a mix. I'm interested in trying a Scarab. Bye-Bias and Orpheum are appealing too...really all of them...

I have a Scarab Deluxe, a Gnarly, and a Marq Won. I would say the Marq Won is my favorite, while I use the Scarab the most and it’s the most versatile. The Gnarly sits between the Orpheum and the Spooky Tooth, but with one less control, so a bit simpler to use.

I wouldn’t mind having a couple more; the Kay fuzz and his Super fuzz are good examples of both those pedals with tweaks that make them more useable. The Bye-Bias is high on my list too. That’s probably my next Basic Audio fuzz.

[Shadoweclipse13]

Would having a phone case based on a pedal count towards your total?

[pj]

I have a bunch:
JHS Morning Glory and Angry Charlie
Catalinbread Katzenkonig
Seymour Duncan 805
Shoe Pixel
Walrus Janus
Meris Ottobit
Hotone Krush

[jorri]

Enough is undefined.

Might be zero (amp)

Might be the ideal one for each part of a song and end up like the kevin shields reform 'board'.

Two or three i have. Just fuzz and rat i built myself (two sounds or so per pedal used + combination) And a hustle drive at the start, sometime i put at the end or use the amp drive (type of 'always on' breakup that is only half the time on). I used to have octave fuzz but replaced with 'analogue mode' on a sub n up- love doing it that way, much more prominent.

[Maggieo]

My friend Nick made me this fuzz. I like it.

[MrJagsquire]

A quick count up:

Coron Distortion (MXR copy from the 1980s)
TS808 reissue
Xotic SL drive
EHX Soul Food
Maybe count a TC Spark boost?

Marshall SV20H cranked (non master volume)
Marshall Mini Jubilee cranked or just high gain setting
Marshall 1 watt 'Plexi' cranked (non master volume)
Fender Champ cranked
Vox MV50AC high gain setting

Looks like I'm fairly evenly spread between amps or pedals (though no reason I can't use a mix of them if I don't want to crank the non master volume amps.

I fancy a ProCo Rat2, but not sure if it's much different to anything I've already got above? Maybe 10 of various mild to wild options is enough for what I play.

[fever606]

n + 1 is, apparently, the correct answer...

Vox Tonebender on the way...

[peterherman]

...I fancy a ProCo Rat2, but not sure if it's much different to anything I've already got above? Maybe 10 of various mild to wild options is enough for what I play.

It definitely is a different sound. It's for sure not an overdrive, and it sounds rather unlike "amp distortion" to me. I like it, but I can't think of anything you've listed that I would hear and go "hmmm...is that a Rat?"

[jorri]

...I fancy a ProCo Rat2, but not sure if it's much different to anything I've already got above? Maybe 10 of various mild to wild options is enough for what I play.

It definitely is a different sound. It's for sure not an overdrive, and it sounds rather unlike "amp distortion" to me. I like it, but I can't think of anything you've listed that I would hear and go "hmmm...is that a Rat?"

Rats definitely be rats. Trebly.
I tend to think its treble booster, then overdrive, then distortion, then fuzz on the gain knob and they are all particularly very usable but none actually that similar to any other pedal or amp tone (so may want that too of course). The treblyness also reduces with the gain knob, so its actually quite fat on full gain. Although the overdrive may suit other versions like Turbo or Dirty ones... personally its a clone with germanium/LED combo i have that even has a soft clipping mode.

[marqueemoon]

I feel like a Rat is a good “Jack of all trades, master of none” pedal. I think it’s a good first dirt pedal for that reason. It’s really tough to beat for mid to heavy crunch sounds.

Starting to GAS for another fuzz now.

[jorri]

I feel like a Rat is a good “Jack of all trades, master of none” pedal. I think it’s a good first dirt pedal for that reason. It’s really tough to beat for mid to heavy crunch sounds.

Starting to GAS for another fuzz now.

Its master of 'No Wave Ice Pick Ear Bleeds'

[marqueemoon]

I feel like a Rat is a good “Jack of all trades, master of none” pedal. I think it’s a good first dirt pedal for that reason. It’s really tough to beat for mid to heavy crunch sounds.

Starting to GAS for another fuzz now.

Its master of 'No Wave Ice Pick Ear Bleeds'

That’s what the filter control is supposed to be for. To me it mostly works, but things kind of break down once you get below about 9 o’clock on the gain control where you can’t really dial out shrillness without it sounding tubby.

[spacelordmother]

Hrmm, let me see:

DBA Sound Saw
Smallsound/Bigsound Mini
Make Sounds Loudly Fuzz Factory clone
Electronix Gemini Drive
Boss ODB-3 (modded)
Little Big Muff
Devi Ever Helios
Devi Ever Hyperion (modded) and Bass Fuzz -- both rehoused into a single pedal

...And I just ordered one of those cheap mini rats since I've never had one before. I used to have a lot more, but have taken some time off dirt. It's coming back around again and there's loads of circuits I'd like to try.

[marqueemoon]

After having a few socially distanced practices I’m feeling super conflicted about this.

Current “live” setup is an Archer Ikon into a Suhr Kokoboost (clean boost on one side and mid boost on the other). This covers all the bases in terms of where I want to be in the band mix. I keep the Archer set dirtier and with the mid boost on I can really slam the amp and get almost fuzzy sounds. The mid boost alone pushes the amp into a little grit.

And yet I find myself wanting a glassier and more obnoxious drive sound at times like a Rat or a treble booster can do. It’s like it’s all too tasteful now and there’s not enough chaos even though the current sounds are good and work in the mix well.

[ElephantDNA]

Hrmm, let me see:

DBA Sound Saw
Smallsound/Bigsound Mini
Make Sounds Loudly Fuzz Factory clone
Electronix Gemini Drive
Boss ODB-3 (modded)
Little Big Muff
Devi Ever Helios
Devi Ever Hyperion (modded) and Bass Fuzz -- both rehoused into a single pedal

...And I just ordered one of those cheap mini rats since I've never had one before. I used to have a lot more, but have taken some time off dirt. It's coming back around again and there's loads of circuits I'd like to try.

Those rats are a lot of fun in a cheap box for sure.