FuzzFace with Delay/Reverb

[Guitarbrett]

I have noticed that my Carbon Copy and Hermida reverb change the tone when run after my fuzz faces. More specifically, they add high end. The fuzz faces sound much better alone. Is there a way to run delay or reverb after a fuzz face without causing the added high end?

[digiTED]

sounds like an impedance mismatch perhaps...have a boss pedal around to put in-between the FF and your delay + verb?

[apeape]

I bet yours is a germanium fuzz? I get that alot too, you have to put a buffer or buffered pedal in between the fuzz and delay. You wont get this problem with silicon though.

[stump]

I run delay, reverb and modulation in the effects loop. Any pedals run in front of the amp are true bypass and not typically used with the FF.

[Skreddy]

FF's have a RAAAWW, un-filtered high-end.

There are 2 solutions to your problem.

1. Add a tone control to your FF
2. Reduce the input impedance of your delay/reverb that follows it (to suck some of the high end out)

[teleking36]

I run my This1sMyne mini buffer directly after my Analogman Sunlion and I never have problems with my El Capistan giving me unwanted high end.

What I'm finding recently is that my newly acquired Fulltone TTE doesn't care what's before it. Every dirt/fuzz pedal I'm running sounds like god's vagina when I've got that beauty in the chain! I think it's making the El Cap scratch its head!

[Guitarbrett]

I am running an MXR EVH Phase 90 (buffered pedal) in between the fuzz and delay/reverb, but it doesn't help. I love the fuzz tone by itself ('69 mkii or Sunface NKT275), but as soon as I turn on my reverb or delay, the added high end just doesn't sound good. I would love to run some delay and reverb with the Fuzz Face, but will not until I can find a solution.

[Heady Jam Fan]

I use my delay and reverb from a line out of my amp to a stereo PA, so my fuzz sees tubes. No problems there.

[Guitarbrett]

FF's have a RAAAWW, un-filtered high-end.

There are 2 solutions to your problem.

1. Add a tone control to your FF
2. Reduce the input impedance of your delay/reverb that follows it (to suck some of the high end out)

Would reducing the input impedance of the delay & reverb affect the tone otherwise?

BTW-My Screwdriver sounds the same whether the delay and reverb are on or off. :phones A pedal I am appreciating more and more each day.

[sabby]

I like to follow my Fuzz Face with an EQ pedal. The FF has an awesome gain structure and it's clean-up and touch-sensitivity are unmatched. But, as Skreddy said, the tone is "RAAAWW."

I don't seem to like additions to the fuzz circuit itself, so the EQ pedal is the most elegant solution. Mine is chain goes Fuzz Face > FuzzRite > Rangemaster (full range) > EQ > Volume > Delay. The FF is on 95% of the time (unless I go FuzzRite) and the EQ pedal is always on. A bit of mid-boost and a slight high-end attenuation and all is good through Fender Blackfaces.

[Skreddy]

Would reducing the input impedance of the delay & reverb affect the tone otherwise?

Yeah. That's why it's not really a serious solution. ;)

BTW-My Screwdriver sounds the same whether the delay and reverb are on or off. :phones A pedal I am appreciating more and more each day.

It has a tone control. :hiP

[Guitarbrett]

It has a tone control. :hiP

True, but even without changing the tone control, the Screwdriver's tone doesn't change when I engage delay or reverb. Another pedal that seems to experience a tonal change when engaging the delay or reverb (after) is the OCD. All my other ODs don't experience a tonal change.

It seems like an external buffer should work, but again, the buffer in the MXR EVH doesn't seem to help.

[phishintrip007]

Every dirt/fuzz pedal I'm running sounds like god's vagina when I've got that beauty in the chain!

LOL!!!! Really, can you PLEASE put something on soundcloud so we can hear what god's vagina sounds like?? I think I spit water on my keyboard when I read this. I gotta frikkin hear this though!!

[Skreddy]

True, but even without changing the tone control, the Screwdriver's tone doesn't change when I engage delay or reverb. Another pedal that seems to experience a tonal change when engaging the delay or reverb (after) is the OCD. All my other ODs don't experience a tonal change.

It seems like an external buffer should work, but again, the buffer in the MXR EVH doesn't seem to help.

I think the FF and the OCD both use a 500k volume pot? That might be it. I use 100k volume pots. So you could mod that by soldering a 120k or 130k ohm resistor between the 2 outside lugs of the 500k volume pot. This might cut down on tone changes when high-impedance effects follow.

[AXXA]

It seems like an external buffer should work, but again, the buffer in the MXR EVH doesn't seem to help.

I apologize in advance if I'm wrong about this, but I thought all MXR pedals were hardwire bypass?

I hope I'm wrong actually. Then maybe I could allow my self to buy some MXR stuff!

[critter74]

I apologize in advance if I'm wrong about this, but I thought all MXR pedals were hardwire bypass?

I hope I'm wrong actually. Then maybe I could allow my self to buy some MXR stuff!

I think some of the newer stuff since Jorge Tripps has been on-board is true bypass (like the Carbon Copy, MXR Classic 108 Fuzz, Way Huge stuff and any of the newer MXR releases since then) however the "legacy" pedals are still hardwired bypass (Phase 90, Blue Box, Phase 100, etc. etc.)

But I may be wrong about the legacy stuff...

[Trashbag_Travis]

i've always had this problem. I never could find a delay or reverb to sound right after my fuzz faces. I've tried everything and nothing seems to work. Basically what i did was run my fuzz into one amp, and i got another smaller amp to handle the reverb and delay. this has been the best solution so far. I still would like to have a reverb after my fuzz face but i have yet to find a solution.

[AXXA]

i've always had this problem. I never could find a delay or reverb to sound right after my fuzz faces. I've tried everything and nothing seems to work. Basically what i did was run my fuzz into one amp, and i got another smaller amp to handle the reverb and delay. this has been the best solution so far. I still would like to have a reverb after my fuzz face but i have yet to find a solution.

I have done this too, and it not only works well, but sounds extra great!

I've always had the opposite problem of the OP, when I use any kind of fuzz with any kind of analog delay, or reverb pedals, the delay and reverb sound duller, especially the delay. It seems like they take away highs, but I'd rather them add highs! Fuzz of course works fine with a real reverb tank though. I have no experience with digital delays with fuzz.

I've always figured it was an impedance issue, but with analog delay, I get the same results whether I use a buffered or true bypass delay, or if I have a buffered pedal in between them. Either way, the delay ends up getting extra muddy.

[Guitarbrett]

I added a Boss pedal after the Fuzz Face and due to the buffer, it also introduced the nasty high end. It is interesting to me that the MXR EVH Phase 90 doesn't cause this problem. I am sure it's not "true" bypass as it does not pass signal when not powered.

My conclusion thus far is I just can't have the delay or reverb on while the FF is on, unless I go to some sort of biamped set-up (which probably ain't gonna happen). Or, maybe I'll pick up a Skreddy LM again, which sounded great, but I missed the typical FF volume knob interaction.

[Jamar]

I got a MJM London Fuzz today and while running it thru the gauntlet I noticed this same problem. I got extra nasty high end anytime I added another buffered pedal. It sounded best straight into the amp. I wish my Maz Jr Reverb had an FX loop. If it did I'd run the rest if the pedals thru the loop and the London Fuzz into the front.

[Guitarbrett]

I got a MJM London Fuzz today and while running it thru the gauntlet I noticed this same problem. I got extra nasty high end anytime I added another buffered pedal. It sounded best straight into the amp. I wish my Maz Jr Reverb had an FX loop. If it did I'd run the rest if the pedals thru the loop and the London Fuzz into the front.

I play a Maz Jr NR. It does have an effects loop, but it is line level. At some point I had to send my CC delay in for service due to distorted repeats. I attributed that to the hot preamp signal coming from the "send" (when I was using the loop) so I don't use the loop anymore. My backup amp, a Blues Jr III, is what I am playing currently as I am waiting to get my 'Z' back from repair (new power tube socket). It doesn't have a loop so no option there.

I'm just going to try running the FF dry for awhile live. Some days, i would love my FFs, and others not so much. I finally realized what it was :bonk. I always loved the FF on days when I ran it dry. The cons (added harsh high end) outweighed the pros of using delay/reverb.

[Jamar]

I'm just going to try running the FF dry for awhile live. Some days, i would love my FFs, and others not so much. I finally realized what it was :bonk. I always loved the FF on days when I ran it dry. The cons (added harsh high end) outweighed the pros of using delay/reverb.

This is probably what I'll be doing as well. There is something to be said for returning to the early days of stompbox history.

[steelerboy329]

So will adding something like a T1M buffer between a fuzz face and delay help with reducing that added high end? It's still unclear to me. I'm noticing some added high end when using just my fuze face with my delay (both are true bypass if that makes a difference).

[Steve73]

This is one advantage of a wet/dry rig. The signal path from the fuzz to the dry amp can stay clean and keep the fuzz tone intact. With my old Marshall, all my delay is after the amp so whatever is in front of the amp stays tight.