Singing the Praises of the Skreddy Top Fuel

[Guitar Josh]

Despite my deep respect for Marc, I've never gotten along with any of his fuzzes. I've owned and sold the Ernie, the Zero, the Mayo, the Screwdriver, the and the ? Lady. They all had in common something that is inherent to the Big Muff itself, a sort of artificialness that is just not organic and amplike. It sounded so fake and trebley that I just couldn't keep them in my rig.

A nice TGP'er put up a Top Fuel in the Emporium for a song, and I figured I'd give Skreddy one more try before giving up on his pedals.

I am so happy that I did. I have NONE of the complaints that I did with the previous pedals. So natural, powerful, singing with a delicious bite. It sounds like there is a BM tone stack in my amp's preamp. It's just awesome.

Too bad this pedal is discontinued, but if you don't have one, and if you are like me and not a fuzz guy because they dont' sound organic, you need to try this out.

Wow.

 

[Skreddy]

Yeah; I think I mentioned before that the TF gets along with Riveras. I think Fender Princetons too. Which are the two main amps that typically don't get along with my other dirt pedals as well as I'd like.

Oh yeah; I can still make more Top Fuels. I just wanted to un-clutter my main page, and I thought my Pink Flesh might eclipse the TF. Maybe not, though.

 

[Guitar Josh]

Yeah; I think I mentioned before that the TF gets along with Riveras. I think Fender Princetons too. Which are the two main amps that typically don't get along with my other dirt pedals as well as I'd like.

Oh yeah; I can still make more Top Fuels. I just wanted to un-clutter my main page, and I thought my Pink Flesh might eclipse the TF. Maybe not, though.

This is why Marc rules. I'm just one guy in a sea of players, and he remembers what kind of amp I play.

You rock dude. I might try the PF at some time. How does that get along with Rivs?

 

[Skreddy]

This is why Marc rules. I'm just one guy in a sea of players, and he remembers what kind of amp I play.

You rock dude. I might try the PF at some time. How does that get along with Rivs?

Probably better than the Mayo but not as good as the Top Fuel.

 

[Dale]

I love my Top Fuel. I have not tried a PF, but I have not had interest with this one. It also works well with the Java Boost and plays well with most everything I have amp wise. It even plays well with my Tweed Deluxe clones and a lot of pedals do not.

 

[tonewave]

which of all those skreddy fuzzes gets on with a tweed fender the best?

 

[Sid]

the top fuel.....i think its a very well kept secret!!!! so many people in search of 'the tone' havent yet tried this lil beauty

 

[fr8_trane]

Ok I'm officially interested in the TF.

I play fender guitars through a Deluxe Reverb. Big Muffs definitely don't sound good in this rig. So can I assume that the Top fuel has more mids, a tamed low end and less fuzzy, more natural clipping (maybe mosfet clipping like the FDII??). How much gain is on tap?

 

[Guitar Josh]

Ok I'm officially interested in the TF.

I play fender guitars through a Deluxe Reverb. Big Muffs definitely don't sound good in this rig. So can I assume that the Top fuel has more mids, a tamed low end and less fuzzy, more natural clipping (maybe mosfet clipping like the FDII??). How much gain is on tap?

I'll let Marc talk to the clipping, but I think you are dead on about the rest of it. As for gain, to my ears, it does not have gobs and gobs of gain, but it's got plenty enough for me and sustain that Nigel Tufnel would agree with.

What's really cool about this pedal is how it's character changes with different pickups. With my humbucker pickups, it's much closer to a distortion pedal, but with my strat, it's full on fuzz with no change of settings.

I really think this is one amazing pedal.

 

[Skreddy]

It uses mosfets for clipping. But the way I set up the mosfets, I'm actually using the internal diode inside of the mosfet as opposed to the mosfet junction. The difference is this: you can get a much more fuzzy sound by using the mosfet junction instead of the internal diode. But that fuzzy sound to my ear is sort of artificial, too "modern" in character, even though it is very smooth. But the internal diode is much more tight sounding, and, even though it imparts a treblier tone; to my ear, it still sounds more organic than the mosfet junction. So I add a tiny bit more high-end filtering in the tone stack to make up for the trebly tone of the clippers (which consist of the mosfet internal diode in series with a silicon diode to keep the signal flowing in only the desired direction).

 

[Dave]

So natural, powerful, singing with a delicious bite. It sounds like there is a BM tone stack in my amp's preamp. It's just awesome.

Yep. Very underrated pedal IMO. I love it too.

 

[Mac-P]

It uses mosfets for clipping. But the way I set up the mosfets, I'm actually using the internal diode inside of the mosfet as opposed to the mosfet junction. The difference is this: you can get a much more fuzzy sound by using the mosfet junction instead of the internal diode. But that fuzzy sound to my ear is sort of artificial, too "modern" in character, even though it is very smooth. But the internal diode is much more tight sounding, and, even though it imparts a treblier tone; to my ear, it still sounds more organic than the mosfet junction. So I add a tiny bit more high-end filtering in the tone stack to make up for the trebly tone of the clippers (which consist of the mosfet internal diode in series with a silicon diode to keep the signal flowing in only the desired direction).

Got it.

I really wish I could understand all that.

Seriously though, I just got a Pink Flesh & gigged with it the other night for the first time (it is an October 2007 black one). It sounds amazing. Really. :AOK I play through a Reverend Kingsnake (at7, ax7's & 6L6's).

Does the Top Fuel have as many mids as the PF?

Also, I notice that my Phase 90 & Microvibe are less audible into the PF than other distortion/od boxes I've played. Is the Top Fuel different in that regard? For that matter, how about the new version of the Pink Flesh?

All that said, it is an absolute killer pedal. My bassist went nuts over it.... :BEER

 

[Skreddy]

Got it.

I really wish I could understand all that.

Seriously though, I just got a Pink Flesh & gigged with it the other night for the first time (it is an October 2007 black one). It sounds amazing. Really. :AOK I play through a Reverend Kingsnake (at7, ax7's & 6L6's).

Does the Top Fuel have as many mids as the PF?

Also, I notice that my Phase 90 & Microvibe are less audible into the PF than other distortion/od boxes I've played. Is the Top Fuel different in that regard? For that matter, how about the new version of the Pink Flesh?

All that said, it is an absolute killer pedal. My bassist went nuts over it.... :BEER

The Pink Flesh has rather low input impedance, the same as vintage Big Muffs. So wahs, phasers, and the like, will be a bit washed out if you place them in front of it. The new version of the Pink Flesh will not change in that regard.

The Top Fuel, on the other hand, uses a mosfet front end, which will preserve all such things going in front.

 

[Mac-P]

The Pink Flesh has rather low input impedance, the same as vintage Big Muffs. So wahs, phasers, and the like, will be a bit washed out if you place them in front of it. The new version of the Pink Flesh will not change in that regard.

The Top Fuel, on the other hand, uses a mosfet front end, which will preserve all such things going in front.

Thank you Marc (I am Marc too...with a "c") :BEER

What about the mids in the Top Fuel? I really like the juicy switch set to the right (mid boost) with the Pink Flesh. Can the Top Fuel get as "throaty"?

Also, I've seen some amazing graphics on your pedals. How does one go about getting some of that great artwork?

 

[Skreddy]

Thank you Marc (I am Marc too...with a "c") :BEER

What about the mids in the Top Fuel? I really like the juicy switch set to the right (mid boost) with the Pink Flesh. Can the Top Fuel get as "throaty"?

Also, I've seen some amazing graphics on your pedals. How does one go about getting some of that great artwork?

Ah, another guy with a Europhile mother.

The Top Fuel's tone stack is set up similar to the Pink Flesh in "juicy" mode. Not the same, but similar. The Top Fuel's tone stack is kind of a custom thing that takes a bit of a departure from the classic Muff sound and is tuned specifically for the Top Fuel's own personality. I've set it up for a strong mid emphasis and adjusted it to retain an "open" quality, so it doesn't end up sounding boxy and constricted even though it does boost the mids (and filter a lot of highs, too, until you crank it all the way; then you'll have quite a treble boost! That extra filter gets canceled at the CW extreme of the tone pot.).

As for graphics, I'm going to start charging extra for custom jobs. Not to make more money, but literally to discourage folks from requesting them, so I can get work done faster.

 

[fr8_trane]

It uses mosfets for clipping. But the way I set up the mosfets, I'm actually using the internal diode inside of the mosfet as opposed to the mosfet junction. The difference is this: you can get a much more fuzzy sound by using the mosfet junction instead of the internal diode. But that fuzzy sound to my ear is sort of artificial, too "modern" in character, even though it is very smooth. But the internal diode is much more tight sounding, and, even though it imparts a treblier tone; to my ear, it still sounds more organic than the mosfet junction. So I add a tiny bit more high-end filtering in the tone stack to make up for the trebly tone of the clippers (which consist of the mosfet internal diode in series with a silicon diode to keep the signal flowing in only the desired direction).

Interesting. I thought maybe you had a Ge diode in series with the mosfet transistor(s) for soft clipping. I suppose that might be what you mean by the mosfet juction but I'm a bit electronically challenged. Is there a difference in sound between using the transistors internal protection diode and just using a plain old Si diode?

 

[PlexiFuzz]

Threads like this don't help make the wait for my Top Fuel any easier ...

I can't believe I sold my last one. My Sewell is in very real danger of having all Skreddy dirt in front of it.

 

[Guitar Josh]

Threads like this don't help make the wait for my Top Fuel any easier ...

I can't believe I sold my last one. My Sewell is in very real danger of having all Skreddy dirt in front of it.

This is actually my second go around with the TF. I owned one previously but it didn't sound as good as this one. Not surprisingly however, as Marc handpicks the transitors and this an older TF. I love it either way.

 

[Skreddy]

This is actually my second go around with the TF. I owned one previously but it didn't sound as good as this one. Not surprisingly however, as Marc handpicks the transitors and this an older TF. I love it either way.

Do me a favor and look under the hood of that thing. Are the transistors BC239C (black plastic semicircles)?

 

[The Whiz]

It uses mosfets for clipping. But the way I set up the mosfets, I'm actually using the internal diode inside of the mosfet as opposed to the mosfet junction. The difference is this: you can get a much more fuzzy sound by using the mosfet junction instead of the internal diode. But that fuzzy sound to my ear is sort of artificial, too "modern" in character, even though it is very smooth. But the internal diode is much more tight sounding, and, even though it imparts a treblier tone; to my ear, it still sounds more organic than the mosfet junction. So I add a tiny bit more high-end filtering in the tone stack to make up for the trebly tone of the clippers (which consist of the mosfet internal diode in series with a silicon diode to keep the signal flowing in only the desired direction).

You talk purdy!
:AOK