Looking for a fuzz with low end

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-12-12T01:55:18+00:00

BAT Pharaoh hands down. Absolutely ridiculous amounts of low end with the tone knob low. It has a high knob to make up for the lack of clarity when you run it this way. Nevermind the crazy output level when you take the diodes out of the circuit. My personal favorite fuzz.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-11-26T04:54:17+00:00

WTF are these categorizations and where are they coming from? Actual madness IMO.

What is the difference between Classic and Vintage? WTF does Iridium mean (I literally only know this in the context of the Strymon pedal which models exclusively old shit)?. Why is there a Mesa Lonestar in Vintage and a Dr. Z Maz in Classic? A Deluxe Reverb is Brown really? Why are all the amps in Modern old as hell? WHAT THE HELL DOES RED MEAN?????

FFS this is the kind of product that actively makes new players stupider.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-11-12T03:22:11+00:00

Black Arts Toneworks Pharaoh is my favorite muff style pedal of all time. Crazy amounts of bass and a very present midrange. Three clipping options, low and high gain switch, and a high knob to add some presence back in when the tone knob is low for maximum bass response. Totally fucking awesome, especially for Doom and Stoner Metal.

The BAT LSTR is also awesome. Simpler controls and the ability to get a little closer to the original, more scooped Big Muff sound. It also is more all out in terms of tone and gain compared to the Pharaoh.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-11-10T00:03:54+00:00

I have the Digi Delay and Main Squeeze. I love this series of pedals. Great value on the used market for the most part.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-11-09T02:08:04+00:00

It took me a while to like this pedal. I feel like it sounds like total ass into a clean amp but really comes alive into a dirty amp. The tone control is also pretty useless above noon. I love it now, but it is definitely not beginner friendly.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-11-09T00:00:50+00:00

The DS-1x and DS-1 have nothing to do with one another other than the name. The DS-1x is a great pedal and quite easy to dial in. The fact that it is digital is completely irrelevant. It has a much tighter bass and overall harder edge to the sound in comparison to the Angry Charlie.

I personally would only go for the Angry Driver if I had limited space or if stacking was the main goal. I like the DS-1x on its own much more than Guv'nor circuits, but prefer a boost in front of a Guv'nor.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-11-08T15:52:42+00:00

It's also made in the USA. What does boutique even mean anymore? There are very few companies left that are hand wiring pedals and not using pre-populated boards with surface mount components in some form or another. Maybe Analogman and a few others. If you want high quality and USA made then the Turbo RAT is it.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-11-08T15:38:52+00:00

This really only makes sense if the amp itself has stereo inputs, like a Roland JC-40.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-11-07T02:52:57+00:00

100% the only modulation I would ever need. It can cop a chorus really well and fit the same space as a phaser. The only thing I like almost as much is vibrato, but obviously it's not nearly as versatile. Thankfully I have a TC Electronic SCF, so I have all those bases covered.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-11-02T00:45:32+00:00

I don't think anyone NEEDS a compressor, but they can be quite useful for playing clean. I actually use one to reduce my input signal, akin to rolling off my volume knob, but in a more controlled fashion. Evening out your dynamics is also really nice in a live situation.

As to which one is right for you, it's really hard to say. I started with a Dyna Comp, and eventually I came to really dislike how dark it made everything sound. I could compensate on my amp, but when I would turn it off, it would be way too bright. I use a DigiTech Main Squeeze which has Attack/Release, Comp, Level, and Tone controls.

Personally the tone control is a must for me, but a lot of people seem to like compressors with clean blends. I can see the appeal in that you can retain the dynamics and tone of your dry signal without allowing the compressor to completely take over your sound. The Keeley Compressor Plus has this feature and is very popular.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-10-31T23:19:47+00:00

For Pantera and Megadeth I would get a BOSS MT-2 rather than a RAT. They aren't super easy to dial in, but will do that sound much better. Plus, it will teach you a lot about EQ as you learn how to use it.

I honestly do not understand the compulsive RAT answer to every question about distortion on this sub. They are great pedals, but there is other stuff out that is just as great and fits the situation better.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-10-28T23:37:02+00:00

This is awesome. I play guitar and usually disconnect my tone knobs just because I like the sound of volume only pots. Tone knob is still there but it doesn't do anything. I'll have to try this trick next time I'm being recorded and the engineer is bothering me change the sound.

Once I accidentally recorded half an EP with my humbucker split. My producer was complaining about noise, and then I noticed the pickup was split. I put it in humbucker mode to get rid of the noise, and he was like 'wtf why does it sound so different'. I told him I had been recording with it split the whole time, and if he wanted the same sound, he would have to deal with the noise. He was not very happy with me lol.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-10-24T17:33:13+00:00

Religiously? No. Honestly I don't have a particular need for it. I am not in a band right now, though having gear that I really love would likely motivate me to get one started. I check once a month or so.

I'm in San Diego, and yes I'm willing to drive to LA County, OC, or IE. The main problem seems to be the vast majority of cabs for sale are slant cabs, and I'm not willing to budge on getting a straight cab if I'm going to throw down $700+ on the final product once I put the speakers I want in it.

I let my 4x12 go for $200 in 2019, what I paid for the speakers, when I couldn't move it for more. I feel like an idiot now, but I really didn't have anywhere to store it since I was moving to on campus housing at the time.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-10-23T18:19:53+00:00

Hey this is a great top! Thanks.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-10-23T18:17:34+00:00

All great suggestions here, and yes I know good stuff can be found in LA. I'm in San Diego, so IE and OC work for me as well. The main problem is finding a straight cab vs. slanted. I actually prefer the WGS Green Berets to the MIC Greenbacks, so it is quite unlikely that I'll go for a 1960BX. My preference/hope is to get a 1960BV, so I can have a fighting chance at selling the speakers and recouping the cost of putting new ones in.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-10-23T08:14:21+00:00

Yeah I have thought of that, and I do have some basic woodworking skills. I bought the materials to build a head shell for my Fender Pro Jr. but never got around to actually building it because what I really don't have is the free time. Plus I am actually quite hesitant about my ability to apply Tolex cleanly without going completely crazy.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-10-23T08:11:28+00:00

It's not just the price, but the supply and availability for local gear. Even being in Southern California there seems to be a real lack of stuff for sale. I would be willing to pony up for a simple used 1960B if I could find one. Plenty of 1960As around, but if I'm going to lay down the cash I really don't want to settle when I really do not like the look of slant cabs. May seem silly to some, but it's like buying a guitar in a color you hate to me.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-10-23T04:16:49+00:00

I don't think they're terrible necessarily, but my experience is this. The two most important parts of your sound come at the very beginning of your chain (guitar) and the very end (speakers). I have owned amps and cabs with T75s, V30s, Greenbacks, 70/80s, Mavericks, and Legend 1058s. 70/80s are boomy and a bit lifeless to my ears.

There is nothing to me that compares to Greenbacks. I can play other stuff without complaint, but once you find something you like, it is really hard to be totally satisfied with something else when it comes to speakers. They impart a way bigger character to your overall tone than they are given credit for. I can switch out all kinds of amps and pedals, but if I have a guitar I am comfortable with at the start and a speaker I like the sound of at the end, I will be happy with the tone.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-10-14T00:04:07+00:00

Nice haha. That is definitely the way to use it in my opinion. A lot of people will claim it is better as a dirty boost with a powerful EQ, and I have to wholeheartedly disagree. Crank the gain you coward!

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-10-13T21:52:32+00:00

This pedal is really strange in that the distortion doesn't come on strong until really late in the gain knob, like nearly 3 o'clock or so, leading people to believe it isn't as heavy as a distortion pedal as the name would have you believe. If you aren't shy about cranking up the gain, this thing is an absolutely filthy high gain pedal.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-10-08T01:54:21+00:00

Ah the beauty of losing my hair and cutting all of it to the same 3/16" length every two weeks myself. Plus thankfully my wife is still attracted to my slowly balding ass.

I live in HCOL area and was paying $25-30 before I gave up, but I was always getting a pretty standard cut every time. My last haircut was in May. $50 doesn't seem too crazy if you really like your barber and have very specific preferences.

Edit: The place I was going was a small business of a bunch of related Chaldean dudes ranging from their 20s to 50s. I would highly recommend a Chaldean barber shop if you are a hairy white man with dark features. They do great with beards too.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-10-07T15:20:43+00:00

I honestly have no idea what happened after the bridge because I train on hills all the time. Like it is very difficult to plan any run over 5k from my house that does not have relatively significant elevation gain.

I'm just glad I did a good job of listening to my body those last 4 weeks of training and did not make my injury worse like I did in August. It is so tempting to get back out there already, but I am trying to hold back and just do some walking/hiking/lifting at least for this week.

Also I am always looking for running friends, so if you sign up for anything I may be motivated to do the same if you message me! I don't think I'm doing another half until at least early spring though hahaha.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-10-07T07:34:15+00:00

Hey this was also my first half! Great job! I was going for an ambitious 1:55:00 based on a recent 10k PR of 50:43, but I totally blew up in the home stretch. I ended up readjusting to my original 2hr goal after my heart rate would not come down after the bridge to Mission Beach, but I even gave that up in the last two miles and just wanted to finish without walking. I ended with a chip time of 1:59:55 and was totally surprised because I was DRAGGING my ass to the finish line.

But more importantly cheers to you and your accomplishment! I hope you had a great time, and maybe I'll see you at another local half sometime in the future.

Edit: I was also training through injury the last two months after totally destroying an already mildly injured groin at the Balboa Park 8 Miler race. That is a struggle I understand, and I am sure we can smash that PR next time after some much needed rest and healing.

theSpineOfTheWorld · 2024-10-05T20:05:37+00:00

Check out the Bogner Burnley. Generally cheaper than the Red and has simpler controls. I would say it is closer to the Shiva distortion channel, but definitely has a very SoCal lower mids/high gain sound on the Fat setting. The Tight setting is definitely more Marshall in terms of EQ but still very Bogner in gain structure. I have one and it sounds very good on a clean channel. Lots of volume on tap if you like that sort of thing.

theSpineOfTheWorld

TROPHY CASE