JP30 wrote:it takes much luck winning another Fuzzaround on the BIN auction, but I will try.
It's almost time to go crazy with reflesh button.
Actually, I should go for that triple pedal, what ever that is...
The Captain wrote: I'm very biased on this one as the Buzzaround is probably my ideal high-gain germanium fuzz box...hell, if you can play Seek & Destroy with a fuzz box its all good.
I feel the same way about the Fuzzaround being the Ideal High Gain Germanium fuzz.
My GE fuzz needs are very much fullfilled by DAM 1966, MK2s, and Fuzzaround.
Now I got to go and find Untimate Silicone fuzz what can match the Fuzzaround !!
I just spent half an hour typing out a decent length reply only to have the bloody internet monsters eat it again - nothing in the recycle bin or page history or even in the recycle bin - probably need to alter the settings on this new laptop!Bastard!
Basically - in reply to Jack - I have played with most of the old time fuzzes and the only pedal I would choose to put alongside the original Buzzaround (apart of course from the Sola made pedals) would be a nice sounding Fuzzface. I do not have any real experience with modern fuzzes other than David's stuff (he really does make truly outstanding silicon fuzzes!!) and a smattering of the contemporary builders offerings. But I have had a lot of the early stuff (and still do) and have spent a huge amount of time comparing them (decades actually!) - maybe a bit longer for the disease to get a grip than some here but just chasing the same dragon we are all into really.. guitars - strings - amps - valves - pedals - transistors - speakers - all different but all the same when it comes to the addiction
I have used fuzzfaces just about since they first came out probably using all of their versions (apart from a few obscure models that probably had changed trannies anyway) - and still have nice examples of all the older ones - the different transistors used do all have their own charms and followers with some people preferring the NKT275 models and others the BC183 ones - BUT I always preferred the BC108 version - currently owning two of those - a red one from late '69 and a particularly pretty blue hammerite model from early '70 (both of which are currently "away on their holidays" in sunny Rotherham) – Here I would have to point out that despite the small number of components in a 'face ' they do all sound different (some only slightly some dramatically so) - don't ask me why - I would have thought that provided none of the components had drifted too far off spec they should all perform the same - particularly with the Silicon transistors reputedly being more consistently built and less prone to temperature problems - but that is patently not the case - I have had a handful of the 108 models and the two I currently own are both very nice sounding but I would say that my blue one is just THE killer pedal - defining what I imagine Jack and all the rest of us would say we were looking for in a silicon fuzz. We all have a favorite track from that period and take my word for it a silicon face will cover at least half of them (at least by the time you add a boost or wah or both!). Sure you can get ninety percent of the way there with most modern silicon fuzzes and they will probably do a whole lot more besides BUT if you want the real deal not some stepped on street product you will need a proper Face.
Like everybody else who plays electric guitar I have read the tales that have woven their way into Rock legend of certain big name players sifting through boxes of these pedals back in the day until they found a good one so they must have sounded different from the off - I guess that the concept of component drift over the intervening forty years isn't the only cause of their differences - I suppose that there must have been a range of quality in those early transistors and it was a matter of finding a pedal with the right ones inside - Maybe Dave would like to kick in on that (also might confirm whether or not my ear is any good in making such claims for my old blue FF) I don't know what it is about my old blue fuzzface but to me it defines good tone - maybe it would be possible to exactly clone from it maybe it is much more difficult than that!! I have read of other builders offering to bring any old face back up to true original spec – by implication bringing their sound into the zone as well – I don’t have any experience of that – maybe they can maybe it’s all hype.....
Dave or others here might offer some thoughts on what is behind the subtle differences –
could probably do with a fuzzface discussion page for that matter I suppose......
Back to the Fuzzarounds – I think we ought to collectively raise a glass to Dave to toast him
(oops wrong smiley?)
on bringing such a scarce yet important pedal into the reaches of near on fifty people who would otherwise have only heard the rumours. I said it before on this page (and have repeatedly said it to David so he didn’t need to worry about whether these pedals would be well received!) but for those people who are now in a position to judge critically for themselves – and forgetting all I just wrote about the worth of FuzzFaces – just imagine how the whole history of music might have been changed if one of the original Buzzaround pedals had actually found its way into the hands (or under the feet) of one of the “guitar gods” – Now I’m not knocking Fripp (and this isn’t one of those places where such talk can bring a ton of shit onto your head or a month long posting battle) but his music didn’t all hit my own personal button – sure I had the first couple of KC albums like everybody else here of a “certain age” and spent many nights getting those 21st Century Schizoid riffs down myself – but his stuff did go off the reservation a little into the avant garde (I’m strictly a meat and two veg guy when it comes to heavy guitar!)--- said it before but what might Jimi have done (or Jimmy for that matter??) If you look at what a huge impact the fuzzfaces have had down the subsequent forty years then it is practically beyond imagining where the opportune placing of one of those first handful of fuzzy grey wedges might have taken the whole history of rock music......
I suppose that the limited availability of the original pedals has a lot in common with the limited availability of the earliest Tonebenders (although I really believe that there would have been a lot more built had it not been for the timing of the Baldwin takeover which I believe curtailed any further production) – had these pedals been easier to build in any consistent quantities I am sure we would have seen many more of them – we can all tell what a toll getting just these few dozen out onto the street has made on our Captain – a great pity because if it were possible to turn out a decent version of this pedal in any quantity I am sure that Dave would clean up but it is obviously a right bastard to set up properly and that is before you factor in the limited availability of suitable transistors (Dave – how would these work out with another trannie? Would using say an OC7* series component make the build any easier or quantities realistic or would it still be such a mind f**k??)
...... All the more reason to be grateful for his labours and to appreciate our own pedals even more !!
Markom – Congrats on getting hold of number 5!! We’ll be needing a battle “name” for you for the Saga!! Any suggestions (before the others start kicking in with their own suggestions!)
Regarding those prettily coloured models and the people thinking of trying for another --- why stop at two – just imagine one in each colour ----or even a double fuzzaround.......
oops just woke up!
Regarding that saucy little Haloween number that has been raising blood pressures all over the known fuzzy world – I don’t know what it might be (beyond a windup at the moment) but I do have an outstanding custom Dragnfly with that same skeleton (well the skulls anyway) on silver motif albeit with card suits (diamonds spades clubs etc) instead of the pumpkins – what a great pairing they would make – ha!!
Anyway – having lost one bloody great big posting I just spent half the afternoon doing this one!!
Congratulations to all those over the ocean who are happy with their new President – for the rest keep your fingers crossed – these things have got a way of working themselves out – hopefully we will all be smiling at the end of the day but the guy has plenty of work to do (and plenty more promises to keep!)
Cheers – Graham
Plus I'm very biased on this one as the Buzzaround is probably my ideal high-gain germanium fuzz box...hell, if you can play Seek & Destroy with a fuzz box its all good. 
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