History & Evolution Of The Fuzz Pedal (Fuzz Face, Tone Bender & Big Muff)

Session and touring pro Mark Marshall does a deep dive into the history and evolution of the fuzz pedal. Fuzz is often a misunderstood sound with a number of different subtle shades and colors.

He begins with an exploration of the 3 classic fuzz pedal families; from the Fuzz Face to the Tone Bender to the Big Muff, and covers some of the key differences between the germanium and silicon circuits. Then he takes a look at some modern Fuzz pedals such as the ZVEX Fuzz Factory and the Death By Audio Evil Filter.

To demonstrate the Fuzz Face sound Mark demos Analog Man’s Sun Face.

To demonstrate the Tone Bender sound he demos LIC Pedal’s Professional MK1.

And for the Big Muff sound he demos a JHS Muffuletta.

In the examples Mark highlights how different fuzz circuits interact with an amp, and how rolling back the volume knob can create some interesting sounds. This is a great primer for anyone interested in getting more precise about their Fuzz sound live or in the studio.

You can hire Mark Marshal to play on your track.