Fuzz
Schematics of the major families of fuzz.
Fuzz describes a guitar distortion effect. Historically, the term has been interchangeable with distortion and overdrive. By the 21st century, fuzz is usually reserved for only the most extreme of distortion effects that seem to add unnatural timbres to electric guitars, as opposed to the sweeter sounding natural harmonics of what is typically called distortion or overdrive.
The patent for the Maestro Fuzz Tone (1962) states that its purpose is to:
"produce significant tone modification as distinguished from what might be classed as mere distortion."
So there you have it. Instead of defining what fuzz is, we can define what is not. Fuzz is not mere distortion!
Top Picks
Fuzz is an overwhelming genre. Here are some classics that sum up the major branches of fuzz for me:
Maestro Fuzz Tone FZ-1 (1962)
Sola Sound Tone Bender (1965)
Astro Amps Astrotone (1966)
Mosrite Fuzzrite (1966)
Arbiter Fuzz Face (1966)
Roger Mayer Octavia (1967)
Univox Superfuzz (1968)
Electro Harmonix Big Muff Pi (1969)
In the beginning... Some Fuzz History
Pre-Fuzz Tone (pre 1962)
(A fantastic timeline that includes early Pre-Fuzz Tone info can be found on kitrae.net.)
Early effects were one-offs created by using damaged, broken, or abused equipment. Sometimes the effect is created accidentally, some report it being created on purpose.
Circa 1960-62 (precise date unknown) Orville "Red" Rhodes makes fuzz boxes for Ventures and others. This box is used on the 2000 Pound Bee and the Brits assume this effect is the Maestro Fuzz Tone. The schematic or guts of the original boxes have never been released. The circuit was allegedly used in early Ventures' amplifiers made by the Award brand. Later amplifiers used a 2 Stage Fuzz Blend circuit similar to the Mosrite Fuzzrite. It is unclear whether the Fuzzrite was based on the Rhodes fuzz unit or not.
A young Roger Mayer built a treble booster for a young Jimmy Page in 1961. Mayer sells a modern reproduction of this booster as the "Concorde +" pedal.
In 1962, the Maestro Fuzz Tone model FZ-1 was released. This was the first big commercial release of such an effect. The best article I have ever read on the FZ-1 and the events leading to its creation can be found in Vintage Guitar Magazine's December 2013 issue.
The FZ-1 introduced the No Bias circuits as a way of producing fuzz. This was even patented by the designer, Glen Snoddy. The effect was embraced by some recording guitarists, but overall sales were poor.
Pre-"Satisfaction" 1962-1965
Beatles are photographed with Maestro Fuzz Tones in 1963. Recordings of the Beatles using the Fuzz Tone are made, but not released.
Roger Mayer creates fuzz boxes for session guitarists Jimmy Page, Jim Sullivan, and Jeff Beck in 1964. They are after the Ventures' sound, and they incorrectly assume the effect is the Fuzz Tone. Mayer's own account suggests that he tried to design the pedal without actually looking inside a Fuzz Tone. A reissue of sorts is available from Roger Mayer as the Page 1.
In April 1965, Gary Hurst, a freelance technician and former JMI/Vox employee, modifies a FZ-1 and begins selling the effect through the Musical Exchange as the Sola Sound Tone Bender.
"Satisfaction" Fuzz Craze 1965
In June 1965, the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" and the Yardbirds' "Heart Full of Soul" are both fuzz hits. "Satisfaction" features the Maestro FZ-1 while "Heart Full of Soul" features Hurst's modified FZ-1 known as the Sola Sound Tone Bender.
A surge in the demand for the Maestro Fuzz Tones sends the manufacturer scrambling to build new units. Perhaps for this reason, the pedal is quickly redesigned. The most notably change is the reduction of the power supply from 3V to 1.5V. This new model is called the FZ-1A. It is still based on the No Bias topology.
August of 1965 the Vox Distortion Booster is shown publicly and available in stores by the end of the year. This device features a new fuzz circuit I have dubbed the 2 Transistor English Fuzz for its subsequent prominence in Vox, Sola Sound, and Arbiter products. The designer is disputed. The 2 Transistor English Fuzz is notable for eschewing the No Bias/non-linear design for an overdriven linear amplifier. This is a landmark as it foreshadows the fuzz effect's successors known as "distortion" and "overdrive."
In December 1965 the Beatles finally release a fuzz effect on "Think For Yourself" from the album "Rubber Soul." The actual unit remains a mystery, but photographic evidence of McCartney with a Tone Bender from that time period makes the Mk I or I.V a strong candidate.
Fuzz Explosion of 1966
1966 was a busy year for fuzz. Back in America, the Mosrite Fuzzrite is developed. Electronic component manufacturer Sprague makes the Fuzzrite circuit as an encapsulated module for easy implementation. Many pedals are built using either the model or using the Fuzzrite's 2 Stage Fuzz Blend as basic topology. Ed Sanner is credited for the Fuzzrite, but it is unclear if this was developed from the earlier Rhodes fuzz.
In New York City, the Astro Amp Astrotone is released and also rebranded as the Sam Ash Fuzzz Boxx. This is the earliest known example of the Passive Shunt Clipping Diodes topology to create the fuzz effect. This unit is distinctly more proto-overdrive than fuzz.
In England there is an explosion of fuzz boxes. In early '66, the Tone Bender gets a new cast enclosure and a 2 Transistor English Fuzz inside, very similar circuit to the Vox Distortion Booster. This model has been retroactively nick named the "Mk I.V" or "Mk 1.5." It is unclear who the designer was.
By mid 1966 the Tone Bender changed again. A new cast enclosure, painted grey, a new title of Tone Bender Mk II Professional, and a new circuit combining the No Bias of the FZ-1/Mk I with the 2 Transistor English Fuzz of the Vox Distortion Booster/Mk. I.V.
The Baldwin-Burns Buzzaround appears with a No Bias diode variation fuzz circuit. There are many pedals that will feature a very similar circuit. I do not know if the Buzzaround was the first, but is seems to be available in 1966, and is a strong contender for being the original.
The Selmer Buzztone features a cascaded 3 stage linear amplifier design (input is series feedback amplifier followed by 2 shunt feedback amplifiers). This is another early notable eschewing of the non-linear No Bias fuzz (2TEF is the other one).
The remaining crop of 1966 pedals appear to simply be rebrandings of previously released circuits. These include the WEM Rush Pep Box (FZ-1 like), Hornby Skewes Zonk Machine, Marshall Supa Fuzz (both similar to Tone Bender MK I), Rotosound Fuzz Box, Vox Tone Bender (both Tone Bender MK II), Rangemaster Fuzzbug, and Arbiter Fuzzface (both Tone Bender I.V). The last one is undoubtably the most famous of the group due to an early endorsement by Jimi Hendrix.
"Purple Haze" and Octave Up Fuzz 1967-1969
Roger Meyer, who has previously built fuzz units for London session guitarists, created a special effect for Jimi Hendrix to use on his debut recordings. In March 1967, Jimi's second single release, "Purple Haze," introduced the world to previously unheard guitar timbre: octave up fuzz.
Meyer dubbed the effect the Octavia. The circuit uses a linear preamplifer capable of overdrive that is coupled to a passive frequency doubler circuit. The original Purple Haze unit contains each section in a separate box. Floor pedals made for stage performance are custom built into wedge boxes. These are only received by famous musicians (presumably they are expensive as well). They are notably fragile due to Meyer's use of a transformer in the doubler circuit. Meyer would not release a commercial version until 1980. In the meantime, imitators would quickly fill the void for a commercial version of the effect.
The Honey Baby Crying appears later in 1967 as a Japanese take on the Octavia sound. This pedal is designed by Fumio Mieda, and the effect is best known as the Univox Superfuzz. Mieda's circuit utilizes a Push-Push amp topology for a transformerless frequency doubler circuit. Many subsequent Japanese fuzz pedals are based on Mieda's design.
In 1968 the Fender Blender releases a transformerless frequency doubler fuzz effect utilizing transistors and diodes. The Blend knob allows the dry signal to be mixed into the final output. A tone stompswitch selects a straight fuzz or filtered fuzz. This was previously seen on the Mieda design as a slide switch.
In 1969 Ampeg, perhaps in an answer to Fender's "Blender," releases the "Scrambler." The Scrambler circuit is completely potted and remains mysterious for a long time, but the tone is distinctly in the "octave up fuzz" category. When the schematic is released, it turns out to be based on a ring modulator circuit but the final version may not have included the entire diode ring. This unit features a Blend dry mix control like the Blender.
Fuzz Fades as Distortion/Overdrive Rises 1969
1969 brought about the Electro Harmonix Big Muff Pi. This introduced fuzz's final topology: the shunt feedback clipping diodes. The Big Muff is notably "smoother" than earlier fuzzes and eschewed the frequency doubling fad. Electro Harmonix's Muff Fuzz is also released. This features the 2 Transistor English fuzz. Common to both topologies are linear voltage amplifiers that are simply overdriven to achieve their effects. Simply reducing the input signal "cleans up" the effect, unlike the non-linear No Bias circuits that dominated the '60s. Subsequent developments in guitar effects focused on this thicker and smoother "distortion/overdrive" sound rather than the 1960's distinctive eerie fuzz tones.