If you're a rock guitarists, it's in your destiny to at least try it. WWJHD
Every rock guitarists tries most of the big named pedals before shelling out the cash for boutique or DIY pedals (which are mostly modded clones). How could I call myself a hobbyist if I had never tried the infamous Dunlop Fuzz Face? With players like Hendricks of course, Bonamassa, Eric Johnson... Yes I did just name the special edition fuzz faces. But still... Hendrix, was enough for me.
When you find your sweet spot on the JDF2 FF it opens up an array of tones I couldn't find with any other pedal. It's transparency allows me to hear my guitar, not just a circuit of electronics like the Muff does (i love the muff I'm not trashing it). I can now change tone with my tone knob, pickup height, an pick attack. I can hear my playing not what the pedal does with the magnet and string interaction of my pickups. I can truly hear the difference in the strings types, sizes, picks an thickness... The way I pluck, pick, or sweep the strings. It's amazing to me. It's my guitars natural sound with a fuzz.
Incidentally enough I'd like to make some changes to the pedals circuitry but that's simply biasing or transistor changes to change the way it farts (giggle...) or screams or a volume boost so the darn thing doesn't have to be cranked. But... That's just me... It's what I want. Who buys guitar gear to leave it alone? It's like buying a diesel without the intent of chopping the pipes off. Am I right? Amen, I will preach on!
I've found the price of the basic germanium JDF2 series FF is half or more the price of the named pedals. I personally favor the Eric Johnson series. So let's see... Chang the transistors out, upgrade the pots, add a trim pot (or external pot if you don't mind adding a third eye to your Fuzz's bright red smiling face), and you now have a named FF for a fraction of the cost. Don't solder? LEARN!! You have no excuse, use sockets, explore, just don't eff it up!
Personally... For the price, it's many uses, it's transparency, the way volume swells now increase gain rather than just volume, the way you leave it on the board to your desired full blast setting and control this beast with your finger tips at your guitar... It's versatility to add dirt to a clean signal, crunch to blues, grit to country (ugh... Sorry... Not my cup of overly sugared tea... But thank you southerners for the blues!!) trashy distortion to punk. It's all there. Thinking about this review I realize that a FF is a must have for every guitarist who is searching for your tone... This isn't about solid state or tube it's about a legendary effect pedal that you at least need to experiment with on your board. Try it, sometimes you can fine them for a few dollars on the list, a few more than that at scam shops (also known as pawn shops), borrow a friends. Don't just go on yet another review.
5 stars out of 5
Probably won't leave my board
The best $50 I've spent on my rig
A piece of history there at my feet circa 2010
A piece of equipment with a circuitry easy enough to mod and mod again (why do you think so many clones begin with this simple stompbox?)
Would recommend this to a friend
I own it, I play it, I use the sh!+ out of it.
Rock, blues, and a touch of red dirt at times.
I think that about covers it. Check out my blog for other reviews... When I get one.Read full review
