My Bassman hates my Fuzz Face!

[Amp360]

I have an old Maestro fuzz and a few others. The best modern fuzz I've used is the Quinn Fuzz Petal. It really is an incredible pedal and it's not all that pricey, maybe $120 or so. I also have that new Boss one which is better than about 99% of the expensive new ones I've heard.

 

[toneville]

We have to remember sometimes that this isn't that complicated but sometimes it does take a little flexibility to get the most out of equipment. I thought of a couple of things. First try using the low gain input (#2) to pad the signal a little and second, are you using a 12AX7 or a 12AY7 as the 1st preamp tube ? A lower gain tube often allows the amp to "digest" the signal and the tone may bloom better. Personally on tweed Fenders I like 5751 as a 1st tube,. It has less gain than a 12AX7 and more than a 12AY7 on Fenders and depending on your style and what you are putting into it there can be a lot of difference.

 

[corpse]

We have to remember sometimes that this isn't that complicated but sometimes it does take a little flexibility to get the most out of equipment. I thought of a couple of things. First try using the low gain input (#2) to pad the signal a little and second, are you using a 12AX7 or a 12AY7 as the 1st preamp tube ? A lower gain tube often allows the amp to "digest" the signal and the tone may bloom better. Personally on tweed Fenders I like 5751 as a 1st tube,. It has less gain than a 12AX7 and more than a 12AY7 on Fenders and depending on your style and what you are putting into it there can be a lot of difference.

It is well known the 5751 was a critical part of SRV's tone- I have heard SRV sound like SRV no matter what. But he did use them his amp tech (C Diaz) states- I have a few and keep them in a box (LOL). If a 12AX7 has a gain of 100 and a AY is 60 is 5751 sits in there at 70 and an AU at 50. And like TV says thinking that all high power everywhere in your circuit leads to a ""bigger' tone is plain wrong. It's like leaving your guitars volume and tone at 10 all the time.
I have one of those little RCA 5751 effers around here somewhere- I need to did it out.
Charlie Chitlins- you have any experience with a 5751?

 

[renderit]

It is well known the 5751 was a critical part of SRV's tone- I have heard SRV sound like SRV no matter what. But he did use them his amp tech (C Diaz) states- I have a few and keep them in a box (LOL). If a 12AX7 has a gain of 100 and a AY is 60 is 5751 sits in there at 70 and an AU at 50. And like TV says thinking that all high power everywhere in your circuit leads to a ""bigger' tone is plain wrong. It's like leaving your guitars volume and tone at 10 all the time.
I have one of those little RCA 5751 effers around here somewhere- I need to did it out.
Charlie Chitlins- you have any experience with a 5751?

That is some good info and reminds me that I found all these types years ago and need to do some "playing" with them.

 

[corpse]

That is some good info and reminds me that I found all these types years ago and need to do some "playing" with them.

No offence that I didn't ask your direct opinion Ren. BTW- most of this- rather ALL of this- I learned from Big Al.
BTW- this is REALLY REALLY simple surgery- generally in a very safe space in the amp. If you get electrocuted doing this it is your own damn fault, and you would have had somethign else rare & bad happen in the near future- like being eaten by a shark or hit by lightening. It is predominantly the slot right behind the pot on the front (on a brown- can't say for sure on a Tweed).

 

[renderit]

Why anybody would think to ask MY opinion on anything tubes boggles my mind. I hope you were being snide.

Short of having a bunch of newfangled amps to "fill in the corners" which sound great (and mostly came at the urging of experts such as yourself and others) I am a total novice.

The tubular info on 5751, 12AX7 and 12AU's has been passed around here by experts (like yourself) for years.

It is because of that I bought a bunch of vintage flavors and I need my playtime.

(though the wife will not be pleased that electrocution is off the table)

Please convey to the Righteously Honorable Humongous Alywichious that my sword is still his. (That really sounds kinda sick, but I mean it with respect). ((Which sounds maybe sicker but I needs be dug outta this before I sink any deeper...))

 

[Wally]

It is well known the 5751 was a critical part of SRV's tone- I have heard SRV sound like SRV no matter what. But he did use them his amp tech (C Diaz) states- I have a few and keep them in a box (LOL). If a 12AX7 has a gain of 100 and a AY is 60 is 5751 sits in there at 70 and an AU at 50. And like TV says thinking that all high power everywhere in your circuit leads to a ""bigger' tone is plain wrong. It's like leaving your guitars volume and tone at 10 all the time.
I have one of those little RCA 5751 effers around here somewhere- I need to did it out.
Charlie Chitlins- you have any experience with a 5751?

12AX7..100; 5751..70; 12AY7…

I don’t list AT/AU driver tubes with the above tubes..but they gain factors of 70 and 17 respectively.

I use 5751s to lower gain in input stages where needed. I have a small stash of NOS/NIB late 1950s JAN military GE 5751s
As well as a few UOS 5751s.

 

[Mr. Papa]

Sorry if you have tried this OP, but I find that fuzz sounds best on the neck pickup, or the bridge with the tone dialed down to 5 or less. Have you tried that? I just got a Tru-Fi Two Face and the difference between correct pickup setting and incorrect makes an awesome fuzz sound like garbage no matter what other amp and FX I am using.

 

[Iguana]

Sorry for the delayed reply. Got lotsa non guitar stuff to deal with. Now for some painful confessions: I built the amp and I’m well aware of what a 5751 can do for an amp. Now watch me palm my face as I admit it never crossed my mind to swap the first tube. It’s a 12AY7. I actually have a old RCA 5751 tucked away in a nice safe place. I should have the place to myself tomorrow. Think I’ll piss off the neighborhood for a hour or two. Thanks for the suggestions. I’m still perfectly happy to just plug in to my reverb pedal and run the Bassman clean so if I don’t like the result of the tube swap I won’t weep over it.

 

[Iguana]

So I tried out the 5751 with the fuzz. The Bassman waved it’s finger like Dikembe Mutombo. While the different tube in v1 did make the fuzzface less flatulent it wasn’t enough. I found the 5751 to be more compressed and less touch sensitive. Not surprising given that it has a higher gain factor than the 12ay7. I also tried the normal channel. In the end I put the 12ay7 back in and put the 5751 back in it’s nice padded case.

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

I just realized that I never followed up on this thread. Sorry gang. I tried the Fuzz with every pedal I’ve got between it and the Bassman. End result? Varying degrees of sonic flatulence. I guess that means I just can’t use my fuzz with my Fender. Hardly what I would call a hardship. The Bassman sounds beautiful without any FX. I would like to find a nice basic reverb pedal for it though. The memory boy does a pretty good job but it’s not a reverb. Anybody got a recommendation for a basic spring reverb pedal?

Try a Tone Bender. They sound phenomenal before my Hiwatts, Matamp, and Ampeg VT22 set clean. My Keeley Fuzz Bender and Game Changer Plasma Coil also sound great.

 

[Any Name You Wish]

I have the Victoria Reverberato in front of my Bassman RI. Both the reverb and trem are unmatched by any pedals. The Reverberato also makes the Bassman sound better, clearer, more defined. Not sure why this happens but it is very complimentary to the Bassman. Its the only Victoria product that I have ever liked. I also have a Boss reverb pedal that does plate and spring and variations. It works well but just not the same as a real verb tank. Audience will never know, but for recording it is another story. The Reverberato is spendy new. Pick up a used one.

 

[charliechitlins]

A TS9 has a big mid hump...so does your Bassman.
They might be too much together.
I use a TS9 with my Bassman, but never alone. I put a booster after it that accentuates treble (a lowly E-H LPB-1) and it goes from beer farts to fabulous.
I would try exploring the limits of the Fuzz Face...turning the knobs real far in directions you wouldn't intuitively turn them.
Although...I did plug a germanium Fuzz Face into my Bassman (1958) once, and could only get one good sound and it was a glorious clean with the fuzz turned way down.
The fuzz sound just wasn't happening for me.
BTW...the clean was so beautiful, and sounded so familiar, I suspect Jimi may have used it on his cleaner stuff...Wind Cries Mary, Little Wing, Rainy Day...

 

[corpse]

Doing stuff you wouldn’t think w pedals is how magic happens.
Put a chorus as far left as it goes- multiple distortion pedals also set very low-and v early 60’s Fenders eat that stuff up.
I have the chance to gig at substantial volume v soon- it will be interesting to see how this converts from “2” to “6”.
Also try the lower power input. Kerry who used to come here was big on that.

 

[corpse]

Post reply doing something new.

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

Doing stuff you wouldn’t think w pedals is how magic happens.
Put a chorus as far left as it goes- multiple distortion pedals also set very low-and v early 60’s Fenders eat that stuff up.
I have the chance to gig at substantial volume v soon- it will be interesting to see how this converts from “2” to “6”.
Also try the lower power input. Kerry who used to come here was big on that.

This is why I love my Flange With No Name clone. I've tried fuzz, Filter, and Octave boxes in its built in fx loop, and settled on using a Mini-Crybaby there. When engaged it can go from imperceptible to a slight added warmth, to a more metallic flange effect, to bird song and whale song to sci-fi space, starship, and laser beam sounds. I've never been a big fan of Flangers, preferring Phasers by and large, but this pedal is the exception to the rule.