Best Fuzz for creamy tone

[Sorbz62]

Fellas,

I bought a NYC Big Muff Pi off here a while ago and it is a great pedal but it does not give me the warm, creamy sound I am after and is a very loud pedal - even with the vol very low. I'd like to get a sound like Gilmour on Comfortably Numb and Philip Sayce on some of his songs.

Any thoughts?

[JackGriffiths]

I think you'd prefer some kind of Fuzz Face based circuit. Have a look at the MJM London Fuzz -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzouRrr4Vlw

The above link is for the Germanium transistor version. There is also a silicon transistor version that is a little brighter and more aggressive. The Germanium cleans up with your volume control better.

Jack

[ICBM]

I assume you know that Gilmour actually used a Big Muff on Comfortably Numb...

[Grunfeld.]

I assume you know that Gilmour actually used a Big Muff on Comfortably Numb...

What I don't get is why Gilmour + Big Muff sounds like everything is all controlled and smooth but Me+Big Muff sounds like a screaming wall of feedback the instant I stop hitting the strings at full tilt.

Is it coz he iz Gilmour?

[Bingefeller]

Sayce uses a Fuzz Face.....

I'd probably stack the Big Muff with an overdrive pedal. Have the Big Muff as your main gain sound and put an overdrive before it and use them together like that. You'd want to have the overdrive pedal with lots of volume and the gain set lowish on it to avoid things getting too noisy or distorted.

[dindude]

I've been having the same dilemma, recently got into fuzz via little big muff but it just sounds too "white stripes" rather than Gilmour in my hands. Cool, but not what I was going for.

I've just pulled the trigger on a MXR Classic 108 Fuzz.

Have a listen to this dude using one.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rSQL1vYaNVk

It was the recent post on here of the Pro Guitar Shop Supersonic 22 special edition that tipped me over the edge though, that demo uses the MXR into the SS22 (which is the amp I will be using it with) and it sounds sublime.

Should get the MXR early next week so here's hoping.

[dindude]

Here's that clip I was referring to, skip to the second video at about 3:30, yum

http://www.musicradar.com/forum/showthread.php?t=116762

[stickyfiddle]

Bear in mind Gilmour used a 70's Big Muff, which won't sound the same as the modern ones..

[JackGriffiths]

RE the Gilmour Muff sound, I've also read that he uses all kinds of compressors, EQs, overdrives, etc both before and after the fuzz. Particularly with later Gilmour, I'd assume that an effect you think you're hearing is not one you're hearing by itself...

Maybe you could also consider the Way Huge Swollen Pickle - it's based on a Muff circuit but has some tweakability and can approximate a good Fuzz Face sound - less compressed and more midrange, if you want it.

Jack

[cacofonix]

There are some great youtube vids about how Gilmour gets/got his trademark sounds. Translated from Italian into English, apart from the last one.

Can't remember what they are called though - Gilmour tone, or something.