D*A*M/Sola Sound Tone Bender MKII SCB

[hamoftruth]

I think it depends on the humbuckers, too much output and for me all fuzz sounds like shit, single coils is really what I like best with fuzz faces and 1.5s, also big muffs. My broadcaster RI has a nice hot bridge and it sounds great with all my fuzzes. Humbuckers (low wind) can sound great with fuzz, especially Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3/4 but for me not quite as good with 2 transistor fuzz.

No absolutely it's super easy to make humbuckers with too much output and sound muffled with no dynamics. 95% of the time it's Tele all day long for me. The recent Fender Broadcaster RI pickups you speak of are fantastic and well-balanced. But the 2-transistor designs (and even 1-transistor ala Treble Boost) clean up real sparkly and articulate for humbuckers in a way that always tickles me and sounds very Jimmy Page (not implying he used this method). I'm finding that I'm falling even more in love with the PAF sound without nickel covers, responding more open and articulate which is my preference. Either way, changing any one variable between guitar/pedals/amp opens up whole new worlds of possibilities and it's fun to mix things up.

[Bigfoot2000]

I think it depends on the humbuckers, too much output and for me all fuzz sounds like shit, single coils is really what I like best with fuzz faces and 1.5s, also big muffs. My broadcaster RI has a nice hot bridge and it sounds great with all my fuzzes. Humbuckers (low wind) can sound great with fuzz, especially Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3/4 but for me not quite as good with 2 transistor fuzz.

No absolutely it's super easy to make humbuckers with too much output and sound muffled with no dynamics. 95% of the time it's Tele all day long for me. The recent Fender Broadcaster RI pickups you speak of are fantastic and well-balanced. But the 2-transistor designs (and even 1-transistor ala Treble Boost) clean up real sparkly and articulate for humbuckers in a way that always tickles me and sounds very Jimmy Page (not implying he used this method). I'm finding that I'm falling even more in love with the PAF sound without nickel covers, responding more open and articulate which is my preference. Either way, changing any one variable between guitar/pedals/amp opens up whole new worlds of possibilities and it's fun to mix things up.

If you’re into the PAF sound have you tried Wizz? I can’t speak highly enough of my new Wizz pickups and how much clarity they have. I can’t believe how good they sound with all of my fuzz pedals. I loved them so much I ordered a second pair to go in my ES339. I have some Mark Foley No1 pickups on order for one of my Strats, can’t wait to see how they sound and how they work with fuzz.

[hamoftruth]

I think it depends on the humbuckers, too much output and for me all fuzz sounds like shit, single coils is really what I like best with fuzz faces and 1.5s, also big muffs. My broadcaster RI has a nice hot bridge and it sounds great with all my fuzzes. Humbuckers (low wind) can sound great with fuzz, especially Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3/4 but for me not quite as good with 2 transistor fuzz.

No absolutely it's super easy to make humbuckers with too much output and sound muffled with no dynamics. 95% of the time it's Tele all day long for me. The recent Fender Broadcaster RI pickups you speak of are fantastic and well-balanced. But the 2-transistor designs (and even 1-transistor ala Treble Boost) clean up real sparkly and articulate for humbuckers in a way that always tickles me and sounds very Jimmy Page (not implying he used this method). I'm finding that I'm falling even more in love with the PAF sound without nickel covers, responding more open and articulate which is my preference. Either way, changing any one variable between guitar/pedals/amp opens up whole new worlds of possibilities and it's fun to mix things up.

If you’re into the PAF sound have you tried Wizz? I can’t speak highly enough of my new Wizz pickups and how much clarity they have. I can’t believe how good they sound with all of my fuzz pedals. I loved them so much I ordered a second pair to go in my ES339. I have some Mark Foley No1 pickups on order for one of my Strats, can’t wait to see how they sound and how they work with fuzz.

They've come highly recommended to me by my go-to tech in town. I've tried Bare Knuckle, Monty, and House of Tone so far primarily as PAFs go (aside from the bigger hitters Duncan, Fralin etc). So far my favs have been the House of Tone but they're also my first open set without covers. I hear nothing but good things on the Wizz pickups. I'll have to fork out for a set one of these days

[mjkk]

Just need a low wind, like ox4, but yeah teles sound great with a mkll

[sideasoundlab]

My Blue Meanie grabs a crazy amount of radio noises. I've never experienced that with any benders before. I have many D*A*M/Pigdog/Ghost MKI/MKIV/Fuzzfaces, but this is the first time I get something like that. The level of noise is almost as loud as the sound of the guitar itself wich is quite crazy. I thought 3 transistors benders were less sensistive to radio noise issues. The only time I had a bit of radio noise was with a higher gain germanium analogman sunface, and backing off slightly the internal clean trimpot was enough to make it disapear. With the Blue Meanie, even backing down the fuzz doesn't change anything, it just lowers the radio noise volume. I'm wondering if I'm not having an issue with my unit

[windjamma]

That is weird that you're getting radio noises. I have two blue meanies and neither does that.

Hope you figure it out.

[Laundromat]

My Blue Meanie grabs a crazy amount of radio noises. I've never experienced that with any benders before. I have many D*A*M/Pigdog/Ghost MKI/MKIV/Fuzzfaces, but this is the first time I get something like that. The level of noise is almost as loud as the sound of the guitar itself wich is quite crazy. I thought 3 transistors benders were less sensistive to radio noise issues. The only time I had a bit of radio noise was with a higher gain germanium analogman sunface, and backing off slightly the internal clean trimpot was enough to make it disapear. With the Blue Meanie, even backing down the fuzz doesn't change anything, it just lowers the radio noise volume. I'm wondering if I'm not having an issue with my unit

Can you describe the radio noise a bit more? Just hiss or Jesus service stations?

[sideasoundlab]

The best way to describe it is "like the sound of a motor that would go up and down in volume, in repeated waves", nothing like a white or pink noise, but really more like interferences.
Some days it's really louder than others, and that sound can get almost as loud as the sound of the guitar.
The only fuzz ( on my +30 fuzz pedals) that had some similar interferences was a medium gain analogman sunface with unmarked 2n transistors. In that case, backing off the internal clean trim pot made that sound totally disapear, whereas on the blue meanie, I can lower the fuzz knob, but the noise will remain ( it will just get less loud).
It's really the first time I experience this with a 3 transistors fuzz. I also have D*A*M professional MKII from 2010, with the same transistors, and it doesn't have that problem.

[mjkk]

Send it back to Dave? Or where do you live?

[mjkk]

You could have Jerms look at it?