The Faces: Live at The BBC 1971. I've searched 3 years now for a pedal.........

[switched on]

Hi,

I started a thread here 3 years ago about achieving Ron Woods gain type (in this live video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrOPJXrUWII) with a pedal. 

JakeFuzz, midwayfair, pedalman, jubal81, alanp, and other had all generously chimed in and were very helpful with suggestions, but the reality is that I've tried many different things and I don't feel I've nailed it.  I know the main factor in his sound is his right hand.  The pedal shop is currently all out of Ron Wood's right hand, but I have a very similar playing style, my songs may be different, but the rhythm is all there and I have that attack. 

Right now I'm playing a Greco Zemaitis (Japan) Gen2 into a Tungsten Buckwheat going first into a EHX Germanium OD with volts and bias set low, fed into a JHS Colour Box (taken me years to save up for this crap while working at a gas station) and I just crank the master and treble on colour box while keeping the gain stage / type pretty low and adding bass to taste.

This gets pretty damn close.  There's quite a few threads started by people on the net inquiring on how to achieve this sound with no real solid conclusions that I can see (and I've read them ALL).  So hopefully this thread, in the future can serve to at least give people the EXH GE OD/ Colour Box Formula (I know....  JHS).  I'm quite confident this recipe will come closer to this sound than perhaps what they're looking into at the moment.

So....  It's been 3 years since posting here asking for help.  I figure maybe somethings popped up of somethings been discovered.  I must admit here that I've never even touched a solder gun.  I posted here because I have this idea that pedal builders may have a more finely tuned ear when it comes to gain type, sustain (or lack of) and EQ.  Pretty sure I'm right.

NOTE*  I have yet to try a GE Fuzz Face as was suggested 3 years ago.

Anyways, thanks to all fore being here and letting me chime in.

EDIT*  Just because it's too good not to post:

     

[dan.schumaker]

I don't have much to add to this, but Ronnie Wood's tone in the Faces is (to me) the Ultimate Rock and Roll tone there is...

[gordo]

I just finished a GuitarPCB 4-track Fuzz that might put you in the right territory.  Barry's demo is a little on the heavy handed side and the pedal is capable of much more subtle stuff but the fact that he's playing the same tune isn't coincidence.

I really like it, although I've yet to try it out on my live rig.

[switched on]

I just finished a GuitarPCB 4-track Fuzz that might put you in the right territory.  Barry's demo is a little on the heavy handed side and the pedal is capable of much more subtle stuff but the fact that he's playing the same tune isn't coincidence.

I really like it, although I've yet to try it out on my live rig.

OMG.  So glad I made this thread.  Found that video and it seems to be all there.  The focused high-end, that "scratchiness" and articulation.  I've even gone through my own Tascam 4-Track and it sounded horrible.  Of course as you said, in the video, it's played heavy and hard, but I'm very excited and thank you so much. 

As I said, I'm not handy with a solder iron, any suggestions on finding a completed GuitarPCB 4-track Fuzz (that sounds like that) or having one commissioned without being too intrusive?

And thanks again for your post.  It's mighty appreciated  

[matmosphere]

I think it's based off the mid-fi electronics demo tape fuzz. But I'll have to check for you.

[m-Kresol]

I just finished a GuitarPCB 4-track Fuzz that might put you in the right territory.  Barry's demo is a little on the heavy handed side and the pedal is capable of much more subtle stuff but the fact that he's playing the same tune isn't coincidence.

I really like it, although I've yet to try it out on my live rig.

OMG.  So glad I made this thread.  Found that video and it seems to be all there.  The focused high-end, that "scratchiness" and articulation.  I've even gone through my own Tascam 4-Track and it sounded horrible.  Of course as you said, in the video, it's played heavy and hard, but I'm very excited and thank you so much. 

As I said, I'm not handy with a solder iron, any suggestions on finding a completed GuitarPCB 4-track Fuzz (that sounds like that) or having one commissioned without being too intrusive?

And thanks again for your post.  It's mighty appreciated

If you don't feel up to the challenge of building it yourself, I'm sure you'll find someone here, who is in your area to build one for you for a good deal.

[my7of9]

It is absolutely based of the Demo Tape Fuzz.
We added some needed resistance so that you could get it to do what I wanted to use it for without needing to turn the volume to (barely on) as well as a few capacitors but aside from our usual GuitarPCB accoutrements that is it.

I am compelled to offer a warning regarding my "Heavy Hand" comment which is the culmination of 6 years of progressive arthritis/neuropathy and accompanying daily pain meds which is why I rarely show myself in a video anymore because my hands are swollen, obviously hurt and they shake uncontrollably which for a person who has played for 40 years can be more than a little aggravating on the brain. Don't worry I am not mad about the actual comment but it did compel me to mention that I personally blame years of toxins absorbed through skin contact and breathing by hand etching boards for thousands of people despite taking all the precautions before switching over to a fabricated process. Agree or not (up to you) the timing fits and I or (more accurately my doctors) have discovered minimally 10 toxins including asbestos. That I am mad about!

I am paying the price and wanted to fully warn others. My pain only gets worse and will never go away despite seeing the best doctors and specialists for 3 years. Granted I did a lot of work to be able raise my kids (as a sole parent) so most will not encounter the amount of work (or physical contact) I did but always use gloves and most importantly a proper high grade mask. Clean up your work space, dust and shower immediately. The boards (Chinese made) contained asbestos fibers from batches I used that were tested and proven.

Most of my demos now feature my 16 year old daughter (thank you!) who has taken over for me in the demo department.
The 4 Track Fuzz demo however for the same reasons as the posters high interest in that tone was the reason I decided I wanted to give it a go myself.

I am very glad you like it!

For those interested here is my daughter on her first demo for me at 14.
That is my son age 13 on drums (albeit not seen) so I am am in good hands once again!   

[gordo]

Barry!  The "heavy handed" comment was probably a bad choice of words on my part.  You and I have talked about the arthritis problems before.  What would be more accurate is that the demo features a high gain setting , although you demonstrate that even wide open the pedal still reacts to well to guitar volume changes.

What I SHOULD have said :-) was that the pedal has a great range of clean and low gain sounds as well.  I was looking to put it in front of a compressor to get the Lindsay Buckingham "Rhiannon" sound and it nails it.  I may box it up with with a CupCake.

As to your demos, I don't see you needing to quit anytime soon.  I think your level of playing represents what most of us here are shooting for and if you recall, years ago when I started getting into GuitarPCB boards I'd mentioned that I appreciated the straight up playing as well as the lack of verbage.

Be well.

[my7of9]

Yes I remember and recalled that before responding.
What you and I did not discuss was what I had found out medically through years of testing and diagnosis.
The comment hopefully does some good and gave me a platform (thank you) to spread the word so others do not need to go through what I am. 

[matmosphere]

I was wondering what the extra resistor there was for.  I was looking at it a few minutes ago. Love the circuit, I'll have to Troy out your version.

[my7of9]

I was wondering what the extra resistor there was for.  I was looking at it a few minutes ago. Love the circuit, I'll have to Troy out your version.

Thanks I should have mentioned we changed some capacitors as well but that is more out of habit than a need. We always keep the audio path free of electrolytic capacitors as a standard and sometimes you just run into things that mathematically do not make sense. Anyway people should try this on Bass as well for that same fuzzed out Bass part in the same song at the beginning. Bu dunna.. ba dunna.. ba dunna.. ba dunna etc...

[matmosphere]

Yeah, I noticed the cap changes. I didn't realize you were on the board I've hear. You've got a ton of great projects!

[switched on]

I was wondering what the extra resistor there was for.  I was looking at it a few minutes ago. Love the circuit, I'll have to Troy out your version.

Thanks I should have mentioned we changed some capacitors as well but that is more out of habit than a need. We always keep the audio path free of electrolytic capacitors as a standard and sometimes you just run into things that mathematically do not make sense. Anyway people should try this on Bass as well for that same fuzzed out Bass part in the same song at the beginning. Bu dunna.. ba dunna.. ba dunna.. ba dunna etc...

Thanks all you people for posting.  This place is awesome.  I've sent some PM's, I'm not sure it's working right for I'm pretty lame when it comes to this new forum technique of PM versatile button mashing.  So check those PM's boys, including you Barry  

[my7of9]

Responded from my site. Might want to check Junk mail?

[thesmokingman]

if you can squeeze a silverface champ into a pedal that's what you'll be looking for. doesn't take long to spot that in the video ... the cost of that jhs pedal would have had you most of the way to buying one. drawback is you play dimed.