Overview:
The new TightFuzz was requested by Amptweaker™ players, and
this one will certainly add some vintage tone to their arsenal. While most vintage fuzz boxes have very few
controls, the TightFuzz includes a Tone control to tame the fuzzy edges and the
Tight control, a mainstay of Amptweaker pedals, which varies the pick attack
from smooth and thick to tight and aggressive.
This is particularly helpful for tweaking a fuzz tone, since many tend
to be too flubby on the lowend. While
many modern fuzz boxes have chosen to create wacky over-the-top fuzztone, the
Amptweaker approach is to make something that has a lot of flexibile but usable
tones.
- The most requested feature was the Germanium/Silicon switch,
which changes the output stage from a softer, lower gain Germanium to a
heavier, high gain Silicon transistor.
This cool pedal also has the ability to get lower gain tones easily,
with an Auto Bias that adjusts appropriately with the Fuzz control, to get the
cleanest and nastiest distortions possible with one control. It also has an Edge switch with a Smooth
setting to further knock the edge off, and a 60's/70's switch that transforms
the pedal from tighter, lower gain 60's tones to fatter and heavier 70's
tones.
- One of the important differences between the TightFuzz and
most 'reissue' fuzz boxes is that with the addition of the Tight control in
front of the fuzz circuit, the input of the fuzz circuit is effectively
buffered from the guitar....but in a compensated way. A common problem with the original fuzz
designs is that circuits with low output impedances like those in overdrive
pedals and wah pedals, or the output of active pickups, can completely change
the bias and gain structure. The result
is often an odd sound or squeals, unusual feedback etc. The buffering in the TightFuzz simulates the
impedance of a guitar, so that the fuzz circuit works in the normal way it's
intended, and any low impedance circuit CAN be used in the loop or in front of
the pedal.
- Standard Amptweaker features include an effects loop with
Pre/Post switch to add delay or combine other distortion and EQs to further
tweak your fuzztone. Other features include the LED illumination of controls,
Battery On/Off switch, and magnetic battery access door.
- In typical Amptweaker style, we brought a special prototype
with capacitor and resistor boxes hanging out to get people to help us make the
final tweaks at NAMM. We adjusted the
auto-biasing circuit, tweaked the Edge switch, and also chose the coolest
color....a shiny silver color was the crowd favorite! It was a lot of fun for all, and I think the
end result is a really cool and flexible pedal!
Gain Boost MOD
- After some requests for 'more fuzz', we developed a MOD for
the TightFuzz, which adds a hidden Boost Switch inside the battery door. The
mod adds about 10 dB of additional clean boost to the front end of the
TightFuzz, so you can get gobs of fuzz even from vintage pickups
Features:
- True Bypass switch
- Fuzz control automatically adjusts bias - more range
- Master Volume Control
- Tight and Tone help tame the fuzz
- Germanium/Silicon transistor switch for different gain and
tone
- 60's/70's Tone switch
- Edge switch smooths out the high frequency range
- EFX Loop with Pre/Post switch..tracks On/Off Ftsw
- LED lit knobs when using a power supply
- Battery disconnect switch with red indicator
- Works with a 9V battery or 9-18VDC supply
- DC Adapter jack, standard 2.1mm X 5.5mm, center ground(-)
- Magnetic Battery access door opens w/o tools
- Dimensions 3.7"W X 5"D X 2"H
- Handmade in the USA
Front Panel Features:
Rear Panel Features:
Other Tips & Tricks:
- Effects like compressors, treble boosters, octavers, or distortion tend to work best in the Effects Loop, set to
Pre.
- Effects like delay, reverb, EQ, chorus, vibe/tremolo, and most others tend to sound best with the Loop set to Post.
- Add an overdrive/distortion pedal in the Effects Loop (set
to Pre) to tweak the TightFuzz for more distortion and sustain!
- Add a clean boost or EQ pedal in the Effects Loop (set to Post) to add more output level or tweak the TightFuzz tone.
- By using higher Volume and lower Fuzz settings, the TightFuzz works more like a clean tone(with Tight DOWN,70ʼs tone) or treble booster(with Tight UP, 60ʼs tone).
- For the thickest and buzziest fuzz, use Silicon, 70ʼs,
Edge OFF, Fuzz turned UP and Tight turned DOWN.
- Select Pre/Effects Send to use it as a switchable ʻcleanʼ send to another effects chain, tuner input or amp.
- Select Post/Effects Send to send to some other amp AFTER the TightFuzz for a big stereo solo tone.
- When using extremely high settings on the Tight control, you might need to increase your ampʼs bass control
Specifications:
- Input impedance: 250K Ohm (effect on)
- Output Impedance: 1K Ohm (effect on)
- Current: 11mA with 9V battery, 22mA with 9V adapter,45mA with 18V adapter (adapter adds knob LEDs)
- Adapter: 9-18VDC adapter w/5.5mm X 2.1mm positive barrel, center ground(-)
- Housing: 14 Gauge galvanized steel
- Weight: 2 pounds, Dimensions: 3.75”W X 5”D X 2”H