Ike Turner & His Kings of Rhythm recorded what is widely accepted as the first distorted guitar sound, heard on the single “Rocket 88” in 1951. A guitar amp had been accidently dropped and a tube output stage shorted out, creating the distorted sound.
Another early first fuzz tone on a recording was Link Wray’s 1950’s hit “Rumble”. Link Wray poked holes in his amplifier’s speakers to make the recording sound more like the live version of the song.
In 1961, during a Marty Robbins recording session, the recording console preamplifier circuit malfunctioned and everyone liked the resulting fuzzy sound.
Glen Snotty, the recording engineer, later duplicated the circuit in a stompbox that Nashville guitarists began using. The design eventually fell into the hands of Gibson’s parent company Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI) and became the Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone.
While the Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz Tone made its American debut in 1962, sales through 1964 were very slow. That all changed in 1965 with the release of the Rolling Stones hit “Satisfaction”.
Mosrite introduced the Mosrite FUZZ rite in 1962. It was designed by Ed Sanner, who also designed pedals for Rosac. The Ventures, and Dave Allen and the Arrows were early adopters of the FUZZ rite. Jimi Hendrix used the FUZZ rite as well.
version 1: 250 units that used Germanium transistors.
version 2: Thousands made with discrete parts on a paper phenolic circuit board, using silicon transistors.
version 3: About 20,000 were made with the orange Sprague module.
In general, the FUZZ rite was capable of the fuzziest sounds.
Mosrite also manufactured the FUZZ rite under the Guild Foxey Lady fuzz name.
The Sola Sound was made in the UK. The Sola Sound MK I Tone Bender was introduced in 1965. Sola Sound later became Colorsound.
You can hear the Tone Bender in the 1960’s Yardbird’s hit “Heart Full of Soul”.
Sola Sound also built MK II Tone Benders for Marshall (Supa Fuzz) and Vox (Tone Bender) among others.
The Arbiter Fuzz Face was designed and built by London’s Arbiter Music, starting in 1966. Its most famous user was Jimi Hendrix.
The Arbiter Fuzz Face was relabeled in 1967 to Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face.
The Fuzz Face tradition continues with current production made by the folks at Dunlop.
There were different Fuzz Face versions over the years and many players say that the Germanium NKT-275 Models sound the best.
Roger Mayer Axis Fuzz - 1967
Designed and built by Roger Mayer for Jimi Hendrix. This Fuzz came into play in Hendrix’ Axis: Bold as Love record. Hendrix often set up his Arbiter Fuzz Face and Axis Fuzz next to each other. The Axis Fuzz is known for its very smooth sound which cleans up nicely.
Early semiconductors were made of germanium, but by the end of the 1960s, all transistors were made of silicon. Silicon transistors are desirable for a number of reasons: they are less ‘leaky’ from a circuit point of view; they have closer tolerances, and they are less suspectable to changes in ambient temperature. Still, Germanium has its own unique properties that do not exist in other semiconductors.
Electro-Harmonix started up in 1968. The Big Muff PI was a huge success for E-H, and it is still in production today. The Big Muff PI has evolved over the years, with different models each having their own fans.
Four generations of Big Muffs (clockwise from top left): Little Big Muff Nano, Reissue Russian Big Muff Pi, Original Russian ‘Tank Metal’ Big Muff Pi, Original Little Big Muff Pi
The Analogman fuzz represents the modern use of old technology in making fuzz pedals. Analogman has new old stock 1960’s NKT-275 germanium transistors to ensure a vintage sound.
The EWS FD-1 Fuzzy Drive represents a new generation of fuzz pedal that uses new technology to produce both modern and vintage sounds. You can read a review of the EWS FD-1 Fuzzy Drive here.
The fuzz pedal lives on today, decades after the 1960’s fuzz pedal craze. Some modern fuzz pedal manufacturers use old schematics and new-old-stock germanium transistors to recreate vintage tones. Other modern fuzz pedal manufacturers use modern technology to update the fuzz pedal for today’s sounds.
Some things just about every guy owns: a basball glove; a pool cue; and a wah pedal. There are many brands and models of wah pedals available today. Here are the Top 10 Selling Wah Pedals for Week 35, 2009.
I have owned one of these for seveal years. Great sweep range, dependable operation, and long battery life. This models has 6 selectable tone ranges; a Q-control; volume control; and a 25 Db boost switch.
Here are the Top 10 most expensive electric guitars, Week 33, 2009:
EVH Eddie Van Halen Frankenstein Replica - $25,000.00
A limited 300 piece run of an EVH electric guitar. This one even has a 1971 quarter to plug up an unused hole.
Gibson Custom Jeff Beck 1954 Les Paul Oxblood Aged Signed - $25,000.00
This Gibson Les Paul has Gibson’s BurstBucker 2 and BurstBucker 3 (neck and bridge) pickups. The first 50 of these electric guitars will be aged at Gibson Custom to look exactly like Beck’s original, then personally hand-signed, numbered and played by Beck himself. It also includes a specially produced Gibson Custom case with Beck’s signature silkscreened on the top.
Gibson Custom Citation in Natural Finish with a Smooth Venetian Cutaway - $21,599.00
Many people have never heard of the Gibson Citation, but this single pickup, single volume control archtop has been Gibson’s flagship model for decades.
A detailed reproduction of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s famous Stratocaster.
Paul Reed Smith PS #2043 Private Stock 513 - $15,400.00
The PS #2043 features a double-cutaway swamp ash body with a curly maple top finished in glacial blue, and a South American mahogany neck with a Brazilian rosewood fretboard. It features white mother-of-pearl and paua purfling around the top, fingerboard, and truss rod cover.
Here is a detailed reproduction of Yngwie Malmsteen’s Stratocaster. The Fender Custom Shop Custom Shop Yngwie Malmsteen Tribute StratocasterIt has a (deeper) scalloped fretboard.
Paul Reed Smith Howard Leese Limited Private Stock Golden Eagle - $10,000.00
This is a limited run of 100 guitars. Features unique to the Howard Leese Gold Eagle include a thicker mahogany body, a wide fat neck profile with a modified heel, a pre-factory Santana headstock shape, an ebony headstock veneer, and a vintage amber finish.
Unique appointments include green abalone strips running parallel between the two Seymour Duncan Zebra Santana II pickups. Includes a green Howard Leese flight case with purple lining.
ESP James Hetfield Iron Cross Signature Series Electric Guitar - $9,999.00
The Iron Cross is a limited production model and is identical to the instrument that James actually plays. It features distressed finish and hardware, and has wear on the neck and fretboard.
Gibson Custom Michael Bloomfield Aged 1959 Les Paul Standard - $9,999.00
This Gibson Les Paul electric guitar has Burstbucker pickups and a finish aged by Tom Murphy.
Parker Adrian Belew Signature Fly - $9,599.00
This is Parker’s first signature model guitar. It features unique new electronics.
The Fender Lead series electric guitars were manufactured from 1979-1982. The Fender Lead series was produced in Fullerton, CA factory under the direction of Greg Wilson and John Page.
They resemble Fender Stratocasters in appearance, but have a unique set of features. Steve Morse endorsed the Fender Lead for Fender.
In 1979, Fender introduced the Lead I. The Lead I had a only one pickup, a humbucker in the bridge position. The Fender Lead series models all had a shorter 24 3/4″ scale neck, rather than the 25 1/2″ neck of a Fender Stratocaster. All Lead models were available with either maple or rosewood fretboards.
The Fender Lead I controls are unique. There is a 3 position pickup selector switch (Neck pickup, Neck & Bridge parallel mix, Bridge pickup) a phase switch, a master volume control, master tone control. The volume and tone potentimoters are 250k and the tone capacitor is 0.05 uf ceramic.
The Fender Lead I was manufactured until the end of the Lead series in 1982. The price of a Fender lead I in 1979 was $399. Today a Fender Lead I in excellent condition sells for $400 - $475 *.
The Lead II was also introduced in 1979. It featured Two specially designed X-1 single coil pickups. The X-1 pickups were promoted as “wide range single coils” and are slightly hotter than a standard Strat of that era. Both the Lead I and Lead II were normally finished in either black or brown.
Today a Fender Lead II in excellent condition sells for $450 - $550 *.
The Lead III was manufactured in 1982 only. The Fender Lead III electric guitar had 2 pickups, a humbucker at the bridge and a X-1 single coil for the neck. Some models had 2 humbucking pickups.
The Lead III models were made in a greater variety of colors than the Lead I and Lead II electric guitars.
Today a Fender Lead III in excellent condition sells for $600 - $700 *.
The Fender Strat Plus was manufactured from 1987 - 1999. It is a high end model in 3 variants: Strat Plus, Strat Plus Deluxe, and Strat Ultra.
According to The Stratocaster Book, in late 1986 Jeff Back asked Fender to make a custom Stratocaster painted the same color as the hot rod in the movie American Graffiti. Fender named the color Graffiti Yellow.
Fender wanted to make a Jeff Back Signature Stratocaster, but he declined. So Fender kept making the “Strat Plus” (including some in Graffiti Yellow) until he relented in 1989.
All Strat Plus models shared the following features;
Locking Tuners
Lace Sensor pickups
Schaeller straplocks
Magnesium bridge
Roller nut
22 fret neck with a 9 1/2″ radius
Wider, 1 11/16″ fretboard
Fender used Sperzel locking tuners for the Strat Plus in 1987 and early 1988. Fender/Schaeller locking tuners were used afterwards. Changing strings is easier with locking tuners, and tuning stability is enhanced.
The Strat Plus came with 3 Gold Lace Sensor pickups. These pickups were designed by Don Lace of Actodyne General, to give a ’50s single coil sound with a lot of chime and glassy tones.
The early Strat Plus models had a Wilkinson Roller nut. This nut could not accomodate heavier string gauges, and sometimes contributed to string rattles.
The Strat Plus series also has staggered tuners, so no string trees are necessary.
The Wilkinson roller nut is 1 11/16″ wide, so the Strat Plus has a wider fretboard than other Fender Stratocasters!
By 1993, the LSR nut was used on the Strat Plus. These are an improvement, but the bearings could fall out if the guitar was held upside down during string changes. Retrofit kits were available from Fender to change out the Wilkinson roller nut.
Starting in 1990 the tremolo came equipped with a Hipshot Tremsetter, which ensures the trem block returns to its original position each time. The Tremsetter, along with the magnesium bridge, locking tuners, a bevelled trem block, and roller nut, permit more aggressive tremolo arm action.
The Strat Plus series has a skunk-stripe down the back of the neck, a nice C neck profile, as well as a bi-flex truss rod.
Note the 3-ply tremolo cover!
The Deluxe Strat Plus appeared in January 1989. This model featured 2 Silver Lace sensors with a Blue Lace sensor in the neck position. After 1989, the pickups were changed to 1 Silver, 1 Blue and 1 Red Lace Sensor. Around 1991, a pearloid pickguard was added.
The Deluxe Strat Plus typically has a transparent finish. The bodies are made of Alder, with an Ash veneer on the top and the back.
The Strat Ultra was introduced in 1990. It featured 2 Red lace Sensor pickups in the bridge position, with a coil splitting control. The Strat Ultras also featured an ebony fretboard and a pop in tremolo arm.
Today, the Strat Plus is considered a workhorse guitar. They do not yet fetch premium prices in the used guitar market, but resale prices for the older Plus models are starting to climb.
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