Boss FZ-3 Fuzz

I only buy effects pedals that are simple to edit on the fly when gigging

I use a gibson SG with a Marshall JVM 410 head and Marshall 1936 cab. I bought this pedal through Ebay for ??50, got home from work late and decided to plug it into a little tranny amp just to try it out. It sounded terrible. The bass notes sort of dropped in volume then swelled. Strange.
The next day I plugged it into my Marshall and it was a competely different animal.
The lower fuzz settings give you early Cream, 12.00 gives you Hendrix and full on gives you pure sustained fuzz for early 70's soloing. Sounds great. Does everything that a simple fuzz box should do.

Its Boss

Never had a Boss pedal go wrong

I use this pedal for early Cream and Hendrix mainly plus a little Zappa. Does the late 60's / early 70's fuzz thing really well. I used to own a Big Muff but never seemed to find any useable sounds. This little pedal produces great gig quality sounds when played through a valve amp. If you own a tranny amp-forget it. You should probably buy the latest COSM digital thing that Boss have replaced this with. I tried it (FZ-5?? I think) through my valve amp and it sucked. If you own a valve amp get one of these. I know it does not have any boutique quirkiness but if you play live regularly like me you just need quality sounds, ease of use and reliabilty.

This depends on your equipment. I've used this pedal on 4 different amps and I can't even compare the 4 different tones I got. On 2 of them getting a good tone was almost impossible. On the other two getting a good town was easy as hell.

Also depends. The tonal quality I got with solid state amps was dull, boring, awful. It didn't matter what settings you used, it sounded toneless and boring But then I played with it through a Mesa Boogie Single Rectifier, and heard a completely new pedal. suddenly the pedal came to life and I had more distortion then I knew what to do with. I currently play the pedal through a Marshall JCM 900 with KT-88 tubes, and although I don't find myself getting a tone I liked as much from the Mesa head, I still really like the tone I get out of this head. So from my experience, only get this pedal if you are going to get tube amps.

Hasn't broken on me yet, though my Boss Compression Sustainer has, so who knows?

I don't know? I've never really dealt with Boss, I'm not sure. They are a major corporation, so I'm sure they are a pain in the ass, but I can't back that up...

Great pedal if you have the right equipment. The sound difference between solid state and tube amps is ridiculous. This pedal has only been useful to me with decent quality tube amps. Otherwise, you're probably better off getting another fuzz pedal, like a Big Muff Pi, which is cheaper, though not as effective for live performances.

It's is your typical 3 knob Boss pedal, so it is incredibly easy to use.
Like 99% of Boss pedals, the manual is concise, and easy to navigate.
The only thing I did notice with this pedal is that it has definite "sweet spots." Once you find them, this pedal is gorgeous.

This pedal can cover so many artists from the 69's, right up to now.
Throw a little comp, delay, and chorus with your Fuzz, and you can make some magnificent sounds.
I use this pedal with all types of guitars, and both solid and tube amps.
I love it on all, but it is especially sweet on p90's through a tube amp.

It's a Boss, need I say more???

Can't comment because none of my many Boss pedals over the years have ever died.

I have been playing guitar for 10+ years, and I think this is a fantastic little Fuzz.
I know there is more "elite" brand fuzz pedals on the market, but I feel this fuzz pedal is just covers a simple and broader range of sounds.
If there is one thing this fuzz isn't, its limiting.
I just find I ALWAYS keep coming back to this sweet little number.
If it was stolen, I would replace it ASAP.
Basically, I LOVE THIS PEDAL!!! Thats why it got all 10's.

Extremely easy to tweak for sounds. Found the manual on the Roland web-site

This a very good sounding 'fuzz', especially if you play guitar with single coils. I use a Godin Exit-22 (maple neck) into a hot-rodded Traynor YCV-40 tube amp. The sound is definitly 'ripping'
I also own the vintage Marshall Super Fuzz and Super Wah, in addtion to the Colorsound Fuzz/WAh pedal. The FZ-3 sounded totally different and 'valid' in its own way, compared to the greats.

It's a Boss. It should stand up to normal kicking and pushing.

This is where I am currently having problems. Roland/Boss Canada used to be such a great company over the years. I bought loads of Roland/Boss stuff, when a certain rep called Barry Creamer used to work for them. He left Roland Canada in the late 80s, and since then, Customer service has gradually 'plunged', to the point where I don't buy any of their products anymore. As a matter of fact, I get more timely help from Roland US, Roland UK, and Roland Germany, than from Roland Canada. Go figure.

This is part of my studio arsenal of secret weapons. The unit lives in a studio alongside Roland JP-6/JP-6, Juno 60/106, mks-50,70/jx-10, S-220/330/550/760 samplers, SRV/SDE effects, and various Roland drum machines, and Boss pedals.
I ran the FZ-3 alongside the new FZ-5. The new COSM-based FZ-5 sucked big time. BOSS, what the f**k is this COSM thing?. Is this some kind of a sick joke?

Standard three knob configuration

Pretty good tones to be had in this pedal. I came off a boutique Tonebender clone to this and it held it's own. The tone controls allows you to dial in a bassy or a raspy fuzz tone. The only thing I will say is that it lacked a bit of personality - it was a bit "Joe fuzz pedal" for me. I couldn't really fault it tonewise, but it never really spoke to me. I've since picked up the Boss FZ-2 Hyper Fuzz. Mode 1 on the Hyper Fuzz is somewhat similar to the FZ-3, with the most obvious difference being it has a slight upper octave element to it. Out of the two I preferred the FZ-3, probably because it has a bit more general applicability. The FZ-2 is crazy, which can be fun, but wasn't much more than a novelty for me.

Overall, a nice little fuzz tone for the money. Yet with opting for Boss reliability comes the cost of settling for the Boss' 'generic' tone - like a lot of Boss pedals the FZ-3 had no real voice or character. As it's name implied, it was just a generic fuzz pedal. I guess you have to venture into fuzz pedals with actual titles, like Big Cheese or Flying Tomato, to find something with a bit of character.

Basic features, already covered by now. Very easy to use. Manual is ok, but didn't need it. I bought it used and got used to it very fast.

I have it for a week now and i like the tone a lot. I was searching for some sort of a Hendrix tone. Well, this unit isn't what i was searching for, but it works pretty well for some modern fuzzy rock. So, no vintage here, but nice modern fuzz.
I use it with my Epiphone Les Paul with Duncans - Jim Dunlop Hendrix Wah - into my Fender HR Deluxe. I tried the settings mentioned below and found them very usefull.

I would and probably will gig with it.

Never dealt with them.

Nice tone for a cheap pedal. Good value, but i would like to try other fuzz pedals. I'm not sure yet if this one is a keeper.
Next one on my list is the Big Muff.

Well, your tipical boss pedal. Built to last. Unbrakable, so to speak. It has the three knobs which were already discussed here.
I got mine used, so no box or instructions, but it is pretty easy to get the Fuzz sound you're after.

Well, I use mine with a vintage Fender amp (BF Fender single showman or a BF Tremolux)and mostly Japanese Jazzmaster's and Jaguar's. It is not very noisy. I really think it works great as it is able to provide a decent Fuzz sound, going from 60ties (kind a) to overdriven Fuzz. It does seam to cut a bit of bass when the effect is on. It's also quiet sometimes at lower volumes.
I think Boss did great on this one, however...since it is Fuzz it does sound a LOT better with a LOW gain amp (Like the older Fender's) This is probably why a lot of guy's complain about the crappy sound it produces with a Marshall (for instance...High gain ampn two to three gain stages after the Fuzz....)I think this is one of the main reasons why QOTSA use low gain amps.

So with a single gain stage amp it sounds like it should imo. Creamy Fuzz, but not super vintage (read 60ties Garage fuzz) But close enough. It also is useable for chord work, however I suggest to keep the Fuzz intensety low.

I play all kinds of music ranging from Surf to Stoner rock and everything in between. It does extremely well in lower tunings (C or D)

Well, it's a boss...Built like a tank. Who needs backup for a boss. I never had a Boss break down on me (although I don't use Boss pedals that often)

Never had to deal with them.

Well it's a good Fuzz. I would not of bought it myself, but it does what it is suposed to do. I could not resist it because the are no longer made and I traded it for some leftover Tele parts I had.
It does serve well in my band practice set up (Jaguar,FZ-3, Danecho, Vintage Farfissa FA/R reverb unit, danelectro Tuna Melt tremolo, Tremolux on a Marshall 4x12" JCM cab)
It also works very well with Echo units (newer and vintage) it thickens the sound up and gives it a real Garage feeling.

I own a lot of gear and I play for over 15 years now and served in numerous bands. If it were lost or stolen, I would not replace it I think. I also have a old Shaller Vintage Fuzz (germanium transistors) which sounds better but is not as reliable as the FZ-3

You couldn't screw this up if you wanted to... 3 knobs, self-explanatory. (kinda nice to have proper names for the knobs instead of shit like "junk" or "goobers")

well this is a tough call... on the one hand you have to be up front about the fact that this pedal isn't a fuzzface... you can't get a fuzzface tone out of it. Further, ballpark tonebender vibes are easier to obtain, but still certainly not this pedal's forte. Exactly what BOSS voiced this for is quite beyond my tone-scope, but I will say that for a self-proclaimed "classic fuzz" it certainly does get some wildly contemporary tones. Songs like "Girl Like You" by Edwyn Collins or "Someday I Will Treat You Good" by Sparklehorse come to mind. The fuzz is so saturated and thick that I don't know think we guitarists have invented words for it yet... thats not to say its unusable or inaccesible... the opposite would be true, but you've gotta get down with it for a while, stop trying to reign it in like your other fuzzboxes, 'cause you're just not gonna win that battle. To put it simply: if you have a thing for wildly unsubtle fuzz ala the Jesus & Mary Chain or the WL/WH era Velvet Underground, you owe it to yourself to check this pedal out.

You bet.

Haven't ever dealt with them so I can't say... probably the shits since its a huge company.

I love it and use it often. Certainly a unique box, maybe not for everyone, but then what is, y'know? I've been playing for just under ten years and play a lot of alternative rock like the Chain and Velvet Underground and this pedal gives me my own voice while being similar enough to my favorite tones that I don't feel lost when I plug it in. If it were lost or stolen, absolutely I'd replace it. And to be honest, if there was one thing I could have, it'd be that the pedal could do some more subtle stuff... but oh well, nothing does it all and it looks cooler when you've got a full board of pedals anyway, so its cool.

Couldn't be easier. I bought it used, so no manual, but it's hardly necessary.

I use SG Jr.'s and stratocasters loaded with lipsticks tubes and I get what I want: fuzz. It's not noisy. Just like any fuzz, run it into a dirty amp or with other overdrive pedals and you won't hear much fuzz. I use it with a Mesa-Boogie Maverick, which I adore unequivocally. My favorite artists aren't known for being fuzzheads, and I tend to use this just to put an exclamation point on the occasional seriously fundamentally basic pentatonic styling. Works like a champ for that.

Oh, it's a Boss. Working for a Boss dealer, I can tell you, I NEVER see their stuff having to be returned for repair or replacement. Their service department must be like being the Maytag repairman.

I've worked with Boss and Roland plenty, working for a dealer. Depends on who you get on the phone. Most are courteous and helpful. Some are surly and rude.

I play rock and pop music, hopefully in the vein of the Velvet Underground, Beatles, Kinks, that sort of thing. It works well with what I do. I have been playing for about 18 years. I own a metric ton of stuff in which nobody on this site has the least interest. Uh, for a $39 pedal, if it got lost or stolen, if I could replace it for that or less, sure, why not. If not, nah. It was purchased mostly because it was a screaming bargain, and turned out to be a decnt buy. Love about it, nothing, really, but nothing to hate either, it's just a Boss pedal with one tone that's occasionally useful. I did no comparison shopping, as I couldn't afford any of the other things I would like to try out.

three knobs: level, tone, fuzz. Sadly though, I know that is too complicated for some brilliant gentlemen...
Too bad its discontinued.

Pretty sweet fuzz comes from this thing. It doesn't have the harsh bite of the Fuzz Face, and it doesn't have the wild range of nauseating sounds like the Z.Vex Fuzz Factory, but this pedal makes good fuzz. With the level below 12:00 the effect stays in the background. With the level high this pedal screams. Fuzz knob to full sounds awesome: chaotic but not ear splitting.
Plus, amazingly, this pedal boosts the crap out of my signal, much more so than my overdrive pedal. With the level up full, and fuzz on zero, my signal gets a serious boost (word of warming, fuzz on zero still adds a bit of fuzz to your sounds though).

duh

I wish they didnt discontinue it. Maybe they are developing an FZ-4???

I would like it if it were a little cheaper, but since it's discontinued...ah well. I'm glad I went with this pedal and didnt dish out $160+ for a fuzz face or factory.

Boss FZ-3, simple 3 knob layout the way all great pedals should be.'
Very simple to use, plug in and fuzz it up.

I cant vouch for any so called "vintage" fuzzes or "it doesn't should like my 50 year old super conductor fuzz pedal worth 5 million dollars that grandpa gave me". Boss never makes any claims to sould like anything vintage - they sound like Boss. That being said, i feel that this is a great Fuzz Box - I love playing through it. from mild to over the top fuzzes, they are in there. I run it into a Mesa Dual Rec or my Mesa F-30 with great results. Great with humbuckers for soloing and does well with chords too.

DUH

Never had to deal with them - cannot comment

I was searching for one of these for a while. I dig Boss pedals, they always work and they always sound good. Its a one trick pony - but i am not complaining - its a fuzz box and it does it well. Guitar players are at the point now where they care more about the names and how old it is - I say worry about your playing.
the greats sound the same no matter what they play through.

The FZ3 uses the time-honoured three knob design which most Boss pedals have. Therefore it is very simple to use. The manual had two suggested settings which was useful for getting started. As far as I am aware this is the original issue of this pedal.

I play both strats and teles. For amps i have a Fender Bassman re-issue and a Marshall JTM45 re-issue. I like to try out different pedals - my old workhorse fuzzface is my usual pedal, but i also use a Pro Co Rat, Ibanez TS9 and a TYM fuzz all the way from Australia. I bought this fuzz as a backup to those pedals. It is certainly a very reliable, sturdy pedal but it isn't in the same league as any of my other fuzzes. It sounds better with the Marshall than the Bassman. I'd agree with the other reviewers who say that the pedal lacks volume and i also find it hard to coach real sustain with this thing. It sounds fine for leads, but messy and muddy for riffs or chords.

Very high build quality, as are all Boss pedals.

I play everything from Beatles to Pink Floyd Black Sabbath, and have been playing nearly 20 years. This is a cookie cutter fuzz. It doesn't do anything that plenty of other fuzz pedals can't do 100 times better. I'll probably sell it on Ebay once the prices get high enough. Take the advice of an old man - get an old fuzz pedal! Seek out an old Fuzzface, or go to Analog mike or Roger Mayer and get one of their clones.

The easiest - just three controls,like all the best BOSS pedals.

I play a Gibson Les Paul Standard into an Orange 120 head and Orange 2 by 12 cab. For pedals i use a wah and either a Boss SD1 or a Roger Mayer Mongoose(or sometimes both). I like old-school heavy rock like Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult, and some new stuff like Foo Fighters and QOTSA. I wanted a fuzz which would give me super thick vintage sounding fuzz, but this pedal isn't it! The sound quality, in terms of clarity etc i guess is ok, but it has very low output, and just sounds weak with my other gear. I ran it along with my Mongoose and there was no competition!

I sold it on before it got road tested.

Overall i'd say this pedal was very disappointing. it sounded poor with both single notes and chords, and certainly didn't sound like a vintage fuzz to me. A very "transistor" sound - and i mean as in a waspy solid state amplifier sound. I would save the extra few pounds and go get either a Mayer fuzz or maybe a Big Muff.

only 3 knobs...u nimrod..

Yamaha Eg303, Samick Tele Custom Pro, 69'Japanese Jazzmaster -> crybaby wah -> earnie ball volume ped -> vintage pro co rat -> boss fz-3 fuzz -> Zvex fuzz factory -> e-harmonix sovtek big muff [mod true bypass] -> boss CE-2 chorus -> e-harmonix small clone chorus -> ibanez ph7 phaser -> vodoo lab tremolo -> e-harmonix microsynth -> moogerfooger ring modulator -> boss dd-3 -> e-harmonix holier grail reverb -> ibanez lo fi -> ibanez fz3 fuzz [for noise] ----> Fender Twin Reverb / Peavey Blaze 128 connected to another Bassman copy running simutaneously.....

As you can see...im a total gear head and obviously..i play in an experiment / noise / ambient / alternative band...using multiple fuzz and dist. pedals are a necessity to me....and the boss fz-3 is no exception...

Crank up the Fuzz and u can actually hear your speaker rattling and rambling...provided me the fuzz that i needed...if u want to hear comparisons and samples of the fz-3 in action...listened to Smashing Pumpkins - Rocket / Cherub Rock / Bullet With Butterfly Wings....
or if u have Smashing Pumpkins Vieuphoria documentry...check out the part where they play the song "Slunk"...the fuzz is similar to fz-3..
or Sonic Youth's - 100%...

i can bludgeon someone to death with this thing..

never dealt with them...

I play mostly experimental / noise / ambient / stoner / alternative rock band...as u can see from my pedal board...i have multiple of fuzz and distortion stomboxes...the fz-3 is one of my fav but nothing beats the Zvex fuzz factory...

i will definately get another new one if this pedal is stolen or lost...but unfortunately...it's discontiniued...urgh...

Needs little tweaking, but when it's done... fuzzy to the bone.
The manual is, well, thin and not exactly bursting with info. But it does show you how to set-up the unit and suggests some settings for different types of guitars (single-coil, h'buckers).

I'm using it with a Les Paul copy (Roytek), Ibanez Tone Blaster 15R, Boss BD-2 Blues Driver, ZOOM 606. I use it with the amp and BD-2 (for boost & creamy tone). This fuzz sounds amazing. I can get Muse and 60's fuzz. Together with the distortion on the amp - Hendrix (think Star Spangled Banner) and sustain heaven. Great for slow solos. The basses pack a great distortion on this little fuzzer - thick, even wobbly with applied distortion.

Sure, it's very sturdy. BOSS truly excels in this area. A metal chassis that can really take a beating.

Never needed to deal with BOSS. No trouble with their pedals so far.

I play mostly blues, rock and classical, but with this pedal i've startet to get into hard rock, metal and experimental. I've been playing for a year, but thanks to 5 years worth of piano lessons progressing quite fast.

If it were stolen or lost, I'd definately buy another one, because I can get really dreamy tones out of it.

I have compared it to the fuzz on the ZOOM 606, BOSS DS-1, BOSS-MT2 and Marshall Guv'nor. None of them produce such a mid-rich distortion.

It certainly helps me make music, experiment a lot and I'm discovering new musical grounds with it.

If you want some fuzziness to your sound, this is surely worth a try.

The FZ-3 is as straight forward as boss distortion pedal. 3 nobs, dont have impressive range but better than some. comes with a manual but like most boss manuals its not really worth reading! the tone nob gives the best range, and you dont have to have hardcore metal fuzz all the time- the fuzz nob does turn down (but not up enough!)- Extremely easy to get the best sound you want, or can. ive had this pedal for a few months now and i initially thought id work out a favourite sound but its pretty limited control wise, so its probably still on the same settings!

my set up- a crappy squire bullet(soon to be replaced be a brand new jagstang if they ever deliver it!), FZ-3, BOSS DS-2, BOSS SD1, EHX SMALL CLONE, BOSS CS-3, BOSS DD-3, MARSHALL MG50. as you can see i like a range of distortions (and i do use them all!) so the fz-3 is my heaviest. my band plays nirvana, radiohead and are ,originally like placebo.
its as silent as you could want it to be, considering its a fuzz pedal, so is no hastle on stage. i usually have the fuzz on full with the tone about half way. i paid #60 for it- way,way,way too much but happy with it. expected to get sounds like smashing pumpkins- everlasting gaze or muse- stokholm sindrome but its not that fuzzy. its very good sound quality, not really a metal dist like heavy heavy bands use, more for a heavy rock sound.

Would use it without a backup. just drains the batteries a bit, like all my others, so im used to that. never really stomped on it but possitive it could take it. however the paint on boss pedals always comes off so easily???

Never had a pedal fail on me, never a boss one anyway. took me a while to master internet shopping for pedals, started off with danelectro pedals- i absolutely hate those pedals, my distortion was held together by celotape! nope, this was fine, and its probably third hand going by the amount of stickers it had on the box!

was well pleased with the fuzz pedal, couldnt really expect the sound i listen to on territorial pissings or owt like that but it is still very good. paid too much but not bothered- dont regret it, he fuzz is an important sound in my music. like most distortion pedals there isnt massive range in the sounds available but im used to that- thats why i use three distortion pedals! ite ace for just messin around with at home- i usually use the fuzz instead of my ds-2, just coz its a bit more hardcore and it is quite a satisfying sound. if it was stolen, hmmm, im a pretty lazy person so id probably do nothing. id look on ebay and buy it again if it was there, but not for 60 pounds this time. if your in a rock band thats a bit alternative and you want an extra aggression to certain songs then this does the trick.

very easy 3 knobs
volume tone fuzz
if you can't figure out this pedal
i can't help

a funny thing happened on the way to my amp
here's where it get's strange
i tried this guy into a nice low watt class A amp about 8 watts
great defined fuzz--it really startled me
then i ran my 71 triangle bigg muff same setup
same sound! i know it seems weired but then i ran my 73purple big muff
ok that's not fair but still has a killer dynamic germanium fuzz tone
but it has to be the first in your chain no excusses.
sorry english guy below but a 73 sg and a jcm-800 is not the setup to get great tone-jcm-800's sound like bee's traped in a tin can to begin
with and a 73 sg? please! this is a fuzz and using roger mayer as a yard stick err. meter stick is almost funny they ar the grainiest most unpleasing pedals i've heard.
my amps are: 68 Plexi w/68 4x12 and 70 8x10,65 bassman w/2x12,55 4x10 bassman,66 traynor bassmaster(plexi on the cheap),61 princeton,2-62 epiphone pacemaker's blah blah blah. very consistent
unlike a jcm-800. it's a fuzz people

boss

ehhhh!

i got it cheap cause the guy before me couldn't get a good sound
with his jcm-800
i told him it's not the pedal it's you amp-
sorry truth hurts
crap a carvin X100B amp is cooler

as with any 3 knob boss od/dist pedal, the fuzz is a breeze to use.

just got it! i knew they stopped making the fz-3 so I was surprised when my music store had a new one. i realize it's not a fuzz face, a mayer, or big muff pi, but the boss fuzz sounds great to my ears. i don't mind that it's so quiet, i can get plenty of volume and/or fuzz. you do have to set the volume higher than on most pedals but it isn't a problem. personally, i prefer to only turn the distortion up a quarter and no more than half way up and then control amount of distortion from there with the volume knob on my parker nightfly or from the boost on my trademark 60. this is a great fuzz pedal, maybe not the best, but musical and useful. sure it's a one trick pony, but it a fuzz for god's sake.

since i've never had a problem with any of my 15 boss pedals plus loop station or vf-1, i don't expect to have any problem with this pedal.

i'm glad a ran across the fz-3. it provides me with an excellent tone in a durable bedal. i wouldn't use it all the time, but then i don't use any effect all the time with the exception of delay/echo, so i'm very satisfied with my new acquistion. it won't replace your favorite distortion or overdrive pedal, but is can provode a very good sounding fuzz effect. set it where you like it, leave it, and use it when it feels right. can't be any easier of more fun than that.

Very Simple. Just three pots, so very easy.

I bought this pedal for more than i should have paid, based on reviews here and elsewhere. I must say I am very dissappoited - This is a very ordinary fuzz, which lacks the character of the classics. i put it alongside my roger mayer axis fuzz, and knew straight away that i'm not keeping it.I play a '73 gibson SG into a Marshall jcm800, and this pedal makes my gear sound worse!!!

Piece of crap. Anyone who has used a good fuzz (Roger Mayer, Fuzz Face, ZVEX etc) will be dissappointed with this poor pedal. Rubbish!!

SUPER EASY - JUST THREE CONTROLS.

I PLAY A TELECASTER THROUGH AN OLS MARSHALL 100 WATT HEAD AND CAB. I USUALLY USE A USABIG MUFF FOR MY FUZZ, BUT DECIDED TO TRY THIS WHEN I SAW ONE CHEAP. CAN'T SAY I'M TOO IMPRESSED, THIS PEDAL IS SO DAMN QUIET!!! THE OUTPUT IS VERY LOW, SO LOW I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH MINE (GOT ITCHECKED AND THERE WASN'T). IT'S A RATHER CHARACTER-LESS FUZZ, CERTAINLY IN COMPARISON TO EITHER A BIG MUFF OR A FUZZ FACE.

ABSOLUTELY, IT IS A BOSS.

JUST NOT A GREAT PEDAL AT ALL. THE ONLY USE I CAN THINK OF FOR IT WOULD BE IN THE STUDIO, AND EVEN THEN I WOULD USE THE BIG MUFF INSTEAD.

Piss easy. Go from Cream to Kyuss in two shakes of a dogs tail. Even though I read it falls short of Sabbath, Ive got it there(well, nearly)

Fender Supersonic Guitar through this pedal to a Roland Jazz Chorus 120. Drop the Treble and Middle to about 1 and bring bass up to 8. Have tone 3/4 on the FZ-3 and full Fuzz for that Stonner rock feel. Lob the Chorus and Vib. on the amp for that extra stonner feeling. Although, I cannot reveal the sounds of SHADE though, That would bve telling

Battery last alright as long as you disconnect the Guitar input. Ive got an adapter anyway, but would rely on a good, new battery if I was gigging.

Never dealt with anyone except the dealer, who is not affiliated with Boss in anyway, So it would be unfare to judge BOSS on this dealer. Nice Bloke Though.

Would like two of these. One for the low distortion and one for heavy distortion. Will be putting through a DS-1 and OD-1 and DSD-3(Yes, this does exsist) and CH-1 soon. Should by ear bleedingly good! I think this is the dogs! Only for chief hackers though!

Very easy to use. Only three knobs volume, fuzz, and tone. I don't know why boss put a tone knob on the FZ-3. I set the tone to "5" all the time, in effect by-passing any tone modification.

The closest thing you will find to an orginal Maestro in a modern pedal. When you dial to "Fuzz" knob to zero you get THE SOUND. Very much like the Beatles' "Revolution" or the Stones "Satisfaction." The sustain is huge and feedback is buttery smooth.

Like boss all pedeals this one is built like a tank.

Boss has discontinued the pedal and no information regaurding this product can be found on the boss web site.

This is a well constructed modern pedal that sounds just like the orginal "Fuzz Face."

It is very easy to get a good sound from this pedal once you figure out where to set the level knob to stop the pedal completely overloading the amp (the level of the pedal will be lower than the unaffected sound but just adjust the volume on your guitar and the pedal will compensate)
The Manual is absolutely useless.

Using with various gibsons, fenders and cheap shit and a Marshall AVT 275 plus a pile of pedals (OD1, DS1, CE2, Danecho, VOX Wah, ROSS Flanger)
Not very noisy at all. This pedal can get a great Velvet Underground second album sound (Sister Ray etc..) and basically any other sixties fuzz sound (with enough tweaking, that is). Best idea is to leave the fuzz up all the way and use guitar volume to adjust amount of fuzz because the output from the pedal basically stays the same. Shitloads of sustain and harmonoic feedback. Great for Nirvana style noise jams. Sounds good with organs too. Forget expensive fuzz faces and all that other crap, the FZ3 can do it all.

I own a battered 1977 OD1 and it still works perfectly. I think the FZ3 should take whatever I throw at it.

Why would anyone need to??!!?

I play sixties blues rock (cream, hendrix, yardbirds, zeppelin, stones), noise rock (butthole surfers, velvet underground), nirvana, beatles, punk (Dead Kennedys, Ramones) and anything else in between (sabbath, chili peppers, Syd Barrett's pink floyd, the who, doors, the shadows) and this pedal has useful sounds for ALL of them (yes, even the shadows). Been playing three and a half years. If it were stolen I would buy another one as soon as possible (the store I bought it from has had a pile of these sitting there for about 3-4 years because no-one wants them)

N/A

Make sure to put this first in you signal chain, and like all other
Fuzzes--use batteries insead of an adapter. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!For some reason the fuzz just sounds better. I might be crazy but the pedal even seems to put out a hair more output with batteries compaired to 9v power supply. Same with my Mr. Cry Baby--it puts out a stronger wah signal with batteries than with a 9v power supply. All other newer pedals sound better with the 9v adapter/switchmode power. With an adapter the Fuzz gets crappier & edgier--which some may like (noise crap bands) but with a battery it is smooth and sustainy (Think Tone Bender,Eric Johnson,Santana,Steve Kimock,etc..) crank it up and you have a great Fuzz Face Sound. And although this is as smooth--it has alot more Fuzz/gain on tap. I don't use it, but some may. I set the Level to
3:00--Tone to 3:00--Fuzz at 9:00. Great for Fusion,Spacy Blues,Rock...Don't forget to at least have your tube amp at 4-5 Vol.

N/a

If used correctly, a smooth great sounding vintage Fuzz Box.

YA!

very easy.

Very good for Boss. Definitely a silicon fuzz rather than
a geranium sound. Late Hendrick's tones are possible, as well
as cool feedback. Great at low volumes. Can be very smooth when dailed
right. Could use a little more output, but there is enough for the
pedal to funtion correctly. Nice reliable Fuzz!

Come on?

N/A

Very good silicon fuzz sound.

Real easy: Level, Tone, and Fuzz

The fuzz that comes out of this pedal is INCREDIBLE! Big, thick, fat fuzz sounds and super long sustains. I like to let a note sustain and the slide to other notes without picking - sounds awesome.

Boss = TANK

Never dealt with them and shouldn't have to - these pedals are built to last

I play post-rock and this is the greatest pedal. Definitely my fav among the other pedals I have. If you want huge, thick fuzz tones I reccomend you buy this if you can find it seeing as how Boss no longer makes it.

as easy to use as any boss three-control pedal, this is level/tone /fuzz. comes with a manual which has a couple of suggested settings which provide a useful starter point.

i play a custom sg into a marshall jmp 100 watt head and a really old 4x12 bass cab. effects vary. i like heavy rock. this pedal is as noisy as any other boss i guess, in other words pretty quiet. it provides a good range of fuzz sounds, from thin kinks/ stones "ripped speaker" fuzz to fairly overdriven heavy fuzz. i set it to bass-y thick sounding fuzz, and it sounds great through my marshall. i think it differs from bigmuff in that it is a true fuzz pedal, whereas i think the bigmuff has a dollop of distortion in there. can easily cover the hendrix/ grand funk/ blue cheer thing, but i think it stops just short of sabbath. i find this pedal (like all boss overdrives) a little lacking in output - definately lower thn my rat pedal. if possible i would get it modified to increase output. but as it stands , fresh from the box it's the best fuzz i have heard - definately better than a bigmuff.

definately. super heavy duty - another big advantage over the bigmuff!

no idea - been using boss pedals for years and no complaints yet

i should make it clear that i dont use fuzz too often, and prefer the distortion sound of a rat, so this was never going to be a dream pedal for me. it does, however, provide any sound i want from a fuzz and therefore gets a ten. i am comparing it to a bigmuff, and a voodoo lab superfuzz, both of which it smokes .its awesome for slow heavy riffing, and sounds great for solos too. i'm so pleased with it im looking for it's brother, the hyperfuzz now too. i have a bigmuff, and i think this pedal beats it in every way. i cnt imagine why bos discontinued this, i guess when it comes to fuzz people dont look to boss. their loss, this i the best true fuzz pedal i have used. i think every guitar player should have one, if for no other rteason than it's ssuch a fun pedal top use. seroius fuzz-users should look no further, this is a road worthy pedal - forget ll that over-priced boutique stuff, this is the real deal! keep an eye on ebay, they pop up from time to time.

Very easy to use pedal with adjustment's for Level, Tone, and Fuzz.

This pedal will add nice thick fuzz to your rig. Tone control fattens up the fuzz from left ot right, the Level control is standard Boss (increases the output of the pedal), and the Fuzz control is responsive through the whole sweep of the dial (all very usable and excellent fuzz sounds). If you are looking for something different and fun for your pedal board, do yourself a big favor and pick one of these up (if you can find one, not in production anymore, bummer). In evaluating this fuzz I compared it to four other fuzz pedals I have owned but did not really like, Fulltone 69, Fulltone 70, dunlop fuzzface(way noisey), and voodoo lab fuzz. I realize for some people, especially the boutique loving collector hounds, the fact that I like this pedal for its smooth fuzz and ease of use over Fulltone products is beyond belief, but it is true! This pedal kicks some major ass! I spent over five hundred bucks on Fulltone's overpriced stuff and was completely let down, I picked this pedal up for $50 and I am completely blown away. Use this with 2 Gibson Flying V reissues, Parker Nifefly, Fender Malmsteen, through a Fender Prosonic & TopHat Emplexador TE-50, TopHat 2X12 with Vintage 30's. Other pedals are a Morley Bad Horsie (Try one you will love it!) Boss CS-1, Boss PH-1. Really a great pedal and alot of fun!

Boss stuff is heavy duty, Last's for ever!

Never delt with them, I think it is a pretty good sign that I have some Boss pedals from the late 70's that are still among the best in the industry for sound and reliability.

Overall I really enjoy this FZ-3. It is fun, sounds excellent, and is a way better value than just about any overprices boutique fuzz pedal I can think of. I am really satisfied with this and hope to find some more cool stuff like it! Exceptional and a Fantastic Value!

Just got mine yesterday in toronto, canada. Plugged it in and WOW!!!is that tone coming from that box?!? Yes you can get great sound/tone out of this little bugger for sure!!!!!and yes very easy easy easy 2 use!!!

no noise for me. using a strat and peavy amplifier and other various pedals. I can get Hendrix and early clapton. Then i turn up the fuzz to give them steriods. It just mind blowing.

I never heard of any boss pedal dieing, so i think this thing will survive a nuclear blast for sure. but i only had it for less than 24 hours but still....., who am I kidding its a boss .....you darn right!!

never had to. sorta like the maytag guy.

for the blues player who loves the 60's rock blues stuff and low down dirty tone blues must try this one out.great pedal looking for another one...why because boss stop making these so i have to find back ups.one last thing i would like to say to boss. START MAKING FZ-3 AGAIN>>>PLEEEEEAAAAASE.

easy to get sounds out of, the manual is straightforward. otherwise, just turn the knobs and trust your ears!

i play a tele custom - fz3 - small stone - jcm800. i love really heavy stoner rock : kyuss, fu manchu, electric wizard. after using a boss sd1, ibanez ts9 and dod thrashmaster, i have finally found my dream pedal. this is the fattest, thickest sounding pedal i have ever heard!!! i sounds like my amp is on the verge of exploding, even at low volume. unbelievable, why did boss discontinue this bad-boy??!!

it's a boss, so its never gonna die.

no idea. anyone EVER had to phone these guys????

i couldnt live without this pedal! it's the sound i've had in my head as i've put up with a whole succession of lame dirt boxes. i'm looking for another one now!!!! quite simply, this is the heaviest sounding pedal out there, pure thick fuzz. awesome, if you like fuzz, look no further! my cost #70 used, and i think the prices are going up, so get one before they go nuts. and once that happens, get anothre.

Im Using a '84 Fender Strat, with Standard Single-coil USA Pickups, with a Marshall Valvestate 100 and a Magnum 80 watt amps, If you like Fuzz this pedal is definatly for you..the thick tones u can get out of it resemble heavy hendrix stuff and early heavy stuff like black sab..If you like more heavy rock with a harder distortion dont buy it..but its called fuzz and fuzz is what u get..so its good =D

a very easy pedal to use, level,tone and fuzz. took me about 10 minutes to figure out the different sounds available.

my set-up is: gordon-smith SG>fuzz pedal>50 top head. i occasionally throw another pedal in there, either flanger or phaser. this pedal suits what i play perfectly, and that is sabbath/stooges heavy rock.it's definately a fuzz as opposed to distortion, and delivers a nice thick fuzz which conjures up blue cheer/grand funk late 60's sounds. it's quiet when off.metallers beware though, you arent gonna sound like metallica using this pedal.

its a boss. nuff said

never had to deal with them, and i've used boss for years

this pedal rocks. it gives a really authentic late 60's fuzz tone, and sounds great with an overdriven tube-amp. reminds me a lot of a big muff. i would use it instead of the muff, it's more reliable and can take getting kicked about. nice sustain too. if you dig stoner rock, look no further!

Simple to use -- three dials.

Awesome fuzz sounds -- deep, thick and bassy -- I was so surprised at how this sounded against a fuzz face and a Big Muff. It actually suited my tastes better and it does do the Hendrix thing. I keep the level at 12, tone at 11, and the fuzz at 5 -- Why did they discontinue it?? Because no-one looks to Boss for a good FUZZ. Too bad for them.

Excellent

Never dealth with them.

It won't leave my pedalboard -- great sounding thick fuzz -- can really give you your own sound as well. If I lost, I would be hunting the music shops for used ones.

Super easy to use. One level one tone and one fuzz knob. Even with just the one tone knob you can get a whole bunch of useable sounds. Nothing here that I don't need, and no fancy doodads that make the computer geek guitarists druel.

I'm using a Fender Jaguar (awesome guitar if you're looking to make your very own sound) into a Sunn Model T Head with a Peavey cab. The Model T is a natural for pedal experimentors, gearheads, and gizmo-users. This is fast becoming my favorite distortion pedal. It's so unique. Not a copy of an Arbiter, but something completely different. When I plug mine in and kick on a gain boost, the pedal goes into a state that I can only describe as a savage, ripping sound. It really sounds that way to me. It's got so much character. I usually dime the Level and Fuzz knobs, and just control the gain via my board's High Gain pedal. Even through all its originality, you can still get passable Hendrix and Clapton tones, but it's more powerful than their sounds. It's like Hendrix on steroids when you set it right, a barbaric monster when you want it to be, or a smooth acid blues tone just like the ones of days gone by. It is, by far, the best match for my already eclectic setup. However, there is some noise. Nothing unbearable, but it may get on your nerves if you can't get off your ass and press the pedal to shut it off in between songs.

Uh-huh, yeah.

Never dealt with them. But a five year warranty on each and every one of their pedals has to tell you something. These guys are confident in their products.

I play all styles of music. And it fits 'em all at least one time or another. I can see me stomping on this twenty years down the road. I would definently replace it if it were stolen or lost, but seeing as BOSS doesn't make these anymore, it might take a while. I absolutely love this pedal. I can only give this a ten because it is my perfect pedal. It helps me get my own sound that I love as much as my guitar and amp. You may hate it, but for me I have reached my sonic nirvana.

Almost too easy to use. I bought it used with no manual.

I use this pedal in my bass setup. I use an Alvarez AEB-250 thru a Boss ODB-3, DS-1, Big Muff and then the FZ-3, Dunlop Bass Crybaby, Digitech BP-8 and then a Peavy TNT 115. The Fuzz is exactly what it says. It has a really rough sound to it. But it has some great low end which is one reason why I like it.

Boss?

Do they even need it?

Ez to use, be carefull with you volume controls on your guitar/pedal/amp.

im using a 1961 vintage fender strat, laney vc50 , JD cry baby, and a tube screamer. the pedal sounds great, but i think it need something to give it an extra kick, thats why i got the TS9. You want a jimi hendrix tone the you should use this pedal with a harmoniser or a pitch shifter. im only a young blues guy, 16 years old infact but i got some cool shit and no how to use it.

strong..not a prob yet.

my mate jamie is great, took 100 bucks off, if there was a prob, hhe would fix it or replace it

dont read anymore reviews! buy it! now!

it"s got three knobs,made for musicians.if you can"t figure it out put the guitar away.

well how i test a pedal sound is from guitar,pedal,mixer i run everthing flat when i turn the pedal on if it sounds good with that setting it"s a keeper. i wish that when you turn the fuzz down to 0 ther no more fuzz but i tryed other pedals they seem the same.but in my books this pedal a keeper.

like everybody says,it's a boss

i play blues, rock n roll,old, new ,i use to use a boss me 10 but im going back to the stomp boxes my main pedal is a marshall blues breaker i love that pedal i go stright to the mixer. thats all i use right now. off clean, on rhythm 3 to 8,lead 10 on my guitar.most pedals im buying are dist,fuzz,overdrive,you get the picture so if i want fuzz i use all the pedals the same way.i all so bought a boss tr-2 plus i want a auto wah. i do a single louge act i play patcey clian to black sabbath.for bands like hendrix,guess who,hay some new stuff,the way i see it,i like this pedal....thanks jamie

3 knobs... Level (volume), Tone, and Fuzz. It's really easy to get a good sound out of it.

I have a hot-rodded Fender Strat - JB. Jr. in bridge and neck, and little '59 in middle. My amp is a Princeton 112 plus (good clean, terrible distortion). I use a PW-3 Power Driver, Dunlop Mr. Crybaby, and sometimes my friend's chorus, pitch shifter, or tremolo. It's sounds really cool. I would imagine you get some of "your favorite artist's" tone, but I don't really try. In my band, I go for as original a sound as I can get, without being different for the sake of being different. I get lots of grungy sounds out of this beast. You can definently get good old-school sounds out of it. I did manage to dial in a "Strange Brew" type of sound. Somebody down the page wrote to turn up the fuzz, and control the distortion via your guitars volume control. He's definently right. You get a really weak sound if you don't. That's what I hear anyways. It works well with my other effects.

It's a Boss. I rest my case.

Never dealt with them. It's got a 3 or 5 year warranty, probably 5.

I play everything from classic rock to grunge to metal. I can get a good sound for grunge and classic rock, but I'm not sure where I could use it for metal....hmmmmmm. A very good pedal.

This pedal is extremely easy to use. A myriad of great sounds, from Hendrix-esque trebly tones to thick saturated Big Muff sounds. Three knobs offer control of volume, fuzz intensity and tone. The tone control is quite flexible; you can dial up quite a variety of sounds. The Fuzz control when at its more intense settings offers quite a good deal of sustain. The manual is short, sweet and states the obvious. 'Humbucker' is mispelt as 'humbacker', but I'm just being picky. It doesn't get easier than this.

My main set-up is a Fender Deluxe 85 amp, into which I run various Boss pedals, such as the OC-2, the MT-2 and now the FZ-3. I use the NS-2 to reduce noise in my effects set-up as I find excessive hum irritating. Obviously enough, I'm playing a Strat, made by Squier.

The FZ-3 is noisy if you turn the Fuzz knob up to full, but 7/8 of the way up is fine. Sometimes the noise is desirable!!! The effect is never weak; it sounds great in quite a few settings. The Fuzz is great - you can really get that classic fuzz sound of the late 60s, yet the pedal is flexible enough for me to also get that 'gear-falling-apart' Mudhoney sound made famous on 'Superfuzz BigMuff'. I love Dinosaur Jr. and this pedal has facilitated a good mimic of J. Mascis' tone. I can also easily achieve Fu Manchu's dripping Fuzz sound - just turn everything up! Needless to say, I love this pedal.

Well I've been playing for 6 years now, and while it's been a while since I've gigged, I have gigged with Boss pedals (always without a backup) and they NEVER let me down. NEVER. That's why I prefer them over most other brands (plus the sound is great).

This is a durable effect. I'd never use a battery with it out of a paranoia about battery leakages but also because batteries are so damned expensive. In the long run it's cheaper to use an AC power supply.

A few years ago, I bought the NS-2 second hand, and wanted to get a copy of the manual, just to have a look at Boss' suggestions. I was even prepared to pay for it. I tried internet and direct interaction with Roland (Boss' parent company) and had no luck.

Then again, my friend had his Roland piano repared quickly and soundly by Roland for a very reasonable price.

I've never had a problem with the FZ-3!

I almost bought Jim Dunlop's 'Jimi Hendrix Fuzz', the one in the little red MXR-style case. It had no bottom end and was scratchy and awful. The FZ-3 is fat, bassy but has the ability to fuel great solos and crunching chords. I love it - I couldn't be more pleased with it.

I don't think this pedal is worth $240, but in Australia everything has a ton of tax on it. I'm sure this pedal would have a more reasonable price tag elsewhere (e.g. Singapore). That said, I don't regret buying it at all!

This pedal is easy to use if you know what you looking for but it can be a bit tricky if yuo think that the pedal itself will give the sound that you want, it depends very much to the output of the bass guitarr/guitarr. I don't think that you need a manual for this thing.

I use this pedal with a bass guitar and believe it or not, I think it's the coolest "bass effect" ever made. With bass I think the fuzz's tone should be at minimum and the fuzz should not be higher than halfway up to get the "gritty fart sound" that I think this pedal is made for. The pick-ups shuld be passive (or turn down the volume control if active) to not overloud the unit. Then it will sound more like some kind of distortion. The pedal produces good sounds booth with treebly an round ,bassy pick up sound. You better pluck the strings near the bridge though. If the fuzz's tone control is set higher than minimum the deepest bass frequences will gradually dissapear a bit but I think it's well balansed treeble with the tone at minimum, if you think not, you better fix it with the amp. Even though the pedal thins out the tone a bit , I think it is a part of the fuzz sound for bass guitarr. The pedal is not noisy at all and use this pedal if you want to be heard , not to dissappear!

All boss pedals has the highest quality and I have never ever had problems with them. And I'm a little bit thankful for that the pedal is not emptying the battery very fast, they are pretty expensive (in Sweden).

I think this pedal is a good investment if you want an old-fashioned sound that really can cut through two guitarrs if it is used with bass guitarr! I also have an boss bass overdrive for more even sounds and mild distortion when I want the bass to "dissappear" a bit in the "soundscape".

Three knobs might seem easy enough but they are really very difficult to use. Many of the submissions here look as if the pedal has bad sound but that's really not true. The hidden secret is the most overlooked but effective usage: YOUR GUITAR'S VOLUME CONTROL!!! I had a horrible time until I figured that out. Just turn the fuzz all the way up and use your volume control to manipulate the fuzz.

I'm using an Ibanez guitar through an EH Bassballs pedal, then into the fuzz, and then into a Digitech Rp-3 which I use primarily as a preamp. It's not noisy at all even with the fuzz maxed out. It's a very strong effect and even w/ the fuzz turned all the way down it sounds like farting (in a good way). It also boosts the bass (which all real fuzzes do). With the setting at Volume 3 o'clock, Tone 12 o'clock, Fuzz Maxed out, and my guitar's volume at 2 or 3, I can replicate Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana, even though I'm not a huge Nirvana fan, and when I turn the guitar's volume up, Oh man, It's a classic (ala Hendrix) fuzz sound that can SUSTAIN!!!! This pedal is not a one trick pony and is pretty versatile but it doesn't sound so great with my Bassballs, and that's the ONLY reason I'm giving it a 9.

I've never had a problem with a pedal, but I've dropped this little bugger all over the place, and let me tell ya, it takes a lickin and keeps on tickin.

I have no idea.

It sounds great with any style I've played of course not clean though. But I can replicate a Big Muff sound or a Fuzz Face Sound all w/ manipulation of the volume control. I would most probably replace it. My fave feature is that it can go from Nirvana, to Jimi Hendrix, to the Stooges in the turn of the knob. If you need any settings or just wanna trade tricks, please e-mail me.

Easy to use pedal, the three knobs make it very simple to use and its not to hard to get a usuable sound from it. Not very complicated like a Metal Zone or Hyper Fuzz. I like pedals w/ simple set ups cause I don't like too many options cause most sound bad anyway, but this pedal is very easy to use.

I use a Fender Strat w/ lace sensors thru a Crate amp, for pedals i use a Big Muff and various boss pedals. This pedal is pretty quiet for a fuzz pedal but I wouldn't really consider it a very versital pedal tho. I can get about 2 usable sounds out of it. One is w/ the fuzz turned about a quarter up and the tone halfway, and level all the way up, that works well for a good half-distortion, but not overdrive. The other is w/ the fuzz all the way up and everything else the same. It sounds crazy, like the speakers are really breaking up and busted. But its odd cause whenever i hit a power chord on the low strings (like E or the low A's) it sounds like the volume goes down and then as the vibrations fade, the effect kind of swells increasing the volume like a compressor or limiter inside of it. It also doesn't sound very real, you can't hear the chord being hit very well. Also it doesn't work well with the Muff. It sounds good on the high notes, but on the low ones it doesn't work too well. The best thing to use it for is kind of a transition type distortion, i guess kind of like a beefed up overdrive, if that makes sense. All in all, I think its an okay pedal, but if it ever got stolen i'd get something else.

Its a Boss, what can i say, its very dependable.

Dont' know

Its a good pedal, very dependable, but i wish it had a bit more versatility to it. A good example of how it sounds would be the distortion on "Love" by Smashing Pumpkins, but it can get different sounds from it. It'd be a good pedal if you had a good purpose or sound for it to imulate, but just as a fuzz or distortion it can't do too much. I wish i could figure out why it seems to get duller (like i said above) when i hit the strings hard, i dont like the way the lows on it sound like crap, and i wish it sounded a bit more human at intense settings. I wouldn't say its very retro or modern, just very..different. But its fun once u find a good use for it (if you can).

It is very simple to use, but that is because it has a very limited palette of sound. It creates fuzz, like it should. The manual isn't all that useful, and only has like two settings.

I use an Epiphone Les Paul with a Duncan 59 in the neck and a JB in the bridge, which I run into a Fender Blues Deluxe. For a fuzz box, it is not very noisy, until you get to the most extreme settings. Here's the thing with this fuzz box - It sounds like crap unless you turn up the fuzz past 2 oclock. After that it gets progressively thicker and fuller. I personally leave it dimed, and adjust guitar volume when I want less fuzz, which works very well for me. I can't really think of how to describe the sound. It is definitely not your generic sounding distortion. I use it to play Pumpkins' stuff and other fuzzed out "alternative" music. No matter what you do with the tone knob, it produces a very thick sound. With my setup, it's impossible to get a edgey cutting sound without totally destroying the bybassed clean sound. You definitely can't play punk through this thing unless you use a strat and solid-state amp. You can, however get some creamy sustaining leads with it, and a decent modern rhythm sound. By the way, in the name of objectivity, I waited for a year to review this pedal, so I am not experiencing gear hype or anything. My major complaint is that the tone knob doesn't do all that much to the sound, it just adds or takes away an upper-midrange hiss from the tone. I haven't tried a graphic equalizer in conjunction with it yet, but intend to sometime.

If you're reading this, you already know about Boss dependability

Haven't dealt with them ever.

Well, I think it pretty much delivers what you would expect from a pedal named Fuzz. Versatility certainly wasn't a priority when it was designed, but it gives you one good fuzz sound, so I can't complain. I've been playing for five years, and I like alternative and blues music. It works well for the modern rock, but definitely not the blues. It maintains a thick, round, full sound no matter what you do to it, whether that's good or not is up to you. Definitely not for metal. I wish it had a more potent EQ, so I could get some sharper attack out of it. I think if it was stolen or lost I would probably invest in something more versatile and more on the distortion side of gain. Maybe something like a Big Muff or Rat. But, I like the uniqueness it gives me, cause it's definitely got it's own sound.

There is absolutely nothing to it, all straight foward. Fuzz, Tone, and Level..

It sounds great! I run it through a 60 LP Special, a Rickenbacker 330/12 and Yamaha Pacifica 112, and they all sound great. I can nail those great fuzz tones on the Yardbirds Over Under Sideways Down, and In-A-Gada-Da-Vida and thats good enough for me!

its a Boss.. no need for any other comment..

in my 8 or so years of playing, I have *Never* had a problem with any Boss Product, they are built like tanks

I play many Classic Rockish Roots Rock and this pedal is perfect when I want something harsher than my good old overdrive pedal, but still retaining that for a lack of a better word, retro vibe. If it broke, I would probably laugh, cuz that would be the first I have ever heard of a Boss pedal crapping out.. I would definatly replace it

Not much to say here. Typical 3 knobs; volume, tone, fuzz. It was the store demo, so there was no box or manual, but neither is really needed.

I use it with either a Strat or Les Paul (depending on whether I'm trying to be Hendrix or Page at the moment) through either a Fender Vibro-Champ (when my wife and kids are awake) or with my MESA V-Twin with headphones (when they're sleeping). There's a lot of sounds in this box. Turn the fuzz low and your amp is cutting some nasty farts. Turn the fuzz midway to 75% and you have a decent silicon transistor fuzz face type sound. Max the fuzz, and your amp sounds like it's blowing up, very over the top. This unit is fairly quiet, but not as quiet or as sweet sounding as my 70's fuzz face. Since it did sound somewhat similar to my fuzz face, I opened it up to take a look at the circuit. Boy, the circuit is nothing like the fuzz face or any other fuzz circuit that I have ever seen. There are no op-amps or ic's, but there is EIGHT!!! transistors. Also, with the fuzz set about half way you can back off the volume on your guitar to clean up the sound (works better with single coils than humbuckers). Other reviews have said that this isn't a retro sounding fuzz, but more of a contemporary fuzz. Well, I disagree. I make my own fuzz faces, own vintage fuzz faces, as well as a Prescription Yardbox (also very cool) which is a replica of the Sola Sound Tonebender from the 60's, and this box fits right in with them. The only readon it could be considered contemporary is that many bands in the 90's have rediscovered the joys of fuzz, and modern recording technology produces better sounding (in some peoples minds)recordings today.

It's a BOSS. I have a 20 year old BOSS OD-1 that performs and sounds as good today as it did in 1978. The only thing that will ever go bad is the battery!

Don't think I'll ever have to. Besides, if for some reason this happened to be the 1 out of 1,000,000,000,000 that did have someething fail, I would fix it myself since I dabble in electronics as a hobby.

If you want a RELIABLE, great 60's sounding fuzz, you can't go wrong with this pedal. I got this on a whim because I am a fuzz junky and it was basically a brand new BOSS for only $59 (retail $140). Sounds similar to a fuzz face, but different which is good. You can never have too many good fuzzes. Plus, since this is a BOSS, I know it will NEVER die.

Three knobs, old fashioned BOSS-style. They are Level, Tone 'n Fuzz. In other words very easy to use.
The manual looks nice, but you don't really need it.

I use a strat, a wah and a bluesdriver with my fuzz trough a fender amp. the fuzz goes to extreme levels. REALLY distorted and saturated. It sound great with bridge pickup (kinda like hendrix on "killing floor" from Radio One). Not noisy at all (for a strat). On the neck pickup my amp doesn't seem to be able to handle it all. This isn't a bad thing though. It just means an extra source of weird, cool sounds.
Tone control is pretty useful. Shimmering highs, thumping lows. The pedal adds low-end to your sound when not used. It makes my bluesdriver sound even better this way.
However, it somehow completely cloaks the effect of my wah.

I'm gonna skip this question for obvious reasons.

Never dealt with 'em.

I play blues, bluesrock, hardrock and even some metal. this thing sounds like hendrix at his most extreme, Kyuss, Soundgarden etc. i use it a lot at home. in my band, however, I rely more on my bluesdriver cause the fuzz doesn't cut trough very well. I could turn up the level some more, but then I would probably blow up my speakers.
Anyway, I really like the sound, so i'd buy it again. I just wish it had more presence.

Great fuzz sound. Real easy 3 knobs: Tone, Level, Fuzz. The manual only gives 3 suggestions one for Humbucking equipped guitars, single equipped pickups, and bass. But the pedal is real easy to find the sound you want.

I play a Gibson Nighthawk Studio 3PU and a 1976 Bullet through a Solid State Crate stack. This pedal is incredibly quiet even on the high gain settings. The sound the pedal produces is really thick and full. It sounds really good when you play single notes rather than chords. I mostly play Hard rock, Korn, Deftones, Limp Bizkit, etc. But this pedal can produce Fu Manchu's fuzz like tone very well.

It's a boss need I say more

never had to deal with them

Like I said I mostly play hard rock, but I love the Fu Manchu fuzz tone and that is why I bought this pedal. It sounds identical to Fu's tone. I've been playing for over 3 years. I also own Korg Hyper Distortion, Boss: Blues Driver, Metal Zone, Super Phaser. I would definitly buy it again, if it got stolen, because its not that expensive. One thing I love about this pedal is if you play it with a blues driver, and the fuzz you can get great fuzz-tube tone, with both pedals on, that sounds incredibly good and its not noisy at all. And lets face it this pedal looks cool.

this pedal is easy to use, as are all BOSS pedals. you've got the 3 knobs- level, tone, and fuzz. turn the fuzz to get more fuzz (suprised?), and the tone changes, well, the tone. level is volume.

I'm using a Yamaha Pacifica through a rocket 10w tube amp, and the pedal has a fery nice, warm feel to it. it can get really, well, "fuzzy" if you turn the fuzz up too high- sometimes you can't tell when chords change... but only if they're close togeather (like C to C#).
the sound out of this pedal is constant... it never wavers unless you change it yourself. I play "alternative" music, and it's great for that kind of music (soundgarden songs never sounded better! :)

I've always been able to depend on BOSS pedals, and this one is no different. I've stomped on it like hell, and it's still goin strong. I have to go without a backup(all musicians have a lack of $$$, you know), but I don't think i'll need one.

I've never dealt with them... these pedals can't break!

as I stated before, I play alternative music, and it really gets in there and rips those chords to shreds (which can be good, or bad- depends on what you want). I also own a BOSS super overdrive, and it's just as dependable as this one. If this pedal got stolen, I'd have to get another one- i like this one most for the $$$. I think I need to pick up a chorus pedal next- gotta go to the music shop and play with a BOSS chorus.

The Fuzz pedal is well laid out and easy to use. There are a great number of ways to get different, good tones out of it. Unfortunately, there's no manual. That makes it difficut to come up with good combinations of fuzz and tone.

The pedal isn't noisy, even at the highest levels of fuzz and tone combined. It does biz a little if you turn the gain up; but, you can solve that by using your amp for volume. The pedal sounds great. Too bad it isn't versatile enough to give you retro fuzz or a psychedilic fuzz. It never gets punchy enough to hear the tones and it never gets fuzzy enough for rhythm. The way I solved this was to combine it with a Roadkill distortion. That makes it really noisy! Strangely, I don't really think it sounds too bad on leads, if you can keep the other strings from ringing. It has a really round, large sound. Maybe I'm crazy.

Oh yeah! I've stomped on this sucker like crazy. Still works fookin great.

The pedal is great on the terms of ease of use and reliability. The sound quality leaves something to be desired; although, it is passable. I'd buy it.

For all you idiots out there even you should be able to use this pedal. There's tone, level, and fuzz. Get the amount of fuzz you want, then get the tone you want be turning the little knob in the center.

Well, let's see. I have a DS-2 Turbo Distortion also and this pedal sounds just like it does on turbo, just a tiny bit more distortion. If you have the turbo distortion you probably want to try the fuzz out before you buy but if you don't have theTurbo then I recommend it. Fairly noisy, but I guess I'm lucky because I don't care. Best for playing rythm or chords. It's okay for solos, but I recommend using something else that stands out more.

I have 4 boss pedals and not a single one has had a problem what so ever with it. Everyone else likes em.

I don't even know if they have one!

I play all types of music basically. I don't know of any band to compare the sound of this pedal to. I use it with the fuzz all the way up and it's really loud and it's so fuzzy sometimes you can barely even tell I'm playing anything. I like it though. It's works well with MY music!