Frantone Sweet

The Sweet is very easy to use. It has three knobs (left to right): Volume, Sustain, Tone. The manual is basically non-existent, but since the Sweet is so easy to use it is not needed. As far as getting a "good" sound out of it I think that's pretty subjective. Overall, I am pleased with the sound. Definitely good for alternative rock.

I agree with previous reviewers on a few points. First, the pedal is MOST DEFINITELY noisy. Turn up the sustain and tone knobs (don't play your guitar) and listen to the white noise coming from the pedal. Yes, it is high gain, and yes, it is a fuzz, but the noise is pronounced. That being said, noise is not much of a problem if you have a good noise suppressor @ the end of your chain or (in most cases) if you happen to be playing. Believe me, the fuzz will EASILY outweigh any noise issues. That's why it's not a big deal to me.

Second, this thing will feedback like it's going out of style. If you like that sort of thing, you will not be disappointed. By rolling off the sustain this problem is fixed, otherwise you'll need to find that sweet spot between you and your amp that will minimize this tendency.

Third, I can see why people think this is a one trick pony. I think it was designed to provide that paint peeling, house rattling, wall of fuzz sound so prominent in the 90's alternative/grunge scene. Someone with a lot of experience playing may be able to coax more subtle sounds out of it. It can rip you to shreds even on low sustain levels.

The Sweet has plenty of output to drive your amp. The tone knob is effective, providing good low end all the way up to more shrill treble sounds. The harmonics on this thing are rich and frightening. Through a loud clean Fender Twin Reverb it is absolutely deafening. Sizzling highs, well defined lows. I have not tried it through a distorted amp. BTW, I've used it with a Mustang and Tele.

Those who have complained about it having too much low end...I think this is a matter of the equipment being used. The low end never completely disappears even at high tone settings, but I don't think it is ever too dark or muddy (to my ears). Notes stayed defined with the Twin and those two guitars. Now, they do lose some definition and attack with lower tone and higher sustain settings (at least with my setup), but I never felt it was mushy.

Seems rock solid to me. Well built. The Hammond box is sturdy and the insides are nice and clean.

I e-mailed Fran one time and she got back to me very quickly. So, I haven't had any problems yet.

Overall, I like it. It will suit some, but not others. If you are looking for more tame overdrive sounds, this is not your box. If you want to deafen people and send them to therapy, then you're in the ballpark with this thing. I had my Twin on 3 and the volume of the Sweet @ 9 o'clock and was ready to plug my ears. This thing brings the volume and the fuzz.

Super easy to dial in the right sound. Like all fuzz pedals- use your guitar volume to get just the right amount of fuzz for you.

I searched high and wide for the right fuzz...zvex, electro-harmonix, Home Brew, Fulltone, Foxx, on and on and on- aaah! Finally, I came across the Sweet- oooh Fran, thank you so much. Warm, gooey, chewy, fuzzy goodness at higher volumes and a very discernible distortion at lower guitar volumes. I really love Jay Mascis and Stephen Malkmus' fuzz and this emulates that sound. I play a USA Jazzmaster RI and an ASAT classic- and I can dial in that tone I'm looking for every time.

Built like a tank- sure the paint might chip, but it adds to the character- I'm not worried about the insides one bit.

Haven't dealt with them.

This really is one of my favorite pedals on my board- I play styles that float between alt-country, experimental and straight up rock. I really think you should give this a try if you want really thick fuzz action- this baby is crazy loud and is hard to contain when your guitar volume is at 10...FUN!

Basic, easy

I think this pedal rocks! It has the longest sustain you've ever heard it makes my guitar sing like a violin. I basicly use it kind of Santana-like, especially for lead guitar, playing a relic strat (no matter which pick up) or a Gibson B.B. King Lucille, a . Well, it's true: It's not as musical as some other pedals, but that's the choice you make with that kind of sustain I guess...

Seems to be totally reliable

Never dealt with them...

I'm a professional player from Germany since 20 years, playing Blues, pop, Funk and mainly Jazz (with that pedal rather fusion I guess). I got the pedal instead of any kind of Muff (big, russian, vintage, little big etc.) after checking quite some.

I think it's really fun to play. I'd also say - and this might bother some players - you have to adjust a little bit to the pedal, it's not gonna do all you want like a tube screamer, simply because it has a totally different concept. "Turning the knobs" i.e. doesn't change a lot - it only adjusts the sound elements to what's required. In fact this pedal has only 1 sound. That singing sustain and full, warm sound you get out of it...you just gotta use it like an extreme effect, then it really works.

It's a fuzz pedal. Easy.

My main guitar is a Warmoth Jaguar outfitted with DiMarzio humbuckers (Super Distortion bridge, Air Norton neck). The neck pickup can also be coil split (to run like a single coil). I run this into a Mesa Studio Preamp and then into a Fender Hot Rod Deville 4x10, and I play everything from Nirvana and the Smashing Pumpkins to Muse, Sonic Youth, Secret Machines, Underoath... so alt-rock basically.

It definitely does the Smashing Pumpkins thing quite well. Dialed in to the right spot and with an overdrive running before as a treble boost, it takes on a singing quality perfect for playing lead or chording. By itself, it's a thick, hoary monster with a big fat bottom end, maybe a little too much for my taste. It's also incredibly noisy, and I say this having owned at least 4 other dirt boxes that have been quieter. My Effector 13 Disaster Fuzz spits out less unwanted hiss than this pedal, and if you know anything about E13, you know what that says about the Sweet.

Still, sometimes you need the churning, heavy fuzz that the Sweet can put out. I have enough tools in my arsenal to get the sound that I want from it. The biggest gripe is the noise.

Seems solid enough. I power my pedals with a Visual Sound 1Spot, and the Sweet hasn't given me trouble yet.

Thumbs up here. Prompt, friendly reply when I inquired, never had to contact them since, which speaks to the quality of the product.

Of the two fuzz pedals I own, this is the more vanilla one, and the bassiest. In fact, it would probably sound awesome with a bass guitar setup. Also since it's a fuzz pedal, the overall sound is fairly murky compared to my Visual Sound Jekyll&Hyde distortion, but again, it's just doing what it was designed to do. Works great for big soundscape washes, and can nail the Siamese Dream tone with the right settings, and with a lot fewer guitars, too. I have a couple clips posted at www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=499516 for anyone to check out ("out there w/ the sweet" and "sweet starla"). Both are single tracks, although I am running the "Jekyll" side of my J&H as a boost. Personally, I think the tone I can get playing "Starla" by the Pumpkins is better than the actual recording in some respects. It's a rich, creamy crunch.

Within 30 seconds of plugging into this pedal, I dialed up the tone I was looking for. With only three controls (Volume, Sustain, Tone), it can't be that complicated.

Also, the LED indicator is nice for knowing when its engaged, but really isn't all that necessary because you'll probably know when this sucker is engaged just by the fury coming out of your amp :).

I want to preface this with a note about what I was looking for in a fuzz. I didn't want an extremely musical, Hendrix-type fuzz. I wanted an extremely brutal fuzz that would suit my tastes (think Pelican, Isis, anything featuring Wino on guitar) for rhythm work.

Like I said, I was almost immediately floored with the tone that this beast puts out. Frantone describes it as a "truly insane fuzztone". I'd have to agree, its warm, thick, and HUGE. You can tailor it to your tastes with the Sustain and Tone controls.

I'm using this with my two PRSs (Singlecut w/ #7 pickups - standard tuning, Standard 22 w/ EMGs - down 2 1/2 steps). My amplification consists of an Engl preamp and a Mesa/Boogie poweramp. My other effects include various pieces by Analogman, ZVex, Electro-Harmonix, and a Line 6 DL4. I use this to play two general types of music: jazz and metal.

I will say that I wouldn't look at this pedal if I was looking for a very dynamic, musical fuzz (something like that of AnalogMan's SunFace). However, if you're looking for an ultra-thick fuzz that is well-suited for indie metal ranging from doom to experimetal, this is awesome.

I give it a 10 for what I bought it for. I'd give it a 7 for the more musical type fuzz tones....

I opened this to install a battery, and was floored by the construction. I won't go into detail, but the ladies at Frantone know what they're doing. Top components and careful attention to the smallest details are evident here.

The construction is clearly built to be used. I'm confident it could take a serious beating and still work great. I haven't been disappointed so far.

I'm unwilling to give it a reliability rating because I haven't had it for all that long.

Mia @ Frantone is exceptoinally helpful and nice, too. She answered the questions I had, no matter how annoying they were. She also offered to ship the pedal directly to a nearby guitar store so I could try it before I bought it. This is exactly the kind of service I like to see.

Like I mentioned, I primarily play jazz and metal. I bought this pedal to use in my Pelican-esque instrumetal dabblings, and was extremely satisfied. It is a huge sounding pedal that never sounds harsh or bassy (at least in my rig).

The only thing I don't care for is the amount of feedback this thing can create, but honestly I've grown to love it and learn to use it and manipulate it in ways I never have before.

I had considered a vintage Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi, a USA reissue Big Muff Pi, a "green monster" russion Big Muff Pi, an AnalogMan Sun Face NKT-275, AnalogMan SunLion, and a ZVex Fuzz Factory. Upon recommendation, I checked out The Sweet and I'm thrilled I did. Its always exciting when you get a piece of equipment that NAILS the tone you've been hearing in your head for a long time....

If it was taken from me, I'd get another. No question. My search for "brutal fuzz" ends at the Frantone Sweet.

simple to use

Another reviewer said the pedal sounds bassy. I second that. It works ok for single coils on ash/alder. Trying it on a baritone yielded big lush tone. Not everyone says it;'s bassy, so maybe it's dependent on something internal, such as the selected transistors, which are germanium btw.

I put the Sustain on only a fraction of what is recommended, around 8 oclock, and turn down the guitar from there for milder overdrive/boost.

It works fine and it's been kicked around the schoolyard. Fran uses quality parts, and builds them herself.

Mia

It nice to see a manufacturer from Brooklyn. This was a nice pedal. I'd be happy to try more!

It's easy to get MANY sounds out of the Sweet.

I've been shopping for months for a right fuzz. This has grounded my search. If I could find a Way Huge Swollen Pickle fuzz, I believe that would be the only other contender, but since I can't, this will be the one. At several hundred dollars less, the sweet can't be beat.

With single coils and a Fender Blues Junior, anyway, this pedal can go from overdrive, to distortion, to all out fuzz. But it only requires very small adjustments to sweep through these settings, so I'd recommend rotating the dials micron by micron.

Don't know. Will write if there are issues, but with a life-time warranty...

The fellow who did not receive adequate customer support (see review below) is not speaking for me. Frantone has answered my emails, and I regard their company as top-notch. Don't know if it's case by case, but I imagine overall that belligerence doesn't work very well with them. Doesn't with many folks. If Robert Keeley, a perfect gentleman, is your preference, then so be it but I detect a modicum of chauvinism, mayhap? Intimidated that a woman can create pedals that can kick your fat, lazy, drunk ass?

Best fuzz, hands down, of fuzzes that you can actually play first. Analogman's fuzz may be the shiit, but I'm not crazy about ordering from him and inconveniencing him with a return. Can't find any Way Huge and can't hear any online samples of SIB's Nick Nitro. Fulltone's '69 is weak, and the others didn't impress me very thoroughly. Keeley's fuzz sounds great online, but again, I don't want to send stuff back. Having pedals in stores is such a neat, old-fashioned way of doing business. It's kind of fun now and then to shop in the material plane. The Sweet sounds thick as fcuk and looks beautiful. An all around aesthetic masterpiece.

huh. tough one to answer. got this pedal 6 or 7 months ago & was highly disappointed. i agreed w/the reviewer below who thought the sweet is too bass-y & has way too much "buzz". so i shelved the pedal for about a half-year. got it back out the other day. what has changed since then? well, for one, i switched from a sorta inexpensive guitar w/humbuckers to a vintage guitar w/singles (p-90s actually). secondly, i've learned ALOT about the way effects pedals should be set up (which ones will interact well w/each other, making adjustments w/tone, level, gain knobs on pedals AND amp to get the best sounds from FX, etc). the reason i'm bringing all of this up is cuz i now DO like the sweet, but is it an easy pedal to use, in all applications? i would have to say no, based on my experience. it took quite a bit of knob-twiddling for me to find what i thought was an acceptable amount of buzz (sustain at 9:00, tone at 1:00) & it took my new-found knowledge of pedal interaction & amplifier tone & volume adjustments to tame the previously unruly "bassi-ness". granted, my pickiness regarding the number of tones i rejected before finding the awesome sound i have right now is a subjective thing. reading the other reviews for this pedal on harmony central shows that most people are enjoying the sweet "straight outta the box" & are dialing in multiple tones that are pleasing to them. hey, more power to 'em. & i don't mean for my opinion to come off as being too negative, as i've admitted that part of the original problem was my own ignorance. nevertheless, i just wouldn't be giving the honest truth here if i said that i found the sweet to be plug & play.

set-up when using the sweet: 1976 gibson s-1 w/lindy fralin p-90s > the sweet > ayan enterprises smooth & slim > custom-built 3-watt tube amp. everything powered up w/voodoo labs pedal power 2 & connected w/george l's cables. in addition to the sustain & tone settings i mentioned above, i have the sweet's volume setting at about 3:00 & i rolled back the amplifier's bass setting from where i usually have it. also, i have the amp volume positioned where the sound would be clean w/out the sweet activated. the smooth & slim was added to the chain to further help attenuate the heavy bass. w/this set-up, there is a wicked mid-range & treble "bite" to slashing chords, a truly dangerous sound. the low end is still there, no worries about a wimpy, thin or shrill sound. any comparisons come to mind? how about the rhythm guitar parts on nugent's FREE FOR ALL & CAT SCRATCH FEVER albums. sorta like that. who knows, maybe the mere mention of the nuge is enough to make the chicks at frantone cringe; but, i'm sorry, it honest-to-abe lincoln sounds like that to me. personally, i think that sound rocks.

gotta disagree w/anyone doing a post who says there's anything shoddy about the craftsmanship of frantone pedals. at least as far as the pedal i recieved is concerned, it simply would not be so. i do agree that having different color knobs would help when trying to tell where the dials are set at a glance. otherwise, top marks.

did not buy my pedal direct from frantone, & have never contacted them.

hmm, overall rating. i got my "sweet" for $175, & i've seen that the price has gone up to $195 at the on-line store where i purchased mine. so i guess what i have to suss out is whether the one righteously awesome sound i'm getting from this pedal is worth almost 200 clams. on the one hand, ONLY ONE GOOD SOUND? on the other hand, this tone will be usable till the armageddon. & i have a sneaky feeling that, much like circa. mid-70s era big muffs, yer life is gonna be a whole lot better if you can pull this item offa the shelf in 20 to 30 years. so, um, yeah, the overall rating is...uh...

Stupid simple and straight foward. Just read the lables and turn the knobs!

The thing sounds great! It's a ont trick pony but you should expect that from germanium transistor fuzz. It is VERY impeadence dependent so you need to put it in the effect chain where it makes the least noise. If you are not fiamillar with this type of fuzz I would recommend you try it first as it is a very finite sound, and also beacause germanium transistors are varyable and matching is an issue (ie. pedals may vary in sound). I have been able to get some great tones with my modified Vox wah and a maxon compressor in front of it. It seems to like Single coil guitar as it gets a bit dark with humbuckers (think randy bachman in american woman) This is definitly not a heavy metal pedal and it poduces a classic fuzz tone with a bit more bite. I have run this through several combos and a couple of stacks with great results.

SO far so good. I would use it without a backup as I have a multitude of distortion boxes and I could always sub if nessary.

Not a clue, but its seems to be built rock solid

If you want a classic fuzz, this pedal is great. I have 20yrs of playing under my belt and it put a smile on my face. Its is very straight forward and easy to use, find the sweet spot, tune in and drop out....

i bought this pedal while writing a song that needed something nargey. i'm not a heavy distortion user so it took some getting used to. expressive. this pedal can run away from me in a hurry.
but, no other pedal cound be so nasty and still be SWEET!!

i run this pedal with a maxon sd9, moog phaser, tb's vox wah, through a goldtone. WOW! I stuck this thing in front of the moog and she lit up.

i almost abuse my gear. i play regularly. gig a few times a month and play outdoors often. i hate having to unscrew the bottom to put the battery in buy she is built to played. i'm lucky i can afford the first one. screw a backup. buy the right damn pedals.

i haven't dealt with them. good website. looks like they make some other pedals.

i always go looking for something that i don't see every guitar player using. i experimented with a wide range of fuzz boxes looking for something nasty, but at the same time it has to be expressive. playing something nasty with no meaning would ruin this pedal and loose the audience. works well with the nasty funk!! i gave it a high ranking to make sure everyone realizes i dig this pedal! oh yeah, don't forget to try her with a phaser.