Fulltone '69 Pedal

You'll need to spend a little time experimenting with the contour and bias knobs. The written descriptions of these two functions defy translation to your ears. The LED is a bit dim. The fuzz control adds distortion uniformly up to about the 4:00 position. The last, say, 10% of the fuzz control (clockwise) travel adds most of the effect all at once. The same applies when using your pickup volume to control the effect; you'll get full effect at 10, you'll drop off a cliff at 9, then be reasonably uniform down to 1. The '69 offers lots of gain.

This pedal sounds bright and aggressive. It's not particularly smooth-sounding. Lows are a little "farty." Sustain is fair and unremarkable. As others have noted, the effect backs-off very well by decreasing your pickup volume. The lighter distortion you can roll down to sounds good, though not quite in the same league as something like a Fulldrive II. I like the '69 better with single-coils.

PRS Custom 22 Artist, Gibson Les Paul Custom, Fender American Deluxe Strat, Fender '52 Reissue Tele, Gibson ES-335, Mesa Maverick 2x12, Fender '65 Reissue Super Reverb.

I've never had a Fulltone product fail, but the build quality is impressive even to a layman.

Customer support is responsive. They seem genuinely interested in helping their customers get the most enjoyment from their products.

I was a little relectant to opine on the '69, having obviously gone against the grain compared to most of the other reviews. I believe the '69 behaves just as it was designed to, and that my lukewarm review is mostly a product of my own musical preferences and expectations. I didn't have the luxury of playing the '69 before I bought it; I relied on many written reviews and some sound clips. If I had auditioned it beforehand I wouldn't have bought it, but now that I have it, chances are I'll keep it. My best shot at characterizing the sound is "rude and aggressive." I'll keep looking for a smooth, sustaining fuzz.

I would say this is an 8 purely because you obviously can't just plug in and play with a quick set up. You have to finely tweak this pedal to the exact sound you need, that being adjusting the knobs on top and then the trim pot on the inside. A lot of people probably don't try to do anything with their trim pot and then can't find a good sound. Honestly adjust it that's what it's there for I did and no it sounds even better than i thought it did before

Now this pedal (as with any germanium fuzz) has to be run with an amp that is just breaking up or is at the point of overdrive otherwise the fuzz becomes weak and tinny.
I use a Marshall JTM45 set to 6 on the high treble and normal volumes and bridged diagonally from the low bright input to the high input on channel 2
I thought this pedal sounded great without adjusting the trim pot, then one rainy day i decided to adjust and this thing really came alive. I have mine set to about 6 o clock and this is just the right amount of woofyness to sound like my amp is about to be torn to shreds lol
I haven't really tried this with other effects other than my self modified wah which does sound great to get that real hendrix solo boost sound that he often used

It's fulltone... high quality components and in a very tough enclosure. I think that people that take backup pedals to gigs either have serious amounts of cash on their hands or need to lay off the paranoia inducing drugs

I would most certainly gig without backup have gigged it for a year so far as this is how long I've owned it, however this thing has been going for 11 years now so its doing just fine!

Emailed Fulltone when asking about a power supply problem. Fulltone don't make power supplies for the U.K unfortunately, but they recommended a voodoo labs pedal power 2 to sort out the problem. Nothing wrong with the pedal, just a bad power supply i'd bought.

I play a blend of classic rock/blues rock/indie/funk and I use this for the funky solo's and the more let's say lenny kravitz esque songs.

I initially borrowed an EHX double muff from my bassist, this was then replaced by a big muff (which i thought would sound better) but i just didn't get on with at all, it lacked the sustain I needed, and when I ran it with my cranked amp it just sounded terrible. I did a bit of research and wanted a germanium based fuzz and found this

The only thing i would complain about is the LED. it's not bright enough and because of the LED being glued in I can't easily just change it unfortunately! I played a couple of festival slots and couldn't tell whether this thing was on in the loop before i engaged the loop

You must spend some time before getting the right sound though its controls are very easy. The KEY is in the 'contour' knob.

I use it with a Fender super reverb and a Telecaster even if on a DeVille it sounds really fat and great!However the sound is unique,I suggest not to use with other effects contemporary.With the bright mode on the fender s.r. you can obtain the same sound heard on 'Revolution' by Beatles...

I use it with a battery,it seems to be very strong! Just the sound changes a little according to the external temperature!Yes, it's sensitive...

I play indie rock, I use it on 2-3 songs with my band ' myspace.com/glitterballband' I also use a modded RAT and amodded TS9, so I have a wide range of sounds.I'd never sell it even because Mr. Fulltone has stopped the production,and I think it could be very expensive in a few years,becoming vintage. If u need an old style fuzz buy it if any store still got it,you will be satisfied.You could see a video of the pedal on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyWLvmJX3oA
It's me.

Four knobs on a fuzz is a little more than usual. Lots of shades in this box. It took a little while, but I've dialed in the tones that inspire me without too much trouble. As with most fuzzes, it can be challenging getting a tone that cuts through in a dense live mix. This is not a fault of this pedal, but endemic to fuzzes in general. Overall, very easy to use, but it's a fuzz so takes some experimentation.

I play this mostly through my Stratocasters through a variety of amps, including Reeves Custom 6 and Custom 12 combo's, Peavey Delta Blues 1x15, Marshall 18-watt, Germino Classic 45 2x12 combo, Matchless Lightening Clone, Tweed Champ clone, and Blues Jr. Tweed.

Beautiful fuzz tones with all of the above. Does high gain very well, cleans up amazingly well with my Strat's volume knob. The semi clean tones are stellar, giving the lower notes a roundness that they don't have bypassed. Very dynamic to the touch. Very little noise. Does early Hendrix tones perfectly. For germanium style fuzz, this pedal is superb.

Never a reliability issue with this pedal. Open it up and the workmanship leaves me speechless. The box is heavy and solid, big rubber feet mounted with screws, beautiful textured red finish and cream knobs. It's almost as much fun to look at this pedal as it is to play it.

I've had mostly good support from Fulltone. They fixed my Fat Boost quickly. Not all email's get answered however.

I play blues and classic rock, and especially love Hendrix, Eric Johnson, SRV, Zeppelin and Floyd. I've been playing for 24 years and own lots of amps, pedals, and guitars. More gear than talent. I'd buy this again if lost or stolen, but they're out of production now. I love Fulltone pedals for their excellent tone, extraordinary build quality, and cosmetics. If you can score one in good shape, it's worth adding to your fuzz collection.

You allready known this, right ?!
4 Knpos ( cream colour ), one off/on switch simple.
9 points only here becouse the red LED is not bright enough to see on stage or outside, is it on or not.
Mike, change this.
I like the style of this Box becouse you never come close to the dail-knops with youre feet stomping the on/off switch...very praxis like.

Mh, I have it since 2 years, played over Plexi Tops with 4x12 cabs,
Engl Combos with 2x12 cabs and a little Tranny at home. Well, Ever time I start to play, I must give me some minutes to get in that sound. Its beautifull when the fuzz is at 12 oclock or Full dailed in, nothing in between works for me. So, after 2 years I must say that its nothing I want have in my "standart" effect chain. Its nice when Im getting sick of playing my " standart " gear...I also played with the adjustment weel in the inside, it can make it better a bit, but in general the "ground" sound is nothing for me.
My two settings for this 69` are:

Volumen 12 oclock
bias 7 oc.
contour 2 oc.
Fuzz 12 oc.

or

Volumen 10
bias 12
contour 3
fuzz full in

maybe it helps you?

It is true hardwired bypass so perfect when you play beautifull sounding amps. So for quality of the sound i would give it a 10. But for the sound itselfs I would rate a 7. so 8 at least.

This is the best buildet box i ever used.
Look in the inside and you see a perfect handmade work.
The finish is perfect.
Its a big metal Box, perfect.
the Knops, the potis, perfect.
I know many stompboxes but in this leauge Fulltone is a 12.

I writte them 2 times and they answer one day later.
Very nice.

I play since 1990, so Im a kid of Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Smashing Pumpkins but also of Aerosmith, Guns N Roses, Van Halen and Black Crowes...
I play sometimes in Cover Bands to earn money I Play also Hendrix, Stones, Beatles, Led Zepplin...to Popa Chubby, Eric Gales or Joe Bonamasa stuff...
My Amps are Marshall 50 Plexi with Marshall Greenbacks 4x12 cab,
Engle Souverain Combo with a Hughes & Kettner 2x12 V 30 cab.
Fender deluxe Tele, Shur Strat, Gibson Paula, Epiphone Casino.
"Standart effects " : Z vex B.O.R., Trex Replica, Roger Mayer Vodoo Vibe, Fulltone clyde Wah.
Klotz Cables.
No I dont would buy it again.
I compare it to EHX Big Muff, Roger mayer Voodoo, Proco Rat...they are all cool for *special* stuff.
The only thing i realy hate is the LED, you cant see it !
No It does not help my make music, for that I only need a Amp and a guitar and my soul. so ;-)

So thats me, maybe you like it for your stuff ?
Check it.

Lots of knobs to tinker with to tailor this to your needs. The "tone" wheel is on the inside, but that's no prob. In my opinion, it's not the sort of thing you'd mess with. Not very useful on a daily basis, just find your spot and leave it. Gets very raspy when maxed (or "minned")? I put it just on the good side of raspy, still enough woof, but note definition is still there.

Overall, fuzzes are a difficult beast to learn how to use. If you set it for deep woofy stuff, then you'd better back off the volume or play single notes only. I think a lot of people get "Axis Disease" and try to make things too fuzzy. I'll explain more below.

Sounds very good. Most of what you'd want in a fuzz. It works best (as most fuzzes do) when not maxed out. On occasion I go nuts and blast the fuzz and bias, but most of the time I have the fuzz around 3:00 and then adjust the contour and bias to get what I'm after. When used in that way, it's very versatile and depending on the bias, almost transparent, especially with the guitar volume down. In order to get the most out of a fuzz, I think you need to spend a lot of time with one, and not killing yourself bending over to your board either. Set yourself up on the desk or table so the box is right at your hands. Spend a lot of time getting to know what it does with different pickups and different amp volumes.

Well build. Strong box and switch.

Absolutely deplorable. I emailed and got no response. From reading different things on the Fulltone website (one example being a shipment of something or other not arriving on time and Mike said "take it easy guys, it's not like an antidote to SARS" or something to that effect). Good products, but I will never, ever consider another Fulltone product again. And I don't think that's cutting off my nose to spite my face. This fuzz is good, but what's to say that there's not equally good or better out there.

I like this thing. After going back and forth and taking it off my board and then whipping it out of storage to keep "testing" it, I can't keep it off the board. It's got what I like, LED and power supply capability. I imagine not using battery power affects the tone or creates noise, but I have everything on my board powered and connected so I don't want to go using batteries and forgetting to unplug inputs. I don't know this is better than any other fuzz face out there. I have a Keeley Fuzz Head, which is a different animal altogether, but still rocks. I had some crappy "boutique" fuzz that just wasn't cutting it, and I haven't had the urge to try anything else. I'm not looking for fuzz to be my savior, so for now, it's good enough for me. I don't know that it's $250 good as that what they're going for on ebay right now, but good nonetheless. I'd say if you can get one for $200, then it's worth it.

Super easy.

I think most people buy this and probably wish they had bought the '70 Fuzz a few days later. This pedal is very nice, but not fuzzy enough, in my opinion. I have owned 3 of these to try out different ones and they all fell into the "distortion" category more so than the "fuzz" category for me.

I really, really feel sorry for all of you who are foolishly paying more than $160 for these. They aren't worth it--trust me. It's a good pedal for the retail price, but I use to buy these on craigslist in L.A. for $100-120 (mint w/box and manual). I'm glad I got this out of my system when they were cheap and no one wanted them.

I had a switch crap out on my and Fulltone finally decided to replace it after bickering with them, even though they said they knew there was batches of faulty switches in early '99. If you're buying one on ebay keep an eye out for the '99 models and stay away.

All of the later ones I owned were fine.

So so in the past.

Great pedal, but not worth more than $120 used. I hope he starts making these again for those of you who are dishing out $200 or more. Try the '70 fuzz or the Octafuzz...both far superior pedals. I think the '69 is the weakest fuzz out of all the Fulltone pedals and maybe the most disappointing pedal out of the whole line.

Fairly easy to use to get a good sound.

Dont need any manual to recreate the Hendrix tone.

I have been playing blues and hard rock for 12 years.
And I had many fuzz/drive effects than anyone I know in the studio.

And this pedal gave me very good impression.
Clears up very well like VooDoo-1(which I die for) and very vintage sounding fuzz that has wide tonal range.
actually its an awesome fuzz to say it shortly for Hedrix, Cream and all stuff. BUT it doesnt nail the 60's buzz fuzz sound or psychdelic sound like Davie Allen.

If you want to get some serious rich buzz fuzz tone.
You should try Fuzzrite or the 100% clon of the Fuzzbrite, FuzzBrite from Ashbass.!
I have 3of these pedals for all different use and its the holy grail of the vintage fuzz.!

For the tone and the ability the fulltone its good but Fuzzrite and FuzzBrite can do more serious stuff! : )

never dealt with Fultons;

For wide tonal range fuzz its a great pedal!
I have 70's too and this thing is pretty much covers the rest that 70's cant do.

Since I have Fuzzrite and 2Fuzzbrites so its not really been up for my pedalboard.

But Fulltone is a keeper for some later reasons!

4 knobs (volume, bias, contour & fuzz), so it's not quite as simple as an old fuzz face (volume, fuzz), but pretty close. The manual is detailed, which would be good for anyone using a real germanium fuzz (as opposed to a distortion or overdrive) for the first time.

Mine's from '98. They've just been discontinued. Had they not been discontinued, I would not have bought one.

This is a clone of the fuzz made famous by Jimi Hendrix, and the manual demonstrates how to dial in his settings with the contour adjusted for some supposed mod Roger Mayer performed on Jimi's pedals. With a strat or duo sonic into the 69 into my modded Blues Junior, it does come frighteningly close to that '67-'69 Experience guitar sound.

Rolling off the guitar's volume knob *really* cleans the tone. About midway down on my Hamer's (basically a LP special with burstbuckers) neck pickup gives a zen-perfect Keef tone, circa. "Exile on Main St." I like that even better than the full-on Jimi fuzz. At about 1 or 2, my amp is cleaner than when the fuzz is disengaged. This is why I love germanium.

I'm more of a tone bender guy, but this may find its way into my setup for occasional use where the 'bender is too, uh, bright. I'll definitely record rhythm tracks with it. The other day at rehearsal I ran my guitar into the '69 -> wah (true bypass & vintage voicing modded GCB95) -> Throbak Stone Bender -> cheap analog delay -> amp ... and just used one fuzz or the other (2 at once is a nasty, unusable overload & probably dangerous).

The '69 sounds great. The low-end response can't be had with the mass-market dunlop fuzz face, or many of the other clones. You can also dial in a better-sounding Big Muff than electro-harmonix can give you ... *** but I really wish fulltone would make their pedals more compatible with non-TB units.*** I own a Throbak fuzz, an SPF boost and modded my own wah for TB and they *never* give any issues to my buffered delay or vice-versa, but the '69 does. I imagine this is a ploy of some sort, but it's definitely one of my big gripes with Fulltone, and I do have a few. You spend top dollar for something hand-made, you should expect it to work *with* everything. Not very user-friendly, unless your rig is exclusively fulltone.

Like I said, it sounds *great*, but a friend owns the Throbak Fuzz Haze, which can do *everything* the '69 can do (maybe better), and which doesn't screw with the rest of your setup.

I bought this used, but in pretty great condition considering it's 9 years old. If I break it out at a gig, I won't have a backup, but I pretty much fly by the seat of my pants on that sort of thing. It held up through a 3-hour rehearsal ...

I haven't dealt with them personally, and I've heard an equal amount of positive & negative about the company. I imagine they're better than the major mass-market folks out there ...

Again, the user-friendliness/compatibility of the product is going to take this rating down, too. If the other boutiques can make great-sounding, true-bypass pedals that work with the middle & bottom shelf stompboxes, Fulltone should be able to follow suit. I really like my $40 delay pedal & shouldn't be punished b/c I cant afford a Tube Tape Echo.

I play in an indie trio very influenced by mid-period Brit Invasion & US Garage rock -- The Who, Yardbirds, Human Beinz, Tommy James, etc. ... so, yeah, it's a perfect match, but so is anything I'd introduce to my collection.

Been playing 26 years. I'm 35. Mostly self-taught. I've been writing songs in all-original bands since 1989. I have 3 electrics, 2 acoustics, 2 modded Blues Juniors, a Pignose Hog 20, too many effects to name and a bunch of analog recording gear.

If it were stolen, I'd plan to buy a Throbak Fuzz Haze at some point in my life, but not immediately. Again, it sounds great, but not crucial to my sound.

I have played the dunlop fuzz face, the DOD classic fuzz and several Big Muffs. This definitely rivals the Big Muff in Low end and blows away any mass-market fuzz face imitator. Again, it's a great clone of a classic stompbox.

I'd say it helps me -- it doesn't get in the way. I really like a lot of what it does.

for the 3rd time, *STOP MAKING YOUR EFFECTS INCOMPATIBLE WITH OTHER PEOPLE'S. THIS IS NOT NECESSARY. IT'S JUST POMPOUS AND RUDE.*

Simple to use. Sounds good on all settings. You can get anything you're after. Nice short instruction sheet with recommended settings.

You can go from Hendrix fuzz to very mild dirt. A lot of effects sound like crap if they're not close to being maxed out. The lower settings are just as good as the higher settings here. Not just less volume or fuzz, but a totally different, sweet sound in itself. I had another "boutique" lesser known fuzz and it couldn't touch this. (read more about that below)

Has anyone ever had a problem with Fulltone?

The best all the way. As I said, I had a different fuzz that claimed to be germanium based. Since Fulltone says the 69 needs to be center pin positive because of the germaniums (just like the Octafuzz) then why was my other fuzz not center pin pos? Makes you wonder. Anyway, here's my theory on effects: you're not gonna find the next best thing from some guy making pedals in his basement in his spare time. Aside from spending obscene amounts of money on Cornish and the like, Fulltone, Keeley and Analogman (and a few others) are the closest us mortals can get to grail tone. Why waste money screwing around with Whatzhisnuts Ball O' Fuzz when you can go Fulltone?

I had a TS9/808 mod, again, from some guy. Probably not a bad mod, but come on, for about $50 more I got an Analogman TS808 true vintage and it was way better. Do yourself a favor, look at what the pros play and stick with the good stuff. Fulltone all the way.