Fulltone '69 Pedal

It took me a day or two to get the hang of this pedal and I have to admit that at first I thought I'd made a mistake purchasing it. Not now! I love it. It's the best Fuzz Face clone I've ever owned and I like it better than any REAL Fuzz Face I've tried. From what I gather, maybe 1 out of 10 of the original Fuzz Faces really deliver the smooth warm fuzz Hendirx got. The Fulltone '69 NAILS the tone I was looking for...especially driving a Fulltone Clyde Wah Wah. It takes some knob twiddling, but I like the tone better than the tone from my Experiance Pedal...and the '69 is easier to use. I'm going to give it a "10"...just because once I got the hang of it, I found the '69 very easy to use.

I've been playing my '54 Tele with Lindy Fralin Vintage Hots through a '69 Pedal and Fulltone Clyde...into one of my '59 Fender 5E3 tweed Deluxes with an old Vox Bulldog 12" speaker. Awesome tone! But I brought it over to my buddy's and tried it with his rig: Jimmie Vaughn Strat and an old Sears Silvertone Twin Twelve amp. Also superb tone. Great for Hendrix Voodoo Child stuff.

Haven't had it long enough to comment. But yeah...I'd use it on a gig without a backup. Is that worth "10"? Sure...why not?

Mike's a busy guy and from I understand prefers working to chatting on the phone. So some have found his replys short and not overly detailed. Still, I can understand that...I feel the same way myself.

My own experiance went well...

I've been playing since 1962 or 63. I love Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, SRV and all the Kings (BB, Albert, Freddie...) I am 100% satisfied with this product and wouldn't change a thing about it. I LOVE the way I can turn my guitar down to about 5 and the tone cleans up...even nicer clean tone in some ways then when the pedal is switched off.

Four knobs and an inside trim pot that ends up where it was when I got it.
Not hard to tweak if you know what you are looking for. The 69 is not a high gain fuzz and if you are looking for a lot of fat gainy fuzz it aint there but if you want a very natural sounding smooth breakup blues tone with no fizz and rich germanium harmonics this pedal is the stuff.

At max settings it can be a little loose on the bass end and but the bias knob will dial out the flubbiness. The contour will add some upper mids or take them away and the fuzz knob cntrols the overall fuzziness of the tone. Volume of controls the overall output of the effect. I'm using this through a MAZ 18 jr 2/10 set pretty much clean with a slight edge of breakup when the guitar's volume is maxed. My 69 is set at: volume-11:00 bias-9:00 contour-12:00 and fuzz-between 3 and 4:00. I don't use the 69 to get over the edge Hendrix type fuzz but a creamy lower gain blues tone is what I use it for and it shines. I was going to sell it but it found it's spot on my board for a medium gain tone. It cleans up with about a 1/4 sweep of the guitars volume knob but retains the highs when it cleans up, it pretty much darkens up as you roll up the vol on the guitar.

It's Fulltone and I have no worries about it's reliability. Fuller makes roadworthy stuff, hands down.

I e-mailed him about the transistors in the pedal when I got it because I had suspected a repair because the trannies were different looking but he assured me that the pedal was stock and the particular configuration made for some sweet fuzz tones. He was right. No matter what his reputationI never had a problem getting an answer to a question from him.

I play classic rock. my rig must produce anything from clean to overdriven 80's marshall tones and the 69 covers my mid gain needs with no issues except for the fact that germanium transistors change tone when the temp is hot out but like single coils hum, it's something that you have to live with. I step on the pedal and 99% of the time it sounds just like what I want it to, like a tube amp pushed a little with creamy harmonics and no fizzy decay or flabby bottom end and if I wanted any more than that I would look for a different pedal.

Simple as can be!

I run the '69 with the volume at 12 o'clock, Bias at about 2 o'clock, Contour at 9 o'clock, and Fuzz just about all the way at max thru a Badcat Cub II reverb (an improved VOX AC clone) with my amp cranked at slight breakup...WOW! The tone thru the '69 with my Strat made me cream my pants! Thick, silky smooth, slightly punchy tone that is just amazingly good. This pedal sounds best when the tube amp is pushed a little...So if you are a bedroom player who hardly ever pushes his amp past "2" - you will not be able to truly appreciate this pedal. Something about the combo of this pedal and a tube amp on slight breakup is totally FANTASTIC! A vintage tone that SURPASSES the original Arbiter in my book!

Built ROCK SOLID!

If you can appreciate a GREAT fuzz and the old school rock sounds of the 60's and 70's, then I highly recommend this pedal!

BUT its best if you have a TUBE amp and you have a space where you can play fairly loud! The pedal will not sound so sweet at low volume - it works best with the tubes pushed at least a lil' bit! The louder you can crank it the sweeter the tone gets.

This pedal has a lot of range to it's sound so you need to explore the dial settings, but it's pretty easy to dial in extremely interesting and usable sounds. Much easier than other pedals I've tried to use. The only way to make it easier to use would be to limit its versatility so that it only made a few good sounds, and that would be a bad idea. The paper work gives you some ideas on where to set the two "extra" knobs (bias and contour) but you should trust your ears.

I was knocked out by how good this pedal sounds. Whether I'm using a dual humbucker Les Paul type guitar (1981 Ibanez Artist) or a Strat or Tele, I love what I hear. These days I mostly play through a Hot Rod Deluxe, though I also have a bunch of old Fender combo amps and a Marshall 50w plexi. I can dial in overdrive type distortion that makes it sound like I'm cranking an old tweed Fender Deluxe or make it scorch ala Hendrix Are You Exp and Axis. It's reasonably quiet. I couldn't ask for more.

Build like a tank and out of the best material and components. Since I don't think there's much chance of a steamroller running it over, I wouldn't bother bringing a backup.

Haven't had a need for any support (see other catagories to understand why).

For the record, I play R&R and R&B and electric blues and I've been playing guitar since 1965 and B-3 since 1969. If I lost this pedal I'd buy an exact replacement in a heartbeat. I love the way it's made, looks and most of all sounds.

Its pretty easy to get a good sound from this, follow the manual and keep the fuzz maxed out, using guitars volume control to create various shades - keeps the high end intact even as you back down the vol. The reason I give it an 8 is that there are more knobs to tweak than a standard fuzz face - the bias and contour can have a profound effect and so can adjusting the internal trimpot ( mine was set just fine ). Remember that its tip positive for power supplies though.

This pedal sounds ace, period - all you guys out there who say it doesn't have enough gain are possibly are not familiar with the classic Hendrix style fuzz which this pedal emulates. Everyone who hears mine thinks its shit hot. I also have the '70 which is a really good unit but the '69 has precedence on my pedalboard due to its versatility. I earn my living as pro musician - fulltime, all the time, and this pedal is possibly the best piece of sound production gear I have come across since I began playing in the early 80's . With a strat it nails the first two Hendrix albums,as well as BBC sessions,just remember to use your vol. control like Jimi did . I use it mostly with an 80's US standard with Texas special pup's, though for some reason my new Highway with its cheapo Mex pickups actually sounds better ( but noisier ). It also works great with a Santana SE. Two amps used - my old JCM 800 and a new AVT275 -sounds different, but great with both. I still dont think it works great with a Wah even after using the bias pot as instructed on the manual, as decreasing this seems to affect how the fuzz saturates. The answer is probably to Mod the wah to match the impedence of the '69. I can't take a mark off for this as the unit functions as it should. There is a guy here in the UK that does Wah Mods which would alleviate this - spoit for choice for this sort of Mod in the USA I would think. All you guys who want the Eric Johnson tone ( who wouldn't ? ) go for the '70, even though on Mike Fullers site there is a quote from Eric saying he prefers the '69. The 70 absolutlely rips with a humbucker equiped guitar ( just as Johnson would use eg. 335, Flying V). One thing though, although it sounds great all the time, some days it does sound even better ( especially if its been left on, or used a lot ). I dont know if I am nuts or its the Germanium components inside ???? Possibly both. Just to bore you this is my pedal chain - BUDDHA WAH - MAYER OCTAVIA ( Rocket one not new one )- FULLTONE '69 - FULLDRIVE 2 - LINE 6 DELAY MODELER DL4 - MAYER VOODOO VIBE - MORLEY ABY - MARSHALL JCM 800 COMBO 2x12 - MARSHALL AVT 275 2x12.

Had it for over 6 months or so and no problems. Would rely on it with no backup but then I am a lucky bugger in that I have the '70 also so I guess I have the ultimate back up ! I use a power supply and Voodoo Labs pedal 2 can even have the positve tip accomodated.

Very helpful once you know where to e-mail - NOT the address that comes on the manual, use the website TECH SUPPORT. I didn't have a manual for the 70 when I bought it and Mike Fuller e-mailed me one that day as well as anwering some of my questions on the expected life of the germanium transistors in the '69 - 40 years in case you just had too know !

Buy this if you are into Hendrix, Doyle Bramhall etc. Its expensive but worth every penny - I might even but another one in case they stop making them ! I sold my Big Muff after buying the '69. This is now an essential creative tool for me and coupled with a Fulldrive 2 I have all the distortion I need to play classic rock / texas blues / 60's stuff etc. I didn't compare it to Roger Mayer's fuzz stuff as we dont have a retailer in North Scotland, though I guess they are good value, but bigger to fit on a board - I do use a VoodooVibe and Octavia - both are good and work well with the '69. I bought the '69 blind mail order due to the Fulltone reputation and have been absoultely chuffed with it. If It worked well with the Wah it would be absolute fuzz perfection but then again the Wah can be modded for this - Mayer MUST have done this for Hendrix. Just bear in mind that playing with a fuzz pedal like this might take some time if you are not used to this type of sound - its not as 'round' a sound as say a RAT and depending on how quickly you play it might not track evenly( though you can adjust this with the internal pot ). However, what you get is a transparent, dynamically responsive bit of kit that should last 40 years.

I've owned (and in some cases still DO own) 60's fuzz faces (some modded, some totally original), Roger Mayer and Caesar Diaz Fuzz face germanium based fuzz face variants. Those guys are HOT. I've also tried, gigged, and played around on the MJM London, the Jaques Fuzz Face clone and just about every othe pedal of this type. This pedal is (here it comes) without a shadow of a doubt, thr best germanium based fuzz face variant I've ever heard! Hands down. It is stable, smooth and ballsy and sings with a woderful soulful voice. It may not have as much "fuzz" as some of the others, but the tone and sustain is right there. It even beats my Pete Cornish modded 1966 FF! Try a few first - they are all good, but some are extra maxi good! I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Mike Fuller is the don!

I don't trust Germaniums, so that's why I also run some silicone diode fuzz face variants. This one I trust more than the rest, and I trust it enough to gig with it (and I've never trusted a germanium unit enough before). It's not failed me yet.

Fulltone customer support - ultimately helpful. Email them and provided it's during the day someone has always emailed a reply (or replies) within the hour. These guys care, and that's good to know.

I like both germanium and silicone diode units. This one beats the hell out of the Fulltone '70 that I have (but i think that it's a bad one). I prefer it to my old FF's, and I dont have to wrap the circuit in a plastic bag inside the pedal, or tape it together before or after a gig. If I were to rate all the FF variants I have heard then this would be no.1, and the Roger Mayer Axis Fuzz would be no.2. These are expensive in the UK, but you get incredible tone, and the feeling of dependability that you don't usually get with similar and original units. I love the classics and those sounds and enjoy the search to attain them, but more and more I go now for pedals that aren't old "originals" or faithful exact replicas, but that are their own thing (sometimes an old idea reworked or without the "bottom line" mentality), and that allow you to do your own thing whilst not sounding like some kind of guitar clone. Fulltone produces pedals which are perfect paradigms of this philosophy - they just help me tell my stories.

The 69 pedal is based on old germanium fuzzfaces modified for Hendrix. Along with the Volume and Fuzz controls it has a Bias control to reduce the low-end woofiness of the fuzz (and make it work better with wah pedals) and a Contour control to dial in some high-mid frequencies. There's a footswitch to go from on/bypass with an LED indicator light. Inside the unit is a little trim pot that you can adjust to alter the character of the fuzz, but I think that it's stock position sounds best. On the back is the Input and Outputs jacks as well as a jack for a power adapter. The 69 does not use the standard wall-wart type adapter that BOSS pedals and the like would use. I just cover that power jack with tape so it doesn't get accidentally plugged in.

I was looking for that warm, dynamic fuzz tone heard on Jimi Hendrix' records, and especially the tones on SRV's cover of "Voodoo Child" and Eric Johnson's fuzzface solo on Desert Rose (listen and you can tell when he switches from his Tube Driver to his Fuzz Face). I haven't nailed the EJ fuzz tone yet but I don't own a Plexi Marshall so... I HAVE been able to nail the Jimi and SRV fuzz tones however. It almost takes away from the magic of Jimi's tone when you can press a button and get a tone similar to any of his recordings, even if you're just a hack like me. I use the 69 pedal with a Strat with Texas Specials and a Fender Pro Junior amp. If the amp is clean the fuzz effect can be a little weak... the 69 is really meant to be used with a tube amp that's getting some power tube distortion already. That's how you get that dynamic tone and fat sustain. Like it says in the manual, just set the fuzz effect to full or near full, then use your guitar's volume control to control the level of distortion. The volume control on your guitar can clean the tone up really well, plus the pedal adds a bit of presence so you still get a nice bright clean tone.
I didn't get this pedal to be a Jimi sound-alike, I just wanted that Fuzzface character in my sound. Luckily, this pedal can do so much more than just cop the Jimi tone, it can really get a wide range of overdrive sounds. Actually, the "Jimi" tone settings are fairly extreme as far as the range of sounds this pedal go. "Typical" settings are a little warmer, less raucous than what Jimi generally used.
I took a risk and bought this pedal without ever trying it, but I did a lot of research into it beforehand, and it totally delivers on getting the kinds of sounds I wanted to get from it.

This pedal is top-notch, sturdily built, although I'm not sure how fragile those germanium chips inside are- for instance how they'd hold up on an outdoor stage on a hot summer day....

Haven't needed it...

Killer tone. Worth every penny.

Whats to say here! It sounds great right out of the box!

Fuzz is always a 2-edged sword. It sounds great but can be noisy but this pedal seems less noisy than my Fuzz Face

Built like a tank! I suppose anything can break if you dont treat it right but if its built good to begin with then that is a good sight of how much the builder cares about quality and Fulltone has chosen high quality parts over much cheaper ones.

I emailed Mike Fuller with a question and he answered pretty quickly. I didnt even own one of his pedals then. I know he has his own band as well as his product like so im sure he is very busy. I wouldnt expect an answer every time and I totally understand that. As long as the warranty is in effect, who cares!

My sound is a miss-mash of styles from Hendrix, SRV to Chicago Blues and Carlos Santana and Wishbone Ash. I started playing about 25 years ago. At this time im using a 99 american standard strat and an early 90's Jap FotoFlame. All have the Texas Specials but I have a Lace Holy Grail in the bridge position to help eliminate HUMM when I kick in the Fuzz. I use two Fender Hot Rod Deville's with the 4x10 configuration, into a TS-9 brown modded by Guitar George. I also have a Line 6 DM-4 and a stereo chorus. I use George-L cables which really boosts the signal over regular cables. I have a BLUE FUZZ FACE modded by Alphonso Hermida which sounds very good but I wanted the flexibility to control a bit more than just fuzz and volume which is why I bought the 69 pedal.
Check out my website for sounds of this gear at;
http://www.markarbogast.com

You have to work with this pedal. You can not put this on an ultra clean amp at bedroom levels. You must drive your amp to break-up, or use slight overdrive on the amp. It is very flexible for a fuzz, lots of variation in the settings.

GREAT FUZZ/distortion. I play an Ultra strat with Lace sensors (single and hum with coil taps) through a Fulltone Clyde Wah, Ibanez TS9 w/ 808 and brown mods, '69, to a new Blackface Fender Pro Reverb(amazing classic sounding amp with channel switching and tube tremelo). At bedroom levels I put the '69 on top of slight overdrive on the dirt channel of the amp--sounds FANTASTIC. Live, I turn my clean up to very slight break-up (6-7) and the '69 sounds even more FANTASTIC. Very complex & natural. I keep my amp attenuated at 12.5 watts (great feature of the amp) all the time which really helps get the quality break-up that is necessary for this pedal, otherwise the pedal can be bright at low, super clean volumes. You must have a good tube amp for this pedal to work, and then it REALLY works. I could never go back to boss pedals or the like. I've owned too many in the past. The two fulltone pedals I own not only sound a billion times better, richer, fuller, but also are made of high quality components (incl true bypass). The modded ts9 is also a must have--so round, present, organic.

Fulltone? C'mon. They are TOP quality. Appears to be as reliable as can possibly be. I've only owned for 3 months though.

He puts sound clips on his site which is great. I left a message (email) once, but didn't hear back. It wasn't that important of a question anyway. I could care less about support. His pedals are TOP QUALITY in sound and build quality.

For classic, organic, rich, full fuzz, this pedal can not be beat. I would definately buy it again. No question. I really don't need to compare it with anything else...It's perfect when used right (see above). It inspires.

I think the Fulltone '69 pedal is designed for good sounds, so you don't have to tweak too much to get a good sound out of it. Because of the internal trimpot the fuzz is very adjustable. It's a great copy of the original fuzz face from the sixties, but with the added contour and bias pots this pedal works great on EVERY amp, normally fuzz pedals don't work very well with Fender amps because they're very clean (they're designed voor marshall-style amps), but this pedal works terrific with my '75 Twin Reverb.

With this pedal I can get the exact sounds of Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Doyle Bramhall II. I run the signal thru an old Dunlop Crybaby, then thru the '69, then thru a Ibanez TS9 with 808mod and then thur a Dunlop Univibe. Although it is a fuzz, the pedal isn't very noisy, but I think that also has got something to do with my noiseless Kinman Blues pickups in my strat. I ordered a set of Fralin P90's for strat and I think everything will get noisier now.

My favorite setting on this pedal is:

Volume: 3 o' clock
Bias: 2 o' clock
Contour: all the way up
Fuzz: 2 o' clock

The internal trimpot is opened for about 25%.

Until now the pedal has always worked properly and I would gig with it without a backup.

I bought this pedal used, and I haver never dealt with Mike Fuller's products before. I sent him an e-mail for a couple of times if he could send me a downloadable manual, but i didn't get no reply.

I mostly play Texas blues and Hendrix-style rock, the pedal really fits my playing style and when I turn my guitar volume down it totally cleans up. I am 15 years old now, have been playing the guitar for 2 years now, and being of the youngest blues guitarist in the Netherlands you don't always have the money to buy the gear you need. So far I got this gear together:

Guitars:
2 Fender Strats
1 Gibson Les Paul Studio
1 Yamaha FX310 Western

Amp:
Fender Twin Reverb '75 Silverface

Pedals:

Dunlop Crybaby
Ibanez TS9 with 808 mod
Fulltone '69
Dunlop Univibe.
(check out my website for pics of my gear: www.keeponbluesin.cjb.net)

If my '69 were stolen I think I would buy it again if I could find one for the right price secondhanded. Fulltone is very rare in the Netherlands.

I didn't really have the time to compare this pedal with other fuzzes, but I heard it a couple of times and I was really amazed by it. I love the variety of sounds you can get from the pedal and I love the way it cleans up when you turn your guitar volume down.

In 1 word FANTASTIC!!!