Fulltone 70's Pedal

Very simple vintage style pedal. Easy to tweak, but varies widely in sound between different amps, guitars and other pedals. You have spend time with it to find the right combination of guitar, amp and pedals (if you are using it with other pedals).

This pedal sounds very good with my Malmsteen Stratocaster. Actually, when I first purchased it I thought something was wrong, it sounded very "tame" for a silicon fuzz and did not sound at all like the clips I had listened to. Finally I realized that my ultra-low output Dimarzio pickups were responsible for this. I love the tone with the Malmsteen Strat, it has bite and snarl, but sounds smooth as well.

I am using the 70 with a vintage Deluxe Reverb, a Boogie Studio Caliber combo and a Boogie Mark I head with Thiele cabinet. The tone is consistent between the Boogie amps, but is very different with the Deluxe Reverb. With the Deluxe Reverb the 70 sounds fuzzier and more scooped in the midrange. Overall, the pedal sounds good with all amps, but I prefer it with the Boogies. I tried using the 70 with my OCD and a Mojo Hand Nebula phaser (awesome phaser!). The 70 sounds good as long as it is first in the signal chain. I tried switching things around by placing the OCD first with the 70 second in the chain. To my ears, the 70 sounds best when it is first in the signal chain, or used by itself.

I typically turn the fuzz and mid knobs all the way up, and use my volume control to vary the amount of fuzz. With the Strat, the fuzz knob provides zero fuzz until the knob is turned nearly all the way up. As mentioned earlier, I contribute this to the low-output pickups in the Malmsteen Strat. The lack of range on the fuzz knob does not bother me, the tone is very good with the knob maxed and I can vary the amount of fuzz with the volume knob. At times I find the pedal to be a bit bright and wish I had a proper tone control, but overall I am very pleased with the sound.

I also own a Gretsch Chet Atkins Tennessean, and just for fun I plugged it into the 70. The resulting sound was chaotic, noisy, and on the verge of total feedback. The difference was drastic, and I can see why so many fuzz users are Strat players. I like the 70 with my Strat, and have no trouble getting Hendrix style tones and other sounds. If I want to make noise and annoy the neighbors and my wife, I plug the 70 into the Gretsch! For my uses and gear, a good pedal. I do wish it had a proper tone control, but then it would not have that vintage vibe, would it?

I am a devoted Fulltone user and have several Fulltone pedals. I love all of them and they have never failed me.

The 70 is my first "real" fuzz pedal (I owned some cheaper fuzz pedals several years ago, I don't consider them real) and I have been enjoying it very much. I actually have two fuzz pedals right now, the 70 and a SubDecay Flying Tomato Fuzz. I wanted one vintage fuzz (70), and one modern fuzz (Flying Tomato). Each fuzz is different, and I enjoy both of them. I chose the 70 because I wanted to avoid the more temperamental germanium based units. I like the snarl of the silicon based fuzzes, and the added reliability is a plus. As mentioned earlier, I do sometimes wish it had a proper tone control, but if I need more control I pull out the Flying Tomato. I have been playing for 13 years (started at age 19) and think the 70 is a very musical product. I enjoy all of my Fulltone effects and this pedal is the one I consider the most "fun" to use. It inspires me to be creative, and gives me the vintage tones I love as well.

Dummy proof

I didn't like it. I owned it for all of 1 day!!

It's a shame....because I LOVE Fulltone's stuff...but this was just CRAP!! I bought it on E-bay and turned around and flipped it for a $60.00 profit after just 1 day!!

It's not easy to get a good sound out of any transistor based fuzz. The Fuzz amount has to be high but you have to find the sweet spot. Same with guitar level (Humbuckers sometimes tend to have to be backed down a bit or it can be muddy) Amp settings open a whole world of possibilities or problems depending on how you look at it.

I give it a 1 not because its bad but because its "Very difficult to use"

Yes you can get early clapton, hendrix, srv type tones. depending on your guitar and amp.
The fuzz itself is buzzy and not anything like an overdrive or distortion pedal.
I use it with a 64 Bassman Head and Fargen mod'd 70's 50 watt Marshall.
Its a little noisy and weird when cranked but not as noisy as a tube screamer.
if you want a synthetic wierd distortion; direct or clean amp is cool.
if you want a ballsy bluesy sound; you need to have your amp distortion as well.
the amp will transform the hair from the fuzz into that vintage sound.

Its not very rugged, its been broken twice just from normal travel. not fragile

Well, It's a typical LA company.
"I sell pedals to stars! but I'd like to thank all the little people who helped me become so great"
Doesn't bother me. I live in LA so I am used to dealing with it and getting through.
After a liitle effort they were, in the end, very helpful.
but no, they are not Analog Mike.

I do Studio Work so it's good when the client asks for a 60's style thing, its also cool for electronica stuff. if it was lost i would buy the NOS Sunface. I would also give the sunface a 1 for ease of use. these things are tricky

Three knobs: volume, mids, and fuzz. I've never had a big problem getting good sound out of it. You can turn up the mids for more clarity, something the old silicon fuzzfaces did not offer.

it is a bit beefier sounding than the germanium fuzzes. I think I might prefer this type of fuzz to the germ fuzzes. I also own a Soulbender pedal, another great pedal, but this '70 silicon fuzz seems to have more mids and lows mixed in overall. It has beautiful clarity too. Also, it is more saturated and aggressive than the germ fuzzes i believe. They both have their beauty. At bedroom level I push it with a TS-808 although it does work well as a stand alone dirt box. When I get out of an apartment setting I imagine it will sound massive just pushing a cranked tube amp. I really love this thing. If you use a wah before it, use one ith a buffer like the Foxrox kit. Silicon fuzes, or fuzzes in general?, will cause your wah to scream and compress. My Teese wah with built in Foxrox buffer sounds and works great with the '70. This modern development is surely a plus.

Looks to be built with very sturdy construction. Inside looks clean and the braided wire for one tells me care went into the production.

Never dealt with Fulltone. Nice website. You have to admit, the fact that Mike Fuller stopped making germanium fuzzes for lack of quality components says a good deal about his ethics. He could probably continue selling germanium fuzzes and make more money. Yet, he chooses to sell quality only to people.

Definite 10. It's a very meticulous take on the silicon fuzz face from what I gather. Mike Fuller knows tone from what I can tell. Beside the two fuzzes I own, I tried a Deja-vibe in a music store, which sounded gorgeous. Before I bought it, I tried this '70 pedal next to a Duncan Tweak Fuzz and the Fulltone was much more toneful with greater sustain. Great pedals period. I would buy again if lost or stolen.

easy to use..but to dial in what you want , really hard

the quality of the sound is okay.. the quality of the materials used makes for very little interferences and not much noise background

it's okay in front of my phase, to enhance the phasing effect..

i do want to note that i don't know if mine is a lemon, i can't get NOTHING for it to sound like a fuzz face..not even close..and not close to a big muff either.. it's far from an even harmonics fuzz..terrible..and useless ..

built like a tank, will never break..maybe the switch if you stomp like a camel all day..but otherwise excellent quality materials

non-existant.. forget emailing to their tech dept..i received no answers about this unit after 3 attempts..they just don't like people to send them problems and nevative commentaries..i'm sure he enjoys when people send praise though..

i play classic rock and jazz fusion. been playing for 32 years. if it were stolen, i'd buy myself a cheaper fuzz face . i love the appearance and it looks pro in my pedal board..i can't get rid of it because it was a gift..

to be really honest , to my ears , IT SOUNDS LIKE CRAP.. yukeepoo.. and i do know how fuzz sounds like and to get close to jimi's sound during the band of gypsies, it's a lot easier to use my good ol' fuzz face which i changed a resistor in it....oh..don't put any pedals in front of it like a wah or chorus or anything..

Easy to use.

good tonal range

Man.. the sound is just not right for me.

I have 14 fuzz pedals.(Colorsound, Ashbass, Mosrite, Roger Mayers etc)
But this one is not my type.
I have played everway in my pedal chain and 4 different amps but it just couldnt get the job done..!

Maybe I'm ver picky but fulltone dont deliever FULL TONE!

Its not really a 70s vintage fuzz pedal, just a pathetic clon..
just like the 69fuzz that I have owned for 4days.

If I were you I would just go and buy the Boss FZ-3 much better.

Really disappointed in Fulltone..
Sorry guys you dont make the reall full tone.

or just me that Im arguing for 60s freaky tone.

I miss the good-ol-buzz tone.

Maybe I should get a Fuzzrite from Ebay.

It depends how you use the pedal. It sounds good into a clean amp and also sounds good into a slightly broken up amp. THere is an internal switch to change sounds which is a great idea. But apart from that it's just 3 knobs, simple and the way i like it!

Again you have to know what you're buying into here. It is nothing like a distortion pedal. THis is old school and has the same pros and cons as the old pedals. If you use it in the front of the chain on its own it sounds brilliant! This thing cleans up like you wouldn't believe! If you like to use your guitar volume to change from heavy to clean, you leave this on all the time! I drive a slightly broken up amp and I would describe the sound as "Brutal"!

Now the down side....and it was a big downer for me. If you try and use a wah wah in front of the pedal it sounds awful. But to be fair it does say this on the Fulltone site. So my best Hendrix impressions (!) weren't quite happening when I stepping on a wah.

No issues so far, Fulltone gear is brilliantly made and worth every penny.

N/A.

In this modern day world of millions of effects pedals doing numerous functions, this baby is seriously old school. But if you dig that and can put up with the fews quirks it has then you have an amazing sounding pedal here. If you understand what you are buying then this will give you years of enjoyment. I only give it a 7 because of the quirks.
I play through a Soldano Hot Rod 100w and Cornford 2x12 cab using Fender Strats and Gibson LEs Pauls.
In comparisons with other fuzzes, I would say this is one of my favourites. I prefer it over the Cornell Fuzz Face I have as it is a bit more aggressive,has an LED and battery access is better.

This pedal is in my opinion quite a fussy beast.I have owned many fuzz`s and distortions over the years and the Fulltone `70 is one of the hardest get to know that I have come across.Having said that,my `70 is on my main pedalboard and is now a integral part of my sound!! When I want it to get fat n wild I go to my `70 Fuzz everytime!!! The manual is simple as at the end of the day there are only three controls!!

The `70 Fuzz sounds to me very much like Eric Johnsons Blue Fuzz Face and does sound very much like the origional `60`s Blue Fuzz face I owned as a kid in the `70`s.Also very Hendrixy too in tone terms.It is not noisy at all.I use Fender Twins and a 4x10 Blues Deville and no matter which amp I use and what ever channel ( clean or dirty ) this pedal does not hum or buzz at all.The `70 is a very wild fuzz...not for the faint hearted.You have to like your fuzz n boost thick n wild to go for this one...( I love it ).This pedal can make any amp sound great.When I go out and jam,if there is going to be a amp there I don`t bother taking one as I know my Fulltone(s) will give me good tone...and they always do!!

It is built like a tank ( as all Fulltone pedals are - I know as I own every one they make!! ),and when I gig with the pedalboard this is on,the last thing on my mind is if the `70 fuzz will let me down as I can`t see it ever happening.I don`t have a backup but I do have a Fulltone `69 Fuzz on the same board anyway....

I have been in touch with the company and some of the replies you get on e-mail can be a bit er "strange",but I put that down to "artistic temperament as Mr Fuller is definitley of that persuasion,but clearly has amazing ears!! Can`t see ever getting my `70 "upgraded" as it is a old style anologue Fuzz NOT a computer (haha)

I play EJ style rock n blues with a bit of Hendrix and SRV thrown in for good measure.I`ve been playing for 35yrs this year ( since I was 7yrs old ) and if I lost my `70 Fuzz I`d order another the same day.

To get the best from a Fulltone `70 Fuzz set all the controls at 2 O`clock and do NOT touch the trimmer inside the pedal as where Mike F has set it ( marked and signed by the man inside ) is where your pedal will sound it`s best....

With a little work tweeking the internal trimmer, you can acheive some fine, furry fizz. The mid knob also adds more cut and a tad more gain.

This pedal works well for a variety of fuzz styles from Hendrix to Gibbons. Most fuzz pedals work best when used through an overdriving tube amp (Fender or Marshall style). The 70's pedal has enough gain to be used as a stand alone distortion unit through a clean amp. I use it with a 4X10 Fender Deville.

Mine was made in 2003 and keeps on ticking.

E-mail the company and you'll usually get a response from Mike Fuller himself.

I've owned a Dunlop Fuzz Face reissue and a Big Muff. This pedal beats them both. If you like the sound of your Fuzz Face but wish it had more balls and more personality, go and buy this pedal.

physically it's very easy to use. spiritually not so easy....

Amazing tone. I'm new to the fuzz scene so I've been trying a bunch out for a long time. I wanted that wolf like growl on the first position slow bends. Yup, nails it--voodoo baby!!! I agree with most reviews here it cleans up real nice, however it's easy to sound really bad if you suck... regardless, it's fun to play with. I'm a freak about my tone, I play a customized strat and I have a 82-62 reissue, and two tylers. I do studio session and live work. I cant wait to roar wih this live. I think Mike's audio clip on the site does a good job of representing the tone and whats possible--You need to spend time with this one though. The key to this is your guitars volume knob. You have to let the fuzz wake up slowly ease it into your mood. Like fulltone says it can snarl and spit-you can control it just takes some time. dont be turned off from the low end. this pedal is touchy... Extreamly responsive to dynamics. the more you play with emotion and feel the more this pedal will respond the way you want it to-thats fuzz in a nutshell. and by the way it works well with others. wah's and overdrives can be interesting.

yup no worries

so so, I hate that you cant call them. Customer service in my book should be # 1. I would have all his stuff if I could actually speak with someone who know the product.

I do mainly 60's-modern rock. I've been playing for 15 years( I should be much beter then I am) I'd buy it again if stolen. It's a fuzz so I love it and hate it all at the same time... I wish it had to gain stages. I think you could have more fun that way. It's too bad he dosent add a switch... so you can choose.

other then that I really love it.

Possessed 3 knob version of hardcore fuzz. I turn the knobs & they turn back to where ever they were before because it thinks it sounded better that way, it doesn?t listen to me even though I?m supposed to be it?s master & in a little way I get frightened of what it?s thinking behind my back.

Fulltone?s site says that this fuzz ?snarls & spits? which I can vouch for. When I opened the box it was very angry from being confined to such a small space & seemed to think I was the one who put it there. It sprayed a loogie right on my head. I did the usual tricks trying to get in the good books (You know like talk nice & offer to go down on it) but it stayed in the same mood for days, but I must admit that it has lightened up recently.

I would definitely trust this device, it gets very cross when people annoy me and throws itself at their heads. People think I was throwing it and wouldn?t listen to me trying to warn them of its possessiveness.

They knew this one was trouble, but didn?t inform me of its spiratic behavior. When I sleep at night I can?t help but keep an eye on it as it sits on the floor near my Marshall. I think it?s trying to turn the other effects against me too, but I might just be a bit paranoid

It asked me for chicken drumsticks last night after midnight and now theres a big cocoon on the floor in my room. I?m going to have to clean some shit up I guess but I'm curious whats going on in there.

Very Easy To Get A Good Sound. 3 Knobs: Volume, Mids, Fuzz.

I Play Gibson and Fender Guitars With This Pedal, All Sound Fantastic. For A Fuzz Pedal, It's Really Quiet! There Are So Many Sweet Spots On This Pedal...Mids Turned Back To 0 and Fuzz Cranked...That is THE Blue Fuzz Face Sound! I Like To Keep The Fuzz Cranked and Turn Up The Mids To About 11 o'clock. This Pedal Is THE BEST Sounding Silicon Fuzz ( For Me ). I've Tried Many Fuzz Pedals and Chose This One For It's Tube-Like Tone, Fullness, Sustain, And Fuzziness. This Pedal Is NOT Harsh At All...Like So Many Fuzzes Are.

Built Like A Tank. Fulltone Pedals Are Quite Possibly The Best Quality Money Can Buy. I've Owned / Own Other Fulltone Products and NEVER Had Any Problems.

Instead of Spending $40 - $99 For A Piece Of Shit Dime-A-Dozen Fuzz That Is Unreliable and Sounds Like Complete Shit...Do Yourself A Favor And Fork Out About 50 Extra Bones And Get This If You Want A Great Silicon Fuzz!

It's not that easy to use if one doesn't know how to modulate with the guitar's volume knob. I have not used the internal trimmer yet, which appears to add versatility.

Here's where we get to show who is the the most afflicted among those submitting posts: I play a lefty Am Std Strat (it happens to be Olympic White) strung right handed-->Fulltone'70-->Vox V846 wah (needs DPDT switch)-->Voodoo lab Proctavia-->Roger Mayer Voodoo Vibe Jr-->Hughes&Kettner Replex-->Marshall 1987X RI plexi 50W. I even have an Ace strap, but no coiled cords. Even my insanity has limts. You can't help but get a certain sound reliably. The other sound you can get is EJ when he "influences" off of JH, especially with the Delay on the Replex. The '70 replaces a BK Butler Blues Driver/Apollo Fuzz (same thing as Shin-Ei Companion Fuzz)combo. While I'm sill learning how to fully use the pedal, it is working like I want it to.

Seems built reliably. I'd gig without backup.

no opinion, although from what's reported, I expect I could get a hold of Mike if I had to.

Like anything worth doing it takes a little work to get the sound out of the pedal. Having tried to get JH/EJ sounds out of Bixonic Expandora, original TS-808, ProCo Rat, Russian Big Muff Pi, Tube Driver, Blues Driver, Apollo Fuzz--didn't think much about the distinction between overdrive and fuzz until now. If you're looking for fuzz, this is a good place to start. Wish I had had this when I started the search for the sound.

it's a fuzz pedal w/ a few cool extra features, but easy enough to plug in and just play.

this pedal sounds great with my matchless clubman and my 18watter, and it sounds good w/ my princetons, but just doesn't do it with my bigger fenders. i guess it was just made to drive that british sound for me.
it's general sound is raunchy and abrassive, just the way a fuzz pedal should be. when i step on a pedal like this i want to know it and everybody in the parking lot too as well.
i do have a major problem with it though. it was always a little testy with me, but would eventually come around. i have had the thing for 5 years, it has seen the world with me. i took it off my board about a year ago, put it back on a month ago, and now it works whenever it wants to. i'm having a problem with this, because i love the sound of this pedal, and i own a few of his other pedals (for several years all w/o any glitches at all.

after 4 years and one year off it died on me at a session. i looked like a dick cause i didn't have a backup. never again. on the other hand it went on and off planes and suffered through horrible ac in lame clubs for years w/o a backup.

i emailed my problem to them several weeks ago, and have heard not a peep. i'm pissed. i have done nothing but talk them up, loan out their pedals to friends and colegues to check out, and played them on countless sessions and gigs. and they can't even email me back. busy is one week at best to not get back to someone. unacceptable.

i am torn. i want this pedal back in working order, because i love it, but i'm pissed at how i have been treated in this matter. if they correct this problem i'll be the first to retract that cs rating and rant, but untill then they lost at least one customer for life. the pedal is great, but i guess it turned out like everyother vintage fuzz ever made. unbelievable sounding, and unreliable. it's silicon, it shouldn't act like this.

um, on/off and 3 knobs so its easy , whats not easy is finding and deciding what you want , but thats a matter of preference


mine has white knobs, easy to see in low light.

The type of fuzz tone Im fond of is found somewhere between Cream's "Sleepytime" and the guitar solo in Steve Miller's "Space cowboy". How to describe it? blown out, fried, psycedelic, mushy, sizzly , blappy, farty, (these are all attributes), almost like a saxophone. If you are a fuzz fan , this thing is ear candy!!


I play a es 355 through a delux reverb, and was a little worried after reading some of the other reviews that I wouldnt get good fuzz results with my Fender amp, but I found the 70 to be fantastic with my rig even at lower volumes. The sound I found is warm, and sustains beautifuly. When I roll the volume on the guitar back, you would never know its on, very nice.

It took me a while to figure out how the 70's controls affect my sound. I ended up tweaking the internal trimpot and found that near CCW is what I like. I also found myself adjusting my pickup height, It has a great effect on how the fuzz acts as well.

built VERY solid.

Fuzztone is a matter of taste , for me I love it and find it inspiring. Its a very crude effect , but can sound very beautiful with just the right mixture of volume , reverb , (string) vibrato, especialy in the context of psycedelic blues. On the same note , fuzz at the wrong setting (and in the wrongs hands) can sound horrible , steril and harsh.

I would remind you to not "falsely expect" fuzz to be distortion, it is not. If you want distortion buy a Tubescreamer or something like that.

But, if you like the fuzz of Townsend, Hendrix, and Page,and Clapton, the Fulltone 70 is pure magic!

Pretty easy, but you should really tweak the knobs. There's a clipping pot inside the pedal that opens up or closes the fuzz too. Haven't messed with it, but will when I'm confident I need to. Stock, it sounds pretty darn amazing.

Not noisy, except that when I turn it on it picks up a Mexican radio station! LOL!

My signal is: A Squier strat (maple neck alder body) with YJM and HS-3 pickups, through theFulltone 70, into a Carvin Bel-Air with Celestion Greenback 25w. Other gear is MXR Phase 90 and Flanger, Vox Wah and FullDrive2.

This is my first real fuzz pedal, and at first play I was like, "Whoa." I played it through the dirty channel with gain at 4 and volume at 4. The pedal cuts through, and really responds to the bridge and neck pickups. i got a pretty fat, chimey tone, when I rolled back the volume a little. I played some Hendrix, poorly imitated some Eric Johnson licks, and sat back and mused on the sound. This is a great pedal, and I'm glad I chose it over the Fuzz Face reissue.

Again, try playing with the pots for awhile and get your sound. This is a fun pedal. Mike Fuller knows what he's doing, that's for sure.

solid. I've had a fulldrive2 for two years and no problems.

haven't had to yet

I just got it, but I really am impressed. It's the last piece of gear I'll need for awhile. I play rock, but mostly bluesy stuff. I like to play ala Blackmore/Hendrix.

I think it's cool that boutique pedals like Fulltone are out there for anyone to buy. It's worth the money for pedals you know you'll use, and you will use the Fulltone pedals, trust me. They're pricey, and hurt the pocket, but I am well satisfied. I can't wait to use it in a gig! If I had the money, I'd buy the choralflange, choral flange and deja vibe. Scary thing is, I'd be afraid of gearheads walking off with them while having a beer.

Bottom-line: Spend the extra bucks and get this pedal. Treat yourself well.

To easy way to easy (well when no booklet is included that makes me happy) I like this one a lot AMEN......

I use an American Tele wired like a 53 Tele with real paper caps (find those) Peavey Delta Blues 15" Speaker.... Very little noise but if some noise was not there than its not a Fuzz Face (Thats how everyone messes them up by taking out the noise)......This is the best pedal Mike makes I have had them all at one point....... I get a real Hendrix to eary Led Zeppelin type sound and maybe Cream (Eric Clapton) so thats cool.....I would like to put my BSM treble booster in front of it and watch it melt YES hahahahahahhahah...........

Mike makes everything to last so no problem....... Very German like with a long lasting forever concept...........You dont need a back up just extra batteries or wall wart hhahahahahahah........

Mike is cool he still answers the phone himself (wow head of company answers the phone still) Mike is there for you and will help you with everything you need......My passed experince is that he kept me from wasting time and helped me get my sound...........

Metal to the Pedal thats all I say here..........

3 knobs, couldnt be much easier.
does take some time experimenting though

using a vintage carlsbro 50 combo (1x12) with a japan fender strat with custom shop fat 50's pickups and also a boss sd-1 overdrive (but not at the same time as the fuzz, tried this, tis mush city)
The fuzz is great for hendrix style stuff, like everyone else said.
I also managed to get some chili peppers type stuff out of it with the guitar tone off (their guitarist uses a big muff)
You can get massive sounds out of it if you experiment with the controlls throught your whole set up, its very dependant on how you set up your amp and guitar.
I'm sure it could be very noisy with some setups but mine is virtually silent, alot of people complain about radio interference, i dont seem to get this, i did for a while through other amps (it sounded rubish through my brother's old marshall jmp 50 half stack)but it's dead quiet with my carlsbroeven with the fuzz controll all the way up, step on it and you cant tell it's on.

this has been covered quite fully in other reviews, virtually indestructable

Mike Fuller really seems to care about his products. i think my brother e-mailed him and got a quite quick reply. that was to do with the distortion pro which didn't seem to work very well with his old martshall

great pedal, sounds great
I got it from my brother, cant remember where he got it. he didnt want it cos he didnt want fuzz. you can get other fuzzes that would sound similar, but unless you get something custom-built and insanely expensive, you'll find it hard to better this.

I give it a 5 only because this is a fuzzbox, which is more difficult to find that "sweet spot" than it is with an overdrive. There are only three controls, so other than the time it takes to dial in your ideal sound that compliments your rig, it is a pretty simple device.

My main ax is a modified Fender MIM Strat. I'm playing it through a solid-state amp because I'm poor (champagne dreams on a beer salary). But let me tell you, this is the finest distortion device I've ever owned. The grit cleans up when you roll back your guitar volume, just like with any good pedal. The tone is warm and organic, and the individual tone characteristics of your guitar and amp remain true. Again, a quality that any good pedal should possess. As far as overall sound goes, if you are a fan of Jimi Hendrix's live album Band of Gypsys, then look no further than this pedal. One caveat- you have to play LOUD to really hear this thing in all its glory (at least turn your amp past 5). Take it from me- bedroom volume does this pedal no justice whatsoever.

It's built like a tank- it's housed in friggin' steel after all! I haven't gigged with it just yet but I wouldn't worry about it dying on me.

I haven't had to contact Mike yet, but the salesman at the guitar shop told me that he is extremely accomodating and more than willing to help you get the most out of all of his Fulltone products.

I don't know that there are better-built, better-sounding pedals out there. The '70 Fuzz has not disappointed. I hope to add more Fulltone effects to my rig, but they are on the pricier side so I have to buy in moderation. However, you get what you pay for as far as I'm concerned. Why would you not want to spend the extra 50 or 60 bucks to get a genuine American hand-built tone machine? Everything else pales in comparison.

Before I begin my review proper, I would like to call attention to the error HC's list regarding the pedal's name. This Fuzz is called "The '70 Pedal," named for the Year 1970-- the last year of Hendrix's life and his "tone circa Band of Gypsies" as Fulltone's website informs. It is not "The 70's Pedal," indicating the whole decade and thus losing sight of the manufacturer's intention... I'm sure it isn't that big of a deal and I'm probably the only person who is irked by this, but I wanted to voice it on the off chance the web master would make what I feel to be a not insignificant change.

On with the actual review--

I've owned this pedal for over a year now and have waited to do this review until I was sure I knew exactly what I wanted to say here. I have given it a '5' in this category because it is NOT easy to use. This says absolutely nothing about how well I like the pedal. If you know how to use a fuzz please skip to the sound and overall sections(if I haven't put you off with my cranky introduction. If you think you're buying an upgrade for a DS-1, READ ON.

The '70 is an update of a vintage fuzz-face type pedal and is inherently quirky. If you don't know how to use a fuzz, getting a good sound can be next to impossible-- or at the very least you won't be tapping into the 70's (singular possessive there, folks!!) full potential. Myadvice to those new to the fuzz game is (as some previous reviews state in part or as a whole): 1) Placement. It likes to be near the beginning of your signal chain, 2)Remember, this pedal has 2 knobs in addition to the ones on its face-- the internal trimmer and your instrument's volume control(s), 3) The type of gear you are running it with will alter the sound radically. It is certainly not impossible, but can be frustrating and feel like a waste of $150+ if you don't know how to play it.

This is one of the most sweet and colorful fuzz tones I have had the honor of having at my feet in over 16 years of playing. It is most certainly a Silicon based circuit, and has a different character from a Germanium-based fuzz, but I don't think Ge-philes will necessarily be disappointed: it isn't harsh or buzzy after the manner of some Si's.

What impresses me most is the sheer range of tones it has to offer. With the pedal's Fuzz set around 4:30, subtle twists of the volume knob yield an array of textures from a little hair on the fringes to bass-induced sustain at higher fuzz setttings. The knobs are very interactive; be careful when arranging more than one at one time. My current favorite setting (I have gone through several 'phases' in the year I've played with it) is Volume just below half, Mids just below 3/4, and Fuzz just past 3/4 with the internal trimmer broken slightly counter-clockwise... with the right settings I've been able to get everything from a pseudo-clean boost (lots of volume on tap in this little box) to a blown-out sputtering Fuzz and most stops in between.

The instrument you use with it will vary your sound tremendously. I can't really say that it 'favors' strat-style pickups the way many fuzzes do, but humbuckers retain their distinctness through it. It sounds absoultely astonishing with a bass, as well. The type of amplifier also makes a dramatic difference, so please be sure your amp is friendly towards it. Modelling amps are quite friendly to it, particularly "older, four-input Marshall" (cf. fulltone.com) patches. Clean and dirty amp tone make a big difference, and I've found it to be at its best through a just-on-the-edge of breakup type tone as opposed to full-on saturation where it tends to just blend in. It sounds a litle the rougher side through a solid-state or solid-state model vs. any tube (or tube emulating) rig. Not bad, just a bit fizzier.

This pedal is also incredibly chord friendly as far as fuzzes go-- both in terms of tone and clarity. Along these lines, it is also extremely transparent. You hear your gear with Fuzz added, it does not mask or overwhelm your basic tone ala a Muff-style fuzz. It is a tricked-out Fuzz Face, and if you need Big Muff tones you may be disappointed. It can definitely sustain, but it always works with the sound of your other gear (okay, AGAINST your gear if you put it second in line--even after a Vox V847 Wah with Mr. Fuller's own 'true bypass' wiring mod!) and never instead of it. But it does sound big. Very big. In fact, if I had to characterize its sound in three words they would be 'additional dirty space.'

Although I love this pedal, I am aware of its limitations and am open to the possiblity that something better will come along. This being said, I have decided to give it full marks for tone on the basis of some previous reviews' low scores. Trying to keep those overall ratings up!

Overbuilt to excess, to such an excess that I worry about it getting a big head and overlooking its own mortality. Gigging without a backup is no problem whatsoever, but I did have one knob crack for no apparent reason....

I have never dealt directly with Fulltone, but I will realte the following: the store from which I purchased it swapped the above-mentioned cracked knob for me witout question or complaint. All I had to do was ask about it; I didn't even have the defective piece with me and they let me take the new knob home on my word that I'd bring the old one to them in the near future. Support your small, local stores, folks!

The '70 is currently the only pedal in the OD-distortion-fuzz family that I make regular use of and has been for over one year. It is never off of my board, and I don't really need anything else 'dirtwise' even though I play an extremely ecclectic variety of music.

I suppose I should mention that mine is a Summer,2003 model with little white-tipped black NPN Transistors, a blue 'rough surface' paint job, red LED and off-white knobs. I recently saw a picture of the guts of a red-chassis 1998 model (It was a '70, not a '69-- I am positive) and it looked COMPLETELY different-- transistors were of the metal-encased variety, for starters. I would imagine the sound to be a bit different from mine on that basis, but I won't be trading the ower of that one any time soon.

For its price tag, I do have one minor complaint: I know this is supposed to be a reworked vintage fuzz box, and that these pedals are very unruly and noisey, but does it have to pick up radio signals like a vintage fuzz, too? With the '70 on, and the instrument volume at '0,' there is either a loud hum/hiss which is not present with the volume cracked even a little bit, or a hum/hiss with AM frequencies streaming through it... okay, so I have made use of this built-in quirk for dramatic flair in some instances, but it strikes me as almost something of a quality issue. Fulltone's only excuse is that it would alter the pedals performance in some other, detrimental way if they put in the higher impedence capacitor or whatever they need to stop RF interference... and I haven't heard them use it....

That out of the way, this is probably my 'desert island' pedal. I could certainly live and perform without it, but it is the one constant in my effects arsenal regardless of the (electric instrument) playing situation. It covers a wide range of territory simply by being an innovative spin on an even simpler design. If you're looking for a fuzz face type pedal or just a new, dirty experience, you owe it to yourself to give it a try.

Three knobs: volume, mids, and fuzz. All pretty self-explanatory. The manual is brief, but not necessary. This fuzz pedal is very easy to use.

Fender American Standard Strat with stacked Dimarzio single coils in neck and middle, Seymour Duncan JB Jr. in bridge; Warmoth Tele with SD vintage single coils; Epiphone Elitist Les Paul; all running through a Peavey Delta Blues amp (15" speaker). This fuzz is very quiet...for a fuzz. There's still some radio interference when the volume on the guitar is turned down, but it's not noticable when playing. I haven't found this to be anywhere near as annoying as it was on my Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face.
This effect has a huge amount of available gain. The "mids" control provides a great deal of control over the sound, either mellowing it out or adding more teeth to the fuzz. The "fuzz" dial combined with the "mids" dial can get you into nice Hendrix-y vintage fuzz or into full-blown metal type aggression. Even at extreme settings, the individual notes retain excellent clarity. A fuzz with this much available gain can bring out all the noise in your attack, so you have to control your strings while playing. I've actually found this to be very useful in improving my technique (damping, etc.), even for when I'm not using the fuzz.
I think overall this fuzz offers a great deal of versatility. I bought it basically to give me a saturated lead sound for Gilmour type stuff, but it's way more versatile than that. I'll be finding more sounds in this thing I'm sure.
Bottom line: excellent fuzz.

I almost get tired of saying this. This is my third Fulltone pedal this year. I'm hooked on them. They are hand-built to standards which far exceed most other manufacturers (even other boutique gear). Just holding it in my hands makes me happy. Excellent finish, solid knobs and switches. It's an expensive pedal, but it feels (let along sounds) expensive. My experience with Fulltone (after several gigs and constant use) is that they will hold up very well. Fulltone also has a 5 year warranty for their products, so I think they're confident (as am I) that their gear will hold up. Just don't abuse them. These are not little Danelectro mini pedals which you can replace without thinking about it when you kill them. This is a fine instrument and should be taken care of.

I've had one email ignored and one email answered within 24 hours. I won't give a rating here.

Can you tell I like this thing? I find that when I play with good equipment, it can bring out the best in my playing, and lead me to new musical places. Playing with Fulltone gear has shown me this. I've been playing blues and rock for over 20 years and I've had (and still do have) lots of equipment. But this and other Fulltone pedals are different. I haven't been this into playing guitar since my first few years with the instrument. This Fuzz is worth the money. It's at the top of the fuzz heap in my opinion. It's a high quality piece of gear that will inspire you and will probably outlive you if you respect it. Go for it.

very easy. Set and play.

3 custom shop strats. 4 gibsons-2 les pauls-335-76 explorer. Peavey wolfgang. 3 paul reed smiths.

Lexicon pcm 91 and 91. Eventide dsp 4000. Custom audio electronics midi footswitch and custom audio switcher.

6 other Fulltone pedals.

5 marshall half stacks. 2 are 30th anniversary, one is a limited edition. 25th anniversary.

To the ones that say that they don't like this pedal- what are you talking about. If it doesn't work for you then just leave it at that. So many critics and so little talent. Thats how it usually goes. I wish it were different. Mike Fuller is sucessfull for a very good reason. Get it......OK...

This pedal IS great. It usually makes sense to buy all top notch equipment. Dude, buy a Marshall or something along those lines. Don't expect a good tone if your rig is lacking. I read to many of these reviews that are by people saying they have a fender amp or some other tank that won't get you where you want to go. Be honest, how many concerts have you gone to and thay are using fender amps or some other thing that isn't meant to be driven on the autobahn. Ok, I saw James Taylor and his guitarist had a fender. Eric Johnson has a fender (for the clean tones). Same goes for Jeff Beck. CLEAN TONES. That's the key here. Pay attention.

Don't blame Fulltone..Sounds so good on the clean channel when you turn the guitar volume down. Very chimey....

I have 6 fulltone pedals and have never had a problem.

Only have sen emails with a quick response.

Great company and great products. Excellent value.

3 knobs how hard can it be!

Just play around until you find some good settings

I bought mine about 9 months ago & it's one very nice fuzz.

I use it mainly with the crunch channel on my marshall & it sounds fantastic. please note that this pedal sounds better the louder your valve amp is & continies getting better the more you push it.

I was blown away the first time i opened up my '69 pedal and saw how perfectly everything was laid out in the steel case & this '70's pedal has the same quality to it, it's nice to see the effort thats gone into this thing!

I bought this from Musictoyz.com & they were very quick & helpful, i wouldn't hesitate in dealing with them again as it was real easy

For a medium gain fuzz this thing is the sh#t!

I love the way it sounds with a cranked marshall & because of this the '70's pedal will be staying on my board for long time

Simple to use - who could get lost with this lay out? It's cake.

I was some what dissapointed with this product. I own a Ful Drive II and it is my favorite pedal in the universe. It was my first fulltone, and I expected al their pedals to please me.
I also own a n American Big Muff, and was hoping for a similar but higher quality sound - I'm still searching. The 70's pedal just doesn't produce much fuzz. Not the big muff style fuzz anyway. It doesn't sustain like a muff and it doesn't fill in the sound and spread te way a muff does. Likely it was not intended to. From reading the pedal's description and manual it seems that the intention of the 70's fuzz is aimed in a diferent direction. Something less fuzzy, more controlled and more like distrotion with grit. In this capacity it sounds ok, but the fuzz knob doesn't really do anything unless you crank it up. In the end it seemed to me to be a somewhat one dimensional pedal, producing one decent, but not thrilling, sound.

Solid. Fulltone makes top quality stuff.

Didn't need it!

Ok, but lacking in versatility, and delivering a somewhat limited range of applicatability.

The '70 could be hard for someone new to fuzz to use well. You have to use your guitar's volume control to get the best out of it. The sweet spot is with the volume rolled to about 8 to 9, somewhere in there. I only use full volume on the guitar when I'm playing climax-type solos above the 12th fret. Finesse is key with this one.

Fender Voodoo Strat (APS reverse/staggered bridge) and MIM Tele (Antiquity b./Fralin Blues Special n.) to '70 to DD2 to Bogner Metropolis

This is an excellent fuzz. The sound is very dimensional, very warm, and responsive.

Each guitar retains its individual character with the '70.
The '70 is warmer than the '69, but doesn't clean up as well.
The "mid" control allows you to harden up the sound when turned clockwise.
The internal trimmer is very useful, with a very broad range.

Preferred settings:
volume @ 2 o'clock
mids @ 3 o'clock
fuzz @ 4 o'clock (about 80-90% up)
timmer turned counterclockwise to about 10 o'clock. This gives
a slight emphasis to the "snarl & spit" type of tonality.

This is being sent to a Bogner Metropolis. The amp is usually set with the gain around 2/3 to 3/4 up, which is a warm overdrive. Schizo 5 would be a lot like a plexi-vox type of tonality, with a round, bubbly type of overdrive. The '70 will not do well running with a high gain type of preamp.

I have used this since 2000. I do occasionally get rf interference, but might try using a 10pf cap to see if it will eliminate that. Otherwise, there have been no problems at all. It's pretty much "over-built."

Mike Fuller is a very easy guy to talk with on the phone. He will definitely stand behind his products.

I've been playing 30+ years. The '70 is my favorite fuzz. It produces a fantastic tone, and cuts through the mix like wild. I also use a Kendrick Buffalo Pfuz. The Pfuz is smooth, and transparent. The '70 is bright and fruity. Kind of like contrasting a dry white wine with a hearty burgundy. Its amazing how good this is, and how impossible it would have been to have found a fuzz face this good 30 years ago. But, it does require finesse on the part of the player, and I must say that, to my ear, the '70 sounds a whole lot better through this Bogner than any other amp I've heard.