Saturday, January 16, 2021

Charlie Fuzz Wah Wah Pedal

Brownrice recently sent me the following: 

I don't know if you were ever into guitars enough to remember "fuzz boxes". They were one of the first distortion pedals available for guitars back in the 60s and along with "wah wah" pedals enjoyed a considerable vogue from the late 60s through the 70s. Some time in the late 70s they got renamed as "distortion pedals" and are still a stock in trade of many electric guitarists. Anyway..... recently I stumbled on a small pedal company in Melbourne, Oztralia who make a variety of such pedals and was kinda amused to find that one of their more popular models is marketed as the "Charlie Fuzz". It's a dinky little thing that features the classic Life photo of Chuckles on it. The eyes are 2 red LEDs which light up when the pedal is turned on. I'm certainly not a "Manson apologist" but the sick fuck in me just couldn't resist buying one... I thought it might make for a good (and suitably divisive) post :-) 




If you are interested, here's where you can get one!

17 comments:

orwhut said...

My son told me about wah wah pedals when he was going through his guitar phase in the 90s. I don't remember him ever having one.

starviego said...

Check out this groovy old commercial showing what wah wah pedals do:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17h773ldGds&list=RD17h773ldGds&start_radio=1

Doug said...

I have a Mosrite Fuzzrite and, a Univox Super-Fuzz...in storage at my folks house...thanks for reminding me!

Here's a cool article on classic fuzzboxes, who used what, and...on which classic fuzzed out cuts. YouTube links also provided.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.musicradar.com/amp/news/pioneers-of-fuzz-13-guitarists-who-defined-the-fuzz-pedal

brownrice said...

Sadly, the Charlie Fuzz isn't actually a wah-wah pedal, just a fuzz box... though quite a good one. Great for playing authentic-sounding renditions of Helter Skelter :-)

Doug said...

Sweet!!!

brownrice said...

Interesting article, Doug... thanks for sharing. Nice couple of fuzzes you've got in storage... both classics. I had a Univox back in the early 70s but sadly I lost it somewhere along the line. So it goes :-)

orwhut said...

I checked with Mrs. Whut and our son did have a wah wah
pedal. We think it left town when the "friend" he'd left it with moved away. His $90 odd dollar Swiss Army Knife disappeared during the same move.

Doug said...

Until I get them from storage I am a bit nervous. Lost a vintage Big Muff to a rehearsal space theft in the 90s.

I bet your Univox was germanium too!
😢

Doug said...

What a jerk "friend"

Doug said...

I came across a Canadian Jane Doe #59/Reet Jurvetson 5TH ESTATE video on YOUTUBE and, posted it HERE for those interested. It is good.


https://www.mansonblog.com/2016/04/mulholland-drive-jane-doe-59-identified.html?m=0

orwhut said...

Doug said...
What a jerk "friend"

That was over 20 years ago. If he hasn't changed his ways, he's probably a guest of the state.

Doug said...

Those vintage pedals lokely used germanium pots...much better than the newer ones.

Jerk (possibly/hopefully) incarcerated

David said...

Had a fuzz box back when 1976. Can’t remember the name. This is cool. Thanks.

Chris B said...

Last time I was looking at guitar amps there was one that had bluetooth to talk to your cell phone. On your phone you had the amp app and could download various effects and modelling directly into the amp.

Unknown said...

Trying to reach Mary Brunner to ask for DNA test

Doug said...

?!?!?!

Please elaborate!

47str8leg said...

"Big Muff" made me laugh. Old friend I used to play with in the late 70's-early 80's had one. It was like the worst sounding box ever lol !
Cannot believe people would pay big money for them. They were pretty awful.