You know what gives me a big smile? Finding a Tone Lab request in my email. So much so, that I’m throwing out my planned article and addressing Travis’ concerns first. Travis, a faithful reader, would like to know how to get a proper fuzz sound similar to that of Puta Madre Brothers. He sent me a few clips and I think my favorite is:
Travis is rocking a Fulltone OCD going into a Squier SP-10’s gain channel and would like to know what fuzz type pedal can get him there. Well, from the first clip I listened to, to the last, all I heard was a germanium fuzz. Will that sound good in an SP-10? I don’t know. But, if you do try that out, I’d go with the clean channel over the “overdrive” (quoted because I think it sounds more like a distortion than overdrive). And even though I heard the germanium fuzz tone (and still think a Ge fuzz through a solid state will give you a similar sound), I have come to second guess that assessment.
So, in the vast world of germanium fuzzes, which is closest? NONE. Many of the germanium fuzzes get too much low end break up for this sound. With that in mind, I went deeper into images and videos that show the Brothers’ gear. It looks like both guitarists use an MXR GT-OD. With this pedal in your rig, and with the right settings, you should be able to get that extra mid-high breakup that the Brothers have, even without a fuzz. My suggestion is to EQ the amp and/or the pedal on the more treble side of the spectrum. And for the love of God, crank that gain knob (on the pedal)! High gain plus the right amp settings should achieve exactly the tone you want.
The Pedal Lab 