Origin of the Fuzz Distortion

Jim Saunders · Post by **Jim Saunders** » 6 Apr 2000 6:58 pm

I heard that the fuzz distortion sounds originated in Houston by the guitar player for Marty Robbins. He had a tube burn out while on stage and he took a solo on "Don't Worry Bout Me". The solo is now familiar and the sound is like a torn speaker cone, plus a blown tube. The sound was left in for the recorded version and the fuzz was launched. Does anyone know if this is true? Also Bob Dylan originated the ear blowing loud volume at his WoodStock appearance. Just curious.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 7 Apr 2000 2:46 am

The Marty Robbins "fuzz" came about in the studio during the session.

Tony Harris · Post by **Tony Harris** » 7 Apr 2000 3:34 am

In the sixties in England a band called the Kinks were apparently doing a hit of theirs called "You Really Got Me", on a BBC TV show. During the run-through, one of the technicians came down from the control box with a screwdriver when he heard the distortion from the guitar-player's amp. When he was told that it was meant to sound like that, he replied,"I WILL NOT HAVE DISTORTION AT THE BBC!"

Rich Paton · Post by **Rich Paton** » 7 Apr 2000 2:43 pm

I think it was Paul Burleson's amp that lost a tube during a session. The story is in Paul's Page on the Rockabilly Hall of Fame site:
http://www.rockabillyhall.com/pBurlison.html

Jim Saunders · Post by **Jim Saunders** » 7 Apr 2000 5:24 pm

Thanks Rich for the history lesson. That was very interesting. I actually have never heard of Burlison, but I would like to hear some of the music he's done. The Marty Robbins story was partly true, but apparantly the loose tube in the amp was no accident.

Rich Paton · Post by **Rich Paton** » 7 Apr 2000 6:29 pm

Jim, I'm sure "Amplifier Distortion" was "discovered" independently and used by many
players. Scotty Moore mastered finding The edge of his amp's clean/dirty zones and utilizing them very effectively to optimize the sound of his rhythm and lead parts. Good sounding amp distortion, if you like it, comes from the power section of a tube amp, not an overdriven preamp tube or gadget ahead
of the amp (with some exceptions).

Sam Marshall · Post by **Sam Marshall** » 7 Apr 2000 6:42 pm

If you listen to Bob Wills' recording with Junior Banard on guitar - there is distortion there. This pre-dates any of the rock - n - roll credits typically given it.

There is also the legendary story that Roy Buchannan slashed a speaker during the original recording session for "Susie-Q" (note: this was years before CCR re-recorded it).

Sam in AZ

Peter Dollard · Post by **Peter Dollard** » 8 Apr 2000 1:00 pm

Although it wasn't called "fuzz" until later the black musicians in Chicago, i.e. Muddy Waters and Little Walter at the end of World War Two, were overdriving their undersized electric amps to try and overcome the crowd noise in clubs. They might not have called it distortion but the effect was the same. To me that was the genesis of a distorted sound. Pete.

Rich Paton · Post by **Rich Paton** » 8 Apr 2000 5:06 pm

Peter, You reminded me of an old Hound Dog Taylor cut, "Dust My Broom", on the first Alligator Records Blues Anthology. That tone was as distorted as it gets! I believe it was recorded in a juke joint in the early seventies. Probably a one-tube, four or five watt amp, considering the the tone. Not the first, but possibly the nastiest!
Link Wray slashed his speakers also, way back on "Rumble", but Buchanan may have beat him to it.
I love the sound of the amp Leon Rhodes used on "Honey Fingers", with the Troubadours. On the lead-in chords, it sounds like it's about to explode, with a chimey bell tone, but singing like it was absolutely at the very edge of its "envelope".
Thankfully it survived throughout his over-the-top, yet note-perfect lead break, one of the finest I've ever heard...a solo "for the ages". [This message was edited by Rich Paton on 08 April 2000 at 06:22 PM.][This message was edited by Rich Paton on 08 April 2000 at 06:24 PM.]

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 8 Apr 2000 9:23 pm

What about those classic recordings with Charlie Christian, the first electric guitar performances to bring the guitar to the forfront? He was playing through a little class A amp on 10, with distortion up the wazoo, and did it sound hip, or what?

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 8 Apr 2000 10:56 pm

I heard a story a while back that the first stomp box fuzztone was a device to make a guitar sound like a sax. It accentuated the odd partials in the overtone series sorta like the way a sax does. It didn't work but sounded cool on a guitar anyway.

Bob