Fulltone70 BC-108C Fuzz Pedal

I'm extremely impressed with this pedal. I wanted a silicon Fuzz Face type fuzz for big, monstrous Fu Manchu tones out of my Les Paul, and this pedal absolutely delivered on that. Basically its a silicon Fuzz Face with mismatched transistors (makes it richer and nastier at full blast), but has the added benifit of the volume knob actually being able to exceed the guitars output (a complaint I've had with other FF's, which, at best, can usually only match the volume of your instrument if both the volume and fuzz knobs are dimed), and a mids control to shape the middle frequencies enough for your guitar to cut through the mix. This gives this pedal TONS more tonal range than your traditional FF, and cleans up like a dream with the guitars volume knob. I get massive thick stoner fuzz to creamy Hendrix fuzz to mild overdrive to sparkling clean just with different turns on the pedals fuzz knob and my guitars volume control.There is also an internal trim pot that will further compress or open up the fuzz depending on how you turn it, but I haven't touched the one on mine yet, I'm very happy with how it sounds as is, though I may tinker later, who knows?Add in the rock solid construction, the fact that its made in the USA with very strict quality control, and the very small footprint (its slightly narrower than a Boss pedal) and you have a GREAT deal for the asking price. Seriously, the Hendrix FF is (at the time of this writing) thirty bones more than this pedal, the Mini Hendrix FF is the same price as this one, and neither of them have the bonus features mentioned above. Why do people even bother with the Dunlop FF's?Bottom line: Seriously very VERY impressed. I've read lots of hype and backlash for/against Fulltone stuff, including stories of Mike Fuller's apparently persnickety personality, but if this fuzz is any indication, the guy can be as big of a jerk as he wants for all I care, he makes killer pedals. If you're in the market for a silicon FF, give this one a try!

I feel a bit underwhelmed with this pedal. The fuzz knob usable fuzz range starts from 3 o'clock position and higher, any position lower and it won't make a difference. Unless you put your master volume to full blast which is way too loud. I prefer Keeley's Fuzz Bender, it much more useful at all settings.

I ran the '70 Fuzz into my USA made Fender Blues Junior, and played my USA made Fender Roadhouse Stratocaster. I set the amp to a clean sound as my starting point. To avoid uneven jumps in volume when engaging the pedal, I kept the volume setting on the pedal at about at 9 o'clock (i.e. about 1/3 volume).So what does the 70's Fuzz sound like?TAKE 1: Well, "fuzzy," of course! With the "fuzz" control all the way up, the "mid" control on the pedal at about 2 o'clock, and the volume knob on my guitar all the way up, the 70's Fuzz emits a massive, thick, "fuzzy" tone, capable of sounding like about a 100 chain saws running at the same time--it's awesome, but not for the meek. Chords sound like chunky concrete blocks of tone, and I felt like I could practically stand on the sounds coming out of the thing. Single-note lead lines are rich and creamy, but with a bit of "fizzyness." (which is good or bad depending on how one feels about that).Slightly rolling back the volume on the guitar generates a very nice, clean sound, with lots of sparkle and chime, with just a little grit. This fuzz seemed a bit more responsive to guitar volume knob adjustments than other fuzzes I've played (including Dunlop's JDF2 Fuzzface). The JDF2 Fuzz Face uses germanium transistors, whereas the 70's Fuzz uses silicone, so maybe that's the difference.The Bummer: The pedal picked up radio station frequencies*--yeah, that's right, when I rolled back the volume knob on my guitar, "Adele" was singing through my amp. Don't get me wrong, I like Adele, and think she has a great voice, but I wasn't planning on hearing her at that moment. (I've heard that fuzz pedals can be problematic in picking up radio stations). However, by reducing the gain (i.e., the "fuzz") to about ¾ (or 3'o'clock), the radio interference was not as bad, but then there is the sacrifice in fuzz. Further, reducing the fuzz setting tends to "muddy" up the sound, but that can be adjusted a bit with the mid control (That said, I think the fuzz sounds best with the fuzz almost all the way up).*Note, when I plugged my amp into a different electrical outlet, in a different room, and added the fuzz to the chain of other pedals I use, the radio interference disappeared for the most part.TAKE 2: I added the 70's Fuzz to my chain of pedals. The order is as follows: guitar to (1) Fulltone OCD, (2) 70s Fuzz, (3) Danelectro Dan-Echo Delay, and (4) BBE "Boosta Grande" clean boost. With a mildly overdriven setting on the OCD, the 70s Fuzz (with the settings as earlier) added a searing lead tone that would sustain for days, even with the single-coil pickups on the Strat. Kicking in the BBE tends to take away a bit of the "fizzy" high end, and it really helps sculpture a "smooth" tone. Add some delay to the above, and playing solos all day long won't get boring.I think the best part of the 70's fuzz though is that all by itself, it is probably versatile enough that one could get by with just it. Rolling back the volume knob on the guitar is very effective with this pedal, and I can't wait to try it live with a full band (Maybe I'll add an update to this post once I get to play it live). That said, fuzz pedals are somewhat of an acquired taste, and unlike many "distortion" pedals, it takes a bit of skill in manipulating the guitar's volume control in order to fully utilize the fuzz pedal.The Bottom Line: If you are into fuzz pedals, I'd give this one a try.

I love Fulltone pedals. Built like a tank. I mostly play classic rock. This 70s fuzz pedal gives me plenty of distortion when needed and also cleans up well when I lower the guitar volume.

Put it up next to my buddy's AM SF which also contains a BC-108C. Differences are so minor I'd believe they were from the same run of pedals. Some amps sounded 'better' with one pedal, some with the other - but, again, barely.If you want to pick a specific (other) transistor, go order a Sun Face. But if you're good with the BC-108C you can save a few bucks and go with the Fulltone - it sounds great.

It is really as good as it's reputation. Cleans up much better than I thought it would which makes it perfect for those times when it will be the only drive pedal i use.

Very good sounds

Really like this pedal so far. While it can get nasty, it is also very mild. Can still play chords without all the jarble...very versatile. And the Fulltone build quality. Overall very happy w the purchase.