Embers Fuzz Pedalboard Placement

In this video, I played around with my Embers fuzz and tried it in a range of different pedalboard positions to see how it behaved and what kind of sounds I could get out of it.

Vintage-style fuzzes can be quite picky about placement because they like to “see” the guitar’s pickups and respond dynamically. The Embers fuzz was designed to be very dynamic, so I wanted to explore how it reacted in different positions, both with and without buffering.

You might also hear the dog trotting around in the background.

Initial Pedalboard Setup

The board was slightly different from the previous week.

At the start, the signal chain was:

• Guitar straight into Embers fuzz (its happiest, most classic position)

• Twin Parallel

• TC Electronic Third Dimension (Dimension C-style chorus)

• Modded ODR-1

• The Eight

• HX Stomp

• In the HX Stomp loop:

  • Dual delay (same setup as the previous video)

  • Short reverse room reverb

I was playing a Strat in C standard.

This setup represented the “best case” scenario for the fuzz — straight after the guitar, no buffers in front.

Embers on Its Own

With Embers first in the chain:

• The fuzz was full, dynamic, and responsive

• It reacted directly to the guitar’s pickups

• Bias and gain changes were very noticeable

• It behaved in a very classic fuzz way

This was the baseline sound.

Stacking the Embers Fuzz

Stacking with The Eight

One way I stacked the fuzz was by using The Eight to round it off:

• Lower gain settings added roundness

• Helped tame the harsher edges of the fuzz

• Raising the input level pushed it closer to full fuzz

• High input levels became very compressed

This worked well for thick, controlled sounds.

Using Embers as a Lead Texture

Another approach was using the Embers fuzz as a different flavour for lead parts:

• Extreme bias sounds worked well for riffs or specific sections

• Overdrive could stay on for most of the song

• The fuzz became more of a texture or colour

Stacking with ODR-1

Using the ODR-1 before the fuzz:

• Classic pop / rock overdrive tones

• Higher gain into the fuzz caused the low end to swamp and compress heavily

• Past a certain point, increasing volume only added more drive, not loudness

If I were stacking like this regularly, I would likely use the internal bass cut switch in the Embers to control low-end buildup. I normally left it off because I liked the full-range sound.

Bias & Gain Interaction

Adjusting gain and bias made a big difference:

• Lower bias settings produced a very “woofing” low-mid sound

• Lower gain with low bias exaggerated low-mid bloat

• Pushing gain added more top-end sizzle to compensate

Pulling the bias back and pushing gain higher created more controlled, usable sounds.

Modulation Placement

There was also modulation on the board:

• Chorus after drive was very audible and pronounced

• It cut a lot of low end and added a sheen on top

• That sheen wasn’t always desirable

I preferred modulation before the fuzz or drive, where the overdrive helped shape and tame the chorus character.

For riff-based parts, chorus after drive could still work, as it was more obvious and present.

Moving the Fuzz Later in the Chain

Next, I moved the Embers fuzz later in the signal chain, which is an unusual position for a fuzz.

Without the Companion

• Sound became very harsh and brittle

• Much noisier

• Bias behaviour changed

• Not unusable, but far from ideal

Adding the Companion

The Companion is a pickup simulator designed to help fuzz pedals behave more normally after buffers.

Placing the Companion immediately before the Embers:

• Reduced noise significantly

• Helped restore balance and dynamics

• Allowed the fuzz to work later in the chain

It didn’t make it identical to being first, but it helped a lot.

Boosting Into the Fuzz

Using Twin Parallel into Embers:

• Twin Parallel acted as a clean boost at one end of the blend

• Attenuation was turned off to push the fuzz harder

• Treble cut helped smooth the signal going into the fuzz

This retained the character of the fuzz while adding clarity, similar to underdriving but with more articulation.

Blending in the bias-starved side added grit on top of the clean layer underneath.

This combination worked especially well when not driving the amp too hard, letting the layers remain distinct.

Fuzz After Chorus

Running fuzz after chorus:

• Created a very layered, multi-dimensional sound

• Felt rich and complex at lower playing dynamics

• Added depth and movement

This order was surprisingly enjoyable and inspiring.

Underdrive vs Full Fuzz

With Embers underdriven:

• The sound was thick and controlled

• Switching to full fuzz was dramatic and aggressive

• Stacking with other drives lost some low end but remained very usable

Wah and Fuzz Experiments

I also tested wah and fuzz order, as both are sensitive to placement:

• Wah before fuzz made the fuzz the dominant character

• Wah after fuzz was interesting but less practical

• Removing the Companion increased noise dramatically

• Reintroducing the Companion restored balance

In general, having the fuzz last meant it defined the overall character of the sound.

Takeaways

• Embers worked best first in the chain in a classic fuzz position

• With the Companion, it could work well later in the chain

• Boosting into the fuzz created layered, articulate sounds

• Modulation placement made a big difference to feel and tone

• Creativity in signal chain order was always valid

In the end, I liked the Embers fuzz later in the chain more than I expected. I joked about being the “hipster with the fuzz at the end of the pedalboard”, but it genuinely sounded great.

This video was as much about experimenting and listening as it was about rules. With something like the Companion, the fuzz could live almost anywhere - or without it, you could embrace the noise and different flavours that came with it.