i just bought the fuzz like 30 minutes ago, have been messing around with it immediately, its amazing. just watching videos in case there are some cool tips and new ideas of how to use it. its sooooooo good. works excellent as a clean boost as well. fuzz can sometimes seem like a lot to tame but this one is just differenttttttt!
Great job showing a different side of fuzz, makes the demo really stand out. Super cool pedal, may not be for everyone but you are squeezing some sweet tones out of it. Killer board too!
This sounds absolutely fantastic; I just wish I knew what was going-on and contributing specifically to the sound at various points in the vid (or is it basically all of the pedals mentioned on most of the time?) It's just that even though you mention the pedals used at the start, it's not necessarily obvious *how* they're being used to someone like myself who's new to ambient stuff and is more used to straightforward tonal changes i.e. a tubescreamer for on/off od, a basic delay pedal (never tweaked) for some delay etc. I would love to see screen annotations added this channel's vids to tell us more about the guitar/ volume/ tone pot technique used, which pedals are in play, and what settings or programmes are in-use as the sound progresses. I appreciate that the latter can be seen by the viewer to a great extent, but it's not possible to know what your patch is on something like the ZOIA (especially if I don't own it), or to follow your midi switching easily. Anyway, the point is that you've definitely inspired me Mark... but do I need to rush out and buy all the gear seen here?! Cheers.
Thanks for a great video and review, Mark. Also perfect timing as I just swapped my Strymon Deco for a second Benson Germanium Fuzz today. I guess I just like it a lot 🤷♂️
I would say they’re pretty different. The fuzz set clean has a lot of headroom and a glassy character. The boost has a saturation and slight compression that feels very different.
Eh. Maybe eventually. I’ve got some plans for videos on my workflow (ie editing, shooting video and tracking audio, how I get from nothing to a finished video) but I don’t know that I’m super enamored w theory stuff currently.
Excellent tones. I dig your ambient music. I am just now building an ambient and high gain rig now on separate boards. The germanium fuzz sounds amazing in the clean and fuzz tones. A good germanium fuzz should have some great clean tones with the guitar volume rolled down. Excellent demo here and beautiful music. The Empress Zoia and Strymon Volante are lovely sounding pedals, the way you're using them, but a bit intimidating to me I must admit. I'll be sure to tune into your channel from now on and I hope to learn some things from you. Thank you again for posting the video!
I’d be quite content to put this piece of music on repeat for the next four hours. Great gear review but man, the music itself. And pairing the Benson w/ the Enzo, really displayed how valuable the bias control is. Sorry, was a rather trying day. And to click on a “gear review” and then hear this? After two minutes or so I just stopped watching, leaned back, and let the music wash over me. Thanks.
I do. I like the Temple plates in theory, but I switch between boards too often to commit to them. 3/4 in velcro is the perfect width for a temple board.
The ZOIA was set up with 3 loops that play back in different directions at different speeds that feed into a stereo mixer to spread them out in the stereo field into a phaser and reverb.
@@davidwlucas I might have uploaded it to patchbay back in the day, I can't totally recall. If it's not I might try and get it up somewhere once I have time to make a few tweaks to it.
Your music sounds 2d - Why not leave the world of guitar pedals and try other studio equipment, like a console or 2, After all you have enough pedals !
Looping back to this. I think I might have to grab one of these.
The versatility and smoothness of it.
This is great! The character of the Benson Fuzz blends perfectly with your setup.
Totally agree. Especially in the second half with the Milkman it’s just excellent
This is the least fuzziest fuzz review ever. Love it! Helping me think about fuzz in a whole new way.
That probably should have been the title of this video, tbh
i just bought the fuzz like 30 minutes ago, have been messing around with it immediately, its amazing. just watching videos in case there are some cool tips and new ideas of how to use it. its sooooooo good. works excellent as a clean boost as well. fuzz can sometimes seem like a lot to tame but this one is just differenttttttt!
Man, that jam was special. Thanks for soul message!
Love this. Great to see you working the Zoia too. I’d really love to see a tutorial of how you use it as an ambient looper perhaps? Many thanks.
Great job showing a different side of fuzz, makes the demo really stand out. Super cool pedal, may not be for everyone but you are squeezing some sweet tones out of it. Killer board too!
This sounds absolutely fantastic; I just wish I knew what was going-on and contributing specifically to the sound at various points in the vid (or is it basically all of the pedals mentioned on most of the time?) It's just that even though you mention the pedals used at the start, it's not necessarily obvious *how* they're being used to someone like myself who's new to ambient stuff and is more used to straightforward tonal changes i.e. a tubescreamer for on/off od, a basic delay pedal (never tweaked) for some delay etc.
I would love to see screen annotations added this channel's vids to tell us more about the guitar/ volume/ tone pot technique used, which pedals are in play, and what settings or programmes are in-use as the sound progresses. I appreciate that the latter can be seen by the viewer to a great extent, but it's not possible to know what your patch is on something like the ZOIA (especially if I don't own it), or to follow your midi switching easily. Anyway, the point is that you've definitely inspired me Mark... but do I need to rush out and buy all the gear seen here?! Cheers.
This makes me rethink everything I know about fuzz... Impedance know on a fuzz?! Genius idea. And wonderful job on the video as always l..l
Thanks for a great video and review, Mark. Also perfect timing as I just swapped my Strymon Deco for a second Benson Germanium Fuzz today. I guess I just like it a lot 🤷♂️
Dude Amazing work man! 👏👏👏👏👏anything you touch sounds so good!
Take a drink overtime Mark says Massive clean tone.
Great review, very unusual for a fuzz. Awesome sounds. I always thought, I really don't need another fuzz pedal. 😂
a technical question. Do I get the same functions as the Benson Germanium Boost (green pedal) by setting the Benson germanium fuzz as a clean boost?
I would say they’re pretty different. The fuzz set clean has a lot of headroom and a glassy character. The boost has a saturation and slight compression that feels very different.
That sound! Subscribed :)
Sounds like Appleseed cast. Nice!
Mark, I'm Curious on your take between the 1981 and Benson for the type of music you do. Any thoughts there?
Are you ever planned to make a video not about the gear, but about some guitar playing techniques or music theory?
Eh. Maybe eventually. I’ve got some plans for videos on my workflow (ie editing, shooting video and tracking audio, how I get from nothing to a finished video) but I don’t know that I’m super enamored w theory stuff currently.
How do you make those reversed sounds at 14:56 ?
amazing
Excellent tones. I dig your ambient music. I am just now building an ambient and high gain rig now on separate boards. The germanium fuzz sounds amazing in the clean and fuzz tones.
A good germanium fuzz should have some great clean tones with the guitar volume rolled down. Excellent demo here and beautiful music. The Empress Zoia and Strymon Volante are lovely sounding pedals, the way you're using them, but a bit intimidating to me I must admit. I'll be sure to tune into your channel from now on and I hope to learn some things from you. Thank you again for posting the video!
Mark, which temple audio board is that? Looks a perfect size!
I’d be quite content to put this piece of music on repeat for the next four hours. Great gear review but man, the music itself. And pairing the Benson w/ the Enzo, really displayed how valuable the bias control is. Sorry, was a rather trying day. And to click on a “gear review” and then hear this? After two minutes or so I just stopped watching, leaned back, and let the music wash over me. Thanks.
This is great all around. How’s the new Harmony guitars though? I have wanted one it it just makes me feel nostalgic
They’re great. I’ve been really enamored with the mini humbuckers in it. Great guitar.
@@markjohnstonofficial Okay I was wondering what the pickups were that makes it even better to for me. Love the channel
Hi Mark, love your channel. Does the chain order matter with Germanium fuzz if you are using a switcher? Thanks.
The main benefit of this fuzz is that it can go anywhere in your signal chain without issue.
Do you run velcro on your Temple instead of the plates by chance?
I do. I like the Temple plates in theory, but I switch between boards too often to commit to them. 3/4 in velcro is the perfect width for a temple board.
Great video! Great sound! What role does the ZOIA play in the soundscape?
The ZOIA was set up with 3 loops that play back in different directions at different speeds that feed into a stereo mixer to spread them out in the stereo field into a phaser and reverb.
@@markjohnstonofficial Is this Zoia patch available to the public?
@@davidwlucas I might have uploaded it to patchbay back in the day, I can't totally recall. If it's not I might try and get it up somewhere once I have time to make a few tweaks to it.
@@markjohnstonofficial I was about to ask the same thing as @David Lucas. Please let us know if you make it public some day.
@@markjohnstonofficial man, I'd love a Zoia focused video on some patches you like and how you use them. Thanks!!
This pedal sounds so good but I can't justify buying a fuzz pedal that I'd need to sell my family to afford
Your music sounds 2d - Why not leave the world of guitar pedals and try other studio equipment, like a console or 2, After all you have enough pedals !