The bread and the bear.

The bread and the bear.

In today’s blog we demonstrate one of my favorite stacking combinations, Frybread Fuzz and Kiaayo. These two get along effortlessly, and between the two are capable of everything from subtle boost to extreme fuzz. Join us as we explore the wide range of textures and tones achievable with this potent pairing.

We will begin each demonstration with a short example of the bypass tone, then add Frybread Fuzz and Kiaayo separately to show how they interact when combined.

0:00 – 0:17 Bypass.

To start out, let’s just hear what the guitar sounds like. We will be using the neck position of our trusty Fender Strat throughout this demonstration.

 0:18 –0:51 Lifelike amp growl.

Turning Kiaayo on, we go from totally clean to a thick pushed amp sound. Kiaayo really shines here, adding weight to the sound but maintaining clarity and a low noise floor.

 0:52 – 1:29 HM too?

Since we are using a fair amount of gain from Kiaayo we don’t need a lot from Frybread Fuzz to push our sound over the top. In this example, the mid forward characteristic of Frybread Fuzz pushes Kiaayo in a way that reminds me of the classic HM-2 “chainsaw” tone.

1:30 – 1:45 Bypass.

Let’s check the bypass sound again before reversing the order that we introduce our gain stages.

1:46 – 2:14 The fuzz stands alone.

Let’s hear Frybread Fuzz in a low gain setting before adding Kiaayo. The sound here is full and fat with a woody characteristic. This sound is unique amongst fuzz pedals, in that most aren’t capable of producing a good low gain sound. Frybread Fuzz on the other hand, excels at low, medium, and high gain applications.

2:15 – 2:47 Adding smoothness.

In this section we add Kiaayo to the low gain sound we have already dialed in with Frybread Fuzz. The result is a darker tone with added compression and softer edges.

2:48 – 3:04 Bypass.

Checking in again with a short example of the bypass tone.

3:05 – 3:36 Equal parts hair and air.

In this section we dial in a medium gain fuzz sound with Frybread Fuzz that has plenty of grit but also retains an open airy quality with some high-end sparkle.

3:37 – 4:10 Kiaayo as a more button.

Adding Kiaayo, with a lot of volume but a minimum amount of gain we get an effective boost to our Frybread Fuzz. The fuzz characteristic is maintained but with added level, sustain, and harmonic content.

4:11 – 4:27 Bypass.

Lastly we’ll try a simple chord progression with a quick example of the bypass tone, then hit it with Kiaayo, and finally add Frybread Fuzz.

4:28 – 5:01 Beary good by itself.

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, Kiaayo is great sounding! It’s warm without being too dark, it’s unique but instantly familiar, and it can add a ton of range to your amp without a bunch of unwanted noise.

5:02 – 5:38 Rough and Ragged.

We’ll wrap up this little demo by once again adding Frybread Fuzz to Kiaayo resulting in richly complex breakup, accentuated harmonics and soaring sustain.

 Let’s make some noise!

Now that we’ve explored the possible, let’s go and create the impossible. Visit here for Frybread Fuzz and here for Kiaayo.