I didnt find the CAF to be overly bright, at least not thru my little tweed Champ. I think it is eq'd perfectly for that. However I did find it be a tad bright with my vox el-84 based amp.
One thing I notice about all of Bjorn's pedals that I own (or have owned
) is how well eq'd they all are. I am also of the opinion that is what makes the voicing of his pedals so "organically" (I hate that word too, but its the only one I can think of that means "undigital" or "Unsterile" ) tuned.
So far it is my favorite fuzz followed closely by the DAM MKII, Mayo, PPF, not neccessarily in that order. Since only eighty seven have been made, its gonna take A LOT to pry this thing outta my hands. In fact I even had a back up til just recently. That's how much I value this pedal.
After playing through it every other day for a couple months I think now I can give an honest opinion. First, you are right about the CAF being at least three fuzzes in one. In fact I would venture to say four or even five if you also consider voltage variations. To find all these different fuzzes it does take time to work with the Nature and Fuzz knob, and to understand just how interactive these knobs are with each other. I like that even with the fuzz knob almost completely ccw it still has a very excellent style fuzz tone, just smoother and less sharp than when at noon or three. IOW, with most fuzzes, when the fuzz knob is at 7 or 8 oclock, you hear pretty much either non effected signal similar to bypass mode, or something equally lame. Not so w/the caf. Being a fuzz fanatic I like the fact that no matter the setting, this pedal is FUZZ. My favorite setting though, has got to be the doubling octave effect. I have heard many fuzzs with this feature, and this one sounds best to me so far b/c of the way it blends with the fuzz tone. To find the optimum spot for this sound takes some time but once there it is orgasmic. There are a few things to know to really get the maximum effect: first, use a strat with stock pickups, (It works with HB's too) and use the neck AND mid pup setting with the TONE turned all the way OFF. Put the "Nature" knob just a hair to the left of noon (give or take) and the "fuzz" knob around three o'clock. Now play some double stops above the twelfth fret, and feel yourself immersed in a wash of a sonic utopia.
This is my third go 'round with fuzz in fifteen yrs, the first was lame because the units that the maker said were so "full" o' tone were thin and buzzy sounding, and you could hear spanish radio stations coming through the amp. I understand that is the nature of Germanium fuzzes, but still didnt think fuzz was for me, so I tried a few other brands and nothing really stuck out. A few yrs later I found something named after a dairy product, which I admit I wish I still had, but dont miss it either cuz the CAF is every bit as good, maybe more so. One thing they both have in common is just moving the settings a hair will produce different results. The caf has a more dynamic, musical quality to it. I have heard two people in the last few months both write the following about BJF pedals overall: one said he thought they sounded "too polite". Then another I read recently said they are "Well behaved". I dont know about that as I have never had any children of my own, but I would venture to say any pedal is only as useable as it is to the point of it being manageable.
And the CAF is very manageable, once you get to know the nuances of each setting. There are many more sounds and settings than the manual goes in to. Experiment, and experience.
Matt
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:56 pm