Makes you sound pretty as a picture!
When it comes to seriously messed-up guitar effects, few can rival the Uglyface. And, as they say on infomercials, “It’s not available in any stores!” In fact, as of this writing, the only way to unleash this particular brand of brutality is to build the box for yourself.
It’s based on one of dozens of great circuits created by Tim Escobedo, a stompbox genius who has shared his innovations with the world for free. His library of schematics has been dormant for years, but it’s archived here. Almost all these great-sounding designs display true originality, a rare commodity in pedaldom.
The Uglyface is an extreme distortion/filtering effect that alternately sounds like a goose, a garbage disposal, and severe gastric distress. Yes, it really is that awesome.
And how’s the dynamic response? Nonexistent! The pedal basically turns your entire sound into a square wave, so it literally has only two volume levels: “Off” and “Ouch!”
Dead serious warning: Don’t play this clip if you’re offended by disgusting guitar tones. I mean it. If you press play, don’t blame me.
Uglyface DemoI built straight-up rendition of the Escobedo design. I worked from the schematic plus the clever layout posted here. I also made a few using a Option Knob on the cutoff-frequency control. (The Option Knob is a propeller-shaped plastic prosthesis that lets you pivot a control with your foot.) I contributed nothing new to the circuit, however — this is strictly Tim E.’s baby.
This Uglyface is dressed for winter on the Sunset Strip.
My pal Mitchell Hudson, who runs the great DIY stompbox site Super Freq, has been playing with this design for ages, and has come up with a notebook full of variations, written in a beautiful, artistic hand, no less. He used to sell his commercially — I heard that guitarist Nels Cline from Wilco bought his entire stock and gave them out as gifts. I bought one of the batch covered in pink fun fur. If the Uglyface sounds like your particular cup of barf, well, I encourage you to pester ol’ Mitchell to start building them again. If he doesn’t, someone will. I just hope they give proper credit to creator Escobedo.
Obviously, this one’s not for everyone, though oddly enough, I wound up using it on a ton of jingles last year — whenever someone needed an edgy, angry-boy sound. But the best of I’ve heard it sound was under the heel of a decidedly not angry boy — the preteen son of the guy who runs the cool local guitar shop where I first encountered Mitchell’s Uglyfaces. Maybe you have to be 12 or so to truly get the most out of this, um, remarkable circuit.
Okay, who here has heard worse? Share the pain—submit audio/video clips!
I love the sound of this thing. But, it doesn’t sound good in a band situation, what’s going on here?
Mitchell! Did you think you could slip in here unnoticed? Hey everyone! Over here! Here is the ONLY GUY ON THE PLANET I know of who has made and sold Uglyfaces!
So why is it that the Uglyface sounds so apocalyptic played solo, but can wimp out in a band context? For the same reason Big Muffs and other über-gain fuzzes do: Their signal is so compressed that notes have no real attack, and you need a strong stabbing attack to cut through an ensemble. In fact, since the Uglyface LITERALLY has no dynamics, it’s the most extreme possible example of the “bedroom fuzz” phenomenon. (That is, fuzz pedals that sound awesome at home on your practice amp, but wimpy onstage. It’s no accident that Big Muffs are probably best for lyrical, sustained soling over spare accompaniment, like on all those slow, spacious Gilmour solos.)
But hey, just put a clean booster after the Uglyface and crank it till you a) make your point, or b) get fired.
Haha, if that’s the sound of unemployment, then FIRE ME! Since I don’t play with anyone, this pedal’s for me . . . totally dig and guess I have to pursue a bit more? Here I come Mitchell!
It’s all about the dynamics, there’s something to think about. Thanks for the insight!
what about.. incorporating a boost into this, in addition to the circuit?
I loved it. I am going to get the schematic and try to build one.
I recommend it! You’ll find a schematic here on Mitchell Hudson’s site: https://www.super-freq.com/2007/07/ugly-face.
It’s worth reading all his comments on the circuit. He’s the expert on this one!
The magic part is the VTL5C3. It’s actually an LED and a LDR (light-dependent resistor) inside a black plastic housing. They cost about $5 a pop. Here’s one source: https://www.westfloridacomponents.com/LED020/VTL5C3+Analog+Optoisolators+Vactrol++4+PIN.html
Even nastier version:
https://freestompboxes.org/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=13092&hilit=uglyface
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeD1jQ3Cu_s
verboard layout: https://www.frigidworld.com/rich/uglyface_lfo_blanik.jpg
Go to Madbean………he has a board with onboard pots. A great afternoon project, and it roars!
Yeah — he does a lot of fun stompbox clone PCBs. Good stuff!
https://www.madbeanpedals.com/