The Ventures- 2,000 lb Bee Pt 1 (First use of a fuzz box 11/62)

The first song to use a Fuzz box. It was a Mosrite Germain unit. Billy Strange and Nokie played the fuzz on side 1. It was recorded 10/12/62 and released 11/62.
Legendary Nashville session musician Grady Martin accidentally stumbled upon the fuzz sound in 1961 during a recording session for Marty Robbins' chart-topper, "Don't Worry," due to a faulty guitar amplifier. In 1962, The Ventures, having heard the Marty Robbins cut, asked friend Red Rhodes, a steel player and electronics wizard, how they could reproduce the sound.
A few months later, Rhodes presented them with a custom fuzz box, reportedly the first, which The Ventures used to record "2000 Pound Bee." The song charted in December 1962 and is identified by multiple sources, including The VH-1 Music First Rock Stars Encyclopedia, as the first single to use actual guitar fuzz box (the story was in the April 2007 issue of Guitar Buyer magazine in an article titled, "Caught By The Fuzz"). Despite The Ventures claim, however, an earlier use was on Ann Margaret's 1961 song, "I Just Don't Understand," which has a guitar with a fuzztone played by Billy Strange.
Fuzzboxes gained wider popularity after a distorted sound was popularised by Dave Davies of British Invasion band The Kinks. He played through a small amp whose speaker cone had been slashed with a razor blade, distorting the signal. In 1964 he plugged the doctored amp into a Vox AC30 to record "You Really Got Me," the band's first number one single and the first popular rock & roll song using a distorted power chord riff. Fuzzboxes became popular as a much easier way to create a distorted sound.
The fuzz circuit was first marketed by Maestro as the "Fuzz Tone" Model FZ-1. In May 1965 Keith Richards used a Gibson Maestro Fuzz-Tone to record "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". The song's success so boosted sales of the device that all available stock had sold out by the end of 1965.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• ventures
• 2000
• pound
• bee

[gunter099]

The first use of 'fuzz' sound is generally atributed to Grady Martin, on Marty Robbins '61 song "dont worry".

[AmericanPunkGarage]

That was bass fuzz.

[Gearaholics]

I think your name is wrong. Perhaps this was the Mosrite Fuzzrite? "Germain"? what is that? do you mean "germanium?"

[AmericanPunkGarage]

Yes. This is from Bob Bogle's website.

The first song to use a Fuzz box. It was a Mosrite Germain unit. Bob Bogle played the fuzz and it was recorded 10/12/62 and released in late 1962. ...

[GothAbby]

This was played at John Belushi's commemoration funeral...

[CourtJackal001]

@gunter099 There are a lot of earlier recordings with fuzz on them than that one, but the faulty pre-amp fuzz on that song is what inspired this band to ask Rhodes to help them reproduce the sound, for which he designed the firs Fuzzbox. So you are right, but this video didn't claim that these guys patented fuzz, just that they were the first to use a box for it

[strangejerry]

My father (Billy Strange) discovered the fuzz sound by intentionally pulling tubes out of his fender amp while playing around...- Jerry Strange

[78recordrepair]

It should be noted that "fuzz" also appeared in on Bill Purcell's gem, Our Winter Love, released on Jan. 1, 1963, which interestingly Grady Martin had a hand in.

[ChristianU2ubeh]

@djangotaylor The first was this, but I think the first mass-produced one was the Big Muff, I'm not sure though.

[djangotaylor]

I thought the first 'fuzz box' was used on 'Keep on running' Spencer Davis or yardbirds?.....hmmm...we learn something everyday!.....I remember my first fuzzbox was an Arbiter Fuzzface? which is one of the UN-USED presets in my Boss ME70!..

[Sandbagger300]

@gunter099 That Fuzz Sound was the results of an electronic fault, not because of a box. It was quite unintentional but the producer liked it and kept it in.

[CCmidwest]

This is not the first recorded Fuzz box use ..A Rhodes Fuzz box was used in a Ann Margret tune called (I just don't understand)prior to this albums release..

[secondline03]

Also, This song (Pt. 1) did not chart. Pt. 2 was the A side and charted. I believe it's distinction is that it is the first single with a fuzz box used to 'chart '.

[secondline03]

Contrary to popular belief, this song (Pt. 1) wasn't played at Belushi's funeral. The 2000 lb Bee Pt. 2 was played. It is a completely different song written by Don Wilson. It would be great if someone would put the song on youtube. It's not here. To hear it , one has to go to the 'original' 45 record. All subsequent rereleases that I have heard since the 60s do not have the great lead guitar part that is on the original record. It's what makes the song one of the Ventures greatest!