Big Muff distortion pedal

Twenty2AcaciaAv · #1 03-08-2011, 04:19 AM

Anyone here recommend the Big Muff distortion pedal? I want to get that Cliff Burton sound and it seems like this is the affordable way to go. However, I heard someone say that it's not too friendly with active pickups. Any thoughts?

rratajski · #2 03-08-2011, 04:23 AM

It is fine w/ actives.

Plenty of people recommend BMP's. More will recommend variants/clones/upgrades of the circuit.
Use the search engine function. There are plenty of threads about Cliff, muffs, etc.

Enjoy!

Twenty2AcaciaAv · #3 03-08-2011, 04:26 AM

I actually tried looking for the search box before making this post but I couldn't find it.

rratajski · #4 03-08-2011, 04:37 AM

I'm on a phone and can't link you.

Try "cliff muff", "muff", "big muff", "muff clone", "cliff burton", etc..........

Supa Scoopa · #5 03-08-2011, 04:40 AM

Its pretty much the standard issue fuzz pedal, there is better, but you cant go wrong. They work fine with actives.

Twenty2AcaciaAv · #6 03-08-2011, 05:04 AM

Found the search. Not used to seeing a search tab. Used to seeing it as just a box on other forums.

TheWoodShed · #7 03-08-2011, 05:52 AM

Muff works fine with actives. I use mine w/EMG's and IIRC Cliff used it with actives as well.

rob_thebassman · #8 03-08-2011, 06:28 AM

try vintage big muffs and variants/clones

Twenty2AcaciaAv · #9 03-08-2011, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheWoodShed

Muff works fine with actives. I use mine w/EMG's and IIRC Cliff used it with actives as well.

I use EMGs so that's good to know

Ondskan56 · #10 03-08-2011, 08:54 AM

I have a Vintage Big Muff Vesrion 3 i think from the years 1977-1978 and it works great on bass guitar (guitar as well) with active pickups.
My bass guitar - ESP LTD B-154DX.
My opinion - if you can get vintage big muff, get one.
I you can't try the reissue big muff or the little big muff.
Some say that Russian Big Muff works great on bass too, but i didn't check.

rob_thebassman · #11 03-08-2011, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ondskan56

I have a Vintage Big Muff Vesrion 3 i think from the years 1977-1978 and it works great on bass guitar (guitar as well) with active pickups.
My bass guitar - ESP LTD B-154DX.
My opinion - if you can get vintage big muff, get one.
I you can't try the reissue big muff or the little big muff.
Some say that Russian Big Muff works great on bass too, but i didn't check.

they don't make stuff like they used to, the sovtec big muff is smoother on bass but has low loss aswell

BruceBass3901 · #12 03-08-2011, 09:55 AM

I use mine with a really hot output bass and find that it does sometimes just pass the clean signal without applying any fuzz, but it can be counteracted by lowering the volume on the bass and boosting the volume on the pedal

wshines1892 · #13 03-08-2011, 10:42 AM

go out and try the different types of muff if you can. There's a bass muff out now, which has a switch to boost the low end, and even mix the clean and distorted signal. That being said, it doesn't necessarily sound dead on like other Muffs. It loses some of the high end of the original Muff.

The Muff sound isn't necessarily easy to define. It is, however, a circuit that's very easy to hack if you want to. A simple capacitor swap in any version of muff can bring back the low end loss. I've even seen where people have wired in a separate knob to control bass and treble independently, and even a mids knob in some cases.

If you're handy with a soldering iron, be bold and get whatever muff you feel like. If you aren't and the prospect of losing some low end scares you, the bass muff is right up your alley.