Electro Harmonix Big Muff distortion pedal

Leftybass12 · #1 07-19-2009, 11:59 PM

Hello! I own an electro harmonix big muff distortion pedal and I realized that I don't really want a big blast of distortion coming from it. My question is this: Any ideas on how I can make this distortion pedal sound more like an overdrive pedal?

Deluge Of Sound · #2 07-20-2009, 12:04 AM

Good luck with that.

You can roll back the sustain on it, but wanting your muff to sound like an overdrive is about as feasible as pretending the fat girl that works the Fry-a-later at McDonalds is Megan Fox.

FreaqyFrequency · #3 07-20-2009, 12:07 AM

Welcome to the Effects subforum, Lefty! As always, before creating a new thread, please remember to search the forums, as this pedal is arguably one of the most used and discussed effects in the history of this forum.

To clarify before I delve into your question, the Big Muff is a fuzz pedal, and not a distortion, though a label doesn't matter so much as what your ears detect.

The Big Muff family is known for several things, but versatility is not among them. The best way to make a Muff sound like an overdrive, or at least like a pedal with less gain, is to feed it less input signal; that is to say, turn down the volume knob on your bass, otherwise known as "cleaning up." The Big Muff generally doesn't sound too good when cleaned up though, at least in my experience, so you may be better off purchasing a different pedal if you want a different sound.

Before I or anyone can recommend you a pedal, you need to be a bit more specific. What are you looking for from an overdrive? Do you want that cranked tube sound, do you want kind of a light grind, or just perhaps the sound of a Muff with less gain?

Leftybass12 · #4 07-20-2009, 12:20 AM

Thank you to both of you.

FreaqyFrequency,

I am looking for a light grind from the pedal. Nothing too drastic really, just enough to make a presence while playing with 1 guitar, drums, vocals, and keyboards.

FreaqyFrequency · #5 07-20-2009, 12:31 AM

At a low price point, I believe the Digitech Bad Monkey may be your winner. Though I've never owned one, far and away it gets some of the best reviews here for basically any overdrive under $100.

phatbass · #6 07-20-2009, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leftybass12

Thank you to both of you.

FreaqyFrequency,

I am looking for a light grind from the pedal. Nothing too drastic really, just enough to make a presence while playing with 1 guitar, drums, vocals, and keyboards.

Roll back the volume control on your Bass to about half. On the rare occasions where I'm using it and I might want a lighter gritty sound this is what I do.

If this is the main sound you want the pedal for, you might want to consider getting a different pedal.

bongomania · #7 07-20-2009, 12:34 AM

Definitely get a different pedal. +1 to the Bad Monkey suggestion.

Leftybass12 · #8 07-20-2009, 12:52 AM

Thank you to all of your comments. I will tweak with it a little bit today, but I'm probably just going to buy an actual overdrive pedal

Sartori · #9 07-20-2009, 02:52 AM

I only use mine for over the top distortion. I have the sustain knob maxed. I tried it with it at the minimum, didn't sound that great.

I actually find the Marshall Jackhammer pedal is good for an overdrive sound, I use it when making demo recordings of riffs I come up with for my band, in lieu of a preamp.