Big Muff question...

[Indigo]

Hey!

A couple of minutes ago, I got the chance to try out a Big Muff Pi, that a guy had. I loved it! When I switched the effects loop on the amp to parallell, what a sound! Now, I want one =)

My question now is...what´s the difference between the Big Muff made in Russia and the one made in USA? The one I tried was a russian made one.

Thanks!

/Jonatan Tjäder

 

[David Wilson]

paging tplyons... paging tplyons...

he's our resident big muff prosletyzer.

Actually, this has been discussed a bunch of times here so if you do a search you'll find plenty of bug muff talk including differences b/w the two.

 

[bboy]

I am just after finding out myself. I asked the same question in the "effects beginner" thread. Everything is explained here:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=115008

 

[Electricmayhem]

Hey tplyons, where are you, man?

 

[tplyons]

[standard copy and paste Big Muff explination]

I've answered this many times and somewhere is the GREATEST Big Muff breakdown ever, but I can't find it, so I'll try again:

There are four variations:
*Sovtek Green (Huge, discontinued)
*Sovtek Black (Smaller, current)
*NYC Reissue (Reissue of the original)
*NYC Original (The original EHX Fuzz)

I can't vouch for the sound differences between the original NYC Big Muff and the reissue, but my weapon of choice is a modded NYC RI BMP, the blue light special. The Sovteks are obviously imported from Russia, but that doesn't mean they're bad; they're different. The Ruskies tend to be a little colder sounding as they're made with different parts, the interior work isn't as clean and they don't come with a power adapter, but everything can be fixed.

The American's tend to be a little warmer sounding as they're made with quality parts. The case is a tad more flexible under weight, but they hold up for years. I recently came across a 1977 BMP that was still rockin' hard after 26 years. Though it was after my Blue Light conversion so I couldn't A/B the tones.

The difference, as far as I know between the Green and Black Sovteks is the case. The Green one was massive and the black one is smaller, both are sturdy and contain the same circuit.

But when looking for a Muff, they tend to vary a bit in tone from model to model, some warmer, some crispier than others. I suggest you try each before buying.

[/standard copy and paste Big Muff explination]

Try a search next time.

 

[nicoli]

Hey!

A couple of minutes ago, I got the chance to try out a Big Muff Pi, that a guy had. I loved it! When I switched the effects loop on the amp to parallell, what a sound! Now, I want one =)

Maybe this is just leftover from my guitar playing days, but don't you generally want a distortion unit at the start of the signal chain rather than in the FX loop?

 

[tplyons]

That's how I use it, always have. Hotter signal going in, better tone for me

 

[David Wilson]

[standard copy and paste Big Muff explination]

I've answered this many times and somewhere is the GREATEST Big Muff breakdown ever, but I can't find it, so I'll try again:
[/standard copy and paste Big Muff explination]

Should we get an effects faq together?

Have this and answers to the usual questions such as:

What is the best pedal for xxx?
Difference between distortion/fuzz/overdrive
Online retailers
Manufacturer sites

I'm willing to do some work on this

 

[tplyons]

Should we get an effects faq together?

Have this and answers to the usual questions such as:

What is the best pedal for xxx?
Difference between distortion/fuzz/overdrive
Online retailers
Manufacturer sites

I'm willing to do some work on this

I was just thinking this actually... PM me with your ideas.

 

[Indigo]

Maybe this is just leftover from my guitar playing days, but don't you generally want a distortion unit at the start of the signal chain rather than in the FX loop?

I use phantom power on my EBS amplifier, so I have no choice than to have it in the effects loop. And otherwise, I couldn´t have blended the dry and wet signals anyways...

/Jonatan

 

[Phyrexian]

I just got a Big Muff Pi Russian last week from ebay.de and I quite love this pedal... it's a nasty fuzz sound but it keeps all the low-end to my ears and that's quite good!

I used to have a RAT... but that one sucked out so much low-end

 

[wingnutkj]

"I used to have a RAT... but that one sucked out so much low-end"

If I remember right, there's a mod you can do to make the Rat more suitable for bass, but I don't know any details.

I've got one as well, and have similar lack of low-end with it; my guitarist tends to use it more, so it's pretty much on permanent loan to him (along with my Roger Mayer Voodoo Bass, my EH Clone Theory and my~ hey - maybe he should use his own pedals )

 

[Phyrexian]

Robert Keeley does mods to RATs (and many other pedals). I might one like that, someday.
Check out his site at Link Removed (Europe)
and http://www.robertkeeley.com/ (USA)

 

[Droog]

Kind of off topic, but my guitar player has green Big Muff. In bybass it kills his tone, is this common? Did the same to my bass when I tried it, just sounds like ass when not engaged.

 

[wingnutkj]

Yeah, the green ones weren't true bypass, so they'll colour your tone (or make it sound like ass ) when off. I don't think the black Russian ones are true bypass either (but I've not checked mine) but the newer US reissues are, AFAIK.

The black ones are probably moddable with a new switch for true bypass, but I don't imagine it'd be easy to find a suitable replacement for the massive switches they used on the green ones.

I've got green and black Small Stones (I should see a doctor... ), and if I've got the colour switch up, I can hear them swooshing away when off. I've got a Loooper ( http://www.loooper.com/ ) on the way, so my effects bypassing problems will soon be over.