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BIGGER MUFF!

bannedwit

bannedwit

May 9, 2005
567
5
43
Buffalo, NY
www.myspace.com
#1
I finally have an image of the Bigger Muff... It is a modded Big Muff thrown on some ply wood. It is currently at Indigo Ranch Studios where koRn, Deftones, Sepletura, Slipkot etc have recorded their debut stuff.

Here is an image that I finally got my hands on.

Any way someone can draw up a schematic or get me some more information on what is going on with this "mod" from the picture?

Link Removed

I have been wanting to do this mod to my vintage Russian Big Muff Pi for years! (better mounting and cover of course!)
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
 
#4
tplyons said:
I can tell you that that is not originally a Muff. Maybe partially based on it, but that's about it. Perfboard is usually a dead giveaway that htis is almost entirely a DIY project, not a mod.
Click to expand...

Tplyons is right and also, it is pretty impossible to figure out the schematic of it since we can't see the soldered side of the board (so we can't tell what is connected to what).
 
#5
When I opened my Big Muff and saw the circuit board, I knew that it was much different. I am currently talking with the owner of the studio and trying to get the other side of the circuit boards so I can get some more information. I wrote to him a week ago and he replied with this image. Not too sure if he will take it apart for me at the moment.

I will keep you all posted.

I am not too sure that there is a tube in here also. The 2 big cyliners on the right look like they belong to the power supply and are transistors or something.
 
#6
bannedwit said:
When I opened my Big Muff and saw the circuit board, I knew that it was much different. I am currently talking with the owner of the studio and trying to get the other side of the circuit boards so I can get some more information. I wrote to him a week ago and he replied with this image. Not too sure if he will take it apart for me at the moment.

I will keep you all posted.

I am not too sure that there is a tube in here also. The 2 big cyliners on the right look like they belong to the power supply and are transistors or something.
Click to expand...
Good luck with getting the owner to release that info. If you do, that's awesome and I'll see if I can build one.

To your last paragraph, yes there's a tube in there. Looks like a 12AX7 or similar with a tube shield (for protection). Those cylinders youre talking about are large capacitors.
 
#7
bannedwit said:
When I opened my Big Muff and saw the circuit board, I knew that it was much different. I am currently talking with the owner of the studio and trying to get the other side of the circuit boards so I can get some more information. I wrote to him a week ago and he replied with this image. Not too sure if he will take it apart for me at the moment.

I will keep you all posted.

I am not too sure that there is a tube in here also. The 2 big cyliners on the right look like they belong to the power supply and are transistors or something.
Click to expand...
yeah, you can tell its a tube because there is that little point that pops out the top of the cylinder
 
#8
I never knew they made large housings/covers for tubes. I knew the bigger muff had a tube in it but when I gave the photo a once over, no tube caught my eye. I posted this image as soon as i got it and didnt really give it a good look over before.

Thanks for the info guys. He seemed to be cool with sharing info or helping me out.
Here is what he wrote:
"Hi Mike,
Just exactly what is it that you need from the photo?
I could probably be of more help than the photo, but
it depends on what you want.
Let me know
We are still operating the studio, so you band may
still have a chance to record.
Best wishes,
Richard "

My reply to him was asking for a shot of the back of the circuit boards and possibly close ups of the front.

Fingers Crossed! Lets hope I get it.
 
#11
EricF said:
Just curious...what are you hoping to get that the Big Muff (no tubes) or English Muff'n (2 tubes) can't do for you?
Click to expand...

Ahh a bunch of stuff...
When I was growing up, A LOT of the bands I was into recorded at Indigo Ranch Studios and this pedal was what these bands used to get their distortion sounding massive, different and in conjunction with the analog stuff they use to record at the studio, they got a killer sounding record. Even though this was used for guitars mostly, I am sure some distored bass tones went through it and made it thicker and warmer and a different type of distortion...

It would be "exclusive" aspect most definately. This thing is talked about a lot on guitar player forums and fan forums for the bands that used this and they talk about it like it is the holy grail or something.

I would like to mod my Big Muff. I dont know, I just want to have a pedal that is modded myself without having to buy a pre-modded one or something. Nice little project to work on.

I am thinking this pedal would be sweet as a rackmount unit.

I never knew about the English Muff'n until recently. can someone reffer me to a band or a song that the bass player uses a Muff'n? Can someone explain to me the tonal characteristics and maybe even an A/B comparison of the Big Muff and the English Muff'n? Thanks.
 
#12
bannedwit said:
I would like to mod my Big Muff. I dont know, I just want to have a pedal that is modded myself without having to buy a pre-modded one or something. Nice little project to work on.

I am thinking this pedal would be sweet as a rackmount unit.
Click to expand...
Looks like you have some research to be doing. If you're going to do mods, you need to know your stuff. And noting that you called capacitors transistors, you need to do a lot of work! Electronics work is difficult, believe me, I do plenty of it here and there, but would hardly call myself an expert.

bannedwit said:
I never knew about the English Muff'n until recently. can someone reffer me to a band or a song that the bass player uses a Muff'n? Can someone explain to me the tonal characteristics and maybe even an A/B comparison of the Big Muff and the English Muff'n? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Start reading at post #23. My review of this, and soundclips follow starting at post #31.
 
#14
tplyons said:
Looks like you have some research to be doing. If you're going to do mods, you need to know your stuff. And noting that you called capacitors transistors, you need to do a lot of work! Electronics work is difficult, believe me, I do plenty of it here and there, but would hardly call myself an expert.

Start reading at post #23. My review of this, and soundclips follow starting at post #31.
Click to expand...

My old man is an electrician actually. He taught me how to wire pickups and read schematics on some small scale (mostly for doing different knob configurations and stuff of that nature when pickups get installed)

Thanks for the post link as well.
 
#17
EricF said:
Installing pickups and new pots is pretty easy. It's a MUCH more challenging undertaking to solder up a circuit board. I'm not trying to scare you off of giving it a try. Do your homework and take it slow.
Click to expand...

I know, what I meant by this was that I would have my father help me. I know how to solder, I know schematics.
My father plays guitar and has made or done mods to effects pedals and even to guitar amps. HE knows his stuff. By him helping me, it will be fine. Aiight?
 
#19
#20
DarkHarted said:
My sample here: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2765165&postcount=104
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for the song samples... Sounds to me like a more refined sounding and less muddy Big Muff. The muff seems to be able to crank out a little more "sludgy" distortion and all that stuff.

That plus the price tag are probably 2 reasons why I am not going to get a Muff'n. Thanks for helping me out.

I will let you all know more information when I get it. Hopefully that studio guy can send me the other images.
 

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