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The Green Big Muff PI. I Love It!

MonkeyBass

MonkeyBass

Mar 22, 2009
1,134
49
Denver, CO
#1
I just bought an old Russian made Big Muff PI. I think it's from the 90's because it's an Electro Harmonix not a Sovtec.

Anyway, man this thing is sweet! Talk about a fat bass distortion!

I've tried doubling it up with an octave pedal and it takes on a nice synthy sound.

When I plug my P bass in it has such a nice fuzzy tone. My walnut bass with EMG's cuts through the fuzz with a nice bite. My bass with Bartolinis has a killer deep fuzz the other two can't get.

I'm not sure what the point of this thread is other than to say how much I like this thing.
 
#8
DSC_0321-1.gif
 
#14
Have you tried the newer, "Bass Big Muff Pi" with the same rig you have this setup on?? How does it compare? Is it REALLY that different? I am in the process of deciding on a fuzz to buy. Would you recommend this one over the bass big muff pi? Would this version be versatile enough to do awesome synthy stuff but also do other stuff?
If i made another blender pedal and used this pedal mixed just a little bit with my dry signal would it give me a good tone for well....not metal, but more hardcore rockish type stuff?
 
#15
MonkeyBass said:
Here's some shots of the pedal.

And yeah, the jacks are plastic. I don't plan on gigging with it so hopefully they won't get smashed.

I've tried a few Big Muffs over the years and this is the first one I've liked.

View attachment 167968

View attachment 167969
Click to expand...

Your muff is a Sovtek. The green ones are all mid to late nineties. Also, note the 'Made in Russia' :) They all have plastic jacks as well.

The one that Woodshed posted is a 'Civil War' muff. It is basically the same as the one Metrobass posted (First edition green - see the font).

Mine is a second edition which has a different input cap value.

You and no1000 have the third edition.
 
#18
g&lplayer said:
Have you tried the newer, "Bass Big Muff Pi" with the same rig you have this setup on?? How does it compare? Is it REALLY that different? I am in the process of deciding on a fuzz to buy. Would you recommend this one over the bass big muff pi? Would this version be versatile enough to do awesome synthy stuff but also do other stuff?
If i made another blender pedal and used this pedal mixed just a little bit with my dry signal would it give me a good tone for well....not metal, but more hardcore rockish type stuff?
Click to expand...

I'm probably not the guy to answer this since, after 20 years of playing bass, I've just now really started to research the Big Muff. But, I did try several other Muffs and this green one was the best out of all of them. The new ones don't have the low end the green one does.

Of course, now I've got to try the Civil War one.
 
#19
TheWoodShed said:
Pre-dates the green Russians. Know as the "Civil War" version due to the blue and gray case. Has much more low end. Has the same specs as the original Red Army OD. The third version in the Sovtek Big Muff Pi line.

I owned a dozen different Sovteks and this beats them hands down.
Click to expand...

There are so many versions that it becomes confusing and not so clean cut. The Civil War muff is basically the same as the previous Grey and Gold version and the second edition of the Red Army OD. The first of the Green Muffs also fits in there.

The second and third edition Greens are basically the same as the first version of the Red Army OD muffs.

This is all based on input cap values anyway.

Just to make it even more confusing, there are also transition period muffs. I've even tried muffs of the same variety that sound different to each other. Mine is the second of this variety that I have owned and it sounds much better than the first one I had.
 
#20
MetroBass said:
DSC_0321-1.gif
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Ruiner > GreenMuff FTW! I'm going to have to try that out!


g&lplayer said:
Have you tried the newer, "Bass Big Muff Pi" with the same rig you have this setup on?? How does it compare? Is it REALLY that different? I am in the process of deciding on a fuzz to buy. Would you recommend this one over the bass big muff pi? Would this version be versatile enough to do awesome synthy stuff but also do other stuff?
If i made another blender pedal and used this pedal mixed just a little bit with my dry signal would it give me a good tone for well....not metal, but more hardcore rockish type stuff?
Click to expand...

Forgive me for standing on a dead horse that I continue standing on, but the BBM, while being a decent fuzz with good low end, just sounds sterile and dead to me. I get MUCH more love from the Sovtek Green. My next in line is the LBM which has slightly less low-end that the BBM, but more gain and more energy.

YMMV IMHO, of course.
 

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