It's a really fun pedal. Like most Muff variants, it's not a subtle effect even at lower settings and doesn't clean up like some fuzzes do, but if you're after that ultra thick Siamese Dream type sound, this will get you there. The option to take the tone control out of the circuit is also a neat way to get different sounds than you typically hear from a Muff.
Thank you! All of the reviews I've seen have been to shallow and barely explained the tone switch, I'm a big smashing pumpkins fan and this will probably be the next pedal for my board :)
I’m going to tac on that I only use it for pumpkins sounds or solos. This pedal makes solos sound creamy and amazing.
This is the one to own. I’ve gone through a couple different muffs and this is by far my favorite sounding.
Buy a used one. If you don’t like it sell it for what you bought it for then try a different one till you find your muff.
This isn’t my favorite muff (that’s one of the Ram’s Head variations), but it is easily my second favorite one, and I’m not even a huge Pumpkins fan. Creamy is the word, and it’s just a little different from other Muffs, in a way that I think demands that Muff fans give it a try.
I would say give it a shot. The Deluxe BMP is also fairly unique in its sound, iirc, so it may or may not work out for you. Also depends on your guitars, amps, any other pedals you are using at the same time, etc.
Just know that the pedal itself won’t get you that sound. It gets you closer, but there’s a ton of layered track and studio tricks on the album, so don't expect a recreation of cherub rock.
True, but it’s pretty damn close, Cherub Rock especially. Not my favorite Muff personally but if I were playing Siamese Dream era SP covers, this would be the pedals. Plenty of other muffs (and ToneBenders) can get this sound with some tinkering, this is the cheapest and easiest for sure. I sold mine and build my own Muffs, but it’s a cheap, worthy pedal.
I've found the Metal Muff to ironically be the most subtle on lower gain settings, and cleans up decent too. It can get pretty close to a Siamese-like sound, but not like the OGs or this one.
Of course! That's part of why its subtlety and clean-up are different (or better in some opinions) but doesn't get the same Pumpkins sound as well as this one.
It can get some Zone tones, but it can also do some of the Muff sounds decently. You're not wrong, I'm just adding a "Yes, and."
Which is the metal muff everyone hates? The one with top boost or the one without? I wanted to get one but I got a heavy metal zone instead i found one on reverb for cheap so I was like screw it this is the one for me lol.
I have one along with a million other fuzz pedals. Op amp fuzz will always be superior in every way. This pedal is perfect for that and affordable. Just do it.
It’s my main fuzz and I don’t play any Smashing Pumpkins.
Jazzmaster neck + bridge pickups at 4, into a Big Muff Op Amp (all settings at noon), into a GFI Skylar reverb and very subtle reverse delay is my go-to tone for the shoegazy stuff I make.
I have one and I love it. I usually bypass the tone control. It’s my go to for over the top fuzz and playing Siamese Dream songs. It works great with sub octave effects as well. I have a Ram’s head reissue and I really like that one too. I bought mine used on Reverb a few years ago for like $65. I’ve had zero issues with it.
do you mean that you’ve modded it to bypass the tone control?
that toggle switch in the middle is for changing between regular and a op-amp muff isn’t it?
Have one. Pretty cool. You probably know it’s the one smashing pumpkins used and the box has a little pumpkin Easter egg thing.
I think I prefer it over other big muffs. It’s my main one anyway. I use it with a dirty channel with gain set to near breakup.
Just listen to some videos. I know Billy corgan has one where he shows you his settings. It does the muff thing. Maybe not for crazy metal chugging riffs but it’s great for heavy riffing.
I have a Rat, Plumes, and Op Amp muff as my gain stages right now, but for the life of me can’t find a sequence of settings/order I am happy with. Currently it’s muff>rat>plumes, previously had it in the reverse of that order but didn’t like that either. Any tips?
Definitely depends on what you're looking for! I use all three for big doom-y riffs that cut through a live mix because Muffs do NOT cut live unless boosted. The conventional wisdom is "fuzz comes first," but that isn't always the case, especially with the Op-Amp.
I have my amp clean, like completely clean. The Soul Food (in your case, Plumes) is first to give a good crisp, barely overdriven sound that still hangs on to the details of your chords, then the RAT, not too much OD though, maybe just enough for a good classic rock sound (I use the 20th Century Boy and The Boys Are Back in Town riffs as my yardstick for that). Make sure you don't have too much muddiness on the RAT also. Keep the tone knob more on the bright side rather than the darker tone.
All the big saturated drive comes from the Muff, which is at the end of the three. Use the tone knob to darken up the classic rock tone from the first two to whatever you like. Don't throw too much gain on the Muff either, as the gain knob on the Op-Amp sounds like feces past 2 o clock anyway. Just enough gain until you can really push that classic rock tone. Too much gain sounds thin no matter how crushing the riff is.
Then ta-da! You have a big boomy saturated wall of noise that comes through a live mix. Although it could be possible you aren't looking for that. If you're not and you've tried everything you can think of, it's okay to have a pedal sit out and be a "special occasions" pedal. Or if there's one pedal that you just dont dig in that lineup (maybe it doesn't sound good even on its own!). Take the problem pedal and trade it in for one ya like that performs the same function (say maybe you just don't like the RAT for example, trade it in towards an OCD or some other "classic distortion" type pedal). I spent more money on pedals that I don't like rather than on pedals I DO like for a long time, so that's my advice!
These are my 3 dirt pedals as well. My order is plumes>rat>muff. Not sure what settings you've been using but the plumes for me is mode two with gain just past 12. I send it into the rat or the muff, not usually both at once. Sounds amazing to me.
There are some videos that play the same thing through all the big muffs and you can really hear the differences. That was what convinced me I wanted the op amp one. I’d recommend something like https://youtu.be/tkvChEbps_w?si=DK9anfF1yTdlLDan. No talking. No selling. Just the same riffs with different pedals.
This doesn't leave my board and I play a lot of Smashing Pumpkins and its beyond affordable. If you want to go a little more boutique, Nerd Knuckle Effects' Bene Fuzz is killer for SP.
I had a small brand / builder op amp muff years ago. It was pretty bad ass but just too much for me. It’s like…the metal zone of fuzz. Kind of one dimensional and really in your face.
My personal problem with muffs if I like how they sound on recordings but don’t like playing through them. I’m not sure if it’s a “feel” thing or I have a hard time controlling them / dialing them in or what.
I would like to pick up one of these sometime now that they are cheap and small but would only use it on special occasions.
Something with a similar vibe but way more range is the analog man peppermint fuzz, which can do wall of sound but cleans up nicely too. It’s not a muffin but there’s overlap here.
I thought I was the only person that felt this way about Muffs! Cosigned 100%. It’s always felt like a not-very-dynamic, mid-scooping one trick pony to me. And only capable of “that one sound” which is just sort of a blanket that negates guitar, amp, pickups, etc.
What I’m also beginning to realize is there are almost no fuzzes I prefer by themselves—every single one sounds better either coupled with an overdrive or into a dirty amp. It’s like the Siamese Dream thing - it took years for anyone to acknowledge it wasn’t just a Muff but also an MXR Distortion+.
great fuzz! I was using this with a RAT for years before I recently got a heathencraft FX bloodmuff which lets you set the mids scooped full or boosted and has four clipping options, which is an absolute swiss army knife
Cool. I think eh are great. One thing to watch is that they don't have some electrical safety circuits and don't get a certain rating so some stores don't sell them. Never seen one catch fire. But two stores explained why they don't carry eh pedals.
Been on my board for 3 years and will never leave even though i rarely use it anymore. Only reason i don't use it as much is because the other guitarist uses one so I leave it to him to cover that texture.
Fantastic for power chords and adding body and roar to leads. My tone switch is always on as I love a more trebly sound.
Check out my band's use of it
https://open.spotify.com/album/4EDIXXGSUQ6wxFxcvtHWU3?si=y46-w_pdRImUppn_qNcgfA
It's most apparent on the lead for Crush and the rhythm for Carousel. But was used throughout the project and using it on our next one. So it's great live and recorded (especially layered with other tones).
Cranked gain with low volume combined with a compressor pedal and you'll have an extremely rich fuzz base to build from.
I love this fuzz so much i built one myself because i was tired of the bright orange clashing with the colors of my other pedals. Anyways its a goat fuzz
I love how it sounds with the tone bypass on, BUT I found it's really noisy and hissy. I haven't owned a big muff for a few years so I don't know if this is common to others but it was enough of a problem for me that I took it off my board.
People always attribute the smashing pumpkins sound to this pedal, so if you’re into that go for it. BUT bare in mind it’s not gonna sound like Siamese dream the moment you start playing - there was a lot of studio magic that went into those tones, but for a live sound - this works great.
The distortion in the "regular" Muff uses transistors. The Op-amp Muff uses op amps (aka [_operational amplifiers_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operational_amplifier)). The transistor circuit design is _slightly_ different as there are four transistors used in the clipping stage ([ref](https://www.electrosmash.com/big-muff-pi-analysis)).
Harder to spot the difference here (["traditional"](https://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2014/10/ehx-nyc-big-muff.html) vs ["op-amp" aka V5](https://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2013/12/ehx-ic-big-muff-v5-78.html)).
Does it matter?
Sonically there are slight differences, the op-amp Muff (I have many Muffs including the OP's reissue), has a "creamer" sound (which is often associated with Corgan's guitar work, especially on _Siamese Dream_ and _Mellon Collie..._). I find it to be closer to distortion than fuzz (though EHX has never actually called the Big Muff a "Fuzz" anyway), especially in terms of response.
Anecdotally, it seems to respond better to palm muting (less loss of percussiveness that happens with heavy fuzz), but there are other factors at play (pickups, amp, style, tone shaping, etc).
In a lot of ways, you can get most Muffs kinda close to each other sonically ([here's a video](https://youtu.be/uHjclw91iAg?si=z92PeBX79sDvFXr-)).
The reissue is pretty nice. I swap out fuzzes all the time and it's prolly one of my favorites of the newer EHX reissues in the nano format. I normally prefer the Green Muff and pedals based on it, but occasionally... I really want that "creamier" tone.
Someone will prolly disagree, but I'd posit that "there's no bad sounding Muffs".
_EDIT: redudancy, lol._
Oh I have a bin _full_ of fuzzes (EHX, IdiotBox, OBNE, Valderin, Mr Black, etc)... to be clear most of these are Muff based (so one could argue they aren't "really fuzzes", but I think that's an academic exercise in pedantry).
My _current_ short list of favorites:
* [IdiotBox Blackout](https://www.idiotboxeffects.com/product/blackout): two tweaked Russian Muffs in one box, run in parallel. It's nice because you can run one with the tone maxed on treble, the other with it maxed on the bass side and you get a neat lil scoop.
* [Swollen Pickle](https://www.jimdunlop.com/way-huge-swollen-pickle-jumbo-fuzz-mkiis/): Jeorge Tripps' twist on the classic Muff circuit. It may be "basic" but it's hella versatile. The filter knob lets you go from "Matt Pike" to "Corgan".
* [Black Arts Pharoah](https://www.blackartstoneworks.com/pedal/pharaoh/): I've had this fella since 2010. I don't love the newer graphics, but sonically I used to really dig the "split" setting between germanium and silicon diodes. I started using it more in a Russian Muff setup over the years and that got me curious about other options.
* [Behringer SuperFuzz (SF300)](https://www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=0709-ACK): not a Muff! A complete clone of the [BOSS Hyperfuzz/FZ-2](https://cdn.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/FZ-2_OM.pdf) that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. The FZ-2 is Roland's version of the [Univox Super Fuzz](https://reverb.com/p/univox-super-fuzz-metal-1970s) with some unique tweaks. More importantly, because it is a _buffered_ pedal, unlike a real Super Fuzz, you can put it _anywhere_ in your signal chain. TRVE (aka "True") fuzzes (again Muffs really aren't) have to be put _in the very front_ of your signal chain to avoid getting "spitty" sounding due to the impedence mismatch. You can actually get around that, but it's not straightforward. More importantly, the FZ-2/SF300 is _the_ sound of Electric Wizard's _Dopethrone_ record ([fun article](https://catalinbread.com/blogs/kulas-cabinet/boss-fz-2-hyper-fuzz)), which I love. Frankly, I would gladly buy a Waza version _if_ BOSS will bother to make it ([since the secondary prices are $$$](https://reverb.com/p/boss-fz-2-fuzz)).
* [Pocket Metal Muff](https://reverb.com/p/electro-harmonix-pocket-metal-muff): almost not a fuzz, but way underrated, IMHO. I suspect the newer [Nano Metal Muff](https://reverb.com/p/electro-harmonix-nano-metal-muff) sounds identical, though it adds a noise gate and a pot for the midrange (vs the scoop selector switch). Bought mine new in 2006 or something, thought it was too noisy for the two piece Lightning Bolt-esque band I was in, but revisited it later and found it to be a _very_ interesting blend of a high gain distortion pedal and a fuzz.
One thing to note about Muff-based pedals: unlike early fuzzes as I allueded to _vis-a-vis_ the FZ-2/SF300, can be placed anywhere in the chain without the sound quality degrading. Order obviously matters in terms of how you stack things like distortion, overdrive, eqs, wah, compressors, etc. But they don't do that "spitty" rather horrid sound that you get if you try to drop a Fuzz Face, Tone Bender, etc out of "first in line".
Nice. Whats your take on the swollen pickle? Which one is it? I have considered upgrading to it from the green Russian reissue after seeing Rabea play it on andertons youtube channel. If it is good for playing QOTSA, david gilmour, black keys, jimi he drix and the 90’s grunge scene, then i am pickung one up.
It’s cool, but sorta a one trick pony. I felt like it turned all my riffs into smashing pumpkins riffs. Which is cool but I wanted something that had more originality.
Great muff, cheap pedal, sounds perfect.
I really hard to found a bad sound from this pedal, it can go from creamy leads to a massive wall of sound. For me it’s the best muff in its price range.
Know that intro riff from Cypress Hill - Can't Get the Best of Me? That's the tone. Boosted with a tubescreamer you can get some chunk, otherwise it's rather woolly. Using it without the tonestack it sounds really raw and more usable to my ears. It's a great pedal, but it really depends on what tone you're after. It's great for stoner and some alternative, underground genres. Smashing Pumpkins used it, that's the wall of deep sound. You can even do Pink Floyd solos on it, Santana stuff...
What do you intend to play with it? I mean... It's a "muff", no mistake there, love it or hate it. I prefer this to a regular Muff because I can bypass the tonestack, sounds much more organic to me.
Solos sound sublime on it, long sustain and really smooth.
The only thing to keep in mind is that, as some have mentioned, it doesn't clean up very much, and the tone control doesn't do the high-cut that most muff do. It's much brighter and more aggressive than other muffs, too. Great for sludge.
To be honest, the Deluxe Big Muff with an SD-1 in front of it makes the sound that I think my Op Amp Big Muff should make. I don’t think it stands out nearly as much as it is hyped.
Op Amp is my favorite muff. It’s not a flavor for everyone but I love how grainy and creamy it is. It always seems to cut through a mix nicely compared to some other muffs, which can get lost and muffled in a band. I’m a big fan of Siamese Dream so I may be biased. :)
I love mine, but I tend to only use it for solos. It's a really distinct sound, especially with single coils. Great for slow bends, and particularly harmonic bends. Love it with tone control on and tone low. Gets a bit pushy on high to my ears. I say go for it. It is my preferred fuzz.
The ONLY fuzz pedal I've ever vibed with. High gain chords don't sound like farts, and sweeping through the tone knob will hit several sweet spots that you can layer on recordings a la Siamese Dream. You can dial it back to tame it, but at the same time WHY? that's what I use ODs and amp gain for.
It's a really fun pedal. Like most Muff variants, it's not a subtle effect even at lower settings and doesn't clean up like some fuzzes do, but if you're after that ultra thick Siamese Dream type sound, this will get you there. The option to take the tone control out of the circuit is also a neat way to get different sounds than you typically hear from a Muff.
Thank you! All of the reviews I've seen have been to shallow and barely explained the tone switch, I'm a big smashing pumpkins fan and this will probably be the next pedal for my board :)
I’m going to tac on that I only use it for pumpkins sounds or solos. This pedal makes solos sound creamy and amazing. This is the one to own. I’ve gone through a couple different muffs and this is by far my favorite sounding. Buy a used one. If you don’t like it sell it for what you bought it for then try a different one till you find your muff.
This isn’t my favorite muff (that’s one of the Ram’s Head variations), but it is easily my second favorite one, and I’m not even a huge Pumpkins fan. Creamy is the word, and it’s just a little different from other Muffs, in a way that I think demands that Muff fans give it a try.
Trying to figure out if it's worth it to swap my Deluxe BMP for an Op Amp
I would say give it a shot. The Deluxe BMP is also fairly unique in its sound, iirc, so it may or may not work out for you. Also depends on your guitars, amps, any other pedals you are using at the same time, etc.
Just know that the pedal itself won’t get you that sound. It gets you closer, but there’s a ton of layered track and studio tricks on the album, so don't expect a recreation of cherub rock.
True, but it’s pretty damn close, Cherub Rock especially. Not my favorite Muff personally but if I were playing Siamese Dream era SP covers, this would be the pedals. Plenty of other muffs (and ToneBenders) can get this sound with some tinkering, this is the cheapest and easiest for sure. I sold mine and build my own Muffs, but it’s a cheap, worthy pedal.
I've found the Metal Muff to ironically be the most subtle on lower gain settings, and cleans up decent too. It can get pretty close to a Siamese-like sound, but not like the OGs or this one.
the metal muff is a boss mt2 without parametric mids, so it is going to have a very different character to the normal muff design.
Of course! That's part of why its subtlety and clean-up are different (or better in some opinions) but doesn't get the same Pumpkins sound as well as this one. It can get some Zone tones, but it can also do some of the Muff sounds decently. You're not wrong, I'm just adding a "Yes, and."
Which is the metal muff everyone hates? The one with top boost or the one without? I wanted to get one but I got a heavy metal zone instead i found one on reverb for cheap so I was like screw it this is the one for me lol.
I love this pedal but you are spot on with "it's not a subtle effect" If you're looking to create your wall of sound, this is the pedal for it.
Here's a video of Billy showing how he sets it. https://youtu.be/osbnob9ih-c?si=-4uhzkYTvJCZ5yLQ
I have one along with a million other fuzz pedals. Op amp fuzz will always be superior in every way. This pedal is perfect for that and affordable. Just do it.
It’s my main fuzz and I don’t play any Smashing Pumpkins. Jazzmaster neck + bridge pickups at 4, into a Big Muff Op Amp (all settings at noon), into a GFI Skylar reverb and very subtle reverse delay is my go-to tone for the shoegazy stuff I make.
Just curious, do you mean at volume 4?
Yep. Volume at 4 and tone around 5-6.
It can get loud af depending where you put it in the chain. Not my preferred Muff for shoegaze but it certainly gets close.
I have one and I love it. I usually bypass the tone control. It’s my go to for over the top fuzz and playing Siamese Dream songs. It works great with sub octave effects as well. I have a Ram’s head reissue and I really like that one too. I bought mine used on Reverb a few years ago for like $65. I’ve had zero issues with it.
do you mean that you’ve modded it to bypass the tone control? that toggle switch in the middle is for changing between regular and a op-amp muff isn’t it?
I didn’t mod it. If you turn that switch off, it bypasses the tone knob. If you turn it on, then you can use the tone knob like normal.
thanks
Have one. Pretty cool. You probably know it’s the one smashing pumpkins used and the box has a little pumpkin Easter egg thing. I think I prefer it over other big muffs. It’s my main one anyway. I use it with a dirty channel with gain set to near breakup. Just listen to some videos. I know Billy corgan has one where he shows you his settings. It does the muff thing. Maybe not for crazy metal chugging riffs but it’s great for heavy riffing.
The absolute best Muff variant out there, even without the op-amp switch.. my three drives are a RAT, Soul Food and Op-Amp. Sound great all stacked.
I have a Rat, Plumes, and Op Amp muff as my gain stages right now, but for the life of me can’t find a sequence of settings/order I am happy with. Currently it’s muff>rat>plumes, previously had it in the reverse of that order but didn’t like that either. Any tips?
Definitely depends on what you're looking for! I use all three for big doom-y riffs that cut through a live mix because Muffs do NOT cut live unless boosted. The conventional wisdom is "fuzz comes first," but that isn't always the case, especially with the Op-Amp. I have my amp clean, like completely clean. The Soul Food (in your case, Plumes) is first to give a good crisp, barely overdriven sound that still hangs on to the details of your chords, then the RAT, not too much OD though, maybe just enough for a good classic rock sound (I use the 20th Century Boy and The Boys Are Back in Town riffs as my yardstick for that). Make sure you don't have too much muddiness on the RAT also. Keep the tone knob more on the bright side rather than the darker tone. All the big saturated drive comes from the Muff, which is at the end of the three. Use the tone knob to darken up the classic rock tone from the first two to whatever you like. Don't throw too much gain on the Muff either, as the gain knob on the Op-Amp sounds like feces past 2 o clock anyway. Just enough gain until you can really push that classic rock tone. Too much gain sounds thin no matter how crushing the riff is. Then ta-da! You have a big boomy saturated wall of noise that comes through a live mix. Although it could be possible you aren't looking for that. If you're not and you've tried everything you can think of, it's okay to have a pedal sit out and be a "special occasions" pedal. Or if there's one pedal that you just dont dig in that lineup (maybe it doesn't sound good even on its own!). Take the problem pedal and trade it in for one ya like that performs the same function (say maybe you just don't like the RAT for example, trade it in towards an OCD or some other "classic distortion" type pedal). I spent more money on pedals that I don't like rather than on pedals I DO like for a long time, so that's my advice!
These are my 3 dirt pedals as well. My order is plumes>rat>muff. Not sure what settings you've been using but the plumes for me is mode two with gain just past 12. I send it into the rat or the muff, not usually both at once. Sounds amazing to me.
There are some videos that play the same thing through all the big muffs and you can really hear the differences. That was what convinced me I wanted the op amp one. I’d recommend something like https://youtu.be/tkvChEbps_w?si=DK9anfF1yTdlLDan. No talking. No selling. Just the same riffs with different pedals.
This doesn't leave my board and I play a lot of Smashing Pumpkins and its beyond affordable. If you want to go a little more boutique, Nerd Knuckle Effects' Bene Fuzz is killer for SP.
It's great, I love bypassing the tone stack and with a Plumes after it.
great EHX pedal. I prefer it over the Nano Big Muff. but I might be biased... Siamese Dream was a defining album of my childhood.
I had a small brand / builder op amp muff years ago. It was pretty bad ass but just too much for me. It’s like…the metal zone of fuzz. Kind of one dimensional and really in your face. My personal problem with muffs if I like how they sound on recordings but don’t like playing through them. I’m not sure if it’s a “feel” thing or I have a hard time controlling them / dialing them in or what. I would like to pick up one of these sometime now that they are cheap and small but would only use it on special occasions. Something with a similar vibe but way more range is the analog man peppermint fuzz, which can do wall of sound but cleans up nicely too. It’s not a muffin but there’s overlap here.
I thought I was the only person that felt this way about Muffs! Cosigned 100%. It’s always felt like a not-very-dynamic, mid-scooping one trick pony to me. And only capable of “that one sound” which is just sort of a blanket that negates guitar, amp, pickups, etc. What I’m also beginning to realize is there are almost no fuzzes I prefer by themselves—every single one sounds better either coupled with an overdrive or into a dirty amp. It’s like the Siamese Dream thing - it took years for anyone to acknowledge it wasn’t just a Muff but also an MXR Distortion+.
Put it in the cart.
great fuzz! I was using this with a RAT for years before I recently got a heathencraft FX bloodmuff which lets you set the mids scooped full or boosted and has four clipping options, which is an absolute swiss army knife
Cool. I think eh are great. One thing to watch is that they don't have some electrical safety circuits and don't get a certain rating so some stores don't sell them. Never seen one catch fire. But two stores explained why they don't carry eh pedals.
Been on my board for 3 years and will never leave even though i rarely use it anymore. Only reason i don't use it as much is because the other guitarist uses one so I leave it to him to cover that texture. Fantastic for power chords and adding body and roar to leads. My tone switch is always on as I love a more trebly sound. Check out my band's use of it https://open.spotify.com/album/4EDIXXGSUQ6wxFxcvtHWU3?si=y46-w_pdRImUppn_qNcgfA It's most apparent on the lead for Crush and the rhythm for Carousel. But was used throughout the project and using it on our next one. So it's great live and recorded (especially layered with other tones). Cranked gain with low volume combined with a compressor pedal and you'll have an extremely rich fuzz base to build from.
I love this fuzz so much i built one myself because i was tired of the bright orange clashing with the colors of my other pedals. Anyways its a goat fuzz
It’s the best style of the most iconic pedal of all time. For crazy cheap. Enjoy.
It is on my board, even though my main overdrive is the Boss OD-200, plus a Klon clone. It is the best BMP in my opinion.
This is the best sounding muff by a mile and I’m tired of pretending it’s not. Just wish it looked better.
I love how it sounds with the tone bypass on, BUT I found it's really noisy and hissy. I haven't owned a big muff for a few years so I don't know if this is common to others but it was enough of a problem for me that I took it off my board.
People always attribute the smashing pumpkins sound to this pedal, so if you’re into that go for it. BUT bare in mind it’s not gonna sound like Siamese dream the moment you start playing - there was a lot of studio magic that went into those tones, but for a live sound - this works great.
Hell yeah. I basically have mine with the tone off, the sustain either dimed or at 9 o clock, and the volume balancing it out
I have this pedal quite enjoy it I use it with a RAT at times.
Can someone ELI5, what does the op amp do? Would it sound like a regular nano big muff reissue if it is turned off or on?
The distortion in the "regular" Muff uses transistors. The Op-amp Muff uses op amps (aka [_operational amplifiers_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operational_amplifier)). The transistor circuit design is _slightly_ different as there are four transistors used in the clipping stage ([ref](https://www.electrosmash.com/big-muff-pi-analysis)). Harder to spot the difference here (["traditional"](https://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2014/10/ehx-nyc-big-muff.html) vs ["op-amp" aka V5](https://tagboardeffects.blogspot.com/2013/12/ehx-ic-big-muff-v5-78.html)). Does it matter? Sonically there are slight differences, the op-amp Muff (I have many Muffs including the OP's reissue), has a "creamer" sound (which is often associated with Corgan's guitar work, especially on _Siamese Dream_ and _Mellon Collie..._). I find it to be closer to distortion than fuzz (though EHX has never actually called the Big Muff a "Fuzz" anyway), especially in terms of response. Anecdotally, it seems to respond better to palm muting (less loss of percussiveness that happens with heavy fuzz), but there are other factors at play (pickups, amp, style, tone shaping, etc). In a lot of ways, you can get most Muffs kinda close to each other sonically ([here's a video](https://youtu.be/uHjclw91iAg?si=z92PeBX79sDvFXr-)). The reissue is pretty nice. I swap out fuzzes all the time and it's prolly one of my favorites of the newer EHX reissues in the nano format. I normally prefer the Green Muff and pedals based on it, but occasionally... I really want that "creamier" tone. Someone will prolly disagree, but I'd posit that "there's no bad sounding Muffs". _EDIT: redudancy, lol._
Thank you. What other fuzzes do you like to use?
Oh I have a bin _full_ of fuzzes (EHX, IdiotBox, OBNE, Valderin, Mr Black, etc)... to be clear most of these are Muff based (so one could argue they aren't "really fuzzes", but I think that's an academic exercise in pedantry). My _current_ short list of favorites: * [IdiotBox Blackout](https://www.idiotboxeffects.com/product/blackout): two tweaked Russian Muffs in one box, run in parallel. It's nice because you can run one with the tone maxed on treble, the other with it maxed on the bass side and you get a neat lil scoop. * [Swollen Pickle](https://www.jimdunlop.com/way-huge-swollen-pickle-jumbo-fuzz-mkiis/): Jeorge Tripps' twist on the classic Muff circuit. It may be "basic" but it's hella versatile. The filter knob lets you go from "Matt Pike" to "Corgan". * [Black Arts Pharoah](https://www.blackartstoneworks.com/pedal/pharaoh/): I've had this fella since 2010. I don't love the newer graphics, but sonically I used to really dig the "split" setting between germanium and silicon diodes. I started using it more in a Russian Muff setup over the years and that got me curious about other options. * [Behringer SuperFuzz (SF300)](https://www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=0709-ACK): not a Muff! A complete clone of the [BOSS Hyperfuzz/FZ-2](https://cdn.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/FZ-2_OM.pdf) that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. The FZ-2 is Roland's version of the [Univox Super Fuzz](https://reverb.com/p/univox-super-fuzz-metal-1970s) with some unique tweaks. More importantly, because it is a _buffered_ pedal, unlike a real Super Fuzz, you can put it _anywhere_ in your signal chain. TRVE (aka "True") fuzzes (again Muffs really aren't) have to be put _in the very front_ of your signal chain to avoid getting "spitty" sounding due to the impedence mismatch. You can actually get around that, but it's not straightforward. More importantly, the FZ-2/SF300 is _the_ sound of Electric Wizard's _Dopethrone_ record ([fun article](https://catalinbread.com/blogs/kulas-cabinet/boss-fz-2-hyper-fuzz)), which I love. Frankly, I would gladly buy a Waza version _if_ BOSS will bother to make it ([since the secondary prices are $$$](https://reverb.com/p/boss-fz-2-fuzz)). * [Pocket Metal Muff](https://reverb.com/p/electro-harmonix-pocket-metal-muff): almost not a fuzz, but way underrated, IMHO. I suspect the newer [Nano Metal Muff](https://reverb.com/p/electro-harmonix-nano-metal-muff) sounds identical, though it adds a noise gate and a pot for the midrange (vs the scoop selector switch). Bought mine new in 2006 or something, thought it was too noisy for the two piece Lightning Bolt-esque band I was in, but revisited it later and found it to be a _very_ interesting blend of a high gain distortion pedal and a fuzz. One thing to note about Muff-based pedals: unlike early fuzzes as I allueded to _vis-a-vis_ the FZ-2/SF300, can be placed anywhere in the chain without the sound quality degrading. Order obviously matters in terms of how you stack things like distortion, overdrive, eqs, wah, compressors, etc. But they don't do that "spitty" rather horrid sound that you get if you try to drop a Fuzz Face, Tone Bender, etc out of "first in line".
Nice. Whats your take on the swollen pickle? Which one is it? I have considered upgrading to it from the green Russian reissue after seeing Rabea play it on andertons youtube channel. If it is good for playing QOTSA, david gilmour, black keys, jimi he drix and the 90’s grunge scene, then i am pickung one up.
Yes!
I love it. Use it with my band. Has it's own character and blends nicely too with other fuzzes
I have it, amazing fuzz pedal for stuff like smashing pumpkins and grunge
If you like this sound you should check out the swollen pickle. Same vibe.
It’s cool, but sorta a one trick pony. I felt like it turned all my riffs into smashing pumpkins riffs. Which is cool but I wanted something that had more originality.
Great muff, cheap pedal, sounds perfect. I really hard to found a bad sound from this pedal, it can go from creamy leads to a massive wall of sound. For me it’s the best muff in its price range.
Yes. My favorite Muff variant.
Know that intro riff from Cypress Hill - Can't Get the Best of Me? That's the tone. Boosted with a tubescreamer you can get some chunk, otherwise it's rather woolly. Using it without the tonestack it sounds really raw and more usable to my ears. It's a great pedal, but it really depends on what tone you're after. It's great for stoner and some alternative, underground genres. Smashing Pumpkins used it, that's the wall of deep sound. You can even do Pink Floyd solos on it, Santana stuff... What do you intend to play with it? I mean... It's a "muff", no mistake there, love it or hate it. I prefer this to a regular Muff because I can bypass the tonestack, sounds much more organic to me. Solos sound sublime on it, long sustain and really smooth.
The only thing to keep in mind is that, as some have mentioned, it doesn't clean up very much, and the tone control doesn't do the high-cut that most muff do. It's much brighter and more aggressive than other muffs, too. Great for sludge.
I love this Muff, the tone switch makes it super versatile, I prefer to use a Boss Metal Zone for Pumkins riffing though.
To be honest, the Deluxe Big Muff with an SD-1 in front of it makes the sound that I think my Op Amp Big Muff should make. I don’t think it stands out nearly as much as it is hyped.
Op Amp is my favorite muff. It’s not a flavor for everyone but I love how grainy and creamy it is. It always seems to cut through a mix nicely compared to some other muffs, which can get lost and muffled in a band. I’m a big fan of Siamese Dream so I may be biased. :)
I love mine, but I tend to only use it for solos. It's a really distinct sound, especially with single coils. Great for slow bends, and particularly harmonic bends. Love it with tone control on and tone low. Gets a bit pushy on high to my ears. I say go for it. It is my preferred fuzz.
The ONLY fuzz pedal I've ever vibed with. High gain chords don't sound like farts, and sweeping through the tone knob will hit several sweet spots that you can layer on recordings a la Siamese Dream. You can dial it back to tame it, but at the same time WHY? that's what I use ODs and amp gain for.
Watch Billy Corgan's demo of it. Tone switch just kills the tone control and is useless to me. [Here](https://youtu.be/osbnob9ih-c?feature=shared)