The Big Muff Pi Home Page

THE BIG MUFF PAGE

This website is dedicated to one of the most popular and cherished stomp boxes in the history of Rock and Roll, and my favorite distortion/fuzz box, The Big Muff Pi. There are very few websites dedicated to the Muff, so I created this site with all of the information and history I have gleaned from various sources over the years, including some good photo references (pix from my collection, stolen from ebay auctions, and sent to me by other Muff owners) and audio clips. I think it is the most comprehensive one on the web. I have tried to sort out Muff fact from Muff fiction and clarify some confusing or contradictory details from other websites and articles, as well as include a comprehensive history about Electro-Harmonix and the story of the Big Muff's origin for all you Muff junkies.

The first Big Muff was released to the world by Electro Harmonix in 1969 (not 1971 as many sources state), though variations of it appeared earlier than that. Electro-Harmonix referred to the pedal as “The finest harmonic distortion-sustain device developed to date”, and it was. Fuzz pedals like the Fuzz Face were very popular in the late 1960s and the Big Muff was a very different and fresh take on the fuzz territory. The Muff had an independant four stage silicon-based circuit that did not have the limitations of the typical guitar-into-fuzz circuits around at the time. It could go anywhere in a pedal chain, and the tone was not at the mercy of the temperature of the tranistors like a Fuzz Face. The Muff had monstrous loads of gain and sustain, and a monstrous sound to go along with it, from thunderous mud to hammering treble. It was the first fuzz pedal with such a huge bottom end, and it stepped on just about any typical fuzz pedal out there. There is a characteristic underlying harmonically doubled octave mixed into the Muff tone, sometimes described as the Muffs "buzz" or "fizz". It was quite different from what was a common "fuzz" tone at the time. The tone sweep ranged from huge, dark, bassy sludge to thick, piercing, buzz saw treble, all with a deep mids scoop. Somewhere in the middle was a "sweet" spot that just about anyone could dial in for the signature Muff tone.

There are four primary eras of the Muff, each with their own unique tones, and each model having several variants, along with some other odd related models. They were first manufactured in the USA, then jumped over to Russia, then back to the USA again. Many Big Muff users and collectors will tell you that every Big Muff sounds different, even among the same version, which is somewhat true, but I think there are four unique tone eras that just about every Muff falls into:

The Vintage USA Muff tones -V1, V2, V3, V4, Little Big Muff

The Vintage op-amp Muff tones - V5,V6, Little Big Muff, Deluxe Big Muff "blend" version, Deluxe Big Muff "series/parallel" version

The Sovtek Muff tones - all the V7s, V8, V11

The modern NYC Muff tones -V9, V10, V12

Within each of those tone eras you can find slight variations, even within the exact same model, but they still have the characteristics of their own eras. Rather than trying to use just words to explain these tonal differences, I will be adding sound clips of each (work in progress). The IC based Big Muffs like the V4 and V5 op-amp Muffs, the two Deluxe Big Muff op-amp versions, and the Little Big Muff op-amp version, are not consider real Big Muffs by many since they are not made with the traditional four stage circuit. They do have have similar clipped/scooped mids tones to the V3 Muffs, though perhaps less organic, so I am including them.

One thing you may notice I have done on this website is to re-number the Big Muff versions differently than what some other sources have used. I have included Russian made Big muff in the numbering sequence along with USA made Muffs, since there is a clear sequence to the times each were made, with just a bit of crossover. In my opinion, a true version change must involve a major change to the box shape, a change to the control layout, and/or a major change to the circuit. Graphics and color changes alone should not constitute a version change, especially since they changed so frequently. Many other resources I have found do not seem to be aware of the sheer number of different versions of Big Muffs that have been made, which is one of the things that interested me in collecting them. Within each of the version changes I have tried to list all the variations in graphics, knob shapes, and the circuits that I know of, listing these as "editions" of a particular version. Since photos of the circuit boards and diagrams of the circuits are already very prevalent on the web I have not put the Muff schematics on this site (for now), but links to sites that have them are above. I have included many photos of the various circuit boards for reference to those of you interested in purchasing a vintage Big Muff. Hopefully these will aid in seeing the differences in board designs and components over the years to help you determine if a Muff is all original or has been modified. There are also some tips for buying vintage Muffs in a link above as well as links to other Big Muff websites.

Note that I do not include some Muff variants here that are not actually built on the Big Muff tone circuit, such as the Muff Fuzz, Metal Muff, and Double Muff. None of those are actual Big Muff circuits, and none have any of the signature characteristics of a Big Muff's tone. Those items will be listed in a separate section (coming some day). Real Big Muff variants like the two Deluxe Big Muffs and the vintage Little Big Muffs will be added soon.

If you have anything Muffish to contribute to this website, find an error, or can clarify a detail, please contact me.

Enjoy,

Kit

THE BIG MUFF VERSIONS - A Simple Summary

How many versions of the Big Muff are there and what are the differences in the sound? That is a common question that many beginners to Big Muffs ask, and the answers I see on some websites vary from wildy inaccurate, to woefully incomplete. The Muff is usually regarded as a fuzz pedal, but is more of a distortion pedal with fuzz-like qualities, and a hint of a harmonic-octave-thing (the "fizz" or "buzz") going on within the sound the more gain you add. All Big Muffs have a similar scooped mids sound, and distortion tone that is quite unique and "muffish" - but the variation in tones from version to version is quite broad. There were many versions, and sometimes several variations (editons) within each version. Older Muffs, like the Triangle for example, have variations of component types and values from unit to unit. These are not all different "editions". That is simply how they made them at the time. Here is a quote from Mike Matthews, owner and founder of Electro-Harmonix.

"I’ve never done this, but if you were to take five Big Muffs from the same production line from 1973 and listen to all five, you would probably hear something different out of every one".

Here is another quote about David Gilmour's Big Muff from his guitar tech, Phil Taylor.

"I introduced David to the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi in 1974. He liked it, and he has continued to use one ever since. David has tried many of the different incarnations and models over the years, but his original has often been preferred for most things. Finding another that sounds the same is not easy, I have even placed six in a row that externally appeared to be identical to his original, and they all sounded different. Often, when you look inside, some components and values are different..."

It all amounts to subtle changes to the components values that make up the different variations to the four stage Muff circuit. A true "version" or "edition" of a particular version should have a significant circuit design change, or component value changes that were repeated as a real production revision, or a significate external control or design change. Here is a basic rundown on the differences. A much more detailed explanation of the different versions can be found here.

Version 1 - "TRANGLE" BIG MUFF (1970) - The tone of the V1 Triangle has been described as the best sounding of all the Muffs. It was also one of the most articulate Muffs, with a clarity that many of the later Muffs seemed to lack. It is very similar to the later V2 Ram's Head Big Muff, though slightly less bottom end on some examples I have played. The mids were very scooped and there was a bit more sustain than most later versions. Those descriptions fit the Triangles I am familiar with, but there is more variance in Triangle Big Muff tones than any other version due to the wide variety of component values used in production. I have never seen two Triangles with exactly the same values. E-H used whatever they had available and consistency in component values and materials was not controlled. V1 Muffs cut through a band mix very well, which was a problem some people had with later versions. Keep in mind the bass and treble of the tone varies quite a bit from one Traingle to another. It is probably the riskiest version to spend money on hoping you will get one that has "that" glorius Triangle tone. My first Traingle was a tone turd, but my second one was phenominal and one of the best Muffs I have ever played.

Version 2 - "RAM'S HEAD" BIG MUFF (circa 1973) - The tone is very smooth with lots of gain, though the sustain seems to be less than the V1 Triangle Muffs, and slightly less clarity. There is more of a mids scoop on the V2 than the V1, and there is a more bassy bottom end than a typical V1. That bottom end creates a huge, thunderous sound through a tube amp. As with the V1 Muffs, the bass, treble, and gain of the tone varies slightly from unit to unit due to varying component type and values. There are several clones and schematics on the web of a "violet" Ram's Head Big Muff. This was not a real "version" so to speak. I suspect this originated as someones trace of their particular V2 with unusually small capacitor values and violet graphics. Once it was circulated people thought this was a real production version, but V2 Muffs I have seen all have different cap and resistor values, no matter what ink color was used. I have never seen a violet Ram's Head with those exact values, but they do make for a great sounding V2.

Version 3 "RED AND BLACK" BIG MUFF (circa 1976) - The V3 tone was similar to the V2 tone, but on some examples I have they are bit bassier and less smooth than the V2. Early models sound very close to some of the later V2 Muffs since they had similar circuit board components and values as the last V2 Ram's Heads, though the bass and treble of the tone varies slightly from unit to unit.

Version 4 "OP-AMP" BIG MUFF (circa 1978) - The four transistors were swapped for two op-amp ICs and a new circuit design for this version. This is a great distortion pedal with a big sound and much of the same character of the transistor versions. I think the transistor versions are more organic and sound better for bluesy solos, but the op-amps are great for crushing grungier material and heavy distorted rhythm playing. This is likely the Muff circuit heard on most of Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream album, so that should tell you the potential you have with this version. It does not do fuzz quite the same as the transistor versions, and does not have the same character and organic randomness to the tone that transistors have. These were not regarded well by users at the time they came out due to the fact that the sound did not have the traditional Muff "fuzz" in the tone, but more crunch than the previous Muffs. Many Muff users do not even regard this as a true Big Muff since it was not a four stage transistor Muff circuit, though they are now much more appreciated for their sound and are probably the easiest vintage Muffs to find for a good price. Unlike the transistor versions, the tone is very consistent from unit to unit. This is the rarest op-amp Big Muff version.

Version 5 "OP-AMP TONE BYPASS" BIG MUFF (circa 1978) - Practically identical sound to the V4 op-amp Muff. With the bypass switched on it removes the tone circuit making a huge peircing distortion tone. Not very usable feature in my opinion but some people love it. Again, this is a good Muff distortion, but not quite the same organic character as the transistor Big Muffs. Unlike the transistor versions, the tone is very consistent from unit to unit. This is the most common op-amp Big Muff.

Version 6 BIG MUFF (Circa 1980) - The op-amp Muff experiment was killed and the transistor based Muff circuit returned (or it never went away - see the V3 "tone bypass" entry). I don't think these have exactly the same tone charcteristics as the Version 3 Big muffs, but they are very similar. In the examples I have played the tone has more bass and sounds a bit flatter and buzzier. All of the V6 Muffs have had much more sustain/gain on tap than a V3, but they were also much noisier. The tone bypass switch was kept from the V5 version. The bass and treble of the tone varies slightly from unit to unit.

RED ARMY OVERDRIVE (circa 1990) - Technically, this is the first Russian made Big Muff. The tone, while still in the Muff family, was quite unique, and I think the best of all the Russian made Big Muffs. Sort of a mix between the V1 and V3 Muffs, but with a fatter bottom end and slightly less gain. It was very dark sounding and with a thunderous, fat bottom end, but with a smooth and clear, but still scooped, mid range. Some people do not like that bottom end and consider it too boomy, but I think that is what makes this thing sound so huge. Very similar to the later "Civil War" Big Muffs. In fact, from the examples I have seen and the ones I own, the second edition Red Army was identical to the first Civil War Big Muffs in component types and values, and the circuit. The bass and treble of the tone varies from unit to unit.

Version 7 "GRAY AND GOLD" CIVIL WAR BIG MUFF (circa 1990) - Identical to the second edition Red Army Overdrive. Just different graphics.

Version 7 "CIVIL WAR" BLUE AND GRAY BIG MUFF (circa 1991) - Identical to the second edition Red Army Overdrive. Sort of a mix between the V1 and V3 Muffs, but with a fatter bottom end and slightly less gain. All of the 1990s Sovtek Muffs (Civil Wars, Green Russians, Black Russians) have very similar component values, and have very similar sounds to each other, but the Civil War tone is special. It is very dark and bassy, but with a smooth and clear mid range. On average there is less gain as previous Muffs, but a very musical clarity. It sounds identical to the second edition Red Army Overdrive, though he bass and treble of the tone varies from unit to unit. It is noticeably smoother than the later green Russian and black Russian Big Muffs, which is probably why they are the most favored and desireable of all the Sovtek Big Muffs.

Version 7 "GREEN RUSSIAN" BIG MUFF (circa 1994) - Sort of a mix between the V1 and V3 Muffs, but with a fatter bottom end and slightly less gain. The tone is very similar to the Civil War Sovtek Big Muffs. These greens have bit more bite and most have more sustain than the Civil War version, but they are not as smooth sounding. The bass and treble of the tone varies slightly from unit to unit, but the differences are usually minor. They are a favorite of bass players due to the low gain and huge, bass friendly bottom end they produce. That bottom end is also a reason some do not like the Russian Big Muffs.

Version 7 "BLACK RUSSIAN" BIG MUFF big box (circa 1998) - The tone is the same as the V7 green Russian Big Muffs. Just different box color and graphics. The bass and treble of the tone varies slightly from unit to unit for each edition, but the differences are usually minor.

Version 8 "BLACK RUSSIAN" BIG MUFF small box (circa 2000) - Almost identical tone to the V7 Green Russian Muffs, but slightly less clarity and slightly less bottom end. The bass and treble of the tone varies slightly from unit to unit, but the differences are usually minor. These are discontinued, but the V11 Bass Big Muff sound close.

Version 9 "NYC REISSUE" BIG MUFF (2000) - The tone is in the same family as the version 6 Big Muff, though this is not actually a reissue of that version. It is a bit more muffled (muffier?), and buzzy-fizzy sounding, without the clarity of most of the vintage USA Muffs. Mids are very scooped. The bottom end of the tone differs from vintage USA made Muffs from the 1970s. It does not react as sharply to pinch harmonics as the V3 Muff and does not work well with palm muting. It has a grungier, but very interesting character to the sound. More chunky than melodic. Think Jack White of the White Stripes. The component values were modified in 2007 and then again in 2008, but nothing significant changed in the tone that I can tell. The bass and treble of the tone varies slightly from unit to unit, but the differences are usually minor.

Version 10 "LITTLE" BIG MUFF (circa 2006) - Sonically the Little Big Muff sounds very similar to the NYC reissue V9, but a bit brighter and a bit less bottom end to the sound. A great Muff tone. Some people say this sounds like the Ram's Head Muff, but not like any Ram's Head Muff I have ever played. Some units sound slightly different than others.

Version 11 "BASS" BIG MUFF (2008) - This was based on the Russian Big Muff circuit. Not identical in tone to the Russians, but in most settings they are very similar. All toggle switch settings - bass boost, norm, and dry - sound good with bass. For guitar, the normal setting sounds best, and is very close to the black Russian Big Muff tone, though this version is not as noisy at full gain.

Version 12 - "TONE WICKER" BIG MUFF (2009) - The tone range of the V12 Big Muff is quite broad. It can match the tones of the V10 Little Big Muff somewhat, but with the Wicker switched on it becomes a much sharper and brighter sound, but not too harsh. The "buzzy-fizzy" sound that many Muff users complain about with the V9 NYC reissue Big Muffs can be smoothed out with the Tone Wicker. The "fuzz" tones it produces have much more range than previous Big Muffs. Many Muff users (like me) use boosters or tube drivers to color or boost the gain and mids of their Big Muffs, but this version does not require that. The boost is built in, and it cuts through a band mix very well. Compared to a vintage V1 or V2 Muff, it sounds nothing like them, but this is one of my favorites of the Muffs produced since 2000. Some units sound slightly different than others.

TRANISTORS AND OTHER COMPONENTS - How they affect the Muff sound

Some people think one particular transistor type over another determines if one Muff will sound better than another. It is actually the mix of different values of components (capacitors, resistors, diodes), AND the transistor VALUES that make one Muff sound better or different than another. I think the signature Muff sound comes from just the two diode clippers in a row and the four stage transistor design. Past that, the real tonal differences are from the mix of the individual component values. The older the Muff, the more those values seem to be different from one unit to another, and the newer the Muff, the more they are the same from unit to unit. These differences are what gives each Muff its own unique character.

One transistor type may have higher or lower gain or may be quieter or noisier than another type. The hFE value of the transistors does affect the tone and gain, but those values can vary greatly among the tranys of the same type. That is why many of the boutique makers screen batches of transistors to weed out the less desirable ones. Obviously some transistors that are better than others, but without actually testing the vlaues of each it is impossible to know. I suggest not getting too hung up on the transistor type when looking at a Muff. A Muff with BC239 tranys may sound just as good, or bad, as one with 2N5133, FS3700, or the much revered FS36999 tranys.

Some will say there is mojo from a particular type of component (box caps vs ceramic caps, or 1uF caps vs. 0.1uF caps, for example) that gives a Muff the best sound. Some also think there is mojo in the older components that sounds better than newer ones (old 2N5133 tranys vs newer BC549 tranys, for example). I have played vintage Muffs side by side with Muff clones using modern components with the same values copied from a vintage one and the sound is very close. I have also played vintage Muffs swapping vintage caps from one type to another, but the same values, and the tone did not seem to change. I'm not saying the mojo is not there in the older Muffs. It can be, but you can get one vintage Muff that sounds great and another that sound average, with the exact same components. I'm just saying that if you want a decent Ram's Head tone you don't necessarily need to fork over hundreds of dollars to buy a vintage one when you can spend a little over a hundred and get a BYOC Large Beaver clone, Stomp Under Foot Muff clone, Musket, or a even a higher priced Skreddy Pig Mine, all made with modern components that will sound very good.

SOME BIG MUFF USERS AND THEIR PEDAL BOARDS

The most well known and most heard Big Muff user would have to be David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, having used both the USA Ram's Head Muff, Sovtek Civil War Muff, and Pete Cornish Big Muff clones on many of Pink Floyd's greatest recordings. Another very popular user was Billy Corgan, who used a late 1970s Muff to such good effect on Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream album. Contrary to what many websites claim, Jimi Hendrix may have also been another user, though it is unknown if there are any recorded examples of this. The V1 Big Muff was for sale in 1969 (not 1971 as many websites incorrectly claim), and E-H founder Mike Matthews has stated Jimi bought one at Manny's Music in New York and that he witnessed Jimi using it in the studio.

Among the scores of other users are Carlos Santana, John Lennon, Pete Townshend of The Who, Steve Howe of Yes, Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush, J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Thurston Moore and Lee Renaldo of Sonic Youth, Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Kurt Kobain of Nirvana (on Lithium), Cliff Burton of Metallica, Chris Ross of Wolfmother, Robert Sledge of the Ben Folds Five, Jamie Cook of the Arctic Monkeys, Brian Molko of Placebo, Robin Finck of Nine Inch Nails, Chris Wolstenholme of Muse, Mike Mills of R.E.M., and Jack White of the White Stripes and Raconteurs. Jack White's Muff tone is perhaps the best use (in my opinion) of the unaltered, raw, crunchy Muff tone in all its glory, whereas Gilmour's tones best exemplify the wide range of beautiful, creamy, huge and unique sounds that can be created by combining the Muff with a clean tube amp, a tube driver, compressor, and/or other effects that add to and harness its tone, rather than mask it. The Smashing Pumpkin are a good example of taking the basic Muff tone and layering with multi tracks to create a huge rhythm sound. The band Mudhoney named the EP Superfuzz Bigmuff after the Muff, which was a popular pedal during the 1990s grunge/alternative rock scene.

Below is a photo gallery of some famous, and some not so famous, musician's pedal boards and their Big Muffs.

Shown above, left to right: David Gilmour's V2 Ram's Head Big Muff from the Animals board in 1977 (next to an Electric Mistress), the Ram's Head Big Muff from the 1986 board, Gilmour's V7 Civil War Big Muff from the Pulse tour in 1994, and Gilmour's 2006 board with both Ram's Head and Triangle Big Muffs

Shown above: Billy Corgan's Big Muff, shown with his exact settings (in middle), made famous on Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream album. Likely a V4 op-amp Muff

Shown above, left to right: Jack White's red V9 USA Big Muff rehoused in a sturdier box, his copper plated Raconteurs V9 Muff, and white Dead Weather V9 Muff

edge muff Mike mills muff

Shown above, left to right: Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth's “squished” V7 Civil War Big Muff, a Big Muff on the rack board of the Edge from U2, and R.E.M.'s Mike Mill's V8 Russian Big Muff from his bass pedalboard.

Shown above, left to right: A small portion of J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. huge Big Muff collection, and J Mascis pedalboard with V2 Ram's Head Big Muff

Mudhoney Muff

Shown above, left to right: The Who's Pete Townshend using a V3 Muff (taped on top of his amp) with his Gretsch Chet Atkins model in 1977, Flea's Chili Peppers pedal board with V9 Muff, the Arctic Monkey's V9 Big Muff used by Jamie Cook, and Mudhoney's Big Muff.

Shown above, left to right: John Frusciante's huge Red Hot Chili Peppers pedal boards with V8 Big Muff, and 2000 USA V9 re-issue Muff.

beck muff

Shown above, left to right: Two shots of Beck's Big Muff and Wata's Big Muff pedalboards from the band Boris

Shown above, left to right: Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys pedalboards with V7 green Sovtek Big Muff

Shown above, left to right: V9 Big Muff used by Robin Finck of Nine Inch Nails, Brian Molko's Little Big Muff from Placebo

“I don’t think they (guitarists) buy the Big Muff because they are loyal, they buy the Big Muff because it has a unique tone character. The Big Muff is like…cascaded overdrive sections that go through diodes, that clip, and that are filtered properly…so that you get a really sweet sustaining tone. And then you can still blend in a little edge with that…and that’s the secret of the Big Muff.” Mike Matthews in 2010

ENTER THE SITE FOR A HISTORY OF ALL MUFF VERSIONS

THANKS GO OUT TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE HELPED OR CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SITE: Mike Matthews, Bob Myer, Howard Davis, Fran Blanche, John Pisani, Kevin, Mark, Marc, Ron, Damian, Domenic, Brad, Jay, John, Carlos, Scott, Billy, Matt, the folks at the Gear Forum and Gilmour Gear Forum, and everyone else who has contributed to this site. And extra big thanks to Mike Matthews for starting it all!

Kit’s Secret Guitar, Gear, and Music Page
Guitar stuff, gear stuff, soundclips, videos, Gilmour/Pink Floyd stuff, photos and other goodies.
Contact: nasnandos@kitrae.net
Copyright Kit Rae.

VISIT MY SWORDS, KNIVES and FANTASY ART WEBSITE www.kitrae.net

This page is not authorized, affiliated, or associated with Electro Harmonix in any way, but it would be cool if they gave us a link on the EHX site