The Big Muff Pi Home Page

THE BIG MUFF π 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 π. There are very few websites dedicated to the Big 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 π 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 Big Muff tones -V1, V2, V3, V6, Little Big Muff

The Vintage op-amp Big Muff tones - V4,V5, Little Big Muff (op-amp version), Deluxe Big Muff "blend" version, Deluxe Big Muff "series/parallel" version

The Sovtek Big Muff tones - V7, V8, V11

The modern NYC Big 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 considered 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 as the V3 Big Muffs, though perhaps less organic, and they were intended to sound like a Big Muff, so I am including them.

“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 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. That’s the secret of the Big Muff.”

Mike Matthews in 2010

One thing you may notice I have done on this website is to re-number the Big Muff π versions differently than what some other sources have used. I have included Russian made Big Muffs 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 many Big Muff schematics on this site (for now), other than a few from my collection, but links to sites that have them are in one of the links above. I have included many photos of the various circuit boards for reference to those of you interested in purchasing or learning about vintage Big Muffs. Hopefully these will aid in seeing the differences in board designs and components used throughout 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 Big 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 or date, please contact me.

Enjoy,

Kit

THE BIG MUFF π 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. In their defense, it can be confusing considering all the different versions. The Big 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 that gets stronger more gain you add. All Big Muffs have a similar scooped mids sound, and a clipped distortion tone that is quite unique and "muffish" - but the variation in tones from version to version is quite broad, and there is a large variance in tone from unit to unit of any particular vintage version. There were many versions, and sometimes several variations (editons) within each version denoted by graphics, enclosure, or control changes. When we look at the circuits of the older Muffs, like the version 1 "Triangle" or version 2 "Ram's Head" Big Muffs for example, we see wide 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 component values that make one Big Muff sound different from another. You will find similar variations in other vintage pedals, such as the original Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face, though none as wide ranging in tones as the Big Muff. Trying to pin down what makes one "version" sound different from another is tricky without having dozens of examples to compare for each version. For example, it is very easy to compare one sample of a Triangle Big Muff and one sample of a Ram's Head Big Muff and by those two examples state a generalization about differences in tone. That would be accurate for those two samples, but a very inaccurate generalization for all Muffs of those two types, as multiple examples would need to be heard for a truer picture. Another mistake people make is setting the knobs in exactly the same position when comparing Big Muffs of different types. I have seen this done time and time again in gear demos on youtube and other websites. Setting the potentiometers (pots) identically may not result in the closest matching tone if the circuit component values are different, especially in the tone circuit, so the pots should be adjusted until you hear the tone of one Muff match or approximate the tone of the other. I have found that by doing this, differences in tone from several Muffs of the same type do not appear as different after all. That said, I have tried to compare multiple examples of the different models to get an accurate picture, and have found there are some noticeable changes in the Big Muff tones from different time periods that allow them to be grouped into general categories. Past the sound, 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 significant external control, enclosure, or graphic design change. Here is a basic rundown on the tonal 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. Typical V1 Big Muffs cut through a band mix very well, which was a problem some people had with later versions. These are very similar to the later V2 Ram's Head Big Muffs, though slightly less bottom end on some examples I have played. The mids were very scooped and there was a bit more sustain and brightness than most later versions. Those descriptions fit the typical Triangles I am familiar with (about 12 examples from 1970-1973 at the time this was written). 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. Most of the others I have played or traded for were very good as well. The bass and treble of the tone varies quite a bit from one Traingle to another, as does the gain, fuzziness, and clarity on notes. There is more variance in Triangle Big Muff tones than any other version due to the wide variety of component values used in production, and I have never seen two Triangles with exactly the same values. That said, I can usually tell when I am hearing a V1 vs a V2 Big Muff, so there is some consistancy to the sound that defines the V1.

Version 2 - "RAM'S HEAD" BIG MUFF (circa 1973) - The tone is aggressive, but smooth, with lots of gain. The sustain seems to be less than the V1 Triangle Big Muffs, and slightly less clarity. Some V2 Muffs will sound identical to some V1 Muffs. There is more of a mids scoop on most V2s that I have played versus the V1 Muffs, and there is usually a bit 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. A good Ram's Head sounds great on its own, but an average sounding one really comes alive with character and presence when a tube overdrive pedal is placed before or after it in the signal chain for a slight boost or to add color. A good compressor like a Dynacomp or an old Boss CS-2 placed before the Muff really brings some character clarity out of an average sounding V2 as well.

Version 3 "RED AND BLACK" BIG MUFF (circa 1976) -The V3 tone was similar to the V2 tone, since they were essentially the same pedal with a graphics change. Early models had similar circuit board components and values as the last V2 Ram's Heads. On some examples I have they are bit bassier and less smooth than the V2 Muffs, but a few later models I have played had even more sustain and aggressiveness than the V2 Muffs. As with previous editions, 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 scooped mids 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. There was more crunch in this version. These were not regarded well by users at the time they came out due to the fact that the sound did not have the same Big Muff "fuzz" in the tone, or clarity people were used to. 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 Big Muffs to find for a good price. Unlike the transistor versions, the tone is very consistant from unit to unit. This is the rarest of the two op-amp Big Muff versions.

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 many of these have the same tonal 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 can sound a bit flatter and fuzzier than typical V3 Muffs, and some have the mids slightly more scooped than the V3. All of the V6 Muffs I have played have had more sustain/gain on tap than typical V3 Muffs, but most were also much noisier and had less clarity and more fuzz. The tone bypass switch was kept from the V5 version, which allows you to completely remove the tone section from the circuit, for a raunchy raw, but very loud Big Muff tone. 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, though not marketed as a Big Muff at the time because Mike Matthews had yet to reaquire the electo-Harmonix name after bankruptcy. The tone, while still in the Muff family, was quite unique and different from the USA Big Muff tones, 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 less gain. The first edition RAO sounds very close to the green Russian Big Muffs that would come later, and had almost idetical circuit component values. I think it sounds slightly better than the greens. The second edition sounds very similar to the "Civil War" Big Muffs that would come later, with a very dark sound, thunderous lows, and a smooth and clear, but still very scooped mid range. Some people do not like that bottom end and consider it too bassy, but I think that is what makes this version sound so huge. 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 Muff circuit, component types and values. 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 and colors. 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) had very similar component values, and had very similar sounds to each other, but the Civil War tone was special. It was very dark and bassy, but with a smooth and clear mid range. Those mids were still scooped out like a typical Big Muff, but the Sovteks had more mids than vintage USA models. On average there was less gain than previous Muffs, but a very musical clarity. It sounds identical to the second edition Red Army Overdrive, though the bass and treble of the tone varies from unit to unit. It is noticeably smoother and has less grit 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 "CIVIL WAR" BLUE AND GRAY BIG MUFF (circa 1991) - Identical to the second edition Red Army Overdrive, just different graphics and colors.

Version 7 "GREEN RUSSIAN" BIG MUFF (circa 1994) - Sort of a mix between the V1 and V3 Big Muffs, but with a fatter bottom end and slightly less gain. The first edition green Russian (tall Big muff font) tone is very similar to the "Civil War" Sovtek Big Muffs. Second and third edition green Russians changed to lower cap values. Those greens have bit more grit and bite, less bass, and most have more sustain than the Civil War versions, 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. Listen to the Black Keys for some great examples of the Green Russian in use.

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 on the examples I have played. Most people would not notice the difference. 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 sounds very 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 V1, V2, and V3 Muffs 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' tone. 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 NANO (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 sustain.

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 in standard mode, 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 for added clarity, 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.

Version 13 - "GERMANIUM 4 " BIG MUFF (2010) - The Germanium based Big Muff was released in 2010. This is not actually a Big Muff circuit. It is a Germanium fuzz and Germanium overdrive combo pedal. The two sides can be used individually or in series. The distortion side is a very adjustable Fuzz Face type pedal. The overdrive side goes from a clean boost to some a nice, dirty overdrive sounds. Combine the two and you can get a wide range of warm distortion and fuzz tones.

TRANSISTORS AND OTHER COMPONENTS - Is There Mojo in Vintage Components?

COMPONENT VALUES MAKE THE SOUND - Some Big Muff enthusiasts think one particular transistor type over another determines if one Muff will sound better, worse, or different than another. It is actually the mix of different values of all of the components in the circuit (capacitors, resistors, diodes), and the transistor values that make one Muff sound better or different than another. The signature Muff sound comes from the two diode clipping sections in a row in the four stage transistor amplifier 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 give each Muff its own unique character.

TRANSISTOR HYPE ? - There is a lot of hype about certain transistors that are desirable in vintage Big Muffs. On the top of this list is the mysterious FS36999 transistor found in vintage V1 and V2 Muffs. Transistors have a gain measurement, called hFE. Technically it is a measurement of the forward current gain ratio in DC current transistors. The F stands for forward and E means the transistor connection is in emitter mode. One transistor type may have higher or lower hFE than another, and those values can vary greatly among the transistors of the same type. This gain should really not affect the circuit much because the bias for the amount of gain the pedal will have is set by the resistors coming from the collector and emitter of each transistor, but it does seem to have an affect on certain aspects of the tone. Too high and it can be aggressively bright and sometimes too fuzzy, too low and it may not have enough gain/sustain for the clipping sections to work properly and may be weak or dark sounding. Lower gain tranys can also be smoother sounding than higher gain ones, and higher gain tranys can have better mids and pick response. There are other characteristics as well, like clarity, raspiness, thickness, and volume. Those characteristics can vary from transistor manufacturer to manufacturer, and vary between older and newer tranys of the same type. These effects are usually minimal, but they are there. That is why many of the boutique makers screen batches of transistors to weed out the high gain/low noise stock from the less desirable ones. Electro-Harmonix never screened transistors when they made the original Big Muffs. That may account for the wide variety of different sounding Muffs of the same model, but that variety really comes from the large variance in other component types and values from unit to unit. I suggest not getting too hung up on the transistor type when looking for a vintage Muff though. A Muff with old 2n5088 or BC239 tranys may sound just as good, or bad, as one with old 2N5133, FS3700, or the much revered FS36999 tranys. The other circuit components are just as important to the tone. If you have never opened your vintage Muff up to look at the transistors on the PCB, here are INSTRUCTIONS for taking apart a vintage Big Muff.

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Shown on left: A vinatge V1 Big Muff circuit with ceramic capacitors, carbon composition resistors, and FS36999 Silicon transistors. Shown on right are two other vintage Silicon transistors used in Big Muffs, the 2N5087 and BC239

VINTAGE COMPONENT MOJO - Some Big Muff enthusiasts argue that a particular set of component values (1uF caps vs. 0.1uF caps, for example) give a Big Muff the best sound, but that is subjective based on the sound one person prefers that another may not. Some also think there is mojo in the old vintage components that make those Muffs sound much better than newer ones (old ceramic caps vs new film caps, or old 2N5133 tranys vs newer 2N5133 tranys, for example), and I would tend to agree with that, as most of the Muffs I like best are the older ones. However, I have played vintage Muffs side by side with exact clones made using modern components and the sound is very close. 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 sounds average, with the exact same components. If you want a decent vintage Big Muff tone you don't necessarily need to fork over hundreds of dollars to buy a vintage one, hoping you get a good sounding unit, when you can spend under two hundred dollars and get a vintage Big Muff clone like the BYOC Large Beaver, or a Stomp Under Foot Muff clone, all made with modern parts that are more consistant than most vintage parts.

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Shown above (left to right): A vintage 1973 Big Muff and the Brick Muff replica made by Stomp Under Foot for the Big Muff Classic series, using all modern components. The Brick was Big Muff Classic #4. The custom graphics were added by me using Gerald Scarfe's wonderful artwork created for Pink Floyd's The Wall.

Here is an experiment I did with one of my favorite vintage Big Muffs, a V2 Ram's Head Big Muff with 1973 pot dates (shown above), FS36999 transistors, polyester film caps, and all carbon comp resistors. Matt at Stomp Under Foot made an exact clone of this in 2010, the Brick Muff, for his Big Muff Classic Series. It was based on my circuit trace of the original. It was made using modern carbon comp resistors, ceramic caps, and 2N5088 transistors. Matt is well known in the Big Muff community for making very accurate, high quality clones of just about every model or popular schematic of all the vintage Big Muffs, many of the-spin off vintage Big Muff variants, as well as his own unique pedals. Here are sound clips comparing the original '73 BM to the Brick Muff, with the volume, tone, and sustain matched as close as possible. In each clip, the '73 Big Muff is first and the Brick is second. Played with a Fender Strat loaded with a Seymour Duncan SSL-5 bridge pickup and Fender CS '69 neck pickup into a Reeves Custom 50 (Hiwatt Custom 50 replica) with Vintage Purple "Fane" replica speakers.

Tone Pot Comparison

Comparison with Chords and Rhythm

Comparison with Leads/Solos

Comparison of solos 1 - with Demeter Compulator (compressor), Boss CE-2 chorus (modulation), and Carbon Copy (delay echo)

Comparison of solos 2 - David Gilmour style solos with Compulator, CE-2, Carbon Copy

Do they sound the same to you? They are different, but the differences are minor. There is a bit more fuzz in the bass notes with the SUF pedal, and a slightly different feel to the clarity of the fuzz. The differences are more noticable when using modulation, as these filters can bring up frequencies that are not as noticable without. There is also a slightly different feel between the two when playing. However, overall I feel these two pedals sound and play 95% the same. Is that extra 5% the vintage mojo? Perhaps. It could also be that the component values in the vintage Muff have slightly changed over time as the materials decayed, giving some parts a slightly different tolerance than what they are labeled. Those values marked on the vintage components may be unreliable as well, and the tolerances between the older parts and the newer may also account for the slight difference. I suspect that if each component value were individually removed from the circuit, measured, and exactly matched (they were not), these two pedals would sound identical. But still, the similarity is incredibly close considering these two pedals were crafted with components made around 37 years apart! Not long after this demo, I replaced the 5088 transistors in the SUF clone with a set of high hFE Fairchild SE4010 transistors. These seemed to be a much better match to the original FS36999 transistors in the '73 Muff (though most 4010 tranys are actually very low hFE, bad for BMs). With the exception that the clone has slightly more gain now, these pedals are an almost exact tonal match. In a blind test with matching gain and tone settings, I can barely tell these two pedals apart.

VINTAGE VS. NEW - Modern Electro-Harmonix Big Muff pedals and custom "boutique" versions of the Big Muff circuit like the Blackout Effectors Musket or Skreddy Pig Mine are all made with modern components. They sound very different from eachother, and very different from vintage E-H Big Muffs. What sounds "good" all depends on the individual - what tone you are looking for and what tone you prefer. Some people dislike the current E-H Big Muffs, citing that the old ones simply sound far superior. They do sound different, but that is because E-H is always changing the circuit with each new version so it WILL sound different. This is sort of a tradition with each new Big Muff model made. Does that mean the new Muffs sound inferior? Again it is all a matter of preference. The "older is better" thought does not hold up when you look at reliability of old components versus new, but many prefer the older tones simply because they are not common with modern Muffs. I also suspect there is occasionally some feeling of superiority from someone who paid $500-$1000 for a vintage Big Muff which causes that person to talk negatively about the newer Muffs, which typically sell for under $100. Regardless, which one a person likes is really just a matter of individual taste. David Gilmour of Pink Floyd made his vintage Ram's Head Big Muffs, as well as his modern Pete Cornish made Big Muff clones and variants, sound incredibly fluid and melodic, and unlike any other guitarist. In a totally different style of music, someone like Jack White of the White Stripes makes fantastic, raw, raunchy distorted guitar tones, simply using a modern USA reissue Big Muff. I think both eras sound different, but equally great.

THE BIG MUFF CIRCUIT - How it works

The Big Muff circuit is based on a common amplifier with clipping diodes design. What makes the Muff's circuit unique are two two clipping sections in a row, one clipping an already distorted signal, and subtle changes in capacitor and resistor values to smooth out and tame that signal as it goes through the mayhem of those two gain stages. Without getting into too much detail, below is a Big Muff Circuit Guide using a typical version 2 Big Muff PCB trace, with stages broken out by color, and a schematic with explanations of some of the individual section functions. Keep in mind the notes about how the individual components affect the circuit are a rather simplistic guide. Changing a value in one stage affects the circuit in other areas. There is a give and take each time something is changed, so experimentation is key to altering a Muff circuit to get the most desirable sound. Using this may help with an undertsanding of why one particular vintage Big Muff may sound better/worse/different than another. Thanks go to Robert P., Jansen, and Matt for assistance.

Here are INSTRUCTIONS for disassembling a vintage Big Muff.

ODD BIG MUFFS THAT DO NOT MATCH UP WITH ANYTHING ON THIS WEBSITE

Every now and then odd Big Muffs turn up with circuits and box graphics, sometimes mismatched with parts from versions that were made several years apart. Strange knobs can be explained because there were many knob types used, most shown on this website, and there are many Muffs around with replacement knobs. There are several possibilities that could explain some of the other oddities.

1. The Muff was defective, returned to Electro-Harmonix for repair or replacement under warranty, and EHX replaced the circuit board with a current production version on hand, but the graphics on the original box are from a previous version, or vise versa. That was likely a standard practice because it would have been less expensive to simply replace the whole circuit, pots and all, rather than to spend time trying to trace down which component was bad.
2. A previous owner, repair tech, or someone at a music shop may have combined components from one defective Muff (enclosures, knobs, circuits, switches) with components from from another defective Muff in an effort to make one sellable pedal. I have come across a few of these myself, and have actually done this myself with Muffs in my collection.
3. EHX discovered some older components (enclosures, knobs) in the factory warehouse and used them with a current production components to use them up. I have seen this happen with manufacturers I have worked with in the past, so I know it happens.
4. A tech has worked on the Muff at some point and replaced circuit components, switches or pots with newer ones that do not match the types originally used.
5. You have something unique that I do not know about, and you need to take photos and let me know about it right away :)

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. Jack White is another very avid user of the Big Muff, which you can hear on all the White Stripes and Raconteurs albums. Another very popular user was Billy Corgan, who used a late 1970s Big Muff, likely an op-amp version, 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, and others, have stated Jimi bought one at Manny's Music in New York, and Mike witnessed Jimi using it in the studio.

Among the scores of other users are Carlos Santana, John Lennon, Pete Townshend of The Who, Ernie Isley of the Isley Brothers, Steve Howe of Yes, Ronnie Montrose of Montrose (Les Paul/tweed Fender Bandmaster/V1 Big Muff used on their first album), Thin Lizzy, Robert Fripp, Ace Frehley (on early Kiss records), The Misfits, Matt Sharp of Weezer, Tony levin of King Crimson and Peter Gabriel's band, Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush, Triple Fast Action, Brian Aubert of Silversun Pickups, J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr.(a huge Big Muff collector), 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, Gilby Clarke of Guns n Roses, Troy Sanders of Mastodon, Robert Sledge of the Ben Folds Five, Jamie Cook of the Arctic Monkeys, Brian Molko of Placebo, Robin Finck of Nine Inch Nails, Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, Chris Wolstenholme of Muse, and Mike Mills of R.E.M. The band Mudhoney were also Muff users and named the EP Superfuzz Bigmuff after the Muff, which was a popular pedal during the 1990s grunge/alternative rock scene.

Jack White's Big 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 modulation effects that add to and harness its tone, rather than mask it. The Smashing Pumpkins are a good example of taking the basic low end vintage Muff tone and layering with multi tracks to create a huge rhythm sound.

Below is a photo gallery of some famous, and some not so famous, musician's pedal boards featuring their Big Muffs. If you are in a professional band and want to be included, email a pedal board photo featuring a Big Muff used in a live show to nasnandos@kitrae.net

DAVID GILMOUR of Pink Floyd

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 V2 Muff from the 1986 tour board, and the V2 from the 1987 board

Shown above, left to right: David Gilmour's P-2 Muff, which is a modified V2 Muff clone with more mids, made by Pete Cornish, and his V7 Russian "Civil War" Big Muff, all from the legendary, giant effects rack and pedal board used for the Division Bell tour in 1994

Shown above: David Gilmour recording A Pocketful of Stones on his Astoria floating studio in 2005 with a "Ram's Head" V2 Big Muff on the floor, and David's 2006 Pete Cornish custom pedal board with both Ram's Head and V1 "Triangle" Big Muffs. The board also includes a Pete Cornish P-1, which is a Ram's Head Big Muff clone

BILLY CORGAN of Smashing Pumpkins

Shown above: Billy Corgan's vintage Big Muff, shown with his exact settings (in middle), made famous on Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream album. Based on the graphics and pot sweep positions, this is likely a V4 op-amp Bug Muff. Pedal board photos are from the Machina tour.

JACK WHITE of The White Stripes, Raconteurs, and Dead Weather

Shown above, left to right: Jack White's red Big Muff (rehoused by Analog Man), a vintage USA model with an LED added. Mike/Analog Man has stated that this Muff is an old model, with the LED added before he re-boxed it for Jack. Likely a V6 Big Muff, based on the knobs and tone, and the fact that Jack was using one prior to 2000 when the V9 reissues became available. Jack has his Muffs reboxed in a smaller, sturdier enclosures because he crushes the stock enclosures.

Shown above, left to right: Jack White's Analog Man custom rehoused copper plated Raconteurs Big Muffs and white Dead Weather Big Muff. All are stock V9 USA reissue Big Muff circuits. Thanks to Mike (Analog Man) for the photo. Contrary to what some sources have stated, there is no mids mod to Jacks Muffs, but that is obvious if you listen to his tone.

Shown above, left to right: Jack White's V9 Big Muff from the excellent film It Might Get Loud (Sony Pictures Classics)

Shown above: Analog Man has reboxed and modded Big Muffs for many famous musicians, including Jack White. Above are two Little Big Muffs that were modded to V9 specs with vintage transistors and full size capacitors for Jack to try, though Jack preferred and stayed with his V9 Big Muffs. Thanks to Mike (Analogman) for the photos. Working around those tiny SMD parts must have been difficult!

JOHN FRUSCIANTE of The Red Hot Chili Peppers

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

J. MASCIS of Dinosaur Jr.

Shown above: A small portion of J Mascis' huge vintage Big Muff collection.

Here is what J Mascis had to say about his Muffs - "The one third from the left on the top goes "BMZZZZZZSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHZ ZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAAAATTT" when i turn it on in front of my rig with all it's knobs dimed. The second one from the right on the fourth shelf goes "BMEEEZZZZZZZZSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSZZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA TTTTTTTT" when i turn it on in front of my rig with all the knobs dimed and pointed slightly to the left towards the drums. See?"

Shown above: J Mascis' pedal boards with both V1 and V2 Big Muffs

Shown above: A few of J Mascis' V2 Big Muffs being worked on by Analog Man. Thanks to Mike (Analog Man) for the photos.

Shown above: J Mascis' favorite Big Muff, a V2 "Ram's Head" model, which according to J sounds very different from all his other Muffs. These photos are from when it was being cloned for J by Tym Guitars of Australia in 2010. Thanks to Tim for the photos.

THURSTON MOORE of Sonic Youth

Shown above, left to right: Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth's “squished” V7 Civil War Big Muff

DAN AUERBACH of the Black Keys

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

Dan's 2010 board includes one green tall font Russian Big Muff and one bubble font Green Russian. Each has a slightly different tone, and Dan's settings are very different for each.

JAMIE COOK of the Arctic Monkeys

Shown above: Arctic Monkey's V9 Big Muff used by lead guitarist Jamie Cook. In the photo on the right there appears to be a Little Big Muff on the far right

FEDERICO MREULE of Pinkover

Shown above: A recreation of David Gilmour's Division Bell tour effects rack by Federico Mreule, guitarist and vocalist for the excellent Pink Floyd tribute band Pinkover, including Pete Cornish P-2 Big Muff clone and V7 "Civil War" Russian Big Muff

edge muff

Shown above, left to right: A vintage Big Muff on the rack boards of The Edge from U2

Mike mills muff

Mike Mill's V8 Russian Big Muff from his R.E.M. bass pedalboard.

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 for his solo album recording in 1977, Flea's Chili Peppers pedal board with V9 Muff, and Mudhoney's Big 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: V7 green Russian Big Muff used by Robin Finck of Nine Inch Nails

......

Shown above, left to right: Thomas Erak of The Fall of Troy's V9 Big Muff, Brian Cook of the Russian Circles V10 little Big Muff, guitarist Kevin Shields' V1 Triangle Big Muff, and Ed Drost of Grizzly Bear's V9 Big Muff

ENTER THE SITE FOR A HISTORY OF ALL BIG 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, Daniel Shin, Kevin, Mark, Marc Skreddy, Ron, Damian, Domenic, Brad, Jay, John, Carlos, Scott, Billy, Matt at SUF, the folks at the Gear Forum and Gilmour Gear Forum, and everyone else who has contributed that I forgot to mention! And extra big thanks to Mike Matthews for starting it all!

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Contact: nasnandos@kitrae.net
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