Buyer’s Gear Guide : Big Muff
Welcome to the ultimate Big Muff Buyer’s Guide! Here you’ll find a presentation of a wide range of Big Muffs for your Gilmour tones. Whether you’re mainly playing at home or spend most of your time on the road, there’s always a Big Muff that’ll cover your needs!
Each pedal is rated based on noise level, how well it works on smaller amps and bedroom volume levels and in combination with a booster. I’ve also given each pedal a score based on my very subjective opinion. These ratings and scores are based on extensive tests on both low wattage home studio amps and loud tube stacks, classic Gilmour pickups (Fender CS69+SSL5 bridge and EMG DG20) and both with and without boosters (Tube Driver, Colorsound Powerboost and Boss BD-2) – all with David Gilmour’s tones in mind.
Keep in mind that this is my very subjective opinion. You should always trust your ears and go for the pedal that suits your rig and tones. Do also consider each pedal individually. A green Sovtek sounds very different from a “ram’s head” so you can’t really compare the scores I’ve given to a Pig Hoof (ram’s head clone) with a Red Muck (Sovtek clone).
Feel free to comment on the reviews if you disagree or if you have any recommendations that’s not featured! Your opinion will help make the guide better!
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Pig Hoof
The Pig Hoof is a faithful clone of the mid 70s “ram’s head” Big Muff with tons of gain, thunderous lower end and smooth sustain. It’s featured on my stage board as my main distortion unit for my Airbag tones and in my humble opinion this is as close to David’s Animals and Wall tones as you’ll get. Full review below. -
Large Beaver
The Large Beaver sat the bar for all Muff clones to come with a warm, smooth sustain and dead silent cirquit. This 4-knob little beast allows multiple tone options and classic 70s triangle and ram’s head tones. The Large Beaver nails everything from Comfortably Numb tone to the massive Sabbath riffs! Full review below. -
Musket
The Musket pushes the limits of the classic Big Muff and the result is an incredibly versatile pedal. Loosely based on the early Sovtek models, the Musket sounds like a vulcano in full eruption. The additional tone controls makes this ideal for even the smalles amps and lowest bedroom levels. Full review below.
Electro Harmonix “triangle” Big Muff 1970
- Used by David on the 2006 European summer On an Island tour
The first Big Muff model is considered by many to be the most musical of all. The pedal has a smooth and warm tone with rich sustain, fat lower end and a crisp attack. Its mild gain makes it easy to tame and ideal in a combination with a booster/overdrive. The “triangle” covers all of David’s Muff tones but you might want to add a hint of mid range for authentic PULSE tones.
Noise level: N/A
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 10/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 8/10
Gilmour tones: DG78/Wall/Final Cut/Gdansk
Electro Harmonix “ram’s head” Big Muff 1973
- Used by David from 1976-present
Compared to the average “triangle” the “ram’s head” has an overall more aggressive tone with more gain and brighter top but still the rich sustain and thunderous lower end. The pedal stands well on its own but a transparent booster/overdrive adds to its already monstrous tone. The “ram’s head” is ideal for Animals and Wall but a hint of mid range boost makes it incredibly versatile for any era. Personally I prefer the later “violet ram’s head” for a bit more gain.
Noise level: N/A
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 10/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 8/10
Gilmour tones: Animals/DG78/Wall/Final Cut/Gdansk
Note: Keep in mind that the triangle and ram’s head is essentially the same pedal. The differences are usually based on the clones and not the original pedals. There are triangles that sounds like any other ram’s head and vice versa. Read more here.
Electro Harmonix Big Muff (transistor and op-amp) 1976
This late 70s model was produced both as a transistor and op-amp version. The transistor version is very similar to the “ram’s head” with a bit more gain while the op-amp pedals has a distinctly bigger character typical of the early 90s grunge bands. In essence both are perhaps best described as a mix between the “ram’s head” and the early 90s Sovtek models with an aggressive, almost boomy tone that’s a bit hard to tame.
Noise level: N/A
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 4/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 5/10
Gilmour tones: Wall/Delicate/PULSE
Electro Harmonix Pi US 2000 reissue
The current US model is somewhat similar to the late 70s red/black Muff although it has little resemblance of the classic Big Muff tones. It has a boomy, over-saturated character with a growling muddy lower end and choked sustain. It does stand well on its own but can be hard to tame with a booster.
Noise level: 7/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 2/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 2/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE
Electro Harmonix Little Big Muff Pi
The current Nano version is not to be mistaken for the 70s model with the same name. The Little Big Muff Nano is more or less identical to the US reissue although with a bit more presence and sustain, which makes the whole difference. A bonus is the small pedal board friendly foot print. It stands well on its own but works nicely in combo with a booster/overdrive as well.
Noise level: 7/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 7/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 7/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE
Electro Harmonix Big Muff Pi with Tone Wicker
This one is very similar to the Little Big Muff featuring an additional tone toggle switch based on the more popular mods on the boutique market. The “wicker” mode adds more presence sustain and the tone switch allows the tone stage to be bypassed for an even more scooped mids tone and fatter gain. Doesn’t quite stand up to similar boutique models but definitely the best sounding of the new EHX models.
Noise level: 7/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 7/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 8/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE/Gdansk
Electro Harmonix Bass Big Muff Pi
This Big Muff from the current EHX line is surprisingly close to the old Sovtek models and the green in particular. Tons of gain, massive lows and a pronounced mid range makes it a great option for David’s Delicate and PULSE tones. A featured toggle switch allows you to switch between bass boost, classic Muff tones and an effect mix control.
Noise level: 9/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 7/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 7/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE/Gdansk
Electro Harmonix Germanium 4 Big Muff
Contrary to what its name implies this is not a Big Muff but rather a germanium fuzz with a overall much milder and warmer tone. Its two separate channels allows for either a classic germanium overdrive or a typical late 60s Fuzz Face-ish tone and you can combine the two for a result much similar to combining a fuzz with a Colorsound Powerboost. A great option for David’s 1968-71 tones but not a recommended option for classic Big Muff tones.
Noise level: 7/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: N/A
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 5/10
Gilmour tones: Saucerful/More/Atom Heart/Meddle/Pompeii
Note: Electro Harmonix has a wide range of spin-off models like Metal Muff, Micro Metal Muff, Pocket Metal Muff, Muff Overdrive, English Muff’n, Double Muff and Deluxe Big Muff… did I forget someone? To keep it short; – stay away from them all and get yourself a nice clone.
Sovtek “Civil War” Big Muff Pi 1990
- Used by David from 1993-94
The “civil war” model is recognized by its familiar exterior and larger than life tone. Although very similar to the late 70s red/black version the “civil war” has a boosted mid range, crisp attack and thunderous lows as well as an incredible sustain. Its mild gain makes it easy to tame in combo with a booster although it operates very well on its own. The pedal is ideal for David’s Delicate and PULSE tones but nails pretty much everything from Animals to Gdansk.
Noise level: N/A
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 8/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 8/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE/Gdansk
Sovtek “Green Russian” Big Muff Pi 1994
The early so called “tall font” versions of the green russian is identical to the “civil war” while the later more common “bubble font” has a bit more gain and an overall nastier sound. The pedal is easy to tame in combo with a booster although it operates very well on its own. It’s ideal for David’s Delicate and PULSE tones but nails pretty much everything from Animals to Gdansk.
Noise level: N/A
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 8/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 8/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE/Gdansk
Sovtek “Black Russian” Big Muff Pi 1998
Due to inconsistent circuits and vague transition periods the early big box Black Russian is essentially identical to the “bubble font” Green Russian with same mid rangy growling gain. The later slightly smaller box version however is closer to the US reissue with a fairly dull tone.
Noise level: N/A
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 8/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 7/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE/Gdansk
Note: As the early triangle and ram’s head Big Muff the Civil War, Green Russian and early Black Russian are hard to tell apart due to inconsistencies in the production and often overlapping designs and component values. See The Big Muff Pi Page for more details on each version.
Boutiques and clones
There’s a wide range of Big Muff clones on the market. While some claim to be 1:1 clones others offer modified circuits or additional features like mid boost and tone bypass. Keep in mind that a clone is, as the name implies, based on one or several similar sounding pedals. Before you buy a clone it’s wise to find out what the designer had in mind when he made the pedal. The designs may be based on a version of that pedal that sounds quite different to the one you have in your collection. That doesn’t mean that the clone is bad. It just sounds different.
Pete Cornish P-1
- Used by David 1976-77 and 2006
The P1 is based on a “ram’s head” circuit with the characteristic bright crisp top, fat lows and tons of sustain. It stands perhaps best on its own but a transparent booster adds a bit more warmth and an overall smother tone. Some, me included, might find the pedal to be too pristine lacking some of that classic vintage Muff mojo but the P1 is preferred by Gilmour and nails those classic Animals and Wall tones. A hint of mid range boost takes care of the Delicate and PULSE tones as well.
Noise level: 10/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 10/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 8/10
Gilmour tones: Animals/DG78/Wall/Final Cut/Gdansk
Pete Cornish P-2
- Used by David between 1989-94
Presented by Cornish as an upgrade of the P1 the P2 has perhaps more similarities with the late 70s red/black models and the Sovteks with a boosted mid range, thunderous lower end and tons of gain. Of all the Big Muff models this one sound best alone and even then, some (including me) might find it hard to tame.
Noise level: 7/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 2/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 7/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE
Pete Cornish G-2
- Used by David since 1999
The G2 isn’t really a Big Muff but rather one of Pete Cornish’s more unique designs. It has a strong reference to the germanium Fuzz Face and LM308 RAT with a creamy fat distortion, lots of sustain and mid range. The pedal is perhaps more versatile than a Big Muff, suitable for a wider range of musical genres and playing styles. The G2 stands well on its own and maintains its tone and character on even the lowest levels, making it ideal for bedroom setups.
Noise level: 7/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 8/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 10/10
Gilmour tones: Dark Side/Live 8/Gdansk
MojoHand Colossus
Based on the early Sovtek models, the Colossus lives up to its name with a huge tone, thunderous lows and endless sustain. Like the Civil War, the Colossus has a boosted mid range that can be further sculpted with additional controls. The pedal stands well on its own but a mild, transparent booster will bring out the attack and top frequencies. The Colossus is spot on David’s Delicate and PULSE tones. See my full review here.
Noise level: 10/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 8/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 10/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE/Gdansk
EarthQuaker Hoof Fuzz
The Hoof Fuzz is based on the early Sovteks and the green in particular. It has that familiar fat mid range, saturated gain and rich sustain but the Hoof also got a bit more presence, which makes it a great deal more versatile. An additional mid range control also allow you to sculpt the tone even further. The pedal stands well on its own but handles boosters equally well. Ideal for David’s Delicate and PULSE setups, but doubles nicely as a fuzz for the earlier tones as well – especially for those bedroom setups.
Noise level: 8/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 8/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 10/10
Gilmour tones: Pompeii/Dark Side/Delicate/PULSE
CostaLab Custom Muff
The Custom Muff is perhaps best described as a mix between the triangle and early Sovtek models. This no frills Muff features the classic three knob configuration and a tone that ranges from vintage overdrive to full blast fuzz. The Custom Fuzz works equally well as a stand alone unit or in combo with a transparent booster for a bit more presence and bite. This is one of the more versatile Big Muff models that tackles everything from Dark Side of the Moon to PULSE. See my full review here.
Noise level: 10/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 10/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 8/10
Gilmour tones: Pompeii/Dark Side/Delicate/PULSE
Wren and Cuff Box of War
The Box of War is, as the name implies, a faithful recreation of the legendary Sovtek Civil War. The tone is huge, yet fairly mild with fat lower end and endless sustain. This is probably as close as you’ll get to the much sought after Russian original. The Box of War stands well on its own but you can also combine it with a mild, transparent booster for a bit more presence. If you want to nail Gilmour’s PULSE Comfortably Numb tone then look no further.
Noise level: 10/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 10/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 10/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE
BYOC Large Beaver
The Large Beaver is in my opinion one the best sounding clone of the classic Big Muffs. The current kit feature setups for both the “triangle” and “ram’s head” models as well as an additional 3-way tone switch allowing classic scooped mids, tone bypass and mid boost. Both models are very close to the originals with the same musical qualities and tone. A bonus is the true bypass switching and dead silent circuit. The “ram’s head” is perhaps preferred for David’s tones but the “triangle” easily nails most of his leads from all era. Add a hint of mid range (or use the mid boost feature) for a Delicate/PULSE tone.
Noise level: 10/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 10/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 10/10
Gilmour tones: Animals/DG78/Wall/Final Cut/Gdansk
BTMB Royal Beaver
The Royal Beaver looks overwhelming but it’s one of the most versatile Big Muffs on the market. In addition to the standard volume, gain and tone controls the pedal feature controls for three separate gain stages allowing setups for several models including “triangle” and “ram’s head”. Last a 3-way tone mode switch allows for classic mid scooped tones, tone bypass or mid boost as featured on the Large Beaver. The Royal stands well on its own but a booster brings out its full potential. It should be mentioned that although the RB allows a wide range of tones you’re basically tweaking around a typical “triangle” circuit with perhaps some limitations for the purists. See my full review of the Royal Beaver here.
Noise level: 10/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 10/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 10/10
Gilmour authentic tones: Animals/DG78/Wall/Final Cut/Gdansk
Jam Pedals Red Muck
This is an unusual combination of the warm mild character of the “triangle” and the fat lower end and creamy sustain of the Sovteks. The Red Muck may appear a bit thin and flat on its own but opens up for a wide range of tones in combination with a booster. Ideal for David’s Delicate and PULSE tones and highly recommended for bedroom setups. See my full review of the Red Muck here.
Noise level: 8/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 10/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 10/10
Gilmour authentic tones: Delicate/PULSE
Blackout Effectors Musket
The Musket isn’t really a clone of any particular model although is has strong similarities with the late 70s red/black Muff and the early Sovteks. The additional pre, mids and focus controls makes the pedal incredibly versatile and suitable for more genres and styles than any other Big Muff. The focus control adds more presence and sustain allowing the pedal to cut effortlessly through the mix. Its also probably the best Muff model for bedroom setups and it manages to maintain its character on even the lowest levels. The Musket covers all of David’s lead tones from all eras and stands equally well on its own and with boosters. See my full review of the Musket here.
Noise level: 9/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 10/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 10/10
Gilmour tones: Animals/Wall/Delicate/PULSE/Gdansk
Electronic Orange Pig Hoof
The Pig Hoof is a clone of the mid 70s “ram’s head” with smooth, warm gain and a typically deep mids scoop. The Hoof has an incredibly tight lower end and clear presence that makes it equally suited for both a stand-alone pedal (especially with hotter pickups) and in combo with a booster. Of all the “ram’s head” models I’ve tried this is by far the loudest but also one of the quietest. The Pig Hoof covers all of David’s tones, Animals, Wall and Island in particular and it also works incredibly well on bedroom setups. See my full review of the Pig Hoof here.
Noise level: 9/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 8/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 10/10
Gilmour authentic tones: Animals/Wall/DG78/Final Cut/Gdansk
Top Tone Drive Gate DG-1
The DG1 is loosely based on the Pete Cornish P2 with much of the same character as the Sovtek models – fat lower end, boosted mid range, rich sustain and an overall saturated character. The pedal stands well on its own but goes nicely with boosters as well, although this combo might be a bit too much on some setups. The DG1 covers David’s Delicate and PULSE tones in particular and works nicely on bedroom setups. See my full review of the DG1 here.
Noise level: 7/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 4/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 7/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE
TopTone Drive Gate DG-2
The DG-2 is loosely based on the Pete Cornish G2. Not really a Big Muff but closer to the classic RAT with a warm, creamy germanium tone and tons of sustain. Compared to the Cornish, the DG2 is actually noticeably quieter and even a bit smoother. An excellent choice for a versatile setup and for bedroom setups. See my full review of the DG2 here.
Noise level: 9/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 8/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 9/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE/Gdansk
MJM Foxey Fuzz
The Foxey Fuzz is one of the few clones of the Guild and early “triangle” era Big Muffs. It has a typical “triangle” character although with a bit more gain and output than the average clone making it a great alternative for a silicon fuzz for those Pompeii and Dark Side tones. The pedal stands best on its own although a very mild booster smooths out the fuzzy overtones. The Foxey Fuzz covers David’s 70s lead tones in particular but might be a bit too hard to tame for a bedroom setup.
Noise level: 7/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 7/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 5/10
Gilmour tones: Animals/DG78/Wall
VFE Fiery Red Horse
The Fiery Red Horse is similar to the Royal Beaver and Musket, packed with features for different tones. The pedal is based on the early “triangle” era circuit with additional controls for choosing between different clipping stages, mid range modes and voltage for adjusting the overall gain. This is an incredibly silent pedal with a classic warm and mild tone but perhaps just a bit too mild. It really needs a booster behind it to open up and to get enough gain. Still, it’s a great sounding option for a wide range of Gilmour tones.
Noise level: 10/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 10/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 5/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE
North Effects 22/7 Violet Ram
North Effects offers a wide range of clones similar to BYOC based on simplicity and classic designs. The Violet Ram is a clone of the mid 70’s “ram’s head” that had a bit more gain and bite. This is definitely not a smooth sounding Muff but it nails those Animals tones in particular. Tonewise it’s similar to the Jam Pedals Foxey Fuzz although a bit easier to tame. A great option for a budget setup. See my full review of the 22/7 Violet Ram here.
Noise level: 8/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 10/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 5/10
Gilmour tones: Animals/DG78/Wall/Final Cut
Behringer VD1 Vintage Distortion
The VD1 is very similar to the current EHX US reissue with a boomy saturated character and sometimes a choked sustain. Nothing I’d recommend for David’s tones although a decent budget alternative. Adding a booster smooths out some of the harsh overtones but of all Big Muffs I’ve tried the VD1 really needs a loud tube amp to really open up.
Noise level: 7/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 5/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 2/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE
Skreddy Pedals Pink Flesh (discontinued)
The idea behind this pedal was to capture the tone of David’s “ram’s head”+Colorsound Powerboost combo typical of the Animals/Wall era. Although the pedal has an unmistakably ram’s head-ish character it’s a bit too wild and hard to tame with too much gain and mid range. The insane noise level is also a huge drawback. Personally I think its better to get a Muff that’s milder and increase the gain with a booster rather than having to constantly be wary of the volume and noise level when you’re playing.
Noise level: 2/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 1/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 8/10
Gilmour tones: Animals/Wall/DG78
Absolute Analog Green Russian (discontinued)
This is a clone the Green Russian Sovtek with much of the same thunderous lower end and boosted mid range. It doesn’t quite sound as big, open and smooth as the “civil war” or Green Russian though, which for me is the whole reason for getting a Sovtek. The AA Green Russian stands well on its own but its fairly mild character also makes it easy to tame with a booster.
Noise level: 7/10
In combo with boosters/overdrives: 8/10
With smaller amps/bedroom level: 8/10
Gilmour tones: Delicate/PULSE
Please feel free to use the comments field below and share your Big Muff tone tips and model recommendations!
Related features: The Big Muff tone tutorial, Classic Tone – Comfortably Numb, David Gilmour and the Big Muff.
Visit The Big Muff Pi Page for more technical details on each Big Muff model. A big thanks to Kit Rae for help.
hi bjon! i just bought a big muff pi us and a ehx nano misstress, i was wondering if there is anyway i can get anywhere near the wall tone? ive also got a randall rg40, digitech rp55 and a strat with david gilmours pickups (ssl5,50fat,cs69) Thanks
[I'm not that familiar with the Randall amp but it should be able to produce some nice clean tones. Check out this Big Muff tone tutorial for some tips on amp and pedal settings for start and let me know if you need more help after that. - Bjorn]
Thanks, Bjorn. I really enjoyed reading your article. More guides like this, please :-) Delays, maybe?
[Thanks! I will update the other buyer's guide features in the coming weeks. - Bjorn]
awsome! love to see a list with all the Coloursound and Tubedriver clones, of course im just ganna build my own hopefully : P
[I'll be using the next weeks updating the other buyer's gear guide features :) - Bjorn]
great guide! i’m sure this will help people find a muff they like
[Cheers! - Bjorn]
very nice reviews!!!
i have a north effects violet ram. it is a bit tricky to use it on bedroom level with a smooth sound.
my way: i roll down the tone-knob (10 o’clock) with the gain knob at 1 o’clock on the muff. next in chain there is my booster, a boss bd-2 with almost no gain (9 o’clock) but with the tone-knob high (2 o’clock). i think this works well.
[The BD2 is an excellent boost. Thanks for sharing the tip! - Bjorn]
Where do you find time for such a review! Amazing job!
Once again, thanks for so much info!
I enjoy a red muck and, as you say, it works great on his own, but pushed up with the colorsound it sounds terrific, on the contrary, pushing it up with tube driver doesn’t work, the sound/tone goes “down” and I tried moving the tube driver both in front and after the red muck (so I push it up with the colorsound, it sounds great and… no problem! ; )
Again: thanks Bjorn for sharing your info with all of us!
[Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the feature :) The Tube Driver can be quite difficult but I don't have any problem with it in combo with the Red Muck on my rig. What's your TD settings? I always keep the volume at around 2:00, which provides a nice volume boost. - Bjorn]
This really is great information, thank you, and for the rest of this site too. Fantastic research and insight. A couple of questions: The Little Big Muff Nano, same thing as the Little Big Muff widely available today (Amazon, Guitar Center etc.)? Also, the Bass Big Muff, just to be clear your are talking about using this for guitar rather than bass, right?
Thanks again for sharing your work.
[The Little Pi and Little Nano is the same pedal. Bass players have been using fuzz and Big Muffs since the late 60s. The Bass Muff is more or less identical to the Sovtek circuit, which is branded as a guitar pedal, with an additional bass boost. The pedal works very well on guitar. - Bjorn]
Great guide Bjorn, as always…
Does anyone ever tried Stomp Under Foot (SUF) Big Muff replica? What’s about them?
I have read some great words on kit rae’s big muff page abot them, but some more review will be appreciate…
thank you
[Thanks! I've only tried the Big Muff '73, which I believe was a limited run of a specifically cloned circuit. It was way too aggressive and wild for my taste. Based on reviews it seems that the Civil War and Ram's Head clones are very good. - Bjorn]
Hello,
Great review! Thanks for all this informations.
Have you ever try the Big Knob Civil Warp?
Thank you.
(PS: Sorry for my bad english)
[No I haven't. Thanks for the tip! - Bjorn]
Hello Bjorn
I have a North Effects triangle muff, it sounds stellar! Way more smooth and magical than the Large Beaver, but the Lareg Beaver offcourse does have the benefit of the mid-rotary switch! But pure tone wise, the North Effects wins. They use N.O.S. transistors in the triangle, I think that contributes to that!
I also have a vintage Rams Head, that one is great as well, much more ‘huge’!
I love your site, thanks.
GrtDave.
[Thanks for your input :) - Bjorn]
Hello Bjorn! When I decided to buy a Big Muff, I use for reference the videos and comments that you made. I bought a while ago the BYOC Larger Beaver and I NEVER regret that purchase. Excellent pedal and the sound takes you to the clouds.
[Agree! Cheers! - Bjorn]
Hello Bjorn,
Great review.
I’ve just bought a Bass Big Muff on ebay and wanna know which settings are the best with a BD-2 as a Booster.
thank you
[Depends entirely on your guitar/pickups, the amp and its settings and how loud you play... Usually, in combo with a mild volume boost, a fairly moderate setting would do nicely... volume 50-60%, tone 30-50%, gain 40-60%. - Bjorn]
I forget the Italian CostaLab muff/cornish replica (Custom Muff, Natural Drive, Natural Drive MK II, Moon Drive and Sun Drive).
Does anyone ever tried one of these?
Great article as always Bjorn! I am surprised that Absolutely Analog is gone; I really enjoy their Green Russian, I guess that just makes it all the more fun to own now that it is discontinued. What do you think?
[Yeah... nice little pedal indeed :) - Bjorn]
MXR was one of the companies/effect builders that Dave partook in.
[David used Phase 90 and Dynacomp in the 70s but I don't think he had anything to do with their designs. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn, great clips and great articles as always, I would like to thank you for the continuos help that you give us Gilmourish’s fans sharing your knowledge!
I actually love the tone that you get from the Large Beaver in the brand new clip, it’s incredible smooth and close to the original. I never use my Byoc LB “triangle” for the wall era because I’m not able to reach this kind of smothness and character so I go with the RAT and BD2 but it’s not so close as the Muff. Could you share some settings???
Cheers,
Luca
[Thanks! What's your guitar/pickups and amp? Let me know and I'll try to help. - Bjorn]
Strat AmSTD cs69+SSL5 bridge>byocLBtriangle4knobs>bd2keeley>laneyCUB12r
At a very low bedroom level because my two childs are in the near room!
I’m looking for the really smooth but aggressive tone you’ve got in the clip.
Thanks!
Luca
[OK, try this:
Large Beaver: volume slightly above unity, tone around 40%, gain 60-70%. Using a bit more gain helps on lower volumes.
BD2: volume 60-70% depending on how much boost you want, tone around 10:00, try to find a sweetspot depending on your picking etc, gain 9-10:00 right at the very edge of breakup.
Laney: reverb off, tone 6, volume as desired, bass 4.5, middle 4, treble 4, gain 1,5-2.
Hope this helped. - Bjorn]
Bjorn- Do you use your nova drive on its own or with a BD2? Want to pull the trigger on my low volume setup on my reeves 50 but am abit confused on what gain pedals to use? Thanks
[The ND is a two channel amp with a Tueb Screamer-ish overdrive circuit that you can blend with the distortion both before or after. Works pretty well on it's own but I prefer a more transparent boost with a BD2, Colorsound or similar. - Bjorn]
Another great article. The ratings is a great help and indicator for those who don’t have the opportunity to try the pedals in shop and have to rely on mail/internet purchase.
I’d like to see same article on booster and overdrive. Keep them coming!
[Thank you! I'll be updating the rest of the Buyer's Gear Guide as well. - Bjorn]
Great article. I’ll apologize in advance for all of my questions that follow. I have a NYC reissue that I’ve never been able to bond with (well, I just don’t like it). I’ve been able to get some pretty convincing tones with an older (early 90′s) RAT II, BBE green screamer, and a little delay into a tube combo. Unfortunately, this Big Muff is almost all the experience I have with them (other than playing some Sovteks in the 90′s)
I don’t need or want to copy David’s tone exactly, but I do want to pick up another BM or clone. The Tone Wicker and Bass Big Muff scored pretty close. Which of those do you feel is better at getting close to David’s sound? I’m also Musket is also tempting to me, but there seems to be a fine line between the price of some of these clones, and getting the real deal. Also interested in how you think the Maxon D&S stacks up to these.
I also have a BBE mindbender chorus/vibrato that I find useless for any application that requires a subtle “is this thing on” type of chorus. It seems to be way too much for any Gilmour apllication. Can you recommend a good pedal that gives just a little effect?
You may not have an answer to this next question, but I’m also a fan of Dinosaur Jr and J Masicis, who used the BM in a completely different way. Will one of these pedals do a decent job of covering both?
Jason
[Big Muffs can be quite challenging on some amps but given that your amp can handle a Big Muff I would say that both the Wicker and Bass Muff sounds way better then the US reissue. They serve different purposes though. The Bass Muff is close to the early Sovteks while the Wicker has some additional tone options making it perhaps a bit more versatile. My opinion is that the Musket is a much better pedal all together so if you ask me, the little extra on the price is definitely worth it. It's equally capable of producing great tones on smaller bedroom amps and those huge grunge tones. Check out the CostaLab ChorusLab for a mild chorus with effect mix control. - Bjorn]
Amazing review Bjorn, really!
Just got my hand on a bass Big Muff can’t wait to try it.
Have you ever used a combination of a POD with analog pedals? I just bought a POD HD500 and I was thinking of using the bass Big Muff in the fx return/send instead of using the modeled version.
I also use a CS-2 in front of the POD instead of using the modeled version of the Boss pedal. Not bad so far…
thanks
[Some Boss pedals seems to work OK but I've never gotten a Muff to work. - Bjorn]
Bjorn – In your Skreddy Pedals review of 2007 you say of the Pink Flesh, “I recommend this as the best sounding 70’s Muff I’ve ever tried. It earned its place on my pedal board!” Yet, in this review, it only rates a 2/10. What gives? Change of taste? Has the market surpassed them? Seems hard to imagine it would decline in your judgement so severely.
Also, some folks are selling assembled Large Beavers. Any difference between assemblers that you know of?
Personally, I find the Pink Flesh a little too much. Am looking for something I can dial back a bit as well. Find that edge inbetween too light and too much saturation.
[Well, I guess it was just the thing I was looking for back then but as I've explored different pedals and gotten a better sense of how I prefer a Muff+booster setup I realize that the Pink Flesh was just too wild and hard to tame. Try Axe, And You Shall Receive for your BYOC prebuilds. - Bjorn]
Bjorn,
Another terrific review and very welcome. Thank you for all your efforts. I was surprised that you did not include the Skreddy Lunar Module Deluxe in your list. Have you done a review of the Skreddy pedal? I have both the byoc large beaver and the Skreddy lm and feel they both excellent pedals. The 3 new clips are very helpful in seeing how to play the leads, much better than the printed page.
Thanks again
Bryan
[The Lunar isn't really a Muff but more a clone of the silicon Fuzz Face so it wouldn't apply to this guide :) - Bjorn]
Bjorn,
Thanks for the response. (Btw, great article, as always!!) Regarding the Large Beaver, the forums are all chirping about the BYOC folks changing chips and values of components and this being better than that, etc. How old is yours? Think the most recent ones are as good as the older ones (which the forums peg as pre 2008)? Or is all this much ado about nothing?
[Well, usually it's all about people wanting to show off. Once something is hard to get people will always claim it's better than what you can get now... for some reason. Most of the time it's just bullshit because it doesn't really matter what they think as long as you like the pedal, guitar or amp. Perhaps what they consider to be the best doesn't quite work as well the new model on your rig... In some cases though, manufacturers loose their path and make upgrades that makes lille sense... I will claim though that the Large Beaver is still a great pedal and you'll probably never hear a difference... - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn,
Absolutely great review of the options out there … and very timely for me as I contemplate a new Big muff purchase as I have only the Black Russian so far and even that sounds amazing to my ears though so I am looking forward to even better sounds from a new purchase. The Royal Beaver looks an amazing pedal and worth the extra money as it appears to be 3 Big muffs in one .. but I notice you do not have it down as being suitable for early Floyd 68-71 tones .. even though you mention that with just one clipping stage activated it sounds very similar to the Germanium EH 4. So my question is … can the RB get close to that beautiful Fat Old Sun tone … or do I need to go the full Germanium fuzz pedal route.
Cheers
Bryan
[I didn't meantion 1968-71 on any because David didn't use Big Muffs at that point. You might have a hard time getting a Muff to cover the Atom Heart tones because they're so typical for the germanium fuzz, which is much milder and warmer than a Muff. Depends on how authentic you want to be though and I haven't really explored that with the RB so with some tweaking around you might be able to manipulate it to sound somewhat similar. You could also go for a Tube Driver or something similar like the BD2, which is what David did on the 2006 live version. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn!
I have gotten into building my own as of late and have found all that I have been looking for at GuitarPCB.com. They have a circuit board called the GBOM that can be built to at least 10 different variations, each with mods for customization. I chose the Ram’s Head build and have been completely satisfied with it. They also carry what they call R2G2 (revision 2 G-2) that is at least as good as Pete’s. These are available as kits from mammothelectronics.com, but all the necessary support, as well as sound clips of the circuits in action, is at guitarpcb.com. Check them out and let me know what you think!
Dave.
[Thanks for the tip! - Bjorn]
Thanks Bjorn, the settings are pretty the same I used previously but with the tone on the laney at 10 and the highs at 6. I know the volume is the key, but I got always a tone that’s too dark. Putting the tone at 13:00 on the LB will go harsh so I tried on the bd2 but the tone became always thin and results in loss of character. I have to experiment a bit because I installed the SSL-5 a few months ago and respect to the cs69 I must reconsider all the settings! If you have some general advices….
A little out of topic, did you record the ending solo on “Never Coming Home” with the strat and cs69+ssl-5 and perhaps the OCD? The tone is terrific, really good job!
Cheers,
Luca
[I think it's wise to just plug the guitar straight into the amp without any pedals. Find the settings and tone you want and then add the pedals and tweak them to match the amp. I think the CS69+SSL5 sounds great on the Laney but low volume is also much more sensible to picking techniques, string gauge and action etc so you might need to spend some time trying out different settings. NCH was recorded over a long period. Some of the stuff is from my original demo where I used a Les Paul with PAFs straight into a Line 6 POD (solo in the bridge section). All the clean rhythms and fills were recorded with a Strat loaded with EMG DG20 into a split between a Reeves Custom 50 with 4x12" cab and a Leslie 760. The last jam solo is two parts - one fairly clean with the Tube Driver into the Reeves and the latter I added the Leslie. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn, thanks again for the support! If you have some time to spend again, here my first experiment with recording the solo on my mac. The volume is fairly low, you can hear the string picking. Sorry for the guitar playing…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYwBD9AqXes
Cheers,
Luca
[Sounds pretty good :) I think some volume would have opened up the tone even more but I think this sounds pretty accurate for your setup. - Bjorn]
Awesome as always! My reference when buying anything guitar related.
Just waiting for the same system with the Fuzz for the DSOM tones.
Thanks Bjorn.
[Thanks! I'm upgrading all the Buyer's Gear Guides this spring... stay tuned :) - Bjorn]
I have a modern US reissue Big Muff, and I’ve actually managed to get a pretty good Gilmour tone with it. You are definitely right about one thing though, it sounds like absolute shit on a small quiet amp. It has to be played very loud to sound good. I use it in combo with a Tonebone Classic Tube Drive (a very good Tube Driver/Power Boost type unit) and a Boss ME-50 mutli-effect unit with the BD-2 setting and the drive all the way down. I’m sure that you don’t have a lot of love for multi-effect units, but this one is actually very nice for simplifying your rig, as long as you don’t explore too far into the effects. Keep it basic and it does a nice job replacing some of your peripheral effects. With the BD-2 setting and the drive all the way down, I use it pretty much as an EQ, as it has both tone and bottom controls. I also save 2 presets of the volume level so I can switch back and forth from lead to rhythm volume with a single touch of the foot. Next I use the chorus, which is perfect because it is not dominating and has a mix control. It also has stereo chorus options (it has 2 outputs so it makes a good signal splitter at the end of your chain). Finally I use it as my always-on quiet ambient echo, so all I have to do is turn my main delay unit on and off for heavy delays. Combine all this with my vintage MXR Dyna Comp and Boss RT-20, I’ve found a real nice middle ground between Wall and PULSE tones.
[Thanks for your input! Actually, I mostly use a Line 6 POD at home and for years I used a Boss GT3 in my stage rig. I used the modulations and delays and combined it with stand alone gain pedals. Worked really well. Cheers! - Bjorn]
Incredible! Congratulations for that excellent Big muff/Big muff clones comparission.
I need your help:
My gear: MIM Strat (all standard)> Behringer Ultra Fuzz UZ400 > Dunlop Cry Baby > Behringer Vintage Tube Monster VT 999 [overdrive] > Behringer Overdrive OD400 [booster] > Behringer Vintage Phaser VP-1 > Behringer Digital Delay DD400 > Fender Volume Pedal > Fender Frontman 25R.
I want to make some changes without expending a lot of money and selling the ones that i’ll not use:
-Change the UZ400 with a BIG MUFF PI ($80)
-Change the OD400 with a LPB-1 ($40) or with a Behringer Vintage Tube Overdrive VT911($50)
-Change the vacuum tube of VT999 (12AX7) with another like (12AU7) that give me a less distorted tone, because when I use VT999 as a booster, it gives me a very dark sound.*
I’m very satisfied with the tube moster VT999, so that’s what i want to check VT911 as a booster. Also I’ll change the tube of VT911 for a brighter tone.*
I want your opinion about the changes I want to do, also recommendations of other pedals, other changes i would have to do in the chain of pedals descripted above; and I want you to recommend which vacuum tubes are the best for gilmour tones (Boost [VT911] and Drive [VT999]).
Thanks… Thanks for your excellent website and your help.
[Thanks for your kind words! Glad you enjoy my site :) The setup, chain and changes looks fine. A couple of suggestions... In terms of tubes, there are about three or four companies making tubes world wide and these license to a number of brands. I've been using JJ tubes for a while. These are warm and smooth with the punch and attack needed for David's gear and tone. Check out the Boss BD2 for a versatile booster and overdrive. Excellent option for David's Colorsound Powerboost and BK Tube Driver. It's also worth checking out the new TRex Tone Bug Booster. Hope this helped. - Bjorn]
Posted on FB but ill post here too as well. Im finished! after almost i a year ive finsihed building my Large Beaver! I would’ve finished sooner but i made it triangle specs then wanted to go back and redo the part to rams head specs lol holy shit what a process for this novice techy (whats funny is that now that im done i question wether i should’ve left it triangle specs LOL!). Anyways im curious about your Muff settings with the Beaver, actually really the only thing confuseing me is that you say “Tone, Gain, Volume”, hope its not a stupid question but since the Beaver has Volume ,Sustain, Tone, is “Gain” in refrence to the Sustain knob? Thanks Bjorn! Great Article!
[Gain is the same as sustain on the Muff :) Of course, depending on your amp, guitar and what pedals you combine the Muff with I usually set the Beaver like this: volume 60%, tone 40%, sustain 50-60%. - Bjorn]
Hi,does anyone have any opinion on line 6 hd modelling distortions and how they compare to the original gilmour rigs,I would recommend to bjorn a review and a trial run as after the man himself Dave. Your opinion ant thoughts are most respected
[Like all multi processors there are some sounds that are great and some that are pretty useless. Which is what depends on what tones you're looking for. I think Line 6 are very good at amp modeling, modulations and delay but I think they could have done more to develop better sounding gain effects. TC Electronic is in my humble opinion superior when it comes to gain processing. - Bjorn]
Also check this Rams Head clone: Orion Effekte – Ramlon Fuzz
http://www.orion-fx.com/ramlon-fuzz.php?language=en
[Nice! - Bjorn]
thanx bjorn, btw my setup is the usual 69/ssl-5 pups and a Peavey classic 50, also im useing a keeley BD-2 , would those settings you gave me work with combineing the BD? I usually have my BD as : Tone 10-11:00 ,volume 2:00 and gain between 9-10:30 are these also good settings for the BD-2? becaue sometimes i get confused on wether i should have my BD volume slightly higher then the muff and my RAT or vice versa. thanx agin
[The settings for the Muff and BD are in the ballpark of what you'd be using but you might need to fine tune them to fit your setup and playing. I find that settings the Muff volume to about unity with the amp and the BD2, or whatever booster, with a slight volume boost is the best combo. Also, place the BD2 after the Muff. - Bjorn]
Bjorn, In your older articles you say you prefer a Rat over Muffs when playing on smaller amps/bedroom level. Here you give the byoc a 10/10 for the smaller amps. Do you think the Beaver is the better choice over the Rat when playing on a lower volume or smaller amp?
cheers!
[Perhaps a bit misleading but the score is based on amps that can handle a Muff. I would not recommend Big Muffs for stuff like Roland Cube, Marshall solid states, Fender G-Dec and similar. For these I'd recommend the RAT, Boss DS1, TC Electronics Dark Matter and similar, which all are designed for these kind of amps. More on that here. The ones I've given a top score works very well on bedroom sized tube amps like the Laney Cube, Fender Blues Jr and similar low wattage tube combos or mini stacks. Please see the Big Muff tone tutorial for more. - Bjorn]
Thank you for this great insight, Bjørn. I was wondering, I have the AA green Russian. I’m not a purist I would say but I do like authentic sounding equipment. So I do tend to be a little OCD when it comes to my pedals. Would you say that the AA Green Russian will definitely nail any. Gilmour tones aside from the Gilmour “fuzz era” because I know how different a muff is from a fuzz. It’s been really bothering me that I may have a muff that just isn’t suitable for anything more than his 80′s and 90′s tones because I like to play it all. Thanks a lot!
[Well, how does it sound to you? What's important is that you think it sounds great. Spend some time on the settings, combine it with different voiced overdrive and boosters and modulations and see where that takes you. Most Big Muffs sound more or less the same but you can alter their tone with different boosters and modulations. Use a Mistress for the Animals and Wall tones and chorus for the 80s and 90s. The AA is a Sovtek clone, which David used in 1994. Prior and after he used a ram's head Muff, which is known for a bit brighter sound and not as much mid range as the Sovtek. Check out the BYOC Large Beaver for classic ram's head tones (Animals, Wall, Final Cut, Delicate, Island, GDansk) or the Electronic Orange Pig Hoof for something in between the ram's head and Sovtek. Hope this helped. - Bjorn]
Hey Bjorn,
Nice article. I am realy looking for a pedal to help me with some Gilmour sounds but aint looking forward to multiple Is there a bif muff clone that is versatile enough to serve as a main distortion unit playing other stuff like Porcupine Tree, Radiohead and interpol? The Royal Beaver or Musket caught my eye but maybe my my goal is too farfetched. I am playing on a VoxAC0 with my 60s strat and 360 Rickenbacker.
Would realy value your opinion. Keep up the good work.
[Hmmm... Well, the Muff is quite unique and you can't really compare it with other distortions. The Musket is perhaps the most versatile in terms of other tones but I wouldn't feel comfortable using a Muff for stuff like Porcupine, Radiohead etc. I think you're better off with a Shredmaster, Rat or TC Dark Matter. All of which has been in Steven Wilson's arsenal. - Bjorn]
Hello Bjorn,
Great article, I always love how they manage to get straight to the point, players like me just seem to want to run to their guitars whenever they hear about pedals. Speaking of which, today I am going to buy my first distortion pedal since then I have been using primarily the amp distortion, which I plan to act as boost once this pedal is purchased. My favourite tones are the ones David reproduces during his Remember the Night performance at Royal Albert Hall.
The pedals I was planning to look at include the Mxr Distortion +, the Big Muff Pi w/ Tone Wicker as well as the Little Big Muff and a Rat, as much as I love Gilmour, I think I may have to settle something with my 40 watt amp, I am currently using seymour duncan humbuckers in my guitar, should this smoothen out the tone a bit for all the pedals?
Well than’s again, keep up the great work.
[Thank you! Muffs have a tendency to sound a bit too wild and metal with humbuckers. Without knowing what amp you have I think I'd go for something versatile like a RAT. See this feature for more info. - Bjorn]
Thanks for the feedback. I will keep my Rat on my board then. Nice to see you are also into porcupine tree.
My question now is: is a Muff next to my Rat worth it.
Context:
The last couple of months (and comming months) I mostly play at home with the AC30 mastervolume helping me to keep the noise down. (probably what you call bedroom level). I have recently bought my stratocaster so i could focus on other music like my old love Pink Floyd. I use my vintage Rat and wondered if a Beaver or Red Muck would be a worthwhile investment for a more Gilmourish sound. Is it? Or is the difference between the RAT and Muck minimal at that sound level?
[Sorry for my late reply. The RAT and Muff are two different beasts and can't really be compared. The RAT has much more gain and will sound more saturated, even on lower volume levels, than the Muff. In a bedroom situation you really need a booster with the Muff for it to produce the "right" tones. Anyway, I think the Rat and Muff works nicely side by side offering a wide range of tones. - Bjorn]
If you don’t mind my asking, what is your opinion of Catalinbread’s Manx Loaghtan?
http://catalinbread.com/MANX
[I haven't had the chance to try this one yet but it based on the clips it sounds like it's based on the late Sovtek Muffs with perhaps a bit more mid range and a couple of additional controls for tone sculpting. Catalinbread makes some amazing pedals so I'm sure this is a safe bet :) - Bjorn]
hi björn!
some days ago i had the chance to buy a used demeter fuzzulator. although i never heard about that pedal before i bought it because it was very cheap.
still i cant say what kind of pedal it really is. the loose-setting sounds like an old warm fuzz, the tight-setting seems to be a kind of muff.
but i think it is a nice pedal and worth to try it.
and: a friend of mine said it sounds like “a muff for adults” ;-)
[Congrats! It's a nice pedal indeed. I think it sounds like a mix between the old fuzz pedals and a Big Muff. Very versatile :) - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn,
A few days ago, I bought Guyatone HD2 harmonic distortion and now I fight with him…
I think that, Guyatone HD2 is a little similar to Big Muff.
What do you think about Guyatone HD2?
I found this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBhtUWpQ9Bg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed9z_J8G-oo&feature=relmfu
Best regards
Tomek
[I haven't tried it actually. Sonically it's somewhere between a late 70s Muff and a silicon fuzz I think. Not as saturated and fat as the Muff but with a booster I'm sure it could be a nice alternative. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn! Any thoughts at the Wren and Cuff’s Tall Font Russian and the Box of War?
Cheers!
[I haven't had the chance to try any of them yet. I see that the Tall Font, early green Sovtek clone, gets a lot of praise. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn.
Great feature, I have just picked up a tall font green Russian in perfect condition.. Its awesome. Strangely enough for me much quieter than the pig hoof in a home setup. Would you agree with that?
I got a very pulse like tone from the second I switched it on. Combine with ce-2 and some serious gilmourizing lol
cheers Lee.
[My old green Sovtek is also one of the quietest fuzz pedals I've ever tried but I don't really have any noise problems with the Pig Hoof. It has a lot of gain though so you need to be careful when you mix it with a booster. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn,
I was wondering if you like the Electro Harmonix Nano Muff Overdrive. They say that its got an old circuit like in 1969, after fans of the old stuff had complained about newer Muff circuits. Is that true?
Cheers
Martin
[As the name implies it's more an overdrive than a Muff. The tone is a bit too mild for it to replace an ordinary Muff. Of the stock models check out the Tone Wicker or the Bass Muff. - Bjorn]
hi!
a little suggestion for all the people who have to use bedroom level …
i use a vfe alpha dog pedal which is not a muff (!) but a very nice kind of a rat. you can choose the clipping method from vintage (to me it sounds similar to an old LM308 rat) to turbo (that turbo rat sound – not my choice). there is also a fat control which adds bass and a switch for adding a germanium stage or a mosfet (very smooth).
the pedal has lots of gain in reserve and really likes to sing. never tried it with a boss bd2 (think it works well) but the vfe loves the butler tube driver for smoothing out.
i use the fuzzulator for a fuzzy muff tone and the vfe for a little bit more “action”. i even think about to ditch the violet north effects which is (was ?) on my gig pedalboard.
[Thanks for the tip! - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn!
This is one hell of a page, so helpful and clear. By the way have you checked Black Arts Toneworks Pharaoh fuzz and LSTR. From what I heard, they’re very versatile pedals and nails those American and Russian muff tones.
Cheers!
[Thanks! No, I haven't had the chance yet. Thanks for the tip! - Bjorn]
This site is amazing. Well done and thank you for all the work that you have put into it.
I had a few questions if you don’t mind…
I am looking at either a BYOC Little Beaver or the EHX Big Muff/Wicker. I really like both these pedals for a Muff. Which do you like better for the all around Gilmour experience?
For my Overdrive I currently own a Keeley modded SD-1 (TS808 Spec) and a Paul C. TIM pedal. What would I gain if I switched over to a BD-2? Could the TIM or SD-1 cover the same ground as the BD-2?
What can you recommend for a budget Flanger?
Thank you so much.
Doug
[Thanks for your kind words, Doug! Between the two, I prefer the Large Beaver. The Tone Wicker is OK but I think the LB has more character to offer. The Tim is very similar to the old Colorsound Powerboost and Tube Driver with a transparent tone. I don't think the BD2 is a must when you have this. I'm a bit torn on flangers. While there are some decent budget models none comes close to the Mistress... this goes for any price range really. However, check out the MXR Micro Flanger, Ibanez FL9 and TC Vortex. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn Not in your league I know but here’s my black russian big muff used on a go at the Time solo. I just acquired it for £40 and I don’t know why I didn’t get one earlier. This is honest – it sounds better the the Pete Cornish P2 I used to own some years back. Less bassy and unbelievably – queiter too!!! Thanks for this tremendous Big Muff feature Bjorn. Rock on Gilmour fans HAFSTRAT. thttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AMRNDJ5fBE
[Yeah, those Russians are great, aren't they.. :) Thanks for sharing, Howard! - Bjorn]
Hello,
http://wrenandcuff.com/site/the-stompboxes/the-caprid/
what do you thin about this???
[Definitely! Send me one and I'll do a review... LOL! - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn! Just a question. Big muffs make very much noice thats for sure, and when i stomp on my CS3 with my Big muff pi usa it makes the normal muff noice x100! Is this normal? And when i have the muff on with the CS3 and the guitar volume at 0 it doesent make that much nocie but its still lound like a normal muff noice x10 and when i turn the volum up on my guitar it does that wierd noice like david does on the intro of sorrow. Ty//Peter
[Noise is usually a combination of many factors. A Big Muff has a very saturated gain character and a compressor is basically a gain effect. This means that you're combining two gain effects which will cause more noise. A compressor will also henhance certain frequencies causing even more noise. It's just the nature of the pedals. Be careful with the settings when you're combining Muffs and other distortions with overdrives and compressors. Alone, the Muff needs high gain settings but in combo with a second gain pedal, you need to roll down the Muff gain depending on how much gain the second pedal adds. In general though I'd rather use a transparent overdrive with Muff rather than a compressor. Compressors should only be used when needed and as a tool to enhance certain parts of your playing. - Bjorn]
Bjorn, first off, let me thank you for maintaining this wealth of great information. I’m wondering if you have any experience using a Danelectro Transparent Overdrive alongside a Large Beaver? I think Version 1 is suppposed to pretty close to that of a Timmy pedal. Just looking for some budget boost to go with the beaver.
Thx
[I think that would go nicely. As the name implies, it's a transparent overdrive with a considerable volume boost as well. The tone ranges from crystal clean to near fuzz. - Bjorn]
@BrianMay : I own a sundrive but I can’t try it properly at the moment. However, it sounds horrible when I play at home at low volume on my Peavey Classic 50. So I guess it’s not suitable for small amps.
When I can I’ll try it loud and maybe post a soundclip so you can hear how it sounds like.
Hey Bjorn, do you think a RAT could have its place here in this review? Even though it’s not a Muff, you mentionned it many times in other articles maybe you could add the different kind of RAT as well?
Just a thought…
Thanks for your hard work it is very appreciated.
P.S. Did you try the Sundrive and Moondrive from Costalab?
[The RAT is indeed a great alternative to the Muff. I did include the G2 and DG2, which are very similar to the RAT. I'm planning a similar feature for distortions though, so the RAT will be featured there. Haven't tried the Sundrive nor the Moondrive but I have a Custom Fuzz review coming up soon :) - Bjorn]
@BrianMay : I tried the sundrive loud…. not sure if I like it.
see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlsgbsHyZKU
mine sounds almost like that.. but I guess it depends on taste but that’s not really what I’m looking for
Hi Bjorn, have you ever heard about Black Arts Toneworks Pharaoh? Please Bjorn do a review on the pedal. I need to hear what you think.
[I haven't had the chance to try it out yet. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn, can’t wait to hear the review of the Custom Fuzz!
thanks a lot!
Hey Bjorn im havingg some trouble with buying a muff, at first I was leaning heavily to the large beaver, but now im almost swayed to a v2 musket. Every time I go to make the buy I hesitate and think well mabye I should go with the other. Which do you think would sound best with my vox? I just ordered a jj 12au7 to replace the dual triode 12ax7 in my ad50vt-xl to brighten and give it more headroom. tone wise I love the sound of both, ive tried both with dg20′s and cs69s (beaver sounded a bit heavier gain wise but the musket is more versitile), and honestly I just cant pick which I like more. So for the vox which do you think would be better suited because I just cant perceive which sounded best. Thanks again and I loved the new tone guides, cant wait for #4!
Dave
[Well, ultimately, it comes down to preference and taste. All of these Muffs sound similar with minor differences. The Musket is one of the more versatile and it seems to work nicely on most setups. The Pig Hoof is also a safe way to go but I think you'll be pleased with the Musket :) - Bjorn]
Hello Bjorn!
You talk about the Big muff 4 Germanium by Ehx, I got one, and I would like to know what do you think about the overdrive side of this pedal? Is there any resemblance with a colorboost?
Actually, I use the overdrive side to boost my Big Muff, I find it pretty cool, but I never try a colorboost or any clone. So maybe it could be better.
Thanks for all :)
[Not quite. The Colorsound is based on silicon transistors, which are considerably more transparent and brighter. The Boss BD2 would be more similar. That being said, if it works out for you using the OD side to boost the Muff, then go for it :) - Bjorn]
Hey Bjorn, so are you saying that I shouldn’t be using the spark with the musket? I have been setting the musket for fuzz, and distortion, and pretty musch leaving the boost on clean at all times, as it finally gave me the that chimey, bell like ring I hear in Gilmours playing. I guess tame was the wrong word, but used as a clean boost, gain about 10-11:00, volume unity to slight boost, with eq’s both at about 1:00, and of ciutse the ckean settibg, seems to increase the frequency of the saw tooth waves from the musket, making it smoother, with more sustain. And I definitely only use a mild distortion on my RT-20 w/ TS 9 on Us and Them. Don’tyou leave your CSPB on clean boost most
of the time? I’m pretty happy with the tones I’ve found, but was trying to se if the spark would have that same effect on the FF, but I guess shortening the wave is the diff between xistortion, and fuzz, I guess it’s different on every rig, guitar, and pedal settings.
As usual, this post has self distructed, good luck Bjorn! Peace, Love, and:Gilmourish!!!!
[No, I'm not saying that you should but can :) I'm always using either a Powerboost (the Throbak nowadays) or the TD as a basis for all my tones... including the cleans but it depends on what pedals you combine these with. The Muffs that I usually use doesn't have much mid range while the Musket does. The more mid range, the less boost you need, because the pedal sounds more saturated and warm compared to the more mids scooped ones. Anyway, you must try different setups and listen to what works best for your rig and the tones you want. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn, can you remember the settings you had for the Tone Wicker Big Muff? I’m not sure whether it is because I’m using higher gain amps (despite being on the clean channel) but I’m just getting Mudhoney sounds out of it even when I’m sending the signal through a compressor and noise gate.
[I usually set all my Muffs fairly moderate with the tone around 40%, volume slightly above unity and the gain at 60%. Muffs sounds very different on different guitars and amps so it's hard to recommend anything specific. Obviously, amp settings also sets the overall tone. I'd be careful with using too much compression too. Try setting the amp up for a warm clean tone with the treble rolled considerably down and increase the mids and presence for a bit warmer tone. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn, Quick question, which do you prefer first in your pedal chain, the Rat or Big Muff? Tony
[Placement depends on whether you're gonna use the pedals together or not. I wouldn't use the RAT and a Muff together since they're both distortions with lots of gain, so it doesn't matter where you place them. - Bjorn]
Hello Bjorn,
What do you think about the famous Ronsound Hairpie?
Was about to buy one.
regards,
julian
[I haven't tried it, so I can't comment on that. - Bjorn]
Great reviews Bjorn!
What are thoughts if it was between the musket and the box of war? I notice they have very similar reviews. I like the versatility of the musket but dread so many knobs (and having to fiddle with it all the time). The box of war seems really awesome though, but I wonder how well it can do 70s stuff.
Any other thoughts between these 2??
Thanks so much!!!
[They're two different pedals really. The BoW if perhaps easier to set up but IMO not that suited for David's 70s tones. The Musket is more versatile and the additional controls allow you to dial in a wide range of tones. However, it's not as accurate to the Sovteks as the BoW. Between the two I think I'd go for the Musket. - Bjorn]
Hello I hope all is well and its great to hear a new airbag album is in the recording stages. I have seen that most of the guitars tracks are done in your home studio, are you using the reeves and the 4×12 or the cub?
The last time I posted I was in the stages of getting a pig hoof but do to sertin reasons I cud not. But that has changed and I’m getting quite fond of the B.Y.O.C stuff. So I got me a chorus and a large beaver .I’m undecided on which version to build. I was thinking the triangle then adding the agrishin with the tube works tube overdrive,(vintage 5 knob version,12au7 ,got for 70$ :) its absolutely fantastic. But I’m waiting for the competition to end next Monday. One last thing, I entered the competition on the first and I’m 99.9% shear the CAPTCHA Code was not there, so shud I reenter or something.
My thoughts are to all on the U.S. east cost.
Thanks from the stats, bailey
[I'm recording some of the guitars at home with the Laney Cub. It's mostly some of the cleaner rhythm parts, soundscapes etc. I'll be recording all the leads and heavier rhythms with the Reeves later on.
I'm very fond of the triangle but the ram's head specs are perhaps a bit more versatile. It also depends on what amp and guitar you'll be using with the pedal.
You don't have to re-submit. I just had to add a captcha to reduce the spam. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjørn
Looking for advice on a good muff-clone for a dark plexi-style amp. I currently have the BYOC triangle, and it’s a fantastic and very smooth pedal, but with my Metro JTM50 (1986 bass spec) it’s too smooth and loose in the bass, and I find myself cranking the tone-knob on the triangle to get enough bite, resulting in a bit of harshnes in the tone. I could do with a pedal with a little more presence, bite and tighter lows to begin with. Maybe a ram’s head-circuit would do my amp better justice? You speak highly of the Pig Hoof, and another candidate that get great online reviews is the SUF VRH. How do you think one of theese would match my setup?
Boosters is a couple of the usual suspects; Keeley BD-2 and Paul C Timmy. (One has to go, can’t decide which:-) The Timmy has the upper hand for now.
regards
[Hi Rolf. The Ram's Head does have a bit more bite and top end, so that may work out better. The Pig Hoof and SUF VHR and the violets in general are very dark compared to other ram's heads so you might find these a bit too much for your amp. I think my best tip would be the Musket. It's based on the Sovteks but it's one of the most versatile Muffs on the market. The focus feature is especially handy on darker amps for adding a bit more presence and for tightening the lower ends. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn, yet again, a great article on the Muff pedals. Keep up the good work.
Ever tried a Basic Audio Tri/ram Muff (boutique)?
[Thanks! No, I haven't had the chance to try that one yet. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn! Thank You For your Awesome Site!
Quick Question! I can’t exactly understand, Shall I plug Big Muff and Booster (Boss BD) on Clean Channel or Overdrive Channel?
Does David use overdrive channel any time in past and now? Or i must forget about overdrive channel?
Thanks!
[Whatever works for your tone... David always uses the clean channel and I also think that Big Muffs sounds better on a clean basis. Try setting up the amp for a warm clean tone and plug the guitar into the Muff and then a booster. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn
With all your positive comments about the Colossus, I was expecting it to replace the Musket in your “Top 3″… Any further clue on why you kept the Musket after all over the Colossus? :)
By the way, did you hear about the “red guard” limited edition of the Colossus?
[Not familiar with the "red guard"... The Musket is still a more versatile Muff, so I'll keep that one in the top 3. The Colossus however is a great Civil War clone so my total score is based on the qualities of each pedal and these two are too different to really compare them with each other. - Bjorn]
Oh and also,do you plan on reviewing the Catalinbread Manx Loaghtan and the Wampler Leviathan? They seem to have pretty decent comments so far.
[Perhaps I should :) - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn,
This is my first time leaving a comment here on gilmourish, and Im a big fan of Gilmour, and gilmourish.com. I’v been trying to recreate Davids tones for a while now, just using the bassics – strat , boss ds 1 , boss blues driver , ehx small clone chorus , boss dd3 and a cs 3 compressor.
since I have been gigging with my band for the last year or two, playing mainly classic rock stuff like the stones, santana, pink floyd ect, I bought a fender hotrod deluxe, with the eminence red coat wizard speaker which has a distinctivly british sound and feel.
I always think to myself that, Hendrix , Clapton, Marvin and all the Rock ‘n Roll legends of the past 50 years or more, have all used just what has been available to them, and it sure got them a long way.It makes me think that I should just stick to what I have got and not worry all the time about what pedal I need to get next and just get on with playing. BUT as I’m sure you and eveyone else knows there is always room for one more pedal and one more guitar and so on,right…?
Anhow, I have decided its about time I get a decent Big Muff or a clone, and where I live there’s not a big selection of boutique pedals, just boss, ehx, akai, mxr, ect – all the nomal brands.
I was wondering if you could do a review of the Bass Big Muff as there are no real helpfull reviews on youtube.
I would greatly appreciate it if you could as I am thinking about getting one, because i can get EHX stuff where I stay although I have never actually seen one in stock and have never seen anyone else playing one.
Thanks, and great job with gilmourish.com, I’m a really big fan of Dave’s tone and playing, and enjoy watching your Faithfull renditions on Youtube.
From Matt.
[Hi Matt! Thanks for posting and your kind words! Glad you enjoy my site :) There's always that extra pedal, isn't it :) I fully agree with you that as long as you're satisfied with what you got then you should stick to that. Playing guitar is all about developing your own tone and style and too much focus on equipment can stand in the way for just that.Tone is also about experimenting with different guitars, amps and pedals so it's always a fine balance :) I already did a short presentation of the Bass Muff in this guide and I enjoy it very much. It's very similar to the old Sovtek models and I kind of find it strange that EHX calls it a bass Muff but whatever. It should go nicely with your amp and the guitarists you're referring to. - Bjorn]
Hey Bjørn.
which fuzz would you recomment for a fender ’57 tweed deluxe + strat/tele setup?
i want that nasty Sovtek sound. black key’ish.
thanks
Louis
[I think the Colossus would be perfect. It's warm and dark, which will go nicely with the otherwise bright Fender and Tele and it's got balls for the nastiest tones :) The mid range control also allows you to fine tune the tone as desired. - Bjorn]
oh and the amp is 20 watts and there is a alnico blue speaker in it
Hey Bjorn! I love your site. I’ve learned so much. Thank you for your hard work.
I picked up a Skreddy P19 a few days ago. It’s supposed to be The Wall tones in a box. While I don’t have the Muff ears you do, it sounds quite nice to me. If I weren’t halfway around the planet I’d ship it to you for a review…
There are a few YouTube demos if anyone is curious.
Again, thanks for your hard work. I wish you and Airbag all the success in the world!
Cheers,
Miguel
[Hi Miguel! Thanks for your kind words! I haven't had the chance to try out the P19 yet but judging by the demos it sounds pretty awesome :) - Bjorn]
Hey Bjorn,
hope you’re doing good over there in Norway!
Just a quick question: why is that you praise the Colossus so much, since you gave it a 10 overall, but with some drawbacks, but on the other side you say the Box of War is THE pedal for Davids PULSE tones and gave it a 10 in every possible way.
Let’s say, I want that Sovtek tone, and I do not care for versatility or the possibility to shapen the tone with lots of knobs and switches: which one of those two will get me closer to the Civil War tones? I just want a one trick pony and pure good sound, not more (or less ;))
Thanks a lot, take good care and all the best from Germany!
Richard
[The scores are based on a total of the points given in the review - noise level, whether it works in a bedroom setup etc - and my own personal opinion of the overall sound. Both of these pedals nails the Civil War 100%... sans the quirkiness of the imperfect Sovtek design, which to some is the mojo. Anyway, the BoW is a no frills pedal. Easy to set up and dead on THE tone. The Colossus is all that too and you get the chance to sculpt the mid range. So it depends on what you want and how you'll be using the pedal. Given that your rig is up for it, the BoW will probably be the best choice. If your rig needs a bit more tone sculpting and a more versatile pedal, then I'd go for the Colossus. - Bjorn]
Hi
have you ever tried the little muff stuuf electroharmonix) ? i have one from the late 70s and it sounds great .
any opinion on it ?
thanks
Jean-baptiste
[I've only tried the new model. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn
Fantastic article, as usual!! As a matter of interest, have you tried the Way Huge swollen pickle?
It’s supposed to be a BMP clone with a lot of tweakable parameters and there is even suggestion that it can even get you close to a fuzz face. I’d be really interested to see you do a review of it and put it thru its paces to see if it measures up to the hype ;-) price is quite reasonable too
Cheers
Mark
[Thanks! I haven't had the chance to try it out yet but I'll have it in mind :) - Bjorn]
Hey bijorn
I was wondering if you have tried the katana sound thunder cloud? its a big muff clone made in japan. Also, do you recomend boosting a big muff with a ibanez ts808 before it in the chain?
thanks,
dave
[Never tried it but thanks for the tip! I don't think a 808 is the best way to boost a Muff. Its boosted mid range can make the Muff sound dark and choked. I think you're better off with a more transparent booster like a Boss BD2 or the TC Electronics Spark Booster. These are best placed after the Muff. If you do want to use the 808 as a booster I'd place it after the Muff. - Bjorn]
Ciao Bjorn, between all the fuzz That you played, it lacks the Tech 21 XXl original. It ‘a great pedal and I would be happy if you play it .. I play for many years, this pedal .. I strongly suggest you try it. Ciao and good luck
[Thanks for the tip! It appears that they don't make it anymore but I'll try to check it out :) - Bjorn]
Thanks Bjørn
i forgot to mention, that i use at Homebrew electronics Powerscreamer as my main drive.
will the Colossus still be the best choice?
Thanks again
/Louis
[The Colossus doesn't really need a booster but if you do, the Powerscreamer should work nicely. - Bjorn]
i use the powerscreamer in the middle toggle position, with a little more bass
Bjorn do you have any thoughts on the Skreddy P19?
[I haven't had the chance to try it out yet. I think the idea was to create a pedal that captured David's Wall tones - the combo of the ram's head Big Muff and the Cornish ST2 booster. From what I understand it's an upgrade of the Pink Flesh with better parts and a closer voicing. I didn't like the Pink Flesh but the reviews I've seen of the P19 looks very promising. - Bjorn]
Thanks so much for doing all this! I’d like to be the third to request a test of the Manx Loaghtan by your calibrated ear. If not, thanks anyway and keep up the great work. Your site is and will be very valuable to many. Nathan
[Thanks, Nathan! - Bjorn]
Hey Bjorn. I’ve been reading and researching pedals like crazy. I’m going insane I think..
But, what do you recommend for a smooth fuzz/distortion? The Musket sounds pretty smooth to me. But I don’t like having too much gain. I use a super clean 6L6-based amp (Port City Pearl). I have no problem adding a Xotic RC Booster or Keeley Katana with the pedal either.
I’ve pretty much narrowed it down to the EQD Hoof, the Musket, and the Box of War, but I’m not opposed into looking at others.
Your opinion is greatly valued. Thanks :)
[All three should be able to deliver the tones you're looking for but they do sound quite different to each other. The Musket is perhaps the most aggressive of the three yet the most versatile. The Hoof sounds the most vintage but the BoW is perhaps the cleanest, yet with most lower end. Hard to recommend anything really but based on your comment I think I'd go for the Hoof. - Bjorn]
Hi bjorn
This is a fabulous run down of everything Big Muff. Iam waiting delivery of a mojohand collosus as I build up my pedal board again having ditched the line 6 pod x3. Got a nice 2012 USA STRAT a Blackstar HT5th 2×10 combo – nice simple clean channel and overdrive channel for just about everything else. I reckon I need an rt20. Snowy white has one on his wall pedalboard you know! I love the Animals sound. Got a joyo classic flanger which iam selling as it has something missing. Maybe I need a neo mistress flanger. I figure oh getting the best components I can afford without going crazy like when I bought a p2 ss2 duplex. It was too much for me to handle :-) anyway. Rock on Bjorn and thanks again for the best gilmour stuff anywhere on the planet.
[Hi Howard! Thanks for the update :) The RT20 is a great Leslie/chorus pedal. Very versatile. I'd stay away from the Neo Mistress and go for the Mooer ElecLady instead. Check out the comparison I recently did. - Bjorn]
Hey Bjorn, great reviews! I tried an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi with Tone Wicker today, really liked the sound. I’m curious though why the Big Muff Pi gets an overall lower Gilmourish.com score than the Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff Pi. What makes you rate the Bass Muff higher than the Wicker Muff? Do you think you get better Gilmour sounds from the Bass Muff or the Wicker?
Also, I’ve got an MXR Wylde Overdrive, do you have any experience with these? I’m hoping it will work well with a muff, any thoughts? Thanks!
Jacob
[I think the Bass Muff is a better pedal. Always loved the early Sovteks and this one is pretty close. I can't say which will be the best choice for your setup though. The Wylde Overdrive is kind of a mix between the old Tube Screamer and Distortion +. Perhaps a bit too much mid range for it to be used as a booster for the Muff but I've never tried that combo so I can't really tell. - Bjorn]
Ps
Iam selling my Black Russian on eBay. Big Muff PI BLACK RUSSIAN EHX. If anyone is interested.
Well I just got my Musket V2 and it’s great :) I love how I can go from a clean-ish fuzz sound to full out classic rock and it can even do the Black Sabbath thing pretty well! This site is great.
[Glad to hear! - Bjorn]
Hey Bjorn, thats the second time I’m leaving a comment and I need to thank you for the quick response you gave me the first time, I’ve read it but latter I couldn’t find the post I commented to leave a thank. lol
Well, I just want to share my recent experience: I’ve recently bought a Fender Strato Am Std, the new one with the fat 50s and started to test and build my rig: got a boss ME-25 for some modulation and amp sim while playing with the headphones. Tested a fuzz from artec and got a home made TS808 based with asymetrical clipping, a very transparent overdrive. Since I have Marshall Valvestate VS100 and sometimes also play with a Leaney LV200, I wasn’t thinking about getting a muff until I replace it for a small all tube amp and was considering a RAT.
Then one day after looking for some options at ebay I found out that a new Little Big Muff cost less than $70… then why not give it a try? I’ve never touched a muff before, so my first impression was quite surprise: it sounded pretty good just pluged into the ME-25 using the amp and super stack sim, delay, chorus and boosted by the 808ish pedal. Just using a good sony headphones I was amazed by the sound I was getting for the first time.
Then I turned off the amp sim and pluged it in the laney, the result was the opposite: terrible sound, like a box of bees! Its amazing how this little big muff changes completely depending on what are using together. But to my surprise I could get back a great tone from the laney using the amp sim from the ME-25 after lots of tweaks and feeding it on the laney, not using the loop. Maybe the ME-25 is acting as a pre amp for the laney?
Well, now I’m really happy with the result I got, for example, adding the laney reverb I could get a very nice sorrow sound with the longest sustain I could ever hear from my guitar, so I guess it would be nice to share with you this unexpected result I got from this weird gear combination.
Keep up your good work!
[Hi! I think the ME-25 acts more like a booster and EQ, rather than a preamp. The amp sims are doing what a more transparent overdrive would do and the Muffs really need that to open up and get that smooth tone. Glad to hear it worked out! - Bjorn]
Great buyers guide showing the different muffs out there… Glad to see the old BYOC muff stands pretty near the top of the heap still – it really is special, isn’t it? I think you should get the Pig Mine on there too, though!
[Thanks Josh! Hope all is well :) Never got the chance to try the PM but I hope to get my hands on a P19. Cheers! - Bjorn]
Dear Bjorn,
Your site is an absolute reference, a kind of bible I’d say ;) Thanks a lot for the incredible work!
I have a very simple question:
where do you place your BD2 or any other OD pedal to boost your BM? before or after? I’ve noticed that some pedals just don’t work to boost BM, they can drain the overall sound..
Jordi (aka Steed on your social media friends)
[Thanks a lot! Depends on what tones you want. It could go either way. I prefer it after the Muff though. Check out this feature for some Big Muff tone tips. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn!
You have an amazing cite and great tips. I have a question about byoc stuff: what do you think about the byoc overdrive pedal? And how does it work when boosting the large beaver?
I’ve heard that it’s a Ts 808 clone. I’m looking for building a Gilmour inspired board next summer. I’m looking for the wall tone with Muff, Mistress, Delay and booster. Pedals that im gonna get first are Large beaver and overdrive and then modulations ect… I have already a Boss SD-1 and ME-70. Thinking of using the SD-1 as a clean boost, when the board is complete. Oh yes, the amp i use is a Laney vc-15 with 12′ eminence speaker in it. I think it’s got very nice clean tone for the price. The drive channel is ok, but i don’t use it so often. Also heard it takes pedals very well too. I’m not sure of getting either a byoc triangle or Rams head version. Rams is more agressive, but triangle is more versitale for any era. Which one do you recommend if mostly playing at home(sometimes gigs too)
Thanks for your answer. And congratulations, you have very helpful cite :)
[Thanks for your kind words! I haven't tried the BYOC OD but in general, I wouldn't use TS9-ish pedals to boost Muffs. They have a lot of mid range, which can make a Muff sound muddy and dark. The SD1 is a better option (or a BD2) and use the TS9 as a dedicated overdrive. Just my two cents... Which Muff you should choose, depends on what tones you want. Both works nicely on the Laney and bedroom levels but you might find that the ram's head is the easiest to dial in for your Gilmour tones. - Bjorn]
I don’t know if i should buy the costalab or the musket.. Any suggestion? I’d like to recreate the Meddle/DSOTM/The Wall sounds in particular.. Which is the most versatile?
[Depends on your setup and which suits the setup the most. In general, I'd say that the Musket is the versatile but the Costalab is perhaps the closest to the tones you're seeking. - Bjorn]
Bjorn, BYOC large beaver (a ram’s head and a triangle versions) is still your favorits today for sounds rams head and triangle muffs ? Thank you.
PS Sorry for the many questions
[The triangle version, yes. For Ram's Head tones I prefer the Electronic Orange Pig Hoof. - Bjorn]
hi,
Maybe a silly question but anywho;
Will the Electro Harmonix Bass Big Muff Pi work correctly with a standard 6 string guitar or is it dedicated to bass only?
I ask as I am deciding whether to get the big muff tone wicker or the Bass one (as you rated it higher)
Cheers
Lee
[It's a standard Muff circuit that'll work on any instrument. The Bass Muff is actually quite similar to the early Sovtek Muffs and well worth checking out. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn / all
You mention that the big muff bass pi gives closer pulse tones than the standard muffs, am I right in thinking that the bass version is still useable with standard six string guitars?
Ta
Lee
[Yep. Doesn't matter if you play four strings or harp... :) It's very close to the old Sovtek pedals. - Bjorn]
Bjorn, in your rig you prefer to use Colossus or BoW for PULSEish sounds? Do you see any advantage in terms of sound (even small) in BoW on Colossus? Maybe now you prefer Iron Bell ? Thx
[Hmmm... Difficult question. My PULSE rig feature Strat DG20 > Boss CS2 > Sovtek green Big Muff > BK Tube Driver > Boss CE2 > TRex Reptile > amp. I guess the BoW is the closest to the Sovteks but the Colossus has a couple of additional features that's really handy. Especially on smaller rigs and low volume, when you need to enhance the lower mids a little. Hard to choose but I think I'd go with the Colossus. - Bjorn]
Thanks for the reply Bjorn) Tell, you not thought that Colossus sounds a bit dark than would like ?
I plan to go to SUF CW or Colossus… SUF muff = (original sheme -> killer tone without extra pay), MHFX Colossus = very great tone , more versatility and great looks , difficult to choose especially since they cost the same hehe.. You do not have plans to write SUF muffs review in future ?
[The clip I did of the Colossus sounds a bit dark but I don't think I did the pedal justice on that clip. It doesn't sound any darker than the Iron Bell or the early Sovtek models. It has a bit more lower end, compared to the SUF CW and WC BoW, and consoderably more gain, which I think is a bonus. The BoW, although an amazing pedal, could do with a bit more gain and top. The mid range toggle on the Colossus also makes it easier to dial in the tones you need for bedroom setups and low levels. If you're in doubt, check out more reviews and ask around. All I can do is to share my opinion. They all great sounding pedals and it's hard to make a choice :) - Bjorn]
Just ordered a real green bubble font Sovtek Big Muff! Agh I can’t wait till I get it!
[Congrats! - Bjorn]
Question about that muff – my whole board is powered and it looks as though this muff doesn’t have an adapter plug. Would a clip converter wreck my tone? I hate having to remember to unplug it every time I’m done playing. On that note I noticed an interesting device by Dan Electrode that might help – it’s a 9v power supply that lets you lower the voltage to supposedly give you the “dying battery” tone. Do you think that would be a good idea?
[Battery clip converter works fine on those old Sovteks. A dying battery is not the same as a carbon battery. It's more like an effect. Some players want the tone you get from old fuzz and treble boosters when the battery is almost flat. It gives the pedal a choked tone. - Bjorn]
Hi!
What do you think about the Suhr Riot Distortion Pedal?
[Haven't tried it. - Bjorn]
you gave the large beaver (tri spec) 10/10 would you still give the ram head spec beaver 10/10. thanks
[The 10 is for both :) - Bjorn]
So for delicate sot tones would I rather have the boss bd2, or a tube screamer?
[Depends on your amp and setup. On a general note, the TS has a bit too much mid range for Gilmour's tones but the BD2 can be a bit too bright on some setups. But to answer your question - the BD2 :) - Bjorn]
Great site Bjørn! You’ve realy cracked the code! Thanx for your effort!
Do you have plans to implement the review of the Mojo Hand Iron Bell in this Muff summary, with the same “standard” sum-up and grading/ score, so it’s comparable towards the rest?
Vet du om det er mulig å få kjøpt den i Norge og hva ca pris den ligger på? Har ikke klart å finne den på norsk nettbutikk….:-S
Takk!;-)
Vurderer å selge min Orginale Black Strat Relic. Vet du om noen nordmenn på jakt?:-)
[Hei Bjørnar! Tror ikke det er noen MH dealers i Norge. Funker fint å handle fra PGS. Skal si i fra om jeg kommer over noen som er interessert i en Relic :) The Iron Bell will be included. I have a few more Muffs to review and will update the Buyer's Guide later this year. - Bjorn]
I own the Top Tone DG-1 (maybe going on two years plus now) and play into a DR-103 Hiwatt head with an internal resistor (based on Hi-Tone Amps Mark Huss circuit) to link the brilliant and normal inputs. I didn’t experience excessive noise and found I can push it nicely with a BK Butler Tube Drive or the T-Rex Spindoctor. The T-Rex is nice in that I can program it via midi to get a tighter focus just for the muff. I found with my particular rig, the unit by itself is not noisy, but should not be used with any kind of compressor (as correctly noted somewhere else by Bjorn, its a general rule for good reason not to use compressors with a muff circuit). I do use a tube buffer first in line with high impedance, and the DG-1 likes to be driven hard. NOTE: my favorite Gilmour tone came from his 2006 tour which I saw in Chicago and was a few rows back centered on his cabs, and I was hooked (thick tone with a nice chirp when playing, sounded naked with no modulation). I found the DG-1 in my rig recreated that very crisp and thick tone very accurately. The tone is somewhat focused, not very “thumpy” with the bass frequencies like my USA EH Muff, but very full. I have a JHS modified GE7 for a bit of treble boost, but the internal Hiwatt link added some presence and I seldom use the JHS GE-7 with the muff except for solos. The resistor in my amp also allowed me to be able to drive a DR103 at a slightly reduced volume because of the gain (I get the same driven tone with the main at 9 o’clock where I used to play at 11 o’clock). This leaves me to the bad part about the pedal.
The biggest problem is the volume issue- DG-1 really shines when the amp is pushing air. Nothing beats turning the amp up a bit and feeling the pedal and the power of volume to make the guitar sound magical and huge, but sadly this isn’t practical.
[Thanks for sharing, Brian! - Bjorn]
I am only mentioning it because it shows how different pedals are so subjective to the rig. This pedal is relatively expensive. I live in the USA, and its a huge risk when buying a pedal like this because of all the variables involved. But in my case, it paid off and I found the pedal works with my particular setup with a relatively larger amp very well.
Bjorn,
Where does the Iron Bell rate in all of this? It is not exactly a Muff and not a pure Fuzz so has it been forgotten? I might prefer it since I am tired of the thundering sounds that have to be turned up so loud to become creamy on a home set. (p.s.-I bought a Laney Cub on your recommendation and it is fantastic!
[I didn't forget it but I have a few more Muff reviews coming up and I'll update the Guide later. The Iron Bell definitely belongs in the Muff family. I think I would give it a 10 for bedroom setups and a total score of 8 :) - Bjorn]
Hi!
I’m useing a Big Muff Pi NYC. I run it after a Zoom Power Drive (to boost the Muff as well the other drive)> Danelectro Cool Cat Drive > Boss FL-2 > ZT Lunchbox.
Here is the deal. When I use my Yamaha SC300 T (strat like guitar) no problem, the Muff by itself gives huge amount of volume, but when I use a chinese replica of a Eastwood Airline with 3 humbuckers it lacks volume. Useing humbuckers, when I first step at the Muff it gives WILD volume boost but few seconds later it just have a volume drop. (this chinese replica have a DeArmond superbucker 2400 in the bridge, a Gibson P94 – middle and a Joe Barden Two/Tone – neck position).What is wrong with my muff? I allready changed batteries, and compared few baterries, but Is all the same, the first seconds are hugh volume boosted then it just drops out. Can you help me?
[Sorry for my late reply. I'm not familiar with the pickups you mention but in general, Muffs react differently to different pickups. Hot pickups, which has more mid range than others, tend to make the Muff sound dark and very compressed. It might not be the best combo for your Gilmour tones but it works great for stoner and classic rock. I doubt there's anything wrong with the Muff. - Bjorn]
Hello Bjorn,
Colossus x Iron Bell
Wich one do you prefer?
What´s the difference between them?
Wich one do your prefer to play Pink Floyd´s songs?
Thank you!
[Hard to choose because they sound very different from each other. The differences are described in the Iron Bell review. I don't know... the Iron Bell sounds more distortion-ish, whole the Colossus sounds more authentic Muff. - Bjorn]
Sorry, how about CostaLab Custom Muff 1st version? The one with the π (pi)
[Not sure what the difference is... haven't tried it. - Bjorn]
Hey Bjorn,
First of all: Thanks a lot for your great work on this website and for sharing your knowledge.
Any chance you do a review on the Mooer Triangle Buff? I’d really appreciate your opinion on that one.
If you had to choose between a North Effects Ram and a Bass Big Muff, which one would you buy?
(Also but not exclusively for Gilmour-Sounds)
Cheers
[I plan on testing a bunch of the Mooers very soon. The North Effects and Bass Muff are very different. The first, being a ram's head, is very bright sounding with an overall aggressive character. The BM is based on the early Sovteks, with a dark and smooth tone. Depends on what you're looking for. The BM might be more versatile for stuff like Sabbath, Jack White and stuff like that. - Bjorn]
Thanks for all this!!!! It’s amazing!!!. My question is: sd-1 or ts9 (this is all i have) to boost my big muff pi??
Greetings from Chile
[Try both and listen to which fits your rig. I think I'd go with the SD1. - Bjorn]
Hello Bjorn,
What is in your opinion the most appropriate Big Muff clone for the division Bell Tone?
I own a ronsound hairpie 75 (ram’s head clone), and it sound smore dedicated to animals / wall tone;
Best regards,
Sebastien
[Depends on your guitar and amp and how they sound combined with a Muff. David did use a Civil War Sovtek, so personally I think the closest match would be a MojoHand Colossus or the Wren and Cuff Box of War. You could also go for a MojoHand Iron Bell, which probably is the most versatile sounding Muff, or the Blackout Effectors. - Bjorn]
Thanks for replying Bjorn.
I have asked about volume loss later. Now somthing strange is happening.
With both guitars I mentioned before when I turn the Muff on hugh amount of volume at first but then I have a great volume loss, checked cables, tested the muff by itself…changed cables,batteries…but after some time playing with the Muff the volume drops. I really don’t know what to do, mybe I got a bad one, or it’s damaged. Any clue?
[Hmmm... Hard to tell. If possible, try the Muff on another guitar and amp and hear how that sounds. Could be the Muff or it could be any other part of your rig... tubes, cables, battery... anything... - Bjorn]
Hey Bjorn! Great work! I absolutely love your reviews and description, very helpful indeed!
What’s your opinion on the Blunderbuss Musket Fuzz from Blackout Effectors?
Keep up the good work!
[Thanks a lot for your kind words, Andre! The Blunderbuss is a hybrid fuzz based on the Musket with both germanium and silicon transistors. I prefer the standard Musket but the Blunder has a much edgier tone with lots of harmonics and plenty of gain on tap. As for hybrids... check out the Hoof Fuzz as well :) - Bjorn]
great review as usual. compressor (dyna-ssor) before or after red muck – still move back and forth (mp booster later in the chain). interested to hear your opinion.
thx and keep up the great work
[Thanks for your kind words! The compressor usually goes first, then all the gains, but try different setups and hear what sounds best on your rig. - Bjorn]
why you dont post the Iron Bell by mojo hand FX in this gear guide ?
[The guides will be updated frequently. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn,
I have this SUF/Stomp under foot pedal – the TRI version, and i think it’s great, though i’m not sure which era it does best. You should put one of the versions up for a review or something!
One other thing, for a home setup,what would you use to boost the muff? i’ve heard that the tube driver is not ideal for home setups, because they need to be cranked to sound good. I have a Boss Blues driver(keeley mod) that i could use or would you suggest an alternative?
I really do love your playing, and your site – it’s amazing!
[Hi Nils! Antar at du er norsk? As far as I know, David has only used the triangle Muff during the second half of the On an Island tour. The pedal was used in combo with a TRex Replica for Echoes. Anyway, you should be able to dial in some nice tones covering most of the 1977-83 as well as 2006. The BD2 works nicely. If you want to try something even more transparent and clean, I recommend the TC Spark Booster. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn!
I need your help. I need a muff that’s close to David’s Animals tone, but I’d like it to be some what similar to Sovtek muff too. What would you recommend?
Thank you!!!
[Hmmm... I don't there is one but check out the Musket and Hoof Fuzz. I think those will be the closest match to your request. - Bjorn]
Greetings from Russia, Bjorn!
You make a very useful site!
Let me show you another muff-clone. This called Chris Custom Mufff. Check it here: http://chriscustom.com/overdrive-pedals/mufff.html The price is about 1000 euro. You can see some demos on the product page! Or maybe order one to make your own cool gilmourish-style demo. There are some fuzz-clones also.
[Thanks for the tip! I'll check it out! - Bjorn]
Bjorn please tell his opinion about P1 why he did not get 10 points?
And please tell me what you think of P1 against your favorites muffs BYOC & Pig hooff ? They are all beautiful, but still I’m interested your subjective opinion .
Thx.
[The reason I didn't give the P1 10 points is that I personally think there are better sounding Big Muffs on the market. Keep in mind that the P1 is a ram's head model, so the only real comparison from my list would be the Pig Hoof. For my rig and preference, the Pig Hoof sound better. Cornish makes some amazing sounding pedals but my issue has always been that they sound a bit too pristine and "perfect". I know a lot of people disagree but I also suspect that a lot of people think that the pedals must be perfect simply because David's using them. The fact is that he's mostly using other pedals, mainly Chandler/Butler and Electro Harmonix for his leads. But again, this is my very personal Buyer's Gear Guide and the scores and subjective. - Bjorn]
… and we appreciate your subjective opinion and the chance to say what you think about anything.
THANK YOU
AGAIN
[Thank you, Jamie :) - Bjorn]
@David, glad you checked out the Fralin site. Although Lindy makes some great pickups for most brands of guitars, if you’ll do a little research, you’ll find that where he really shines is with his Vintage style Fender pickups. As I said before, he welcomes calls to tell him exactly what you want. I agree with Bjorn that 6 k Neck, and 6.8-7k bridge is the best for Gilmourish tele tones, and his sock Teles, with a 5-8% overwind on the bridge would do the trick nicely. I always agree with Bjorn that noiseless single coils don’t work like the standard single coil, but if you read how his split blades are made, they work the same as a typical single coil because they aren’t like split blades, but actually have two pickups that cover 3 strings each, and are reverse polarity to cancel noise, but won’t cancel that lovely controllable feedback like “noiseless” pickups do. However, for pure Vintage Fender, even Fender doesn’t doesn’t make their
custom shop pickup with all the period correct materials, nor do they they hand bevel each pole piece to exacting precision. I preach Fralin pickups for Fenders becauseof the man’s love for Strat’s and Tele’s because he’s been playing nothing else for over 40
years, and knows them as well as anyone in the bussiness! So, give the shop a call, and ask them about the models you’re interested in, and how Vintage, or hot you want them, and they’ll be happy to make them to any spec possible! Once again Bjorn, hope you don’t mind, and you’ll be talking about them as soon as your set is in your favorite guitar, where I think they’re likely to stay! :)
Peace,Keith, that postmaster craps getting old. Everyone knows I post alot, but it’s out of love for the site, and all on it!
orrect materials, nor do they hand bevel and perfectly stagger
[By all means Keith! Thanks for the input :) - Bjorn]
Bjorn, you probably want to say that many fans of David playing the guitar mindlessly buy Cornish ? I totally agree! On youtube full of examples where people have all the pedal Cornish and and they have a ugly sound because they do not know how to turn the knobs… But back to P1, in the right hands it produces amazing sound for my ears very close to early David muff sound , 78 CBS promo video, as example ..
Also P1 does not have this “digital taste” (if you know what I mean), like other contemporary ala muff pedals like “Musket” as example ( for my ears) .
This is very subjective, but it is “feature” many modern pedals.
Very few audio examples with Electronic Orange Pig Hoof =(( while with P1 enough of them to make up a very good understanding how it sounding, But I definitely trust your choice. So at the moment I am in the process of selecting a P1 or EA PH.
As for the David & P1, he has a magnificent examples original “ram’s head” muff and he just does not need any copies. Unlike us David fans)
Can you also tell a little about your “yellow” prototype ? It makes sense to wait for access to it ? What you prefer at the moment?
[Well, I'm not saying that people buy Cornish pedals mindlessly. Whatever they want to spend their money on is up to them. However, some have a tendency to think that Cornish pedals are the best no matter what. I have no idea why but it might have something to do with Cornish's legacy and David using them... I don't know. I can fully understand the thrill of owning a Cornish pedal and of course, I know that they're amazing sound and well built so there's nothing wrong there. My point is that tone is something personal and subjective. If you only buy pedals, guitars and amps based on the brand and a "the more expensive the better" principle, then I think you're making a mistake. But... that's just me :) The Pig Hoof has been my favourite since I first tried it. It seems to work best for my rig and the tones I want. - Bjorn]
Hello BJorn, your sight is awesome. I have learned allot, and thank you for taking the time to publish all the reviews and articles. I have a question about my Pedal Board. I bought a Box of War Wren and Cuff Muff from the Chicago music Exchange, I then have Boss Keeley Mod BD2, Small Stone, Mxr Carbon copy, and TC Electonics Corona Chorus. Im thinking about adding a Hartman Analog Flanger and possibly a Digital Delay. What do you think of my Pedal Board?? any changes or suggestions? If you where to get a digital Delay what would you buy(looking for a new one).
Im also playing through a Two Rock Studio Pro 35.
[Thanks for your kind words! Your pedalboard looks great! Depending on what delay tones you want to cover, I think I'd go for a processor. Check out the TC Nova or Repeater, Boss DD20 or the Eventide. Cheers! - Bjorn]
Awesome guide as always. I just ordered the BYOC Large Beaver triangle from axe and you shall recieve, can’t wait for the bad boy to arrive!
[Thanks! I think you'll be very happy with that pedal :) - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn great videos!!
please between the BYOC LBM AND THE PIG HOOF, wich one is better, most versatile (dark side, wall, animals, wywh, pulse era)
i have a Strat loaded with EMG , and a marshall jvm 410h
hope you can help me
thanks by the way!
[Pig Hoof. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn
Currently, I’m recording at home with a ’62 Custom Tele MIJ (with ’51 Nocasters) and a Laney Cub 12 Combo. What’s your opinion about using the Pig Hoof with the telecaster?
Thanks!
[The NoCasters has very low output so I don't think you should expect those huge growling sounds. The Pig Hoof has a lot of gain but I'd definitely pair it up with a booster for a bit more balls. Check out the TC Spark Booster, Boss BD2 or ThroBak Overdriveboost. Otherwise, the setup with a Muff looks great! - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn, and god bless you and your site (and i’m not a christian, so pick your own god)
I’m about to get a stomp under foot 2247, which, should be a reissue of a 73′ Big Muff (2247 nickname is because it got sold on ebay for 2.247$ :/)
But, the seller told me the sound is VERY muddy when used with a dark pickup (actually, any bridge pickup)
Apparently Matt from SUF told him it was normal, what’s your take on this (He also said the bridge pickup was working very nicely with the pedal)
Would it benefit from a treble or mid boost, placed before the 2247?
Cheers,
Blobe
[Thanks for your kind words, Blobe :) A pickup alone doesn't determine how a Muff or any pedal sounds. Of course, a darker sounding pickup will make the pedal sound darker, muddier and perhaps even a bit choked but most of the tone comes from the amp. Treble boosters are not that suited for Muffs as they will make the pedal even more aggressive and harsh. Try a clean booster like the ThroBak Overdriveboost or TC Electronic Spark Booster. - Bjorn]
Hi Bjorn,
what would be your advice for a ’52 reissue Tele with a Fender type amp – BOYC Large Beaver with Ram’s Head or Triangle specs? I know David combined a Ram’s Head and a Tele for “Dogs”, but according to your description, the Triangle is smoother. In your videos, the BYOC Triangle sounds as good to me as the Pig Hoof does – and it’s the same with the Musket by the way. I’m not sure if I could tell them apart without reading the video titles. There are things in music that are more evident when you’re playing than when you’re listening – and this seems to be one of them.
Thanks
Martin
[Each Big Muff has its own characteristics and tone so I can't really say which is better for your setup. It depends on what tones you're looking for. All three works nicely with a Tele and Fender setup but if you're asking for my favourite, I'd go with the triangle BYOC. - Bjorn]
Hey Bjorn,
Could you give me some advice please. I’m after Gilmour’s 1977 Animals tone… I just ordered a Colorsound Power Boost, next in line, is a Big Muff!!! I would love an original Ram’s Head, but one, they cost a BOMB, and two, people say they are noisy and they have the level drop. So If I got one, It would need to be modified, which would cost even more… So, what Muff would you recommend? I know you love the Pig Hoof, but the waiting time is ridiculous, like 6 months… I know the BYOC is supposed to be good as well… What would be the best choice? I’m playing through a Hiwatt G100R, solid state amp, but I plan on getting a valve amp in the near future. Should I just bight the bullet and get an original, or what?
Hope to hear back from you! Thanks :)
[I would never recommend anyone to buy an original unit. As explained in the feature, you never know what you get. Some of those old units had crappy components and they haven't aged that well. You might be very lucky but you might end up with an unplayable unit. Depends on how eager you are to own on original unit. Many of the clones available today are identical to a specific unit from the 70s, so they're actually clones and not based on or modified. I don't think you'll get closer to the tones you're looking for than the Pig Hoof. The BYOC ram's head is also spot on. If you want something slightly different sounding, I recommend the Iron Bell and Hoof Fuzz as well. - Bjorn]
Hello bjorn, I have been researching big muffs, and am getting overwhelmed , I have noticed wren and cuff makea clone of the rams head big muff called the caprid you tried this pedal.
Thanks for a great forum,
David
[The Caprid is based on a ram's head but other than the identical chassis the pedal is like any other clone. Sounds great though. I also recommend the Electronic Orange Pig Hoof for David's Animals-Final Cut tones. For Delicate Sound of Thunder and PULSE, check out the MojoHand Colossus or Blackout Effectors Musket. - Bjorn]
I hate bring up the life after Gilmour, But. I just saw Roger Waters last summer in Pittsburgh , PA. I was excited about the show but pessimistic about the band. I was greatly pleased with Dave Kilminster’s sound. Over all, he had great tones. After looking into his gear I found that his rig was as follows.
Cry baby Wah, Boss: ce5, Even tide: delay reverb, Evh flanger, Suhr: Riot OD, (One of the best sounding pedals I have ever heard.) Top tone DG 2. Blackout: Musket fuzz.
Over all Dave number 2 did a great job. Also Saturday Night Live’s old guitarist G.E. Smith was with them and I have always been a fan of his. The strangest aspect of the night for me was that there was not a single Strat amongst them. Every guitar player on stage used telecasters.
I love what you do Bjorn. Keep up the great work!
[I've never really been a fan of Waters band and the recent tours but the new The Wall show blew me away - both the show and the band. I think they did a fantastic job recreating the whole vibe of the original performances. BTW, I don't think we've seen the last of Gilmour yet :) - Bjorn]
I love the mlr tone the best and delicate that’s what got me into pink floyd in the first place, I think musket and unlike the pig hoof have no waiting period
Hi
I’ve just bought a BMP w/ Tone Wicker looking for a ‘standard’ BMP sound with some more options, not necessarily Gilmourish.
With my amps (a Fender vibroverb and peavey C30) it sounds really muffled and dark, compared with my other fuzz pedals (Fuzz Face for example), with tone on and wicker off, classic BMP mode, I have to put the tone near 3 o’clock, otherwise there is like having a blanket over the amp.
Are your units that dark? I remeber my old V2 was way brighter.
thank you
[The Tone Wicker is perhaps closer to the 90s Sovtek Muffs, which has a darker character compared to the ram's head. Your amps are quite dark too so you might want to consider a brighter sounding Muff like the Pig Hoof or Large Beaver. - Bjorn]