I've been contemplating a fuzz pedal for a while to try and learn some Smashing Pumpkins kind of stuff. The only fuzz pedals I've tried so far have been horrible though, just completely messy sounding... but I've found myself back looking at them, particularly the Nano Big Muff.
I've seen a fair few clips of some of the various Big Muffs but the range is massive and confusing to me. If I'm after something at the more "subtle" end of Fuzz pedals, is a Nano or Little Big Muff the right idea? These seem reasonably cheap and readily available so it looks like I could sell it on easily enough if I wanted to. What are the Pi models all about too?
Cheers.
Andy
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I'm hoping I don't start a massive thread here, I just found it bewildering when I looked at them all.
The Big Muff with Tone Wicker is great as it gives you the option to remove the tone pot which is fairly common mod.
If you're trying a few out, I'd suggest trying them through your own amp or a very similar one since they can sound totally different depending on the amp.
As for more subtle fuzz, try a rat with distortion up full, it's quite fuzzy but much tamer than a muff.
I'll go and check out Rats too. I'm thinking this is a £50 ish experiment rather than a £100 one.
personally i have a standard big box 90s NY muff clone with the diodes (2 sets of 2) taken offboard to two 3 position switches (with silicon, germanium and led pairs). so lots of options.
stock i think if you are using pickups more than 12k or 13k they mush out and sound slimy. i have 15k rails. but if you add diode options you can get the grit back.
rats are thinner sounding. something more monophonic than polyphonic about them. less overtones maybe. but that can also make them easier to focus to claim your territory in a mix.
https://shop.pedalparts.co.uk/Big_Muff_Pi/p847124_6674585.aspx
One of them might be suitable for the Smashing Pumpkins sound?
Used to have a Little Big Muff Pi - nails the Isley Brothers' Summer Breeze solo tone. It was always breaking down though - the wiring inside was shambolic (decades ago)
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Muffs sound radially different into different amps. There is a good "That Pedal Show" on this subject.
One trick I've found is a Muff set on fairly low gain being pushed by a TS like pedal cuts through a bit better so you don't just get mush.
The EHX Big Muff is decent enough, but I found it to be quite harsh unless you got the settings just right.
...In other words, if you want to twiddle about a lot with your Big Muff you'll find yourself making all kinds of noises.
The White Atom is much more forgiving and has a fantastic range of useful settings.
If you're seeking a classic, straight-up fuzz sound, then a BM is NOT the place to start. A silicon Fuzz Face, for example, would be a much better candidate.
If you specifically want a certain player's iconic BM sound, then a BM is the way to go.
The Nano and Little Big Muffs you mentioned refer merely to the size of the pedals; nothing to do with how much they are the BM sound. They're BMs.
As far as your purposes are concerned at present concerning the whole field of fuzz pedals, all EHX BMs (past or present) are pretty much essentially the same.
(Note: the 'Germanium 4 Big Muff' pedal has zero to do with a BM; nor do the The Muff, Double Muff or English Muffn).
Effects for Me & my Monkey YouTube channel Facebook Fretboard's "resident pedal supremo" - mgaw
Effects for Me & my Monkey YouTube channel Facebook Fretboard's "resident pedal supremo" - mgaw