Types of Big Muff

Have to agree with @jessenator, the Kewpie is the best sounding Muff I've used.

The parallel components were kept because that's how the original was built, and someone will come along with a gut shot and say the project is missing a 24K resistor so it must be a bad trace. (Then the original builder will pop in and comment on how that resistor is critical to their sonic vision, and I have destroyed the tone entirely by omitting it) :ROFLMAO:
 
@Robert just noticed the muffin fuzz has been revisited to include tone bypass switch and some of the various build BOM changed ? What do those relate to in the new doc ? What I liked about the previous board was the possibility to build those in 1590B format, but I get the tone bypass is a nice addition.
 
What I liked about the previous board was the possibility to build those in 1590B format, but I get the tone bypass is a nice addition.

A couple folks have mentioned that now.

I'm either going to knock width down so it can fit in a 1590B or offer them both separately.

Aside from the additional resistor and capacitor for the tone bypass switch, the BOMs should be compatible.
 
If I have a muffin fuzz (built the Stomp '75/Violet Ram's Head variant), and it was my first fuzz ever, would building a Kewpie be dumb? I am also considering a carcosa.

I run it boosted with a plumes and really like it, but find I need to dial back my guitar volume (I have hot humbuckers) a bit to make the sustain knob most usable. It is kind of just a wall of fuzz without much note distinction. I also considered trying the big muff opamp variant, but figure that might be too similar to not be worth it as a new project


Edit: After further thinking and writing this out, I think I should try increasing the emitter resistor at the first stage (or all stages) from 100 to ~300 similar to the green russian variant
 
Last edited:
If I have a muffin fuzz (built the Stomp '75/Violet Ram's Head variant), and it was my first fuzz ever, would building a Kewpie be dumb? I am also considering a carcosa.
I haven’t used that muff variant, but the Kewpie is excellent. Every time I A/B’d against another muff, I preferred the Kewpie.

The Carcass is one of my other favorites. A bit of a different beast, but has a wide range of excellent tones.
 
The PPCB Bayonet Fuzz is based on the Musket Fuzz which is apparently based on the Soviet Russian Big Muff. I love it. But now I am interested in the Kewpie. Damn you guys! I thought I was done with Big Muffs.
 
I'll chime in to say the Kewpie is indeed rad, and I say that as someone that doesn't particularly care for the transistor Muffs.
The Fuzz War (Bellum) mkii is another I enjoy

I'm really digging Mask Audio's Helvetica lately, though. It's not the wall of fuzz the muff is known for, but it does get heavy and is a nice take on the topology
 
Still waiting to hear Ionosphere with a tube amp, but quick test releaved more note clarity than in transistor muffs with sustain dimed.
 
For those kewpie fans, can anyone elaborate on the mode/URA switch at the top a bit?

for my high output humbuckers, if this switch is down or off, I overload the circuit with sustain like at 9 o clock. It gets REALLY muffled/boomy/and seems to maybe be clipping pretty badly (does not sound good), especially with chords or more than single notes

With the switch on, all of a sudden I get a full range of sustain, no overloading, a much brighter sound, and it works REALLY well with my pickups

I have looked at the schematic and I cant really understand how this is happening, I guess it must just be WAY overclipping when off with my pickups? I also noticed if a put a tube screamer into it, I get a bit more sustain-usage without overloading even when that switch is off

Edit: Yea I guess it is just a HPF that trims off more of the bass...
 
Last edited:
Back
Top