First Pedal PCB Build: The Muffin

[fig]

One thing I noticed is I seem to have continuity between pins 2 and 3 of the tone pot.

That can happen if you are close to dime. Try it with a loose pot.

 

[Big Monk]

That can happen if you are close to dime. Try it with a loose pot.

Yup! I figure it was something to do with having enough contact to make continuity internally.

Like I said, it was not affecting the sound so I figured it was something silly.

 

[Big Monk]

Very nice. You know, I was thinking the other day how I always chuckle when I hear someone talking about their pedalboard, like on YouTube, and they say "Big Muff Pi," and then don't specify which version. Then I remember that only crazy people know that there are tons of circuit variations, most that make no difference (although, I CAN hear it), and that if you don't specify the "generation" (Triangle, Ram's Head, etc.), the "class" (year), and the circuit (#), you aren't actually telling anything other than "I have a pedal"...

It’s the same when some “influencer” says “Tone Bender”. Which one?

I was deep into homebrewing for a while and the same goes for “Belgian” beer. Which one? Flemish red and brown sours? The Trappist ales? Belgian lager? Abbey beers? Wit biers?

I’ve become enamored with the Big Muff and the variations. My plan is to purchase 4-5 Muffin boards next time I place a PedalPCB order.

I want the “Standard Triangle” circuit, the Green Russian, etc. Now that I am starting to understand how to use them, I appreciate the variations.

 

[Coda]

It’s the same when some “influencer” says “Tone Bender”. Which one?

I was deep into homebrewing for a while and the same goes for “Belgian” beer. Which one? Flemish red and brown sours? The Trappist ales? Belgian lager? Abbey beers? Wit biers?

I’ve become enamored with the Big Muff and the variations. My plan is to purchase 4-5 Muffin boards next time I place a PedalPCB order.

I want the “Standard Triangle” circuit, the Green Russian, etc. Now that I am starting to understand how to use them, I appreciate the variations.

The Triangle BOM is the classic one, to my ears...though I have not compared the schematics. The Russian is also great as is. I built a Russian/Civil War in the same box, since there are only 4 differences between them, and I toggle between them. My next Muff will the the Mascis specs. His version is a weird one: its a Ram's Head enclosure, but the circuit is almost identical to the Black and Red (or is that Red and Black?) Muffs. I'm thinking of adding your tone mod to it.

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

It’s the same when some “influencer” says “Tone Bender”. Which one?

I was deep into homebrewing for a while and the same goes for “Belgian” beer. Which one? Flemish red and brown sours? The Trappist ales? Belgian lager? Abbey beers? Wit biers?

I’ve become enamored with the Big Muff and the variations. My plan is to purchase 4-5 Muffin boards next time I place a PedalPCB order.

I want the “Standard Triangle” circuit, the Green Russian, etc. Now that I am starting to understand how to use them, I appreciate the variations.

To be fair, all of the different muff variations have a 99% identical topology— it’s mainly just the values that differ and bring the changes in tone, and possibly a small handful of additional or missing components. With Tonebenders, the differences are on the scale of entire circuits being unrelated. It’s practically more like if someone said they’re using a muff, and you need to figure out if they mean a Big Muff, A Muff Fuzz, a Muff OD, the Germanium Muff, or an English Muff’n

 

[Coda]

To be fair, all of the different muff variations have a 99% identical topology— it’s mainly just the values that differ and bring the changes in tone, and possibly a small handful of additional or missing components. With Tonebenders, the differences are on the scale of entire circuits being unrelated. It’s practically more like if someone said they’re using a muff, and you need to figure out if they mean a Big Muff, A Muff Fuzz, a Muff OD, the Germanium Muff, or an English Muff’n

I think the difference is that when most people say ToneBender, they are referring to a MKII…

 

[Big Monk]

I think the difference is that when most people say ToneBender, they are referring to a MKII…

Yup!

 

[Big Monk]

I'm thinking of adding your tone mod to it.

It’s definitely a take on the Large Beaver switch but with the Ram’s Head high and low pass resistors.

I’m just realizing that I used 22 nF for the Boost position when I meant for that position to be 22 nF total. I should have used 18 nF so the parallel combo of 4.7 nF and the Boost cap was ~22 nF rather than ~26 nF as it is now.

I may still do that when I swap it to the permanent enclosure.

 

[Big Monk]

 

[Harry Klippton]

That's more like it!

 

[fig]

zippety-doo-dah...look at that!

 

[Big Monk]

Many thanks to everyone here who encouraged me to do graphics and for @SYLV9ST9R and all his behind the scenes support.

 

[Big Monk]

Ported over!

 

[caiofilipini]

Looks super cool!

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

Ported over!

View attachment 18440

That’s one classy looking fuzz pedal

 

[Big Monk]

That’s one classy looking fuzz pedal

Thank you! (Internal Dialogue: “Did he just call my Big Muff a fuzz?!”)

 

[Big Monk]

I bought some Russian BMP knobs in my last SBE order. I smell a Green Russian coming...

 

[Harry Klippton]

 

[Big Monk]

View attachment 19340

I'm excited.

 

[Harry Klippton]

Lol don't get too excited. It's still a big muff and basically sounds like a big muff