Muffin Fuzz (Big Muff - Triangle variant)

[Coda]

I am one of the few that prefers the Civil War to the Green Russian. Creamier, with a fuller body, and tighter low end, compared to a lot of bass, and a very aggressive (like a wild cat)…but hollow.

 

[steviejr92]

I am one of the few that prefers the Civil War to the Green Russian. Creamier, with a fuller body, and tighter low end, compared to a lot of bass, and a very aggressive (like a wild cat)…but hollow.

Almost bought a Sovtek Deluxe Civil war...your making me regret not getting it.

 

[Barry]

So this might be my last build report for a while.

We have Hurricane Ian coming right over my house as a Category 1 as of the last update sometime Thursday.
We should be feeling the effects starting tomorrow afternoon as the feeder bands start creeping into Central Florida.

Cat 1 is not a big deal for us Floridians. More of an annoyance than anything else. But I will probably be losing power, internet and cell for a bit.

I knew I should have invested in a butane soldering iron .

That and a "Mustang Headphone Amp" hahah. Well, might be time to break out the ukulele and acoustics!

Anyway, I spent most of the day doing storm prep. Got my generators out of storage, blocks of ice frozen and helped out a couple of neighbors get ready. Since I took the day off, I decided to try to get one last build in before the storm hits. I needed something fairly easy and fast so I decided to build the Muffin Fuzz board I got in my last haul from PedalPCB.com.

I've built I think 4 or 5 fuzzes now and starting to get a sense of very wide range of tones available. One thing glaringly missing in my fuzz-education was a Bg Muff. When I started looking over the build docs to prepare for the build I was faced with option overload with all the variants I could build with this board. So I consulted with the resident fuzzolgists @Big Monk and @Coda.

After chatting with them a bit I decided to start with building the Triangle variant. I have a feeling I probably need to order a few more of these and build some of the other variants.

I had recently scored some vintage Telefunken BC239C's from Electronic Goldmine. They all measured between the low 200's and low 400's in gains. Based on @Big Monk's guidance I chose 4 of the lower gain ones to use. I also followed his advice to use linear pots for all the controls.

Other than that, some substitutions I needed were the 4nf cap (used a 3.9n that measured on the high side). The 50nf caps I used 47n's that measured a bit on the high side.

Build went super smooth and fast and when I fired it up I was like WOW. This thing is pretty awesome! Loud as heck too!
It was exactly as @Coda described it would be.

"lots of sustain, singing, sweet highs, big ol' fat low end, with a little bit of crispiness to provide definition..."

That about nails it. It's definitely different from the Fuzz Face variants I've built. It might be my favorite fuzz yet. There's a whole lotta Fripp and Gilmour in this box to explore! Thanks for the guidance @Coda and @Big Monk. Now I gotta order a few more boards.....hahah.

I got these orange enclosures to build the XC Phase before realizing it wouldn't fit. I have one more I'm saving for my Dist+ build when I get to it. Looks very much like I remember the old MXR boxes color. But not the Big Muff Pi I played when I was kid. Although I think I've seen EHX release an orange one at some point. But this is MY Triangle Muff....and it's orange....so......

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Looks great, stay safe and we'll see ya on the other side of Ian

 

[benny_profane]

I am one of the few that prefers the Civil War to the Green Russian. Creamier, with a fuller body, and tighter low end, compared to a lot of bass, and a very aggressive (like a wild cat)…but hollow.

Interesting. Doesn’t the civil war have 430pf feedback caps compared to the green’s 470pf? I’d expect the civil war to be brighter and less smooth? But maybe that’s what you’re referring to as a tighter low end.

 

[MichaelW]

I had to look into why you left C2 off!

I'd toss it in there if it was me.

Just followed the build doc for "Triangle" variant. I left R23 out as well. What would it do if I put it in?

Sounds pretty darn awesome the way it is.

 

[swyse]

Just followed the build doc for "Triangle" variant. I left R23 out as well. What would it do if I put it in?

Sounds pretty darn awesome the way it is.

That's just to prevent popping when the effect is switched, usually people use 1m or 2.2m for it, but a lot of older designs didn't have it, same with the filtering cap c14, don't need filtering when only a battery can power it.

 

[Coda]

What would it do if I put it in?

A completely populated PCB is a happy PCB…it puts the solder on its skin…

 

[MichaelW]

That's just to prevent popping when the effect is switched, usually people use 1m or 2.2m for it, but a lot of older designs didn't have it, same with the filtering cap c14, don't need filtering when only a battery can power it.

I'm not getting any popping switching it on and off. But I think I would like a bit more resolution on the fuzz knob. Seems like all the adjustment is between full CCW and about 7 o-clock. But there's a lot of tones in that little bit of sweep.

 

[swyse]

I'm not getting any popping switching it on and off. But I think I would like a bit more resolution on the fuzz knob. Seems like all the adjustment is between full CCW and about 7 o-clock. But there's a lot of tones in that little bit of sweep.

did you use a linear taper pot? It's basically just a volume control for the first boost stage, so maybe a log pot would feel better.

 

[MichaelW]

did you use a linear taper pot? It's basically just a volume control for the first boost stage, so maybe a log pot would feel better.

Yah, I used a B100k. I think maybe the next variant I build I'll try an A100.

 

[Coda]

If your fuzz isnt maxed out you might as well get a Tube Screamer…

 

[Locrian99]

Kind of a cool mod you could do if you want is to run two wires from the 3n9 pads to a dpdt 3 position put the 3n9 across the two middle legs. A 4n7 across the two top and a 10n across the two bottom and you have a switch for boosted, flat or (stock) scooped mids. Actually that wouldn’t quite work with that set up like it does on vero. You could though still add a switch a 2 position and run the 3n9 across the top and like an 8n2 for flat mids across the bottom or a 15n for boosted instead of scooped.

 

[Coda]

Kind of a cool mod you could do if you want is to run two wires from the 3n9 pads to a dpdt 3 position put the 3n9 across the two middle legs. A 4n7 across the two top and a 10n across the two bottom and you have a switch for boosted, flat or (stock) scooped mids. Actually that wouldn’t quite work with that set up like it does on vero. You could though still add a switch a 2 position and run the 3n9 across the top and like an 8n2 for flat mids across the bottom or a 15n for boosted instead of scooped.

This is a good one. I did a similar mod to my Mask Us build, except I have it set for stock and boosted mids…

 

[MichaelW]

Kind of a cool mod you could do if you want is to run two wires from the 3n9 pads to a dpdt 3 position put the 3n9 across the two middle legs. A 4n7 across the two top and a 10n across the two bottom and you have a switch for boosted, flat or (stock) scooped mids. Actually that wouldn’t quite work with that set up like it does on vero. You could though still add a switch a 2 position and run the 3n9 across the top and like an 8n2 for flat mids across the bottom or a 15n for boosted instead of scooped.

I booked marked this to come back to it. Sounds like a cool mod! I'm really thinking the Green Russian is the next variant I want to build.

 

[benny_profane]

I booked marked this to come back to it. Sounds like a cool mod! I'm really thinking the Green Russian is the next variant I want to build.

Do it! It’s a good one. I like the flexibility of the mid scoop/flat/boost switch too.

 

[Feral Feline]

My favourite Muff tone stack mod is Aion Halo style, uses an on-on-on switch for boosted, flat, scooped — in that order.

 

[Big Monk]

Just followed the build doc for "Triangle" variant. I left R23 out as well. What would it do if I put it in?

Sounds pretty darn awesome the way it is.

I read up on it because i was curious and Kit Rae seems to indicate it was simply left out due probably to a shortage of 500p caps for that run.

Basically a bean counter decision. Every three pedals with a cap left off would generate enough caps for an extra pedal!

You might notice it become a touch smoother.

 

[MichaelW]

I read up on it because i was curious and Kit Rae seems to indicate it was simply left out due probably to a shortage of 500p caps for that run.

Basically a bean counter decision. Every three pedals with a cap left off would generate enough caps for an extra pedal!

You might notice it become a touch smoother.

I kinda dig the "edge" of this one I built. Definitely has a cool "bite" to it.

 

[Big Monk]

I kinda dig the "edge" of this one I built. Definitely has a cool "bite" to it.

Nothing wrong with that at all. I was just curious about that iteration that the triangle from the build docs is based on so I had to look it up.

I really enjoy learning how off the cuff that early EHX stuff was. Bargain basement leftover parts, no consistency, removing caps from a design to make more pedals!

 

[MichaelW]

Nothing wrong with that at all. I was just curious about that iteration that the triangle from the build docs is based on so I had to look it up.

I really enjoy learning how off the cuff that early EHX stuff was. Bargain basement leftover parts, no consistency, removing caps from a design to make more pedals!

Gotta make payroll baby!

Edit: I think they officially call the practice "factoring" these days in accounting right? hahaha.....