What is your favorite "Big Muff" circuit, and why?

[Giorfida]

Any one which has a modded tone control to be flat or with a sight mid boost. I just hate playing in a band with the stock mid scoop tone control. You disappear.....

Depends on the disappear part. If you are running into an already scooped amp, then yes you will. Play a mid heavy guitar like a Les Paul, into a mid heavy amp and the muff balances nicely. Also having a band that understands playing with volume control and dynamics helps- it’s not full out strumming at full volume all the time, and where your parts weave in and out around vocals etc, the Muff can sit very nicely in a mix.
(David Gilmour, J Mascis and Billy Corgan had no problem with getting lost).
I do agree though that unless the right condo are met, it is easy to get lost in the mix with one! And I’ve also noticed that fuzzes more than any other pedal are VERY finicky when it comes to guitar/amp combo

 

[mdc]

 

[Erik S]

View attachment 61103

Never heard of that one! Definitely looks awesome.

 

[mdc]

IIRC it's just a jumbo tone bender in a different box, but the tone is usually in the box.

 

[Robert]

IIRC it's just a jumbo tone bender in a different box, but the tone is usually in the box.

Looks like it, with a few minor component value substitutions.

Regardless, I'm curious.

 

[Cybercow]

I know I'd already posted my response to this question. But after completing Aion's "Cygnus-X" (P-2 version) build, I wanted to comment further.

While Aion's Cornish Cygnus-X P-2 build was a painless endeavor, I was disappointed at how 'dark' it sounds. Mind you, it's a great sound, just a bit dark (bottom-heavy) for my tastes; as the only flexibility are the user available controls.



A few years ago, I encountered GuitarPCB's "Muff'N" build and was able to exact ALL the mods it was capable of. This provided up to 10 different "BMP" flavors in one pedal. I called it the "Klingon Muff". And at the time, I thought I'd found the "ONE MUFF TO RULE THEM ALL".



However, Robert's "Muffin Factory" was a surprise find and when I finished it earlier this year, it has become the "ONE MUFF TO RULE THEM ALL"
It appears to be able to reach into every flavor of the BMP ever built and is flexible beyond dreams. And I still haven't explored/identified all the flavors it can mimic.
PedalPCB's "Muffin Factory" is the top of the heap for BMPs IMO.

"One Muff to rule them all, One Muff to find them, One Muff to bring them all, and in the harmonics bind them . . . "

 

[mdc]

Looks like it, with a few minor component value substitutions.

Regardless, I'm curious.

It made for at least one iconic guitar sound:

 

[Aentons]

However, Robert's "Muffin Factory" was a surprise find and when I finished it earlier this year, it has become the "ONE MUFF TO RULE THEM ALL"
It appears to be able to reach into every flavor of the BMP ever built and is flexible beyond dreams. And I still haven't explored/identified all the flavors it can mimic.
PedalPCB's "Muffin Factory" is the top of the heap for BMPs IMO.

View attachment 61115 View attachment 61116

Is there something like a recipe list for this that shows how to set the switches for different variants?

 

[Mentaltossflycoon]

Is there something like a recipe list for this that shows how to set the switches for different variants?

There's a few suggested settings in the w&c de la riva manual but it's not really a "cook book" for specific muffs. Not a bad way to dip the toe if the muffin factory's option overload makes your eyes cross. I haven't really seen anyone using it as a way to have "all the muffs" at your fingertips.

 

[Aentons]

There's a few suggested settings in the w&c de la riva manual but it's not really a "cook book" for specific muffs. Not a bad way to dip the toe if the muffin factory's option overload makes your eyes cross. I haven't really seen anyone using it as a way to have "all the muffs" at your fingertips.

Thanks, I checked it out and it's helpful, but I'm interested in a spreadsheet type table of settings.

If there is not something similar already out there, then maybe I'll try to tackle it if I ever get around to building it.

 

[Cybercow]

Is there something like a recipe list for this that shows how to set the switches for different variants?

I started to make some notes, but got distracted by other builds.
When I get caught up on my insane queue, I intend to start over with a spreadsheet construct of various BMP settings.

 

[MBFX]

EQD Hoof, especially the Hoof Reaper version (I love octave fuzz). It's a Muff you can actually hear live! I run mine with the Shift knob fully CCW to get that sweet, sweet clarity.

I have a regular BMP, a Swollen Pickle, and an Op-Amp BMP too, but none of those ever stay on a board very long. BMP and Op-Amp BMP get lost in the mix, Swollen Pickle is stupidly loud.

 

[MBFX]

ive only ever built a swollen pickle. i guess that's some sort of a variant.

given the amount of carry on and enthusiasm for big muff and other fuzzes that have 420 variants and more, i feel like i'm missing out on something truly wholesome and fun...
fuzz just doesn't jive for me

What's your preferred guitar/amp rig? I didn't really like fuzz until I discovered single coils

 

[drgonzo1969]

EQD Hoof, especially the Hoof Reaper version (I love octave fuzz). It's a Muff you can actually hear live! I run mine with the Shift knob fully CCW to get that sweet, sweet clarity.

I have a regular BMP, a Swollen Pickle, and an Op-Amp BMP too, but none of those ever stay on a board very long. BMP and Op-Amp BMP get lost in the mix, Swollen Pickle is stupidly loud.

I agree. I bought a hoof back in 2013 or 14 and it has been on my board ever since. It’s my second favorite fuzz… fz-2 hyper fuzz is my favorite.

 

[owlexifry]

What's your preferred guitar/amp rig? I didn't really like fuzz until I discovered single coils

when i’m not being a silly goose messing with modulations on clean channels, i mostly play high gain metal stuff, so fuzz is kinda the opposite of what i need (tight and articulate).
rig is humbucker (les paul / ibanez rg) - overdrive, chorus, phaser, delay - SLO lead channel clone amp - mesa 4x12

having said that, what lead me to actually try the swolllen pickle is when i noticed knocked loose using them in a rig rundown and studio thing, with the overdrive going into the swollen pickle, and holy crap it’s cool, SP adds a tonne of bass making a monster crushing tone that works very well for slow chugs, but not much else.
hell yeah it's a great doom tool. but i don't smoke enough to play doom / sludge... yet.

i don't have any single coil guitars, but yeah i can imagine fuzz working very well with them.

 

[Harry Klippton]

when i’m not being a silly goose messing with modulations on clean channels, i mostly play high gain metal stuff, so fuzz is kinda the opposite of what i need (tight and articulate).
rig is humbucker (les paul / ibanez rg) - overdrive, chorus, phaser, delay - SLO lead channel clone amp - mesa 4x12

having said that, what lead me to actually try the swolllen pickle is when i noticed knocked loose using them in a rig rundown and studio thing, with the overdrive going into the swollen pickle, and holy crap it’s cool, SP adds a tonne of bass making a monster crushing tone that works very well for slow chugs, but not much else.
hell yeah it's a great doom tool. but i don't smoke enough to play doom / sludge... yet.

i don't have any single coil guitars, but yeah i can imagine fuzz working very well with them.

That knocked loose rig rundown was the first time I liked a chorus pedal

 

[owlexifry]

That knocked loose rig rundown was the first time I liked a chorus pedal

i think it had a similar effect on me too. prior to that i didn't even know what a CE-5 or ST-9 was.
their use of chorus on their recordings is pretty cool though, i'm down with it.

 

[MBFX]

when i’m not being a silly goose messing with modulations on clean channels, i mostly play high gain metal stuff, so fuzz is kinda the opposite of what i need (tight and articulate).

That makes sense. I use fuzz for "classic" stuff, and mostly for lead guitar. Metal stuff is TS --> Mesa

 

[perfboarder]

Tri Dirty Booster.

 

[micmac]

Late to the party.

I breadboarded the BMP while waiting for Robert's Fuzz Muffin PCB. I started with the "Mask Us" version from the build doc. I think that's more or less a BMP V3. Lots of gain, but not very tight in the bottom end. Didn't like it.

Then I tried "Stomp 75" from build doc. So that's SUF V2. A little less gain, but tighter.

Next I tried V2 "VIOLET" RAMS HEAD BIG MUFF PI from Kit Rae. Only a handful of changes to the "Stomp 75". This one I liked the most. Also less gain, but tighter than V3. I can't say why I liked it more than the "Stomp 75". All I know is that it was really fun playing through it on the breadboard. It just kept me playing.

I didn't have the parts to breadboard the Triangle, sadly. But I'm really happy with the violet BMP. Boxed up it's less noisy compared to the breadboard. And it's easy to set up, just dial the Sustain to 10 It's a total rock machine, doesn't sound very fuzzy. I also built the Dream Fuzz, so the op-amp BMP. That's sounds way more like a fuzz and really aggressive. But yeah, the violet one I like the most.