Op-Amp Big Muff Pi

Product Information

The pedal was created by Ivor Arbiter in the mid ’60s, a period which saw a Cambrian explosion of distortions and fuzzes. Many fuzzes had similarities in topology, and the Fuzz Face isn't exempt, being a shunt-series amplifier that resembles the Sola Sound Mark 1.5 Tone Bender. Most late 60s and 70s fuzz pedal designs shifted to silicon designs, including designs that were originally made from germanium, like Dunlop’s 1970s Fuzz Face. One of the quintessential designs that incorporated silicon from the start was the Electro Harmonix Big Muff Pi, whose design has influenced countless other fuzz pedals. Whether you play blues, indie or even metal, this is a fantastic pedal at a superb price, well worth the investment - much better than the Visual Sound Jekyll & Hydeused by The Strokes, perhaps its most obvious competitor.

V3 BIG MUFF PI with TONE BYPASS - The very first circuit mod by EHX. A rare variant of the V3 circuit with tone bypass switching (C15, R28, switch) and power filtering (R27, C14), made simultaneously with the V4 and V5 op-amp versions. Many people think the tone bypass was added with the V5 Big Muff, but it actually first appeared in this V3 variant, circa 1979. It was simple switch in between C14 and C3 that completely bypassed the Big Muff tone control, making the tone pot inactive, flattening the EQ, and giving a slight volume boost. This variant used MPSA18 transistors, very rarely used in a BMP. The Op-Amp Big Muff was popularised by the brilliant Billy Corgan who first used it on the Smashing Pumpkins' epic 1993 album Siamese Dream. After he was videotaped playing and talking about the reissue, Billy stated: ‘The magic’s still in the box, I can still get what I' looking for!'" - Mike Matthews the nasal, squeezed up lead tone that I use so often, as on 'Pissant,' for example, I ripped off from Michael Schenker! I used an EH Micro-Synthesizer and some unknown fuzz pedal, plus an MXR Phase 100" - Billy Corgan from Kerry Brown's blog While the history of the Fuzz Face isn't nearly as complex as the Big Muff, there's still a fair bit going on. There are two main versions, as well as a few key eras of manufacture. The FZ5 is actually three different fuzz pedals in one enclosure, with the center mode knob switching the pedal from a Fuzz Face sound(F mode), a Fuzz-Tone sound(M mode), and finally featuring an Octavia sound (O mode).According to Billy, the Pumpkins first use of the Big Muff on record was the first solo in the song Siva from the Gish album in 1991. The tone was achieved by dialing the guitar tone knob to the bass side, eliminating the treble, sort of like the Clapton 'Woman Tone' effect. To help prepare for the Siamese Dream recording sessions with Butch Vig, the band booked four shows at a local Atlanta club to get themselves in shape to play the new material. Many of the songs were basically just instrumentals at this stage, with lyrics yet to be written. Using the Big Muffs in a live situation proved to be a mistake. Big Muffs have tradedemark mid range scoop which can make it difficult to hear yourself play in a band mix on stage with bass guitar and bass drums that occupy the same frequencies. This is not a problem when you are just playing a guitar solo here and there with one, like David Gilmour of Pink Floyd for example. It is a major problem when both guitarist in a band are using them simultaneously to play a wall of power chords that make up the majority of every song.

If you’re looking for versatility and variety in your fuzz tone, this pedal has got you covered. 7. Dunlop Fuzz Face Mini (Silicon) Germanium transistors are generally used in vintage-styled pedals, and generally are somewhat lower in gain than their silicon counterparts. They also produce a more smooth fuzz sound. Some classic pedals that feature germanium transistors are the Fuzz Face and the Maestro Fuzz-Tone. Shown above - The Smashing Pumpkins sessions at the Triclops recording studios in Atlanta, Georgia 1993 You should get an instant answer on whether your application has been successful, though in some rare cases Klarna or V12 may need to look at the application in more detail.V6 BIG MUFF PI with TONE BYPASS - The common "V6" Big Muff circuit, circa 1979. The V3 tone bypass version had become standardized by this time so EHX reworked the old 3003 pcb layout into a smaller size, including the tone bypass (C14, R28, switch) and power fitering components (R27, C15), all on one board. The same pcb was also used in the LIttle Big Muff. Although there was the occasional part substituted for one of a similar value, this was the standard schematic used until Electro-Harmonix closed its doors and shut down in 1984. Other than the transistors used and power filterig components, the component values are identical to the rare V3 tone bypass version shown above. The story goes that Hendrix would go into a music store and 'audition' Fuzz Faces until he found one that he liked. Whether due to availability or stability, he did apparently make the switch to silicon Fuzz Faces.

The Input Booster sets the pedal input impedance, shapes the frequency response and adds some gain. I don't think there's a wrong choice here. They behave/sound so different with different amps, guitars, etc. that it's just impossible to decide which to get... This entry into the JHS Legends of Fuzz series is a replica of one of Josh Scott’s own vintage Red Army Overdrives from the early 90s. Despite being called an overdrive, this was the first Muff Mike Matthews made in Russia. Like all of the fuzzes in the lineup, the crimson has a special “JHS Mode” button which in this case activates a mid frequency boost.To me, the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff produces the ultimate super-gain VROOOM sound." - Billy Corgan from his June 2011 Guitar World article We are certainly living in the golden age of Big Muffs. The circuit is more popular than ever and the amount of Muff options on the market is overwhelming. Here is a guide to help you choose. Most Popular and Iconic EHX Big Muffs Available Now The Fuzz pedal is the only option when you need REALLY gritty dirt. Here are our 6 best fuzz pedals you must try before you die, Shown above - Billy Corgan V4 Big Muff used for the Siamese Dream recordings, showing his exact settings used for most of the recordings GRAPHICS - Identical to the V4 Big muff, except “TONE BYPASS” was labeled on the top of these V5 units instead of "OFF ON".

Input Capacitor C 1: creates a high-pass filter, increasing its value will result in a more bassy response and increasing the signal into the pedal. The cut-off frequency is around 3.8Hz, not disturbing guitar harmonics. Trying to find the best distortion pedal for your sound? Well look no further, as we offer up 7 of the best distortion pedals ever ... We take a look at all the differences between overdrive, distortion and fuzz to help you figure out which pedal you need. This is done by using more, and more aggressive clipping stages within the pedal. Fuzz pedals are also known for having somewhat simpler overall designs than distortions and overdrives, since once you’ve hard clipped the signal there is only so much you can actually change about the tone.

Sorry

The Big Muff Pi is a distortion/sustain guitar pedal designed by Bob Myer and Mike Matthews in 1969 and mass produced in 1970. This effect was the first overwhelming success of Electro-Harmonix due tothe distinctive sound, price, and reliability. Several versions and reeditions were released over the years. As chief engineer for Electro-Harmonix, basically my direction ( from E-H owner Mike Matthews) was to design a Big Muff using op-amps. He often would just tell me to "think about" something, and I took it from there. The transistor version is somewhat sweeter sounding (than the IC version). Grunge and punk-style players though often want something with more edge or coarseness, more crunch, and the IC Big Muff is just what they want. It can give you the Mountain sound - the guitar rough around the edges, but with the rest of the band playing, melodic overall." As for the sound, the 850 was loosely based on a Big Muff, but the biggest difference is the fact that it doesn’t have nearly as much of a mid-scoop, which creates a much more usable tone for a full band setting. This made the original a highly desirable and collectible pedal, so Ibanez reissued it so all of us normal players can still access the great tone.