Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi USA Reissue

The pedal is pretty easy to use. Plug it in, mess with the knobs a bit. You're done. It isn't exactly the most versatile effect!

Big muff really sounds best with another pedal driving it, or into a dirty amp. Some people will use it for sustain into a clean fender or something, but that isn't really my taste with the pedal.

You will get feedback, so don't quit playing (unless you like that sort of thing).

I'm using a strat and an AC30, but I have used this pedal with Pauls, fender amps, and marshalls. It sounds different in every setup, but still interesting.

Electro Harmonix makes budget pedals. Basically, these things could die at any time -- but that's the way it was in the '60's, man.

I have the "little" version, which seems like it is made in a better case so perhaps it won't die on me.

The big muff is a weird beast.

Its application really depends on what guitar and amp you are using. On lower settings, it can act almost as an OD kind of thing with a ton of low end. On higher settings you can achieve that "singing" Santana sustain (they continue to claim Hendrix used it, but since it wasn't even out until after his landmark albums, I don't really understand that claim).

The reviewer that said he couldn't get Mudhoney tones out of the thing must be doing something wrong, because this pedal is featured on pretty much every Mudhoney song.

In all, it is a pedal that everyone should have in their collection. It is a classic effect that works for beginners and pros alike. You never know when you might need a big muff!

It basically has a very small tonal range, and I wouldn't call it amazing, but it is very useful, especially for sustain.

It's easy. Three knobs and a switch. The manual doesn't say much, but there's not much to be said anyway, hit the switch, twist the knobs, rock your socks of.

I'm using this with a Hughes & Kettner edition 1, and a Fender 60's reissue Tele and an Epiphone LP Standard.
I mainly use the pedal together with the LP. The sustain of both the pedal and the guitar plays well together, and with the sustain knob set to eleven it really roars. I use the LP mainly for my trippy adventures in noise land, and this pedal together with my MI blues boy pedal really violates my eardrums in every sense of the word. It turns the guitar into a wooden chainsaw. With the Telecaster I usually turn the sustain down a bit, and it's perfect for playing White stripes (dead leaves and the dirty ground, bone broke, etc)
The range of the pedal is great, turning the tone knob really makes all the difference, and combining it with other distortion pedals usually results in insane sounds, some more useful than others.

It's huge and heavy. I could probably use it as a stage if i wanted to:)

No idea, never contacted them

It's a great pedal if you like noisy, high-gain sounds. It's awesome for rock, but if you are in a metalcore band or a session musician for Kelly Clarkson, this is probably not the pedal for you.

Straight forward, two inputs, 3 knobs for volume, tone and gain. Would of been nice to have come with a power supply, buttery is teh sucks.

I'm running currently running through a early 80's 57 reissue japanese strat through original blues deluxe. I have a couple of other pedals such as a Holy Grail Reverb and Delay going through the effects loop and there is a tuner before the Big Muff. As most fuzz pedals the Big Muff is very rauncy & bassy, but you can get a subtle fuzz with it with an adjustment of the tone and sustain knobs. I also have a JH Fuzz Face and I much prefer this as it's more versatile. I've got a rather small pedal board so I wanted a fuzz or drive that can cover range of tones this was easily the best and most affordable choice I could of made. This gets quite a bit more fuzz then the JH Fuzz Face in my opinion, it can get a bit noisy with single coils but you could tidy that up with a noise supressor.

I bought this brand new so no problems. I've had a couple of electro harmonix pedals and I've never had a problem.

Never dealt with them, as most massive export guitar companys . I could only imagine they wouldn't be pleasent to deal with.

I play a lot of physcedelic rock that revolves around the 60's period and bands that draw their influence from there such as The Warlocks, The Small Faces, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Jimmy Hendrix, Cream etc and this is great for those. If this got stolen...I'd probably try other fuzzes as I'm a gear freak and buy pedals for no good reason, but I reakon I'd rather go to a little big muff...They don't call them a Big Muff for nothing ! The Big Muff is definately one of the best fuzzez out there bar none

I'm writing this review to tell all those that are *****ing about this pedal: you're doing it wrong! LOL, if you wanted to play death metal, this was not the pedal to buy. I got this used with no manual, but it's real easy to use. Put the volume where you want it, tone almost dimed, & the "sustain" (distortion) between 9 oclock and 12 oclock. I got real good sounds & harmonics with these settings. It's a fuzz box! It's supposed to sound fuzzy. I don't know much about editing patches or firmware, but I think was a good reproduction of the original.

Played it through a small fender tube amp & then an old yamaha twin (both 70's vintage), it sounded great, & a very big sound outta the twin. It's pretty noisy with the sustain all the way up, that's why I keep it between 9-12 oclock. If it sounds weak/crappy, check your battery. Love the harmoics outta this thing. I usually use a Boss DS-1. You could dail in a Steve Turner (Mudhoney) sound with this, if you had a Mustang & Fender tube amp. I will admit that there are some settings where this thing sounds real bad, but if you kep the settings where I have described previously, I think you'll be happy with it.

Not built as well as a Boss, but as long as you take care of it, it will last. I'd gig with it if I was gigging right now.

n/a bought it used.

Been playing 20 years, punk, rock, metal, garage, surf, rockabilly, country, etc., own(ed) lots of stuff, used to have a whole box o' pedals, now trying to get 'em all back, I'd def replace if it got stolen, maybe buy an orig, love the sound, hate the footpads on it, but that can be changed, I like the fact that they kept the reissue like the original. I like trying out lots of different stuff. Great or Mudhoney, Sonic Youth, or garage rock. A nice change from a Marshall or Boss DS-1...

Very easy to use.

What's that you say.. it made you deaf.
I'm trying to recall the sound because mine is in a box out in the garage. i think it's the 70's model that's apparently worth a lot of money these days. It was my second pedal after a fuzz box stopped working and i enjoyed the sustain. Don't remember the fuzz quality just that it was loud and lacked any kind of tone control. i don't think the sound was bad and what I think a lot of people are doing is plugging into a high scale modern amp and are expecting a seventies sound. I use a Crate 30 amp and the amp is just too thick for the Big Muff. when I plug it into an old amp it overpowers the amp but that's what you want. You have to go out and buy a new amp but while the old amp lasts you'll hear why the pedal was so popular.

Not so good. I'm writing this review because I'm thinking of getting another Big Muff and wanted to see what people were saying about it. My Boss pedals are still working as is my Pod and most of my other pedals. I've got the Hendrix and the Clapton pedals and I'm not thrilled with them either as far as Harmonix pedals go. Not much for the price. The Big Muff lasted a while and just went dead and I never bothered getting it fixed.

It's in a box out in the garage. Thirty eight years in a box. When it broke I bought a Cort Effector with effects built into the guitar the way the new Stratocaster is made. I't doesn't sound like a Fender but it has two humbuckers and sounds ok. Then I bought a Fender guitar and the feedback had the neighbors running for the bomb shelter. If I want to get down in the gutbucket I use a Boss Super Overdrive and a Boss Blues Driver on clean with the guitar at full volume. The Muff can give you the volume and sustain but you don't get that dirty bottom that I like that sounds like John Lee Hooker tellin' some college boy in a Beamer that he don't know crap about the blues...

I think it's a good pedal but maybe for a kid just starting out on an electric guitar. Jimmy Hendrix did his thing and he ain't coming back. Buying something because it may sound like Hendrix is silly. Get a harmonizer or a Pod or a synth or something from Boss that has a hundred amp models and a hundred effects and stay interested. I like the Big Muff but it's limited.

It's pretty simple, just three knobs for Volume, Tone, and Sustain. You can go from slight break up with the Sustain low, or full out grunge fuzz with it set high.

I'm using a Fender 60's Strat into a Korg CR-4 4-track cassette recorder because I don't have an amp at the moment. Through a cheap solid state amp, or something with very small speakers, like my Korg, it doesn't sound that great. I used this on my friend's Twin Reverb, however, and it shines. I played a few tunes: "Foxey Lady", "Time" by Pink Floyd, and then changed it up a bit and played "Breed" by Nirvana and "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" by The White Stripes. It nailed the tones, especially the solo from "Time". It is kind of a one trick pony, in the respect that it does what a good fuzz should do. Very thick, harmonically rich, and it can get pretty nasty. Pair it with a good tube amp, and it'll shine.

I've only had it a few days, and it seems pretty sturdy, but the switch seems a little fragile. That could just be me, though.

Haven't dealt with them, so I couldn't tell you.

I play a wide variety of music, anything from blues to indie. This suits my needs for stuff like Hendrix, Floyd, just about any grunge, and my favorite band, The White Stripes. You can't go wrong with the pedal that all the big names use, and you also have to bear in mind that they use the exact same thing you go into a guitar store and buy.

Very easy to use `cause what ever you do, it`s same cheep sound.

I`m playing Gibson 335s deluxe and tube combo Marshall amp. This setup works fine for me. I was hoping to get some vintage boost and sustain from this pedal... nothing but the noise...
If you want to kill your tone, plug in.

Never used it on stage.

I am playing for nearly 20 years in various music styles.
Through this period of time nothing can get between guitar and amp.
Anyone who worked in studio knows that only good sound to record is the original one. Guitar and amp. Thats all. If you don`t have the sound, go back and work it out. Producers job is to alter it and pack it in the whole picture (song, album etc.). Of course I`ve tried a lot of stuff. Still got a few pedals, BOSS, that is. Chorus, Flanger, Compressor. I do not use them.
The only thing I use is Dunlop cry baby Wah. Dynamics of altering your sound with this pedal can not be replaced with no producer.

yeah its easy to use, and thats about all that can be said.

ABsolute piece of junk. I am playing a Fender Strat into a 1987 Marshall Silver Jubilee combo. As soon a I turn the Big Muff on, it squeals like a pig. I have tried every setting under the sun, and its still no good. THis piece of shit pedal is the NOISIEST pedal Ive ever played. Terrible terrible terrible.

Hahah woulde I use this at a gig? Youre kidding. This is the worst pedal ever made, and I want my money back.

No idea, bot considering the quality of this pedal I am guessing their customer service is shit as well.

If you want a Hendrix tone, then look elsewhere. In factm, of you want a pedal that actually works, and doesnt squeal like a pig, then look elsewhere.

if anyone has any idea how to make this pedal sound atleast HALF decent, please email me - heightdown@hotmail.com

It has a stiff and cheap-feeling footswitch and great big chicken knobs, which, try as you might, you can't get a decent tone out of.

I only bought the damn thing because I had the delusion that I could get a tone like either 1980-era Adrian Belew or Mudhoney. In short, I couldn't. I just got this horrendous wash of cheap-sounding fuzz. I was using a rather old Squier Strat and a brand new Epiphone LP 100 - neither of them the greatest guitars in the world, and I've since owned finer, but they sounded a lot better when I wasn't playing them through the Big Muff.

The soldering in the input and output jacks failed within weeks. Not being good at soldering in tight corners, I was unable to fix it. It was the most expensive pedal I've bought and the biggest waste of money.

In retrospect this may have been the wrong pedal for me. When I used it, it certainly sounded nothing like it did when the people who inspired me to buy it used it. But even when it worked, I almost never turned it on. It ruined what tone I have (with, like, a Squier Strat and an LP 100, I know, I know) and substituted a horrible blurry fuzzy noise. The thing is now cluttering up my office and I have no idea what to do with it, seeing as it doesn't work. My only consolation is that the Russian model I tried out in the shop sounded even worse.

Very easy 3 big chicken knobs-very easy
It only does one sound but you can increase the volume and the sustain dramaticaly.

Its definatly more of a Fuzz pedal then Distortion pedal, I've using it throught my Epi Valve junior 5w as a seperate channel effectivly, I've used my PRS Custom 22 and a Fender Japan Tele- Did'nt notice the sound being too different between the two guitars, obviously the Prs's humbuckers were alot more meaty.
The sustain is great! real violin like "think Santana-Smooth".
The big issue I've got is with the low-E string it buzzes no matter how weak the level or sustain control and I've tried all my guitars so i believe this is a genuin trait of all big muff pedals but for solos and smooth lead riffs this pedal is great, i do like it, i can see alot of recording oppotunities with it and it works great with a valve amp.

Looks strong as hell and I've never had any issues wiith EH pedals before.

N/A

Well my opinion on the sound should be clear now its pretty good but one issue which knocks a few points off! Also another issue I've got is the size i like big pedals but this one does'nt have too much stuff in side so why does it need to be massive?
The price is great though, mine was ??49.00 which is good value for a quite good pedal.

Easy pedal to use. Three knobs to adjust. Volume, Sustain, and tone. Volume stays around 9 pm position while I vary the sustain and tone knobs. Big square metal box. No manual. Just one small slip of paper with brief explanation of the three knobs. That's fine. No need for lengthly manual.

I play my LP through a chain of pedals that include this box, a Keeley moded Boss BD2, a wah pedal, and a tube screamer into a Fender amp at times or else a Mesa Lonestar amp. I can dial in the sound I after. However IMO when you increase the sustain too much it sounds very solid state/artificial.

I think the pedal is quite solid and will hold up. Nince big knobs with a red indicator light. However I believe there is real potential to scratch and dent the bright aluminum surface stomping on the button. The battery compartment door is secured with a small screw. Nice feature unless the battery dies and you don't have a screwdriver to remove the screw. It does have an AC adapter jack that overrides battery use, but unlike other pedals, it uses a small mini jack instead of the more typical adapter jack.

Don't I'll ever need support on this pedal.

I've been building my pedal collection towards getting various sounds and tones. I do like this pedal because the three knobs provide a good variation/latitude of tone, sustain and fuss. It is not an expensive pedal and I recommend to anyone who is after the fuzzy sound.

this is one of the easiest pedals to get a good sound out of. there are three controls, and its simply a matter of fine tuning. i have yet to get a truly bad sound out of it!

So, I am playing either a Fender Strat 70's reissue, or a Schecter gryphon through usally just this pedal, into a Peavey Delta Blues 210, set to clean, with the EQ all at 12, reverb at 4, and tremelo set to 3, and 3.
I find that with the pedal switched off, it is very transparent, and dosen't affect the sound at all. when switched on, there is a little hum, but not obtrusive. I'm gonna give it a 9, only because you can hear the switch ever so slightly when you tap it with your foot.

there is no question that this pedal was built for use. its in a big metal box, with a rugged metal switch (Caveat... see above section)
I would be totally comfortable gigging with only one.

never dealt with them, so can't say.

there's a volume knob, tone knob, gain ("sustain") knob, and on/off switch. Pretty straightforward.

I'm using this with a Frankenstrat I put together, into an AVT20X Marshall combo amp. I've also used it in combination with an Ibanez TS-9 and chorus pedals like the Visual Sound H2O and the Analog Man chorus.

The sound is great; this kind of fuzz is one Hendrix made famous, so of course you're gonna get a Hendrixy solo sounds like that when running it through a Marshall. Put it through a Fender and you'll get a much shriller Eddie Hazel sound. Put it through a chorus and you have Instant Frusciante.

If you turn down the tone and gain knobs you can get much more subtle fuzz effects. With the tone all the way up it can be edgy for solos and with the tone knob down it sinks the sound into a very creamy warm fuzz.

There are four negative issues I've had with the pedal. The first is that it is such a high-gain pedal that it will inevitably be quite noisy. However this is to be expected and may not necessarily be a bad thing depending on how you look at it. In the EHX manual it says the guitar, amp, etc. should all be properly shielded.

The second negative issue is that the pedal tended to muddy some of the lower notes at high gains. however for the most part it's pretty clear as far as fuzzes go.

The third issue is that I experienced some sort of "clipping" or "shorting out," for lack of a better term, when bending high notes higher (like bending the 14th fret of the high E string up, or something). This especially happened when there was a drive pedal after the Big Muff Pi. The solution is to put the boost or drive pedal, in this case, the TS-9, BEFORE the Big Muff Pi in the chain as opposed to afterwords.

The fourth and final issue is that if you run the signal through a wah before the Big Muff Pi, unless you have an awesome wah like a Fulltone Clyde or something fitted with a FoxRox Retrofit, the sweep will become almost imperceptible. I guess this can be fixed by turning the gain down on the Big Muff, but still. I'd say it's better to just get a better wah and use it with the Big Muff Pi anyway ;D

Ahhhh, I don't know. The case is made of the same type of metal and style used in the 70s, so it's very flimsy for something you're repeatedly stomping on. Why not move it to a tougher case?

In general, I've found EHX to be an amazing and creative company, but nevertheless somewhat sketchy. (You know what I mean.)

Never had to deal with 'em.

I play funky rock, rocky funk, acid rock, earth and space or whatever. Lots of Hendrix, Chili Peppers, and the like. I love this pedal. If it was stolen, I'd [insert violent act of revenge here]. Seriously, though, I'd get another. It's such an amazing pedal and at $80 NEW it's dirt cheap and an amazing bargain for such a good pedal. You can get lots of different fuzz tones out of it, from subtle and creamy to loud and screaming. Before you buy it though, try it out on the model amp that you own. It sounds wildly different through different amps.

All in all - with a name like "Big Muff" how can you go wrong?

There's three knobs - the volume knob controls the output level of the pedal, the "sustain" knob basically controls the amount of fuzz, and the tone knob has the greatest impact on the overall sound of the pedal, going from a smooth bassy fuzz to a harsher, "buzzier" sound.

I'm giving this a 7 because even though the controls are fairly simple, it's going to take a lot of messing around with them and probably the controls on your amp to get the sound you're looking for out of it. The "manual" provides slightly less information about the pedals controls then the above paragraph.

First off, I've been reading the previous reviews and I have to say this - if you bought a big muff thinking it was going to be a super versatile distortion pedal, or worse yet, a "metal pedal", then you are an idiot and need to do a little more research before you buy things.

I didn't buy this pedal looking for my "favorite artist's tone". I bought it because I wanted to add some versatility to my sound. I design and build tube amps, and my usual setup is just Guitar-->Amp. I do play a little bit of "stoner rock" type stuff which is the reason I bought this pedal. For the blues and classic rock type stuff I usually play, this pedal doesn't really have a place.

To me, the Big Muff is a fuzz pedal, nothing more. You can get a couple pretty distinct different sounds out of it and tweak them a fair amount, but let's not kid ourselves, this pedal does one thing and it does it very well.

As I mentioned before, I usually run this pedal into amps of my own design, however it does sound pretty good into my '65 Gibson Hawk. That's another thing to consider. Just as the sound of this pedal is not for everyone, it sounds quite different through different amps. There's always a possibility that it just might not be compatible with your current setup. I mostly play a solid maple 1980 Gibson 335-S which is tuned down to C standard right now. The pedal really sounds good with humbuckers, and gets pretty much the exact sound I hear in my mind with this guitar. My other one is a heavily modified strat copy with GFS Boston Blues. I typically only liked that guitar playing clean but this pedal really brings it to life. Definitely a cool sound with this one too.

I would also like to add that I have not had a chance to A/B this with a Russian Big Muff yet.

Seems like a pretty sturdy pedal. It hasn't broken in the time I've had it, and I wouldn't mind gigging without a backup.

Never had to deal with EHX, hopefully never will.

I play everything from blues to classic rock to stoner rock. This pedal's good for the stoner rock, but I'm pretty much a straight into the amp guy for everything else.

If it were stolen I'd buy another. Nothing else really sounds like a Big Muff. I bought it knowing full well what the pedal can and can't do. I like it for what it does, and there's nothing else I really want from it. I do also like that it's true bypass.

I looked at a lot of other Muff clones and briefly considered one of the BYOC "Large Beaver" Muff clones, but I wasn't really after a vintage fuzz sound so I decided the USA Reissue was probably my best and most cost-effective option. If I wanted a good vintage style fuzz I'd be going for a germanium-based Fuzz Face clone.

It certainly helps "make music", you have to know how to use it though.

One other thing I'd like to add is lately I've been running an EHX LPB-1 in front of it. I can keep the "sustain" knob low for rhythm playing, and stepping on the LPB-1 (boost pedal, also highly reccomended) has pretty much the same effect as turning up the sustain knob for a bit of a solo boost. Makes this pedal a little more versatile for sure.

Overall, I highly reccomend this. However, it is not for everyone and my advice it make be 100% sure you know what this pedal sounds like, what it's capable of, and what it's not. If you want a more versatile "metal pedal" have a look at the Metal Muff.

Very easy.

The sound quality was a huge disappointment. I can appreciate differences in taste but I can't imagine a type of music that would benefit from this sound aside from maybe a noise band. I couldn't find any combination of settings that provided enough clarity to play anything. I realize that a fuzz pedal is supposed to be fuzzy but ultimately the notes still need to make it through or you're just left with an indistinguishable mess. I was sure that I had purchased a broken pedal until I found many online reviews describing the same problems I was having. I actually did research this before buying and don't know how I overlooked all of these reviews. This pedal sounds like an accident. I can't believe that any group of engineers intentionally designed and marketed this product.

I plan on taking this pedal back so will probably never find out if it is reliable or not.

I love a dusty, analog, vintage sound which is what I was hoping to get from the Big Muff but it just doesn't deliver. This pedal will not make it out of my practice studio except to go back to Guitar Center. I would absolutely never recommend this to anyone--unless I really didn't like them.

You can't fault it for ease of use, of course. 3 knobs, do exactly what they say. But getting a good sound out of it... Thats trickier, for me at least. Different equipment will yield very different results, no doubt, but with my setup, some fiddling around (not just with the Muff, but with my amp) is necessary.

I love the 'Muff' sound, which is a good thing, because otherwise I'd hate this pedal. I use it with an old 2x12 SS Marshall 30w, which gives a very trebly sound. The problem I have is that when I switch the muff on, all of that treble disappears. I need to find a solution to this problem, otherwise the sound is very unbalanced with it on and off. The guitar is a 60s Hollowbody 335 lookalike, with single coils... If I stop playing for 1/10000 of a second, feedback kicks in, but that's the guitar's fault; I'm gonna get the microphonic pickups potted soon to eliminate the problem.

I'm a White Stripes fan, so I thought I'd use this with the Digitech Whammy II pedal to get a similar sound. The combination works a treat, I must say. The Muff thickens out the thin octave-up sounds the Whammy produces quite nicely.

I also have a bone to pick with the tone control... I wish I could get the original tone clearly from this pedal, but the Muff completely destroys it. The 'tone' control just gives a treble boost that makes the sound sound more processed, and less like the original sound. But then it needs to be turned up in order for you to even be heard properly. It's very hard to find a balance.

But I do enjoy the sound it produces, when I've eventually set it up properly... It's thicker than the great wall of china, which suits me just fine.

It seems dependable enough, a knob is slightly loose, but I bought it second hand and it still works perfectly fine, with no signs of it falling off. Also, I enjoy the fact that if a battery runs out, it will still run the signal through, unlike many other pedals, where it kills the signal totally. But I've just bought a power supply anyway.

Never had to deal with them... yet.

I like playing with no bass; I'm in a 3 piece band with 2 guitars. I play a mixture of bluesy rock/garage rock/grunge I rely on this thing to really kick some when I need it to, and it duly does. I owned a cheapo Boss OS2 copy (OD/Dist.) but I will probably rely on my Digitech Bad Moneky for overdrive and step on this when I need some power behind my riffs. I would buy another one for sure, maybe see what the Russian one is like, but it's a good pedal to have in your chain for the price.
I wish I could shape the tone a bit more; no doubt I'll eventually find a way to get more out of it. Anyone know how much the late 70s (with the sam design, except for LED and tone switch) differs to the reissue? If it gives any more tone than the reissue, I may begin hunting one down...

Its very easy to get a good sound outta this thing! 3 knobs easy peazy!
fiddle about to se what tone you want.

i can get sounds from hendrix to muse. ITS A FUZZ PEDAL!!!!! FUZZY!!!
love it! all the people saying its noisy??? not on my guitar!!! silent until i want it to get dirty. i use a graphic eq with the muff cause i wanted the graphic fuzz but couldnt afford it.and the tones are unreal so i suggest gettin an eq pedal. im using a behringer eq and works great!! cheap as chips ??15.

never dealt with em! no need

??45 bargain!!! if you like hendrix,muse,nirvana,black keys and so on? get this pedal now!!! GREAT FUN

3 knobs and a footswitch aren't too intimidating. Turning the tone knob slowly will seem like it's doing nothing at first and then BAM! it'll be a totally different sound.

This is a straight up FUZZ pedal. No use trying to get a distortion or overdrive sound out of it. It's a no nonsense squarewave inducing beast. I loved it for the sustain and compression it added to my signal, but you're kidding yourself if you think and tonal characteristics from your guitar are going to come through. I love it save for one super-important thing: the tone has a bit of a mid-scoop to it, which sounds bad-ass by itself, but will NOT cut through while playing with bass and drums, let alone another guitarist. I know if I put an EQ after it, or I mod it somehow, it will sound killer, but I'm rating the stock, stand-alone unit here, so I feel I'm being generous giving it a 6.

I've had it less than a week.

Never dealt w/ them.

I play rock/black metal. I wanted a distortion w/ a flatter output than my Boss SD-2 or my amp distortion (Hughes & Kettner Attax 100, which I LOVE). Like I mentioned, I loved the sound of this thing until I tried playing with my bandmates and I just couldn't hear it, even with the volume knob on it cranked.

NYC Big Muff PI Reissue. Heavy duty metal case, great fuzz, basically a no brainer.

Three knobs: Volume, Tone, Distortion/Sustain. Seems simple enough.

I get so many good ounds out of this thing its amazing. It may take a bit of fiddling to get a certain sound, but i mean, there's so many good sounds. The controls are very interactive and really make a difference, so it takes patience.

This pedal sounds great. I play indie/ambient rock and spazzy indie/classic rock/experimental and I love it in all applications.

I play a fender tele with hot rails or an epiphone les paul through a peavey classic 50 2x12. I have the pedal on a pedalboard along with a bunch of other effects, including an electro harmonix pulsar tremolo and deluxe memory man.

The tonesa I get from this pedal are sweet. there are deff sweet spots, but I have found really great tones everywhere. Like I said, it does take some tweaking since the controls are really interactive, but ohter than that, it sounds great.

I use it for a dirty, raunchy boost for solos, and for cool freak out chord parts. My indie/experimantal band doesnt have a bassist right now, so it helps with the bottom end. this baby adds plenty of it in the right settings.

Its an electro harmonix product, and I love the cases they design. huge, but roadworthy. people complain about them not being sturdy or reliable, but so far, all my ehx pedals have been faithful and sturdy.

I dont think Electro Harmonix really exists. I think these pedals are just appearing out of nowhere.

This pedal is great. I love the tonality and it adds great character to my rig. I'm gonna hold on tho this for a long time. If I lost it or it got stolen, i would invest in another one for sure.

I wish it had a three band eq though, that would rule. it would help dail in spcific tones better. other than that, five stars.

many choices of tone - unlike many pedals the knobs make a difference. - so - it takes a while to find the right combo.

totally unique sound and it was a pleasure to hear these sounds come out of my strat - COMPLETELY colors the sound in a good way - made me smile. My set up is unique:

STRAT PLUGGED INTO A GAZILLION PEDALS THAT I CHANGE AROUND ALL THE TIME - THEN PLUGGED INTO A GUITAR AMPLIFIER.

the switch seems flimsy and the metal seems tinny but the reputation is good.

have played 40 yrs - cover band - lots of dance music in bars and parties.

other gear I own: everything you can imagine. Even my kitchen cabinets are stuffed with pedals which have been played for 10 minutes.

Seriously - If I was involved in recording projects, etc.. this would be very useful. But for cover pop music I need a fuzz that cuts through in big boomy rooms. The muff is actually too warm - it loses definition in a band setting. I get more use out of my black cat OD-1 - the black cat is not warm at low volume - actually it's nasty. But at gig volume it's perfect. ( hint - good fuzzes will sound aggressive and nasty at practice volumes )

The manual wasnt too helpfull but it's pretty easy to find a good sound out of this pedal.

With the Big muff I use 2 Fender stratocasters, an EHX Small clone chorus pedal, and a Marshall halfstack. Before I had this pedal I used a Boss DS-1 distortion, now I cant even listen to that pedal; it doesnt hold water in comparisson to the Big Muff PI. I bought this pedal because I wanted to get that muddy guitar sound that I hear on records by Mudhoney, early Nirvana, and other bands of that ilk. The EHX Chorus is perfect with this pedal, they just fit perfectly.

The casing is flimsey, everytime I step on it I get scared that I stepped too hard or that it might fall apart. I have used it in gigs, it's my main source of distortion. I use a foot switch for light over drive too.

I havent had to call the company yet.

If someone stole it, that would suck.

I usually play old school punk, or grunge. This pedal fits both perfectly. I've been playing for uhhh about 7 years. If someone stole it, I'd buy another. I love hte sound, hate how fragile it seems. I compared it to regular distortion pedals. It deffinetly helps me make music, I wouldnt want to use anything else. Parabole.

Let's see, three knobs and a switch... How hard can it be, right? Just use your ears and you'll be fine. Finding the sweet spot with the tone control is absolutely crucial and it will be different for lead and rhythm. The hardest part is figuring out how to fit it on your pedalboard, lol. Oh and the manual just basically tells you how great this thing is (the greatest) and drops a few names (Hendrix? - don't think so).

Well, my russian muff was in a horrible beer accident and only worked sometimes after that, so I got the NYC version. First thing I noticed when I plugged it in was the true bypass. The ruskies version was a big time tone sucker. When turned on, the sound is brighter and edgier with my old settings, but I had no trouble adjusting it to my taste. I usually have all three knobs in the 12-2 o'clock range depending on amp/guitar. It's brilliant for big rock solos, slow super-thick sustained lines and generally for whenever you want people to pay attention to you. It's awesome when feeding into a wah with a touch of delay afterwards. I don't really use it for the rhythm/grunge thing, not my bowl of soup. Not a lot of noise as far as distortion boxes go, but I use humbucker equipped guitars only.

Feels solid, except for the enclosure itself which is plastic with a metal top, so if you wanna stomp on it and you happen to weigh over two hundred lbs, do so at your own risk. On the plus side, the construction inside is the way it should be: metal jacks (plastic on the russian), tough switch, and neither is mounted on the circuit board, so if they ever need replacing you can DIY even with minimal skills.

I play hard rock, metal, blues and classic rock and the Muff is definitely best suited for all thing rock. It doesn't really have the definition for metal and it's too big 'n bad for blues. What a lot of people say about this pedal is true, it is a one trick pony, but it's a hell of a trick. After all, your wah is a one trick pony too, which doesn't make it any less great. Also, it's a love/hate sound when rhythm guitar is concerned. The thing I like best about it is that with careful tweaking it will give you a rock lead tone to die for. Just do a unison bend and watch people's jaws drop, there's no need for shredding here in order to come across as a guitar master. Well, okay maybe a little. Smooth and singing with endless sustain and a flavor you won't get anywhere else. For that, it's definitely worth the money. I would say that it's also much better than the russian version mainly because of all the little things that seem to add up. I wish they didn't sell them with the ugly cheapo knobs, but I got some cool vintage-looking knobs from RadioShack for a couple of bucks so that it looks the part, but I'm just nitpicking now.

really easy......really

it is a great rythm fuzz...which is why i bought it...but it lacks clarity in single notes and solos...but it doesnt bother me...i just wanted a good sabbath/white stripes tone

really cheaply made...it scares me everytime i hit the switch

9....sounds great...it is what i expected...but i wish i have had more than what i expected...its a great fuzz for rhythm

it is so easy to get a good sound form this pedal!!
turn the volume to desired seting!
start with the sustain about half way! just so you can build it up to blow your ears :)
then play with the tone knob starting from the left! very very bassy to the right extremerly crackly and amazing!!
just like the guitar sound from 'touch me im sick' by mudhoney!!
so so good!!

im using a crappy squire cheap guitar thing and a squire jagmaster to a cry baby wah then to the big muff then into a marshall 250 mg series DFX
all pretty cheap setup but it sounds amazing!!
all these people keep saying if you don't play it it buzzes!
thats total bollocks!!
mines as silent as a libary!
the effects always sound amazing!!!
it kicks the shit out of the boss mt-2 metal zone i was using before!
i can get a perfect mudhoney sound with this and its the perfect grunge pedal and alternative indie pedal i don't really know for other stuff though!!

yeah its realible!

dont know yet :)

i play alot of grunge punk and classic rock really and its amazing for all that :)

i give it a 7 because the controls are easy enough, but sometimes it is hard to get a great sound out of it.

i have gigged with this as my only fuzz pedal for a long time, and it definitely gives a fuzzy sound, but it is one sound. the best way to use this i think is to combine it with other pedals or amp distortion, because if you don't, you will sound just like everybody else.

i beat this guy to hell and it is definitely one of the most reliable pedals i own, and i own too many.

this is good to have in the arsenal for certain things, but as for being versatile and a desert island pedal-FORGET IT!!! some people swear by these things, but in my opinion it would be a better idea to save up for a more versatile fuzz they can do other things besides sounding big and hoofy. my favorite all time fuzz is the big cheese by lovetone. you can get that combined with the brown source pedal (a very misunderstood criminally underated pedal) in a box called the cheesesource. it is expensive, but it is all you need. for a cheaper, more versatile fuzz i would get a voodoo lab sparkle fuzz or a fulltone '7o fuzz ( a better version of the muff.

Para encontrar buenos sonidos del pedal se necesita combinar los controles durante bastante tiempo, pero tampoco es muy dificil encontrar esos sonidos q buscas,basicamente tiene 3 controles (Volumen,tono y distorsion)y como cualquier pedal hay que estar probando distintas combinaciones hasta encontrar el sonido q buscas

El Big Muff es un efecto mitico dentro de los fuzz,eso es algo ya conocido,el rango de tonos q te permite crear van desde el rock psicodelico de los 60(el Disraeli gears de Cream,o las primeras grabaciones de Hendrix o grupos como Jefferson Airplane por citar unos pocos)hasta distorsiones rollo grunge y stoner,o sea puedes pasar de sonar calidamente pudiendo tocar acordes y solos con ese sonido fuzz hasta desvariar con mucho sustain aunque si abusas mucho de la distorsion mas bien podras tocar solos pq los acordes son casi imperceptibles
Me parece uno de los mejores pedales fuzz del mercado,tanto si estas metido en onda a?os 60/70 como si te van mas Nirvana y grupos alternativos de ahora
Por cierto, es un pedal q puede interesar a todos aquellos q buscan el sonido de los fuzz de transitores de germanio tipo fuzz face de los 60, aunque no te va a dar el mismo sonido se acerca bastante

Es un pedal q aunque tenga apariencia solida y robusta a la vez es fragil,y no pesa demasiado es mas bien ligero para el tama?o q tiene pero si no lo usas mal puede durarte a?os

Garantia de 2 a?os, es un Electro-Harmonix

Un muy buen pedal fuzz,con pedigree,q permite abarcar desde los a?os 60 hasta nuestros dias los sonidos q pueden sacarse de un fuzz, aunque hay miles de pedales mejor q este, es una buena opcion si no dispones de mas dinero, y en cuanto a sonido es un muy buen fuzz,nunca decepciona

Very simple pedal to use. Has all the controls you need to get that Muff sound. Subtracted 2 points because it IS possible to dial a bad sound or to have it sound noisy IF you make MISTAKES. It's not 100%fool-proof, but... invent a simpler product and someone will always invent a better fool. In general, the higher you crank the sustain, the lower you will need to crank the tone to smooth some of the buzz. The lower you turn the sustain, the higher you need to turn the tone to keep it from getting too muddy. My favorite setting is with the sustain almost all the way down and the tone at about 1:00. This lets just a hint of pickup color come through and still gives good sustain.

It gives the classic Big Muff sound. If that's what you want, then this is the pedal to get. It is NOT the most versatile fuzz pedal out there, but I haven't come across anything else that will get you the sound of the actual Muff. In a sense, it is a one-trick pony, but she's got a very good trick. The Big Muff is high gain, even at low sustain settings, so it is critical to send a low noise signal into it. As with ANY high gain pedal, noise at the input will be greatly amplified. The unit itself is quiet, but your signal HAS to be quiet going in. I am able to use it with single coil pickups at low sustain settings without any problems as long as it is first in my effects chain. Too me, it sounds best through a slightly overdriven tube amp with the highs rolled off a bit to smooth out buzz. I have a small problem with the bass being a touch too heavy. With the Muff on, I need to roll off just a touch of bass at the amp, which makes my sound a little too thin when the unit is bypassed. I will probably try modifying a coupling capacitor someday to cut just a touch of bass from the effect so that it better balances with the bypassed signal. Keep in mind that it sounds like it's supposed to though. It's a Big Muff and they are supposed to be bass-heavy. One more thing, it sounds great feeding into a wah pedal.

Don't know. I'm pretty gentle with my stuff so I'm the wrong person to ask about ruggedness. I haven't had any problems.

Never needed any.

It's a very good pedal if you use it correctly and are aware of it's quirks. I like it best at very low sustain settings because it lets a hint of the instruments voice come through (just a hint, though). At low sustain settings, it even sounds good when playing slide. 8 out of 10 because it's good although not very versatile. If you don't know whether or not you like the Big Muff sound, try it before you buy it. People either love it or hate it. I love it when used in the proper context. It's a classic sound for only $60.00. Because it sounds very unique, you don't want to overuse it or your audience may get tired of it. I use my overdrive pedal more often (Guyatone OD2) because it is more transparent and versatile, but I'm very pleased that the Big Muff is there in my chain when I want it for that Big Muff sound that only a Big Muff can give.

This is in my opinion "THE" best sounding and versitile distortion pedal on the market.I've owned several types of distortion stomp boxes,(Boss DS-1,Metal zone,overdrive.Marshall Jack-Hammer.DOD Heavy Metal)Etc.Very easy to dail in a wide range of tones.

Like I said above Very Good!

Seems tough enough.

No dealings.

I play mostly heavy classic rock,70's era.Ive benn playing for 10 years,seriously for 3.I play humbucker equiped electrics.I would definitly buy another it has become part of my sound.They named it perfectly,BIG Muff. It's fuckin' huge! aprox.6"x8".(HUGE TONE TOO!)Buy it. You will be pleasantly surprised about how great it sounds.I sure am.P.S. No I don't work for Electro-Harmonix. He He.

You should expect to spend a lot of time trying to dial in the right sound. Three knobs, but only one combination will work. I've read several reviews telling me to "put the white line at 2:00." I'd be curious if these sound gurus could tell me how to dial in a tone that sounds decent when you palm mute because I've found it impossible.

Expect to hear a lot of noise, especially if you have a decent tube amp. I play on a JCM 2000 DSL. I have to have the amp dialed in completely clean in order to have a sound that is even remotely intelligible. It's much more manageable on a cheap no-tube amp.

It's built like crap. That's what you can expect from EH.

NA

If you like the White Stripes, you need this pedal and a Boss Super Octave to replicate the sounds. For all its shortcomings (and there are many), nothing sounds like a Big Muff Pi.

- Yes, is very easy make a good sound with this pedal.
- The controls of this pedal is very simple. Is not hard to edit.
- The manual of this pedal is not necessary. The pedal is easy.
- No.

- Guitar Fender Strato > Jim Dunlop Cry'Baby > MG Monovibe > Boss Super Overdrive > Big Muff > MXR Phase90 > Danelectro Tremolo > Boss Volume > Boss Digital Delay > Amp Fender Blues Deluxe.
- I tested the pedal only with batteries and I don't listened noises. I don't know if this pedal make noises with adapters.
- Yes.
- Marshall Reverb 30
- Yes. With Big Muff, I can got the sound and sustain like a David Gilmour.
- Is very good.

- I play rock 'n' rock basicly with progressive rock. This pedal is a good match for me.

Really, really easy. Out of the box, playable and durable. Even comes with a 9V battery. However, I use a pedal board with a built-in power supply, so I found a converter from One-Spot that adapts the typical 9V barrel plug into the bizzare 1/8" plug for the Big Muff. Works like a charm.

Holy god does the Big Muff Pi have G A I N!!! Lots of it, so if you are pluggin this into a basic practice amp watch your levels before you stomp the peadal button. I think I aged my Crate 15W 12" speaker by 10 years in 6 seconds. Once the levels are set though, the Big Muff Pi has amazing, droning sound and a crunchy snarl that is beautiful. Run this thorugh a reverb and chorus pedal for the distortion sounds of Smashing Pumpkins and Bush, or play it through a compressor and Whammy for that Jack White sound (or as close as humanly possible)

I will have this as the foundation of my pedal board forever. The pedal is metal and the switch seems durable. We'll see how long it lasts.

I registered the pedal with Electro-Harmonix, and they are right here in NYC, so we'll see if they come thorugh if it dies.

I think this pedal is great but make sure that you check your levels and setting before setting the sustain at the 3'o-clock position and laying down a metal riff. Almost killed my practice amp.

This thing is about as easy as you get. Here's what the knobs will really make it sound like.

Volume - This is pretty much a 'presence' dial. Anything below full will sound like it's really far away. Kind of pointless, really. Just leave it at max and it'll be fine.

Tone - This is the only thing I really mess with on mine. It does kind of adjust between bass (turn to the left) and treble (to the right). The bass is about 75% of the knob though. Turn all the way to the right and you get a super crisp almost twangy sound. Turn all the way to the left and it sounds like there's a wall in front of your amp. It gets really muffled past half way. To get a really good tone, make the little white line on the dial be straight pointing to the right, 3 o'clock.

Sustain - This is the fun one. Turn it all the way up and be completely blown away. Even turning it all the way down still has more distortion than some amps I've heard. Most people probably don't like it all the way up cause it has huuuuge insanely powerful distortion. Keep this one all the way to the right if you want a truly monster tone.

The point of a distortion pedal is the sound, and this one totally delivers. I really don't understand all the negative reviews on the sound. People probably just don't play the style that this thing makes. Anyway, I'm using it on a Washburn Maverick BT-4 or an Epiphone Les Paul Jr and a Behringer GMX212 amp, 100 watts.

It doesn't really have any noise, everybody is complaining about the noise. It actually amazed me at how it has no noise. I if you just put your hand over the strings and don't play it sounds like it's on clean!! To hear how much noise it has actually, listen to the beginning of "Touch Me I'm Sick" by Mudhoney, who named their first album after this pedal ('Superfuzz Bigmuff'). Then the riff kicks in using the Big Muff. Another song that has the Big Muff on it is "(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth" by Metallica off of Kill 'Em All. Cliff Burton, who loved the Big Muff, uses is heavily on his best bass solo.

Anyway, it sounds like a total monster. I always idolized the fuzz sound of "Life of Pain" by Black Flag, and now I can finally get that tone with even MORE distortion!!! This thing is INSANELY powerful. The tone is beyond description. When it gets going, man, there's nothing that can touch it. It's the best tone I've ever heard, and I'm playing it!!!

However, even with the tone dial all the way up, it sounds like you have the tone dial down on your guitar. You know that kind of low machine sound, especially on the highs. A little annoying. Also, with the Sustain dial all the way up, the distortion is heavily on the lows and not much on the highs, no matter how you adjust the tone. My highs, especially on the high E, sound almost the same as they did before I got the Muff. For these two things I give it a 9 instead of a 10. But I tell ya, that low tone it gets on heavy riffs is a beast.

It's pretty durable, but sometimes when I step on it the metal kind of depresses. I tested out the Sovtek one and it was a bit sturdier. This thing should be able to handle anything though. Don't slam your foot on it, it might not be the sturdiest thing ever but it's pretty good.

Inside the box is a little slip for the 1 year limited warranty. It says in very small print that you have to fill out the form and mail it in within 10 days, which I find kind of dumb. Most people will probably just take out the Muff and put the box in their closet or something and maybe take it out a few months later.

I play mostly old school hardcore punk, sludge metal (The Melvins), grunge, and some Primus type stuff. This thing suits me very very well. If you like some lighter music you probably won't like this. I'd say it has improved my playing as it's got a really great tone and makes me feel very confident. This is the exact same thing that many great musicians play. It has everything you need for great distortion right there. Three simple dials, doesn't need anything more. If it were stolen or lost I'd definitely get a new one. The tone cannot be replicated by anything else.

I'd just like to say that the Big Muff was NOT used by Jimi Hendrix. "It's the same legendary sound used by Jimi Hendrix" they even brag about. WRONG! The Big Muff was introduced the year after Hendrix passed away. He couldn't have possibly used it. However, artists such as Metallica, Dinosaur Jr., NIRVANA, Mudhoney, The White Stripes, Pink Floyd, Chemical Brothers, Dandy Warhols, Steely Dan and many more have used it.

Get the Big Muff Pi. It's made right here in the USA. Electro-Harmonix refers to it on the instructions as "the finest harmonic distortion-sustain device developed to date" and you'd better believe it. If you like your music loud then this will be manna from heaven. Real guitar guys out there will tell you that this is probably the greatest distortion pedal ever, hands down.

It's very easy to get a good sound out of it, but perhaps a little hard to get the sound you want.

Only three knobs: volume, tone and sustain. Volume is pretty obvious, but tone and sustain is were you get the Big Muff's near infinite tweakability. The tone knob controls bass vs. treble and the sustain knob controls sustain and fuzz. The more sustain you want, the more fuzz you get.

Sounds awesome, though obviously some tones can be inappropriate for what you want. Since I use it for bass, I generally keep the tone knob a around eleven o'clock and the sustain at nine. Boosting both gets me a great super-fuzzed out guitar sound, but drops the lows (obviously). Sustains forever on high notes and I definately suggest using this with an Ebow.

My setup requires that pedals sound good with each other and the Big Muff Pi is definately a team player:

Bass >> Digitech Bass Synth Wah >> Big Muff Pi >> Boss Digital Delay >> Boss Bass Graphic EQ >> E-H Pulsar >> Boss Loop station >> amp


I originally purchased it under the impression that it was an overdrive and was greatly surprised to have a fuzzbox. After the initial shock wore off, I got around to loving it for what it was, but don't confuse the two: if you want a 'screaming' or 'sharp' distortion, this isn't the place. Think more of 'blunt' sound, like David Gilmour's "Time" solo.

Extremely reliable. I stomp and I stomp, but this pedal can take it and keep working.

I've had some prodlems involving power supply, namely that E-H tends to use an oddly-sized jack for the power (1/8" I think?) and my voodoo power supply only came with one (which I use for the pulsar), so I had to use the 9v battery clip to the power supply.

N/A

Great for almost anything. I play just about anything (rock, prog, jazz, ambient, etc) and the only thing that I've ever found it completely inappropriate for was pop. Surprisingly good on funk.

It definately aids to songwriting (especially as a bassist) because it gives you a better idea of a lead or rhythm guitar part. I also like using it to have guitar-like leads, but don't worry, it doesn't drop the low end if you don't want it to.

only 3 knobs but the big muff demands to be tweaked to get the best sounds,so experiment with it.

the big muff is sort of a fuzz mixed with a touch of distortion but on its own it has quite a soft attack.i put a boss overdrive before it with quite a subtle drive setting and the attack on notes hardens up nicely+adds loadz of harmonics.it sustains for millenia on high notes which have a lovely creamy quality to them.
there are so many sounds you can get out of this pedal,from thin fuzz ,classic rock,white stripes wall of fuzz to full on,thick sabbath.
the key with the muff is experiment with the way the controls interact with your other drive pedals and your amps pre amp.the tone control is very varied and fully anti clockwise dosnt get all muffled but sort of adds bass and other harmonics to produce a super thick sound.i just love this thing so much!!!!!!

well built and it works!

over all a very versatile pedal.just dont expect it to sound amazing as soon as you plug it in.fiddle with the controls of the pedal,amp and other pedals and youll get what your after.

three knobs. the tone is a little weird though. I usually set it first two strait up and the sustain depending on my amp volume.

I play this with an SG Standard with a SD-1, MXR Dist. +, Big Muff, and DL-4 into a 25 watt '90s Fender Champ Hybrid (1 preamp tube and 2 6L6s). Sounds really good with the midshift button depressed on my amp. Looking to add a warm analog phaze shift in the mix in a few weeks. The pedal is noisy but I only really use it for lead stuff. I like Fugazi/Shellac/Oxes but never try to copy any sound and this pedal really don't apply to those bands. When I play it I think of '70s rock or Smashing Pumpkins also but not as studiofied. It's good played overtop my Dist + or SD-1 for leads but never for rhythm. The only thing that bothers me it that I LOVE the way the pedal sounds with the volume all the way up but then I can't match my clean sounds in volume comparison. Sounds great when my amp is cranked and dirty with this pedal. It has this Part Chimp or octivated muddy fuzz that is great.

I bought it used and it's held up. I wish the battery was easier to get too.

Good pedal for the money but not great. I'm thinking of getting rid of it and buying a Voodoo Lab Proctavia.

play with it and it's perfect. i had to play around also with the place of the big muff pi in my effect chain. i find that it is best at the first pedal. i love this thing. try it with bass, trust me.

i play mostly thru an epiphone dot and sometimes thru a 1967 silvertone hornet. the only noise i get is from the guitars. especially the silvertone. my set up is the muff pi> dunlop wah> eh q zone> dano delay> fender tuner> marshall avt50 (i got it b/c a friend had one and he was a much better player playing with an 80's strat. i like the amp, but i pine for a vintage vibrolux.)

once, someone stepped on one of the patch cables right at like 2 inches from where it plugs into the pedal. bent it all to hell. after we played when i was packing up i noticed how much damage had been done. i saw it happen... someone was too high and wasn't watching where they walked. it happens. the point is that i was able to bend everything back in place. i can plug and unplug just fine. and it has lasted regular use over almost 2 years of having it. people rag on EH for quality. every EH pedal ive had has stood up well.

wouldnt know.

i play mostly jammy type stuff... classic rock, blues, jazz, folk. i dont know if i have any "style". i try to learn. i grew up on hendrix, cream, beatles, velvet underground, bruce springsteen, allmans, dylan, etc. i try to emulate that stuff and make it my own. been playing 7 years. find the right place and setting and the muff is a great distortion/ sustain. worth the money, and the quality is there.

Very simple:


VOLUME - how loud do you want your crap?
TONE - how muffled or how trebly do you want your crap?
SUSTAIN - how much crap do you want?

I have used it with a Gibson Les Paul and a Fender USA Tele, through a Laney VC30 (class A tubeamp).
It's incredibly noisy - whatever settings you dial in, there's always an annoying buzz. When you mute your strings (for short pauzes between riffs or whatever) there's a hollow, very middy noise... like if you play with an acoustic guitar through your overdrive channel.

As for the effect: it's not very good. To say the least. I HATE it.
It effectuates my playing style for the worse. It kills ALL dynamics. Its distortion clips in a very unpleasant way.
My RAT is much much better - sounds much more tubelike and open, has nicer upper harmonics, doesn't sound muffled and doesn't suck tone when not engaged.
I can't believe I bought this crappy Big Muff... Yeah, I wanted that Smashing Pumpkins sound. Indeed, it resembles that sound, but than that's the only thing this pedal's good for.

I'm sorry. I really love Electro-Harmonix, but I think their flagship pedal is utter CRAP.

I've been playing for 15 years. Our music is influenced by indie rock (Pixies, Breeders, Hole) and 80s new wave (The Cure, The Chameleons).

Pretty simple, pug it in.... set the 3 controls, go.
To be honest, it does require a bit of messing. The amp control is the overall output, i set this just below 50%, the tone control is a bit odd, hard to explain, it has an odd range, i leave it on 50%. Finally the drive is pretty responsive, though once again, sounds best around 50%, i have mine set about 60%, though i adjust slightly depending on the venue.

Ok, i use this primarily with my 1996 Fender anniversary Strat Plus with EMG pickups (DG20 Dave Gilmour signature series) and GHS Boomers.
My effects Boss NS2 - MXR Dynacomp - Danelectro FAB overdrive - Big Muff - Boss GE7 - Electric Mistress - MXR Phase 90 - Danelectro Cool Cat chorus - Boss DD3. The whole lot goes into the clean chanell of my Peavey Classic 50.

The Muff is very characteristic, big and gigantic sounding. It's a bit fuzzy, and noisy, but between the Dynacomp and the NS2, i've managed to tame it to the level that it now sounds great.

It gives me that Dave Gilmour sound i want, once you've got used to it you can hear it all over Dave's live sound.

I cannot notice the difference between this and the other issues to any great extent, but i find that to be the case with most "classic" pedals, i think people always think the original sounds better. In this case the original is a bit duller i think, but it's hard to tell really.

It is very noisy - you need a noise gate with this, and a good compressor.

Looks pretty solid, feels pretty solid.
Time will tell...............

No idea

I play in a Pink Floyd tribute band.
I've been using multi effects units for 15 years, starting with the Boss ME6, going through a load of different Boss and Zoom units before getting the last one (GT6). Somehow i could never get the tone i wanted, I always got close, but found that live on stage my sound lacked guts, or sounded too thin or watery, or got lost in the mix. I got rid of the multi-effects and went back to pedals, including the Muff. At my first full band practice with my new pedal setup the difference was amazing....POWER.....I had to turn my amp down loads, and i kept dominating the sound, i had to adjust my pedals to fit back into the mix, but WOW, what a difference. GO BACK TO PEDALS. honestly, it's worth it, you lose a bit of flexibility, and it is more messing around, but the sound difference makes it all worthwhile.
Anyway.... the Muff..... it's a great pedal, it's not for the thrashers out there, and it's not for fast metal soloing either, but for big, power rock solo's it's great :)

This is deceptively too easy to use. I've talked with some owners who claimed they couldn't get a sound out of it. Personally, I find the pots to be more than adequate in tone adjustment. There shouldn't be any problems finding what you want if you know what you're looking for. There is no manual for it, which is apropos. With only 3 knobs, it's a no-brainer if you ask me! With 20 minutes of patience, you should be able to tweak it to your liking.

Through a Fender Twin-Reverb, I have the Big Muff as an external effect routed to my Boss GT-6. I created a patch called the "Crimson Lead" because the Muff coupled with the GT-6's "Clean Twin" preamp setting totally nailed Fripp's classic lead sound. I use the Big Muff for lead sounds only. I use the Boss GT-6 for rhythm due to the fact that I like the response I get when I mute my palm, and I get chunkier rhythms. With the Big Muff, I really let fly and the sound is diabolical & merciless when playing leads, but undynamic when doing rhythm. That might just be due to my playing style. The Big Muff also reacts to the modulation effects of the GT-6 very nicely without sucking any tone. The sustain is creamy & very powerful (especially at higher volumes). The Muff & the Boss GT-6 proved to be a winning combination for a tube amp. However, I'm not sure what it sounds like through solid-state amps. If I could get better rhythm sounds from it, I would give it a 10.

The housing seems a little flimsy, but it's not like I'm tap dancing on the damn thing. I use the Boss GT-6 as a backup, the Big Muff is really just an external effect that I've added (but it's now my MAIN lead sound). I've used it for about a year & haven't had a problem yet. I just keep feeding it 9-volt batteries & the Muff is happy. I baby the pedal, but I'm sure it could easily get crushed in the right (or wrong) circumstances. Spilled beer would probably fry it.

I never needed them yet! Hopefully the Muff pulls through.

I've played in metal bands early on, then switched to psychedelic/stoner rock, and curerntly in a jazz-fusion band. I wouldn't have too much use too the Muff in my metal days, but from 1992 on I wish I would've had this pedal. I've been playing since 1983 & its a shame I've been only using the Big Muff for a year. I have many demos that I wished I had used this pedal on. Better late than never I suppose. If it were lost or stolen I would quickly replace it, because I need my "Crimson Lead". The versatility of the tone is what surprises me about it, given its simplicity. I hate the fact that I haven't found an agreeable rhythm tone for it...YET! My favorite feature is its near eternal sustain & consistently powerful tone. Plus, I can pretend I'm Robert Fripp back in '73 when my band is banging out "Red". I wish the Muff had an internal compressor (but I already have one). The Big Muff is a must, but you have to know what you're looking for. You have to know how to tweak it & have a grasp of how it reacts in your effect- chain & how to effectively EQ your overall guitar sound. Otherwise, any pedal will sound like shit if its in the worng part of your chain. Big Muff RULES!!!!

This pedal is pretty easy to use - volume, tone, sustain.

I use an epiphone sheraton II through a pignose g40v. The effect does not seem to really be too noisy when off. It is a pretty loud pedal though which I like - I tend to use pedals as a boost and I try and go for extremes. Different sounds for different parts of songs. I keep the volume up all the way and the sustain up all the way with the tone at about eleven o'clock. I like the big muff because there seems to be a sort of halo of jagged overtones around every note. The guitarists I like most are J Mascis, Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix, Trey Anastasio, Jerry Garcia, John Scofield and Sonny Sherock. The big muff is good for getting tones like the ones used by the first three guys. For tones like the later four I would use a tubescreamer. On a side note, the amp I use is all tube and it only has one channel. You can overdrive it by turning the master louder than the volume. My main tone is pretty dirty and the big muff makes it pretty huge. The guitar I play feeds back very easily so I can get a lot of sustain and noise at relativetly low volumes (the acoustic volume of a drum kit). The big muff fits right in with that.

The big muff seems reliable. I have different pedals in my rig so I don't really worry about any one all that much.

I have not dealt with the company

I pretty much play vintage indie rock. The big muff is very good for that. I have been playing since I was about 14 and I'm 29 now. I think I would buy a new one if someone stole it. I love the fact that you can get such a huge sound with just this one pedal and of course since it's a pedal you can turn it off to create contrast. There is nothing I really hate about this pedal and it only has one feature - very fuzzy loud distortion. I always try out new stuff when I get a chance. I liked the American big muff better than the Russian version. The big muff is a classic sound so there is nothing to really compare it with I don't think. Most other distortion/fuzz/overdrive pedals are just different in there sound quality. The big muff has a sort of attractive murkiness to it.

simple... plug in, 3 knobs.

I'm running a Strat with single coil overwound pups, fully shielded and star point gounded so it's dead quiet in pos 2 and 4 and very quiet in all the others... The BMP (Big Muff Pi)

I have to agree with Kalaab. There is a very noticable difference between my Russian made and USA NYC model... both of course the reissue. The Russian one sounds much more like I expected a BMP to sound like; very very musical, very compressed when pushed, very creamy distortion and very 70's. The Russian one does King Crimson(ish) lead sounds very well. That said I do like the fact that the NYC has a true bypass switch and the ability to use a power adaptor. But the sound is different. I like it but less creamy and more edgy (which isn't THAT edgy), then the BMP-Russian.

These are nice, the metal case seems fine if a bit flimsy, certainly not as solid as a Boss hunk of metal. The battery is supposed to fit on this little metal bracket on the door at the bottom (where you remove it to change the battery). But when my BMP arrived from shipping the battery was swingin' around inside. Not as secure as Boss or George Dennis or others who have a small space for the battery to sit in securely. This is certainly a draw back and really is something these guys could improve... come on ya goofs it's not like you're working in a vaccum here, you have to see what others are doing.

There very little inside this thing. Tiny PCB board with a few components...

no idea...

You know what. I don't think you can get this sound from another pedal. If you can, I'm not aware of it. I've tried emulations, but they don't cut it. These things should be in everyone's signal chain, they are that good.

That said. I think I like the Russian one a bit better. It's the creamy sound. I will probably put a 3PDT True Bypass Switch in it so it's not a tone sucker, and find a good 9 volt power supply.

You are informed that you must remove your guitar cable when the BMP is not in use... because if you leave it plugged in it will drain your battery. Now that with both the older Russian model and this newer NYC ressiue. Ok... now there's no need for that. I hate using up batteries. I therefore think that these things need to be tweaked a bit.

I've included some links here for everyone to check out. You can easily wire your Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi USA Reissue so when you take the pedal out of the path (turn it off) it stop draining the battery, and/or when you plug in an adaptor/power supply it also stops draining the battery.


Here's a link for improving your pedals.
http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=172&Itemid=200


True Bypass?
http://www.banzaieffects.com/attic/tech2.htm

super easy. three controls, all responsive. two minutes and you are sorted.

i play either a gibson sg or a gordon smith gs1 (both guitars fitted with seymour duncan invaders) into a marshall non-master volume superlead head and hand built 2x12 cab with celestion vintage 30 speakers. the muff is noisy when it's on but i've turned down my guitar volume, otherwise it's fine. i leave it on all the time anyway so that's no problem. i play heavy stoner rock and this pedal is the industry standard, with good reason. NEVER sounds bad, it's just plain badass for heavy heavy rock. think kyuss/sabbath/melvins etc etc. perfect!!

totally. a real workhorse.

never had to call them

the big muff is a classic fuzz, and has a sound all of it's own. i own many fuzzes, and this is one of the best. for massive, wooly, thick fuzz there's none better. plus, it's cheaper than any boutique pedal, and looks so ridiculous it's great!!!

Very easy to use .Three knobs volume , tone and sustain .No real upgraded just resolder a dry joint.

This thing is noisy .But, it realy depends on your set up other box's,pickups ect...I like turning the volume up to 3'oclock and the sustain to 8'or 9' oclock and use it for a f@#%k up overdrive to drive my Bass player NUTS.I have just started useing pedals again I have a tele,strat,335>crybaby>JP volume pedal>Bg Muff>carven nomad. I use a OLD DOD FX90 delay and a Boss tremlo in the effects loop.I use effects sparingly if at all.I don't always set them up .

I had to resolder the 1/4" output jack.I think it's built cheap so don't stand on it.

N/A

I have been playing for 18 years and its always agood idea to have something heavy or obnoxious to your bag of tricks.My bass player hated this pedal when they first came out he is old ,real, real old,and said after thirty years it still sounds like shit . So its a keeper.Just to preach about learning to play with out pedals.you will play better and tone will sound so much better . You also have no power or battery worries.If you have a two channel amp try it for a change and use just your channel switch or turn that volume up on the amp with one channel try pickup switching play around with your volume and tone.Learn to use your amp and guitar befor adding more color to your sound.You may not need half your pedals after all.

Very Very easy to use. Can't go wrong!!

My setup(s) On stage i use a Gibson SG/Jazzstang-- Boss tuner -- Big Muff- Marshall JCM 800 120w twin reverb through an Orange 4X 12.

Home similar to above but a Vox AC 120.

Noisy is what it was born to do. This thing rules! I think someone said they almost crapped themsleves using it for a first time. I have to echo that everytime were are on stage and that kicks in anyone who was content on not wanting to listen have no choice. Its go the envy of a lot of band who for some reason are sacred of it.

I play mainly punk grunge hense the guitars but this thing can do most styles. I find fitting new guitars and other effects in with it hard some time but after some jigging it all comes together.

Couldn't live with out it. I just bought an MXR dist but am not holding to much hope for it. I alway use this without back up. I've been through one in the last 4-5 yrs i'm on my second which is bearing up nicely. Tip keep them in the boxes i know it bulkier then but they are fragile and do need some love.

Never used dunno

Well good effect i had the chance to get one with the compressor in it but stupidly bought MXR i will learn i guess but what an effect.

Well... Three knobs, Volume, Tone, and Sustain. You would have to be pretty stupid to not know how to work it. The only problem is that it doesnt connect to my power supply and i have to feed it 9 volts all the time.

My setup is a Strat(Seymour Hot-Rails) -> Boss Compressor -> [b]Big Muff Pi[/b] -> Boss Super Chorus -> Boss OS-2 -> Fender Stage 100 Dsp. This thing rules, i swear, the first time i plugged this baby in i almost crapped myself. I mean really, it is great for grunge, thick and raw but when you play the top three strings it is smooth and awesome for lead guitar. In my opinion, it is a cross between distortion and fuzz, its not really distinctivly one or the other. It can be noisy but once you play its not noticable. If your looking for Nirvana, Whitestripes, Smashing Pumpkins, this pedal is for you.

Its a little flimsy, just dont jump on it and your all set.

N/a

This thing rocks

Well it's not exactly rocket science - the level sets the volume, the tone sets whether it's trebly or bassy and the sustain sets the gain. However it does take a bit of a play around to find your sound (as with every pedal). 9 because if you don't know what to use it for, you will make an idiot out of yourself (I speak from experience). Do not expect chugging Marshall-style power chords from this. It's better suited to solos.

I play a Gibson Les Paul Studio---->Dunlop Crybaby wah----->Big Muff---->Marshall AVT100 (soon to be the proud owner of a tubescreamer as well). It is slightly noisy but only to be expected from that kind of gain. Also my home is kinda shitely wired, i cant c it being that bad in a properly wired stage environment. Apart from that this pedal is excellent. It really does give you screaming solos, although I found they were too thin on the treble side of the tone knob so I'm stuck with a kind of bassy sound in the middle. However it really does give you that Santana sound, and you will begin to recognise it in many other recordings (Clapton, U2, Hendrix but to name a few, even Slash once or twice!)...It really does rock

Umm I think it's very reliable, I can and do gig without a backup although I'm sure I'd get by with the OD channels on my Marshall...The casing and switch are very solid, they hurt my feet so I guess there's not much chance of me hurting them!

Never dealt with them, I'd probably take it to a tech rather than ring them if it broke.

I play mainly rock, from Santana and Zeppelin to U2 and Coldplay, and my band is so hard to describe I'm not even gonna try...This pedal is perfect, it really nails so many of those sounds and there's nothing like a wailing solo high up on the fretboard with this thing...Plus front-end your amp with this and your sound will be incredible (although take your hand off the guitar and it sounds like a jet plane taking off!). The other day I heard a recording of it when I was doing this slow spacy solo with some delay (with my band), and it sounded so professional and beautiful I actually thought "wow, I would buy this if it came out", which is rare for my playing!

Well, there's a million reviews on this pedal, so I don't think I'll be saying anything that hasn't already been said... Anyway, it's three knobs and a stomp switch, how much more do you need to know?

This pedal is simply exquisite. I hesitate to call it a fuzz because of its smooth, gain-like properties, but it is exceptionally thick and fuzzy. It's one of those pedals that could go either way; not quite gain, not quite fuzz. A very unique, dynamic, and usable sound. It's pretty much the best gain/fuzz pedal I've ever played, and I love how it sounds completely unique. Makes a good addition to any rig used for psychedelic rock, which is pretty much what I play.

From what I understand, this unit is true bypass, but that's not much of a concern for me, sinc I record mainly in the studio and I don't use pedalboards. For those that do, however, this would be quite a draw.

I've heard horror stories with EHX, but I've had nothing but good luck with them. I own the EHX Octave Multiplexer, Micro Synth, Small Stone USA, and Big Muff USA, and all of them have been totally reliable.

The housing for these effects are slightly questionable, but if you take the "stomp" out of "stompbox", everything should be fine. I find that to be the case with most pedals, everything from MXR to Arion. Just don't be retarded and take a flying leap onto them, and they'll probably last you.

*shrugs* No need for them. That's gotta say something...

This pedal is tops, bar none. I was looking for a pedal that was more versatle and smooth than my Maestro Fuzz tone, and I think I've got it here. While the Maestro is the king of fuzz pedals (get one while you can!!), this thing compliments its quacky, unsustained sound quite nicely. I've become quite the fuzz afficionado, and I've found the USA Muff to fit in nicely with my sound.

One thing I'd like to suggest to anyone who owns a USA Muff. If you have the cash, get a Russian Muff too. I know it sounds redundant, but the reviews on H-C.com should be proof-positive that there are real, substantial differences between the USA and the Russian Muff. Of course, both pedals sound extremely good to my ears, but I can discern a distinct difference between the two. It doesn't quite feel right having one but not the other, so if you have the USA, get the Russian as well. And, if you have the Russian, for heaven's sake don't hock it off to pay for your USA Muff!! They're both great pedals!

The manual for this pedal really wasn't much use, but to be honest, it is far more worthwhile to spend some time figuring out the right settings for yourself anyway.

With only three knobs, operation is nice and simple. I tend to keep the sustain knob permanently at the same position (all the way up!), and so it's just a case of tweaking the tone level until I find the right point. This level can be a little vague though so it's worth spending some time experimenting. For my sound, I have to be very particular about this setting.

This is a very 'fuzzy' fuzz pedal, so wont really suit those who are after a nice warm overdrive! The bottom end is there though if you set the tone just right.

I use this pedal with an Epiphone Les Paul Custom played through a Marshall DSL 50 head and a 1936 2x12. I like my distortion to sound really fat, lush and round, and I've found this pedal works great. The sustain is amazing when when playing lead, and the transition down to heavy low end is stunning. It does however sound a little too sludgy at times. The best sounds come out at high volume, though I have found there to be less range in the volume control than i'd like. It's probably worth keeping this level lower on the pedal and cranking up the amps volume (my amp lacks a master volume, so it's a case of trying to find the right balance!).

To get some idea of the sound of this thing, "X.Y.U." by The Smashing Pumpkins seems a good place to start. To me, this is the holy grail of distortion, so the Big Muff suits me fine, but the range of this pedal is pretty limited and if you're looking for a bit more, it's worth looking elsewhere.

I have found this pedal to be a little noisy when on, but as I only tend to switch the distortion on periodically in the middle of my songs this hasn't caused me any trouble. If you are intending to leave the pedal on though between songs it's worth finding yourself a decent noise gate!

The casing does seem a little flimsy in comparison to many pedals, but unless you are seriosly abusive of your pedals (!) there shouldn't be any problems. Electro Harmonix pedals all have that nice sense of style about them and the Big Muff is textbook! The paint seems to scratch easily, and most of the second hand EH units I've seen tend to look a little like they've undergone atmospheric re-entry at some stage in their lifetime! Some people seem to like this, but being a little fond of the pristine quality of my fx board, I find I have to be a little extra carefull with this pedal!

One point that's worth mentioning is that the LED on my unit has never really worked properly. Sometimes it decides to come on, sometimes it doesn't. This isn't a major problem, and could be fixed with a bit of soldering and a new wire, but it's somewhat annoying anyway.

I've never tried dealing with them.

I've been playing for nearly five years and have developed my own style of songwriting. This pedal suits my style of melodic playing beautifully, and provides just the right amount of heaviness that I need. At the same time, the sustain is stunning at the high end, especially when played with a les paul! However, the sound is quite limited in it's use and will only suit some people. It would perhaps be nice to have a little more overdrive in there but there are always other routes around this problem.

All in all, this pedal has its own sound, which you either like, or don't. It's perfect if this is the sound for you. For, only around #59 though, this is very good value. It is worth mentioning that I have tried the Russian version, which I thought didn't match up too well. For the difference in price it's certainly worth forking out for the USA version. If I were to lose this pedal, I would certainly replace it with another.

Very simple, but it takes it's time to fool around and find the sweet spot. My starting point was (as I usually do with every piece of Equip) every control at 12'o clock. This way I found my personal setting in about 2-3 hours playing. The one I bought came with the original AC Adaptor, you can buy it without that for about 70 EUR.

The sound of the Big Muff is something you love or you hate. I tried an old TS, MXR Distortion, Rat and a lot of other pedals to find a singing sound for soloing and something to push my preamps' input when I use the Strat with it's little output instead of my other axes. This is what I was searching for. Good for soloing, the longest sustain I've ever had, but forget about playing rhythm with this one (sounds very indifferent, but it's a fuzz so it somehow has to)
You can get some really awesome noises out of this unit (try a divebomb or a strong percussive playing).

Used it a few gigs, so far no problems. Big casing for what's inside the unit (maybe that's the reason for it's name ?), not very sturdy but okay. I gig without backup. It's the 5th channel for my Engl, I use it only for a few songs, so it wouldn't be a problem for me if it breaks.

Can't say anything about it, haven't dealt with the CS so far...

Playing cover and a lot of styles. This one's actually great for blues soloing, it really rocks if you use it for some old Santana or Hendrix. I tried it with a modified '71 Ibanez Les Paul (rewound ToneZones), an old Gibson Les Paul Custom (PAFs), '86 Strat (Lace-Sensor), '88 Yamaha RGX (rewound Duncan Custom Custom & Texas Special SC) and a Steinberger GM7TA (EMG85 & SA). The Ibanez is too hot, you get only crap out of the unit with that one. The Yamaha sounds okay on the SC's, the HB is also a little crappy but usable. The rest sounds really great. It really has it's own tone and takes over the whole signal but that's okay if you like the sound...
If it was stolen I would give the one a big kick and get myself the next Big Muff ;-)

Just like any other pedal, you have to find a sweet spot for it in a pedal chain, and adjust the knobs to your liking. It's not rocket science.

First of all, this is a FUZZ pedal, NOT a distortion. There's a difference kids.
I have a few nice Strats, a Tele with a SD Little '59 in the bridge, and a Music Man Sub-1. They go to either a Fender Bullet 150 (for practice) or an Ampeg tube amp. The pedals go guitar->modified CryBaby->BigMuff->Effector 13 Yellow Vintage Fuzz Maker->Voodoo Micro-Vibe->Amp. Sometimes I throw in a Effector 13 No-Fi or MXR Dist+.
Pedals are powered by Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2. I get no noise or hum from the BigMuff. It has lots of range that works with all of my guitars, both single-coils and humbuckers. I wanted this pedal because of my love for Mudhoney's Superfuzz-Bigmuff album, and this gets the sound. I can get mild fuzz that only kicks in when I pick hard or full-on thick fuzz. It's very adjustable.
The only complaint I have is the fuzz rolls off in the higher octaves, like during solos. But that's also a good thing if you're pounding away during the verse of a song with a wall of fuzz and want a cleaner sound when you play a solo to cut through nice and clean. If I want fuzz all the time I use the Effector 13, which is the best overall fuzz pedal in my opinion.
This pedal doesn't like a lot of other pedals before it, so put it in alone or ahead of your other stuff. Even with single-coils, I only get hum if I sit right in front of the pedal. Other than that, no squeals or noise.

I've had this for 6 months with no problems. I don't really beat my stuff up and rarely break anything. It does feel a little light and thin, but as long as the internals hold up I'll be happy.
I take it out without back-up. Although I have another fuzz pedal in my chain, I use it for different song treatment, not as a back-up.

Never dealt with CS, hope I never have to after hearing many horror stories.

I play 60's rock, blues, stoner rock, grunge, and I make up songs so I can make fun of my cat with insulting lyrics. This pedal fits the bill for everything, depending on how the dials are set. It's all in the knobs.
If this pedal was stolen, I might buy it again. If it broke, I would toss the carcass and buy a different fuzz pedal. There's lots of others out there that sound just as good as this or better (FullTone 69 or 70, Effector 13, T-Rex Mudhoney, PedalWorx).
It does inspire a certain way of playing for me. It makes my pick slow down and enjoy the sludge. I love the range of adjustability. I can roll off the tone and bump the volume so the slightest hint of fuzz comes through only when playing hard, or crank up the knobs for a wall like sound of thickness and sustain. It works well with many different guitars and amps, which is a plus when you get it home from the store and have to set it up.