Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi

3 chicken head knobs that work their magic, and a big silver button.

absolutely insane. this thing could destroy worlds. smashing pumpkins, silversun pickups, sabbath, theyre all here. not brilliant for palm muting, but thats not my scene really.

any and all settings sound amazing, but i never turn the sustain down anyways, good thing since the cheap crap knob broke within a year.

bought a little big muff reissue, FAR better build quality, but just not as much rip-roaring sonic character as my black russian (which is the one im reviewing currently).

horrible! this is the 4th black russian muff, and its been a different problem every bloody time, all in relation to awful build quality.

1st: dropped it from a height of maybe 3 ft onto the CARPETED floor, one of the capacitors split open and it was no more. knew nothing of electronics at the time, so just gave it away.

2nd: It just quit working. nothing apparent looked wrong, the wires looked fine. gave it away again, and it turned out to be a faulty sauter joint in the 9 volt connector.

3rd: The IN/OUT jacks are made almost entirely of brittle plastic. the brackets holding them on just snapped off one day. no provocation, just drying/cracking of the plastic. took the hint and just resautered some new in/out jacks into it.

also, the sustain knob doesnt work right, it just spins and spins and spins. so, i spun it into the full-on-sustain setting (my favorite) and just superglued it in place. consequently had to resauter several wires that fell off their wimpy sauter joints during this.

if these didnt have such a heavenly sound, i wouldve moved on when the first one broke... much less cobbled my last one back together so many times. the quality control on these is just TERRIBLE!

its not just me either, im good to my ****, nearly obsessive. the fact is either im having terrible luck or they ALL suck like these ones did/do.

never bothered.

i wish these would stop breaking. but oh, that SOUND...

ive been using these black russians off and on since 2000, while messing with other distortions/fuzzes along the way: a Boss DS-1 & MD-2, a Marshall Jackhammer, an SPF Red Threat, a Tech 21 Sansamp, an MXR Distortion +, ProCo Rat, EH Little Bigmuff Pi Reissue, and others.

This thing still whoops *** on all of them, if not for it's simplicity and raging sound alone.

3 knobs, just twist 'em...

allright, in my endless quest to **** on self-serving "guitar players" who act like they know everything about gear and tone i've come to put yr mind at ease potential muff buyer... i don't play traditional rock or anything like that, i go to the goodwill and buy little kids toys and then get into the circuit board and **** everything up until it sounds weird... i use drum machines and i make digital hardcore... once in a while i plug in a guitar and play some chords and stuff to... i've had a big muff in my collection of guitar effects for 10 yrs, the one i have now is the cheapo russian black model, i've had us made and old green ones too... all of them have the big muff tone that's great and can't be rivaled... they're noisey and ugly and that's why they're great! if you're in yr bedroom trying to re-create dark side of the moon you wont like the intricacies of this pedal, go spend $300 on some stupid boutique ****, if you're a budding musician please do something that doesn't sound like guitar/bass/&drums because that's what everybody is doing and it's not interesting anymore... i've ran and owned a venue and played in rock style bands for years and nobody has the balls to do something different...

who cares, i work in a pawn shop and all pedals are $10 for me...

who would contact a company over something stupid on a $60 pedal anyways?

my guitar setup is like this
a bunch of cheap japanese copys that are modded
i have a vintage monty ward tube amp & fender deluxe 112plus
i have boss chorus, digital delay, power driver & turbo overdrive
tube screamer (over rated!)
60's moog-made maestro stage phaser
70's dod 690 chorus
earnie ball vol
vox wah
i use whatever's laying around next to my amp, i don't use picks, i use a metal lighter and/or my car keys to make noise...
i use the muff to distort the **** out of drum machines for an atari teenage riot like cluster**** and it's the best distortion pedal ever made (i've played hundreds!)
do yourself a favor and listen to anything devo (except whip it) and get inspired, if you really want to hear the "sound" of a big muff listen to some mudhoney, "superfuzz migmuff" is prbably the muff tribute album if there ever was one, anything by mudhoney features the muff, also listen to tad or older nirvana... the best band to ever play a note is sonic youth and they have used muffs off and on over the years... check 'em out!

Only three knobs but it has many available tones. Mine is a silver Russian model.

This thing is a 9 on sound but it is VERY noisy. When I first got it a thought it was junk. I was using it with a Strat with GFS Lil' Killers through a Fender Champ. Then I switched guitars and ams. Now I use it with a Strat with custom handwound singlecoils through a Sovtek Mig 50 with a Keeley Java Boost and a Boss NS-2 noise suppressor which helps with the noise but some feedback gets through. This pedal likes singlecoils much better than humbuckers. A Strat with good singlecoils shines with this pedal especially with a Plexi-style amp but humbuckers don't work well with it.

I play a wide variety of music both old and new. This handles both well. It is just so noisy. I would buy this again because I have never seen another silver Russian one so it may be worth a lot some day. I would not gig with this pedal. I have a Keeley modded DS-1 which i would use instead. I do like messing around with this pedal though. If you like fuzz, it sounds great minus all the noise. It would be an 8 overall if it was quiet.

This pedal is pretty simple to use. Just volume, sustain, and tone knobs. There is no user manual unfortunately, but you won't really need one. It honestly can't get much simpler. The only negative thing is that the input and output jacks are reversed from usual pedals, probably because it's made in Russia. This is why it's only getting an 8 instead of a 10. It makes it somewhat inconvenient to use with other pedals, if you like them in really specific order.

The one thing you really have to understand about this pedal is that it's sound depends almost entirely on your other equipment, pedals, order of pedals, volume, etc. I use a Schecter C-1 Exotic, Traynor YCV 40 tube amp, Keeley Boss SD-1, and this pedal as my equipment. This pedal sounds really, really good with my setup, but when I played it on my friends SS Marshall amp and Stratocaster, it sounded pretty bad. Overall, you MUST try it out with similar equipment to yours BEFORE you buy it, or else you could be very dissapointed.

If you do have the right gear to go along with this pedal, it will sound great. With a good tube amp and overdrive to fill the sound up a bit, you can get really good Hendrix-ish fuzz, and an almost perfect David Gilmour sound. The sound is really smooth and heavy. Also if you turn the tone up to full, you get a really good grunge and punk sound. I suggest you have an overdrive for your lighter riffs and chord work, and then turn the Big Muff on for solos. It's not that great of a rhythm pedal. The overdrive is a key factor, because for some reason it fills the sound out amazingly and makes the pedal sound a lot better. With the right set up, this pedal is pure tonal bliss.

This pedal can be noisy with single coil guitars, but it's not that much noise. It's bearable if you don't have everything turned up to 10.


Overall, I'm giving the sound a 9 because it really depends on your set up. It will either be perfect for you, or it will sound like crap. When you do find a good set up for it though, it will sound amazing.

The only issue here is the fact that there is no AC jack, and you have to carry 9v batteries around with you anywhere. This can be very inconvient for home practice, but with gigs it's no problem. So far it seems dependable. It's definitely sturdy, and would probably kill someone if you threw it at their head as hard as you could.

N/A.

You'll either love or hate this pedal. Remember to TRY IT OUT WITH SIMILAR GEAR TO YOURS BEFORE YOU BUY IT. If you find it suits your gear, it will be an amazing asset to your pedal board. Also remember to buy some 9v batteries, because there is no AC jack. If this pedal were stolen, I'd buy another one in a second.

Ease of use? There are three knobs. Each of which turns with little effort, but are solid enough to stay in position if stood on by an over-zealous foot.

The footswitch gives great feedback, unlike some "is it on?... did I press it hard enough?" pedals. In the case of the Big Muff - activating the switch feels like you're crushing a very small leprechaun. Trust me, that's the only way to describe it.

Being a Smashing Pumpkins fan the range of sounds this pedal offers could not be more perfect. As usual with these sorts of things it's horses for courses, but if you like sneering, rip-snorting, bassy, universe-destroying, grungey, herd-of-elephants-walking-over-your-testacles distortion then this pedal is for you. I happen to like that sort of thing.

My setup starts off with Epi LP Custom with SD Pearly Gates and Alnico II pro, but I'm forced to play it through a terrible 15-watt amp, the name of which I would not care to divulge, such is its awfulness. My tube amp, she breaks :(

Seems pretty solid but I haven't thrown it out of any windows or urinated on it yet so I can't comment.

I've had no reason to deal with them.

This is perfect for me but could be terrible for you. It's worth bearing in mind I haven't used a lot of pedals, but those I have tried don't come anywhere near this for the style of music I like to play.

I'm giving it a nine because it's not the most versatile. Great for grunge, but not much else.

I have the sovtek green one(vintage).Three knobs.No problems at all....

For me this is the best distortion ever...I really love Big Muffs sound and i think sovtek green is the best muff ever produced.
I use it with the tone knob on the left(max basses) and sustain around 2 o clock...It produces a really big distorsion with an endless sustain,anyway it is soft...i call this sound "the fuzzbed".
I used a lot of distortion pedals(boss ds1 and ds2,mxr dist+,E-H NYC big muff,subdecay blackstar,proco rat and dirty rat...)and this one is the best.
My set up is: Fender Telecaster custom '72--->Proco dirty rat--->sovtek big muff--->E-H Holy Grail--->E-H Flanger Hoax--->Diaz Texas Tremodillo--->E-H Small Clone--->Maxon AD 999--->Vox ac30
I've found my perfect sound...

Mine is 20 years old...it is a fu**ing tank...i depend on it

I play alternative rock/noise/psychedelic...simply perfect for my style...

Super easy. Basic vol, tone and drive.

I think the sound of this pedal is excellent. Big fat fuzz sounds great sustain. I brought this for a heavy fuzz tone, i have an aramat fuzz that i use which is brillant but wanted something even heavier!!

I run this through a Fender Vibrolux, 52 "keef" Jap tele with Humbucker and a boss delay.

If your looking for a subtle pedal that is responsive to volume changes etc this is not really the pedal for you. Don't expect it to be super useful for everything. It is not a jack of all trades but it is a master of one!!!

Amazing for big fat chords and leads!

Only had it a short while. We'll see. I don't think the case of the pedal is that great. It has kind of tin pot feel.

N/A

Great pedal. Although for RRP ??100 ($200) the build qual of the case is not that sturdy. Even my cheaper Marshall guv is made better i think. The sound quality is what it is about and i'm glad to say i'll use this for many years!!!

Ive got a USA re-issue of the big muff pi, i thought i would buy one and try it out despite all of the negative reviews. So let me cut to the chase. It is VERY difficult to dial in a decent fuzz sound. But once you find the sweet spot, it sounds pretty great. I was just about to give up on the pi, but i eventually found a way to tweak it for a sound that just about nails old sabbath.

Im using this with my 18watt plexi clone. The thing about the pi is, it will sound awful until you turn up the amp loud enough to get the power tubes overdrivng.. it just does not respond well with buzzy pre-amp distortion unless you like your tone anemic and shrill. I find my plexi responds the best to a volume boost, not so much with an increase in gain. I also found that the best way to set up pi is to have the volume almost dimed, the other two knobs might as well not even be there... if they are turned past 8 o' clock the only thing that happens more noise and over clipping. Even with the 'sustain' knob turned way down i find that there is still more than enough sustain. Mid stong speakers seem to complement the big muff. I find that this thing sounds alot better thru my greenback equipped cab. It sounds very harsh thru my T-75 cab...

It feels fairly solid; theres nothing rattling inside when you shake it or anything like that. It doesnt feel as robust as my old ibanez ts-9. The paint chips off easily...but the switch feels solid, still i wouldnt go stomping on it. I would say it is perfectly suitable for gigging.

Overall, i like the pedal. Its a little noisey, but once its tweaked to the sweet spot, its fun to pop the switch, belt out some power chords, and let the raw fuzz do its thing.

Very easy to use just three knobs: volume , sustain , tone.

My Big Muff is simply awsome, sounds great, a masterpiece! It's an original Big Muff I from 1971 (triangle knob version). David Gilmour is using now one like mine (2006).
My setup is all customized by myself.
Epiphone SG G400 (all customized with Gibson parts)
DeArmond Volume Pedal (As Gilmour's Live at Pompeii)
Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Wah-wah
MXR DynaComp Compressor
Ibanez TS-9 Tubescreamer
ProCo RAT II
Electro Harmonix Big Muff Pi I
Boss GE-7
DOD EQ-660
Electro Harmonix Small Clone
MXR Phase 90
Boss BF-3
Boss DD-20
The Amp: Gianinni Duovox 100G Head (a copy of a Fender Twin Reverb)

I've made some minor improvement:
True by pass on/off switch
AC adaptor (since this Big Muff only runs with 9 volt batery)

This Big Muff is been working for more than 35 years, what makes it very, very reliable.
But, as all Electro Harmonix pedals, it seams to be fragile, so I will give it a 9.

I never use customer support since I fix, repair and make upgrades all by myself in all my equipment

To sound like Gilmour's or Santana's Big Muff you have to have one like this, it's very difficult to find one, and I am not selling it.
If I lose it I will kill myself, coz I can't live without MY PRECIOUS !!!

Three knobs, each one clearly labeled, doesn't get any easier than that. Black Sovtek. I paid a little more than I should because I wanted the wooden box.

I use an American Strat and a Guitar Research amp and a few other pedals that change according to the situation.

This is my third Big Muff over the years. The first one, the one with the small case and black print, purchased around 1972, was the best, but the tone potentiometer suffered a mishap when the plastic post broke off near the nut, requiring a sharp object (like a thumbnail or small screwdriver)to be placed against the plastic to turn it for different settings. The second, the larger one witht he red print and purchased around 1973, howled like mad when the sustain was turned up, not a nice, controllable feedback, more of a shrill squeal that would suit a noisy Helmet-type band but sound poorly in a more controlled, Fripp-like sound. This one does not suffer from either of those problems. Instead, it has a hum that becomes more pronounced as the tone is turned to the left from the 12 o'clock position (which is too bad for me because that is where I like it, right around 9 o'clock). The hum is not present when the unit is switched off. If not for this "feature", it would be right up there with my first Big Muff.

I would give it a ten because with that tone turned to 9 o'clock my sound is right where I want it to be, but that hum is annoying for any kind of recording. It comes very close to the sound I have been trying to achieve - that long sustain fuzz used alot by Jimi on Electric Ladyland and also by Fripp on early King Crimson albums or extensively by Steve Hackett.

This one is far more reliable than my older ones in the sense that it has metal posts on the pots that are far less likely to break. If I gigged I would use it without a backup.

Never tried. I don't speak Russian.

I play a noisy brand of music but I prefer the noise to be something intentional or accidental but not caused by a noisy box. This Big Muff, as I said before, would be the be-all if not for the hum, and I am not sure if that is a condition of all of them and most people just live with it or if I have a lemon. If it were stolen or lost I would probably get another because, so far, I have not heard a box that has THIS sound. The Big Boys (and Girls) don't use these because they are built like tanks, they use them because they sound so good. I also have a VooDoo Labs Superfuzz and it doesn't compare to the Muff, tone-wise.