Electro-Harmonix English Muff'n

This thing is sooo easy to use. I have a ton of effects, but I decided to keep it simple. I am playing a PRS Santana SE through a Peavey Classic 30. The only other effect I am using with it right now is a Danelectro PBJ delay. I started out with the eq controls all set at 1:00, and the gain at about 11:00.

This thing sounds sweet right out of the box, but I opted to swap the tube right under the Bass control for a 12ax7. This gives me just a little more gain. This thing sounds killer with the mid scooped a little, say, 9:00. A nice beefy rhythm sound. To get that nice searing lead tone, just turn the mids up to around 2:00 and voila.

I had no problem coaxing Clapton, SRV, and Page tones out of this little box. I also maxed out the gain and blew through "All the Small Things" by Blink 182. Just awesome!

Seems strudy enough.

They have responded to about half of my emails, so I rate them a 5.

I play rock and also blues, and I would definately but another one. You can get a selection of tubes ranging from 12au7's to 12ax7's and customize you're own gain factor. If you can find a tube gain factor chart on the net, you you'll be all set. This is a tube tinkerer's dream.

Not the easiest to use since this is a tweaker. Can sound real harsh or real warm depending on how you set it. Plus you gotta fiddle with the amp a bit too to get the best sound. I use mine with a deluxe reverb.

The sound quality of this pedal can be anywhere from 1-10 in quality depending on how it's set and what guitars are used. Very touch sensitive, reminds me a lot of a jcm800. Sounds pretty good in a deluxe reverb, sounds even better when I plug my DR into a 2x12 cab. I would love to try this in a bigger amp since the deluxe reverb has a tendency to sound bright with any distortion/od pedal (also have tried Jackyl and Hyde, Bad Cat X-treme, and Emma distortion pedal). Sounds best through the normal channel since the reverb channel makes it sound a tad tinny and also a bit noisy. Seems to like Les Paul style guitars more than strats which is to be expected for something mimicking the British sound. Does not have a lot of gain on tap but does real well for classic rock and can sustain real well for the amount of gain it has. Eventually will try it with 12ax7's to see if it can get a bit more of a kick. As I said earlier it's very touch sensitive so good technique is crucial for making this pedal sound good (not as forgiving as solid state distortion). Since this uses preamp distortion you kinda need to crank the amp a bit to smooth it over. Not a problem for a DR but might be for some higher wattage amps. Try it with your amp before you buy. This pedal is for those seeking the classic Marshall to JCM800 pushed with a pedal type tones. Not for skull crushing metal and detuned stuff.

Only had it for a month and so far so good.

have not dealt with EH yet.

Very good pedal. Seems to beat all other pedals for authentic tube tone but it's a one trick pony so it won't get the 10. I also have a JCM800 2204 but it's broken at the moment so have not tried it out with this amp yet. I also own a Jackyle and Hyde and the EH smokes it (though the Hyde would win for more metalish, bassy gain). The only tube pedal I've tried is the Badcat X-treme tone. The X-treme tone is a bit more warm and versatile but a lot more expensive and seems impossible to find in stock anywhere.

Very easy to set-up and operate. Manual is really not necessary and it isn't much since it is so simple to operate. Great amount of control of tone and distortion level. Easy access to supplied pre-Amp tubes.

I think that the sound quality is between a 9 to 10 if this is what you are looking for. This is pure 60-80's British Marshall/HiWatt etc. and if this is what you want in sound than you will love this pedal. A bit pricey at $150+ but it is worth it in my book. I treat it like an amp and place it prior to my tube amp (using it through the clean channel). This means that I have effects before this bad boy, even other distortion pedals and compressors etc. Set up your rig this way and you will understand its use.

I have played for over 30 years and remember my Marshall Plexi head and the fact that I had effects prior to the head, even distortion. A TUBE Screamer prior to this pedal or an Old MXR Distortion+ will make you think of the guitar greats of the 70's even at low volumes (the main strength of this baby by the way, controled volume and feedback). No additional distortion pedal prior to this Bad Boy (using its settings only) and you will hear Badfinger, Bad Company, Faces, almost any Classic rock sound of the 70's. The Metal Sound of the era needs additional boost from a second pedal set sparingly before the English Muffin, which is what the greats did even into the 80's. Do this and you will get the logic of this pedal and its versatility.

I would like the wall wart to be more standard plugged instead of the special plugs that were built into this and fit into the unit itself. It is ruggedly constructed, but the power supply issue would make me feel better.

Can't tell you much about this, but they have dealers everywhere.

Look, not to be preachy but like so many of you I went the way of digital effects and amps and this baby going through a real Tube Guitar Amp has blown me away. I went digital to control volume and sacrificed tone for less feedback. This pedal has made it easy to tweek lower volumes and maintain great tone. I am very pleased with its sound and versatility.

I love the Classic Rock stuff all the way to the modern things out. My set-up allows for all types of sound and I would miss this if it was stolen. I get Marshall tone at any volume with this puppy which I have strived to accomplish for many years. The Marshalls of today do not come close to the older heads. That is why the JCM 800's and the older Plexi's are getting top dollar. This pedal comes real close in tone with no need for a Power Brake to get reasonable volume (Club Volume that is)and killer tone. You can use a great clean amp and get the tone you're looking with a great deal of control.

This thing is so touch sensitive that its practically crazy, and you'll pretty much have to tweak it to a different kind of hell for every amp you plug it into. I'd say the learning curve is about the same as trying to find the sweet spot on a new amplifier. Has 2 12AY7s in it that give it a smooth Marshall Plexi-like overdrive. If you put 12AX7s or ECC83s in there, this pedal gets a LOT heavier and basically provides as much kick as a more modern Marshall does.

I LOVE THIS PEDAL! Sorry, had to throw that out there. I'll run through the different amp/guitar scenarios here. My main guitar is a Gibson SG with P-90s.

Solid State Marshall practice amp: this is the reason I bought this pedal. My neighbor didn't like my tube amp cranked, and I wanted tube tone at low volumes so I could practice. Hooked it to the clean channel (which is completely sterile on these amps), knob tweaked it for half an hour or so, and suddenly had bargain brand Pete Townshend tone. Yes! I wouldn't record with it but it was great for practice.

2005 Traynor YCV50Blue: first off, I had issues with this amp and recently blew it up, its in Canada being fixed. On the clean channel after I retubed this amp (GTECC83s and GTEL34M-XF2s), this pedal was to die for. I almost wanted to just use nothing but that tone and entirely neglect the dirty channel on the amp, which was more harsh and metallic. This gave a creamy classic distortion, the spring reverb in the amp made it chime nicely, and if I rolled off the volume knob on my guitar, I got a better clean tone than just the clean channel alone (much more spanky and dynamic). When playing harder rocking stuff on the dirty channel, I used this pedal as a booster for solos, and it made the guitar scream quite nicely. Was a bit too bright for anything heavy though.

Early 70s Ampeg V4: borrowed this from a friend for a show after I blew up the aforementioned Traynor. I must say, this was the best scenario I put this pedal in. The V4 had a slight breakup when you played hard, was loud as hell, and had a ton of low end. I barely had to knob tweak my Muff'n, this was the one amp where it sounded good pretty much everywhere. The amp would get about twice as loud upon stomping on the pedal, and give a roaring hard rock tone, kind of in between King Crimson and stoner metal stuff. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, and I didn't want to give my friend his amp back. My solos that night rang through crystal clear, not abrasive but very loud, the rhythms filled the bar, loved it.

1972 Traynor YBA-1 Bassmaster head: just got this head back from my dad, put my Groove Tubes that were in the newer Traynor in it. Must say, its a much better, although less versatile amplifier. Still knob tweaking the pedal on this bad boy. The amp itself has an early Marshall-like distortion with Fender Bassman-style cajones (and I'm running it on a Sunn 4x10 cab). This pedal, when used with the kind of amp it tries to immitate, acts as a hell of a booster. The distortion increases considerably, and the guitar kind of jangles a bit more through it. Really breathes an extra bit of life into the tone, and makes it good for a loud climatic part, although I wouldn't recommend running it full time in this application (the Ampeg on the other hand... yes).

It hasn't given me any trouble yet. I've gigged it several times and practiced with it a lot.

I love this pedal, its the only distortion pedal I'm presently using. I'd recommend it for anything needing overdrive that isn't metal. If I lost it, I wouldn't even consider a different fuzz box, I'd be ordering one of these as soon as I had the cash. I'd say its great for anybody wanting to make a clean amp sound like a Marshall, people who want tube tone in their bedroom, people who want a bit of a boost on their distortion that wont just explode into earsplitting feedback, and anyone who just loves 70s rock tone. You have to knob tweak it like crazy, but its so worth it.

My Electro-Harmonix English Muff'n was easy to use, right out of it's wooden box-a nice touch. There's no way to store patches, it's old school, like me. You could always use a piece of tape and mark it, or just memorize where you like the settings. The manual was comprehensive and really good.

Sorry I'm going to have to tell you the truth. I sold it on eBay as soon as I could. It sounded very compressed and hissy to me. It sucked the tone of the guitar/amp combination I used.
If you have a good tube amp, you really don't need this effect.
I have to say, I've heard solid state amps sound as good. Not very impressive. Plus it's the usual EH cheap metal housing and quishy feeling rotary pots. I felt like I could break it after a few gigs-just in normal use.

I wouldn't gig with it period.

Never used them.

I ran the Muff'n through a Gibson RVT 30 head, a Magnatone M10A, a VOX AC-15 and a Fender Super Reverb.
Pretty disappointing. I prefer my Keeley modded Boss Blues Driver (which is solid state) over this any day.

The English Muff'n offers excellent tone flexibility. The gain knob will get you anything from just a nice layer of warmth to a fully-raging grind. The 3-band EQ section allows the user to really sculpt the tone to fit their needs or find the right place in a mix. The magic, however, is in the tubes. Stock, the pedal is equipped with two EH 12AY7 tubes which are accessible from the top (with the removal of 2 screws), allowing for easy tube-swapping to find the exact right gain structure for your needs.

The only down-sides to this lovely beast are the amount of space it takes up on a pedalboard, and the requirement for its own 24VAC power supply.

I use the English Muff'n for bass (Fender P, Fender J, and Gibson EB-2), and it provides exactly what I'm looking for in an overdrive sound. Unlike a lot of OD/distortion/fuzz pedals (particularly ones not specifically built for bass), the Muff'n has very little bottom-end loss and provides a thick layer of overdrive to my sound. I have swapped the original tubes for a pair of 12AX7s (higher gain than stock), and have the gain knob on the pedal set at about 11-12 o'clock. For me, this provides the sound I want.

As is common with using dirt pedals on bass, the volume needs to be boosted to compensate for the loss of note definition. The EQ is a big help in finding a tone that still cuts through in a band setting. My EQ settings are: Hi-12 o'clock, Mid-3 o'clock, Low-2 o'clock.

There is some noise when the pedal is on and nothing is being played, but it all disappears at the sound of the first note.

So far, it's been bullet-proof. The metal chassis, switch, knobs, and jacks all appear to be very solid.

I haven't needed any help, so I can't comment.

I've been playing bass for a bit over 1 year, but guitar for nearly 20, and have been a frenzied gear-geek of late. Currently, I'm playing in an indie-rock band, and this pedal provides the exact tone I need. It has become a staple of my sound and would be replaced immediately with another one if it were to fail or disappear.

It's big - and not cheap - but full of tube-driven good noises.

Its as easy as using any amp (effectively it is a complete additional amp channel). Has a Volume and Gain knob and three 'EQ' knobs. Nice and simple.

Having said that just like a good amp its very sensitive and you can get all sorts of sounds from it. Unlike a Boss pedal for example adjusting one knob affects all the others. So I can just imagine some impatient Boss users might find it confusing as you dont just turn it on a get one sound. For me this is a great feature the flexibility of it.

This pedal can do everything from warm clean boosts to heavy rock. Its not really a metal pedal its a TRUE overdrive pedal. If you want more distortion then try the Hot Tubes instead. Having said that I love that you can change the valves in this thing to make other tones if you want. For example as standard it comes with 2 12AY7 tubes. These are smooth and lovely but lower gain that 12AX7s. Changing one or both of these for a 12AX7 creates a very different tone and pattern to the pedal giving even more versatility. Its great to play around with.

The pedal is quiet and features true bypass so it doesnt affect your amp or guitar sound when switched out. Also it reacts beautifully to the dynamics of your playing just like a great amp should.

Ive used pretty much everything over the years but now im mostly just playing at home for my own pleasure I like to keep it simple but high quality and for me that means true valve sounds. Use Laney LC15r Laney VC15 and a Fender Hot Rod. Also still have a Marshall solid state amp (sentimental reasons was my first amp) - and it works great with them all. Guitars wise I use both single coil strats with it - and also SD humbuckered Schecters and Gibsons. You can still tell what guitar you are using through this pedal.

I use a Zoom G2.1u for a cheap way of experimenting with digital effects and recording and have had all the usual overdrives before. Until this pedal my favourite was the modded Boss BD2 (monte allums version), and thats still a great pedal for the money but this Muff'n slaughters it overall.

Not had it long enough to comment on reliability (and indeed the pedal is a new model just this year ). It is however very strongly built. Its about twice the size of a regular boss pedal and feels like you could drive a car over it. The two valves are protected by a tubular metal 'bumper' so you'd really have to want to break them to actually break them. Even if you did break them they are easy to replace in seconds (being pre-amps they don't need biasing just plug and play)

Great. I emailed them with some questions before purchase and they responded the same day. Similarly since purchase they have been as helpful.

Funk, Heavy Rock and Blues mostly (Hendrix, Zeppelin, Queens of the Stone Age etc.) It copes with them all.

If it were stolen or lost id replace it without a question.

I have to say this pedals a 'sleeper' in my humble opinion. Its new and the marketing I thing is crap - the name 'English Muffin' gave me the impression that it might be a 60's brit sound like the Beatles. In actual fact it really a Marshallesque overdrive (its even laid out like a Marshall stack) but with better cleans than Marshall has ever had. It is really versatile completely tube sounding and dynamic. Dont let the crap name put you off - try it out you will not regret it.

I've only had this for a couple of days, so many of these comments will change over time. The Hi-Mid-Low selector knobs are one of the main reasons I chose this over the Big Muff Pi, and for the most part I'm glad I made that decision. You can get as thick a buzz or crisp a distortion as you want, most of the time without even touching the gain control. I never have the Mid at more than a five. The knobs make it very very easy to get a wide range of sounds

I'm running an American Strat and American Tele through a 535Q Crybaby into the Muff'n and then to a Mesa Rocket 44. Prior to this, I was unhappy with the bite of the Mesa's distortion and the limits it put on my sound. The Muff'n certainly gives me a much wider range. Watching the promotional video from EHX, I agree with one thing the demo guy said: The pedal sounds good with a lot of gain even without a lot decibels. This will come in handy to anyone who has to worry about practicing in an apartment with neighbors. There are some crackling noises present at higher volumes when I am not touching the strings, much more so than before I bought it. I have read that this could mean I'm not groudned and that there are other solutions to fix this. I was surprised how good and warm it sounds with the gain very low or clean. One artist that you can definitely mimic is Neil Young from the 90s forward (Mirror Ball, Living With War). Other artists that I've been able to copy: Eddie Vedder's live sound (on a telecaster), Pete Townshend, Jimmy Page, Angus Young (basically anyone who plays through a Marshall). One very good attribute that I have noticed is that it allows my Fenders to maintain their signature twange, which my Mesa swallowed up whole in its pre-amp.

I haven't had it very long so I can't make a definitive statement, but this thing is pretty solid. It's friggin' steel. I want to put it and a Boss in a fight and see who'd win.

As with all EHX tube pedals, the tubes are partially exposed and ocvered with a steel bumper to prevent you from stepping on them. Thsi seems like the only obvious potential weakness, but I doubt anythign will happen. Be sure to protect it with bubble wrap or tissue during shipping, as those tubes can and will break. But if you're smart and careful, I can't see anything happening.

Haven't dealt with EHX yet, hopefully won't have to.

Like I said earlier, I haven't had this very long, so take my opinions with a grain of salt. But I see a lot of promise in this pedal. You can get as many sounds out of it as most other distortion pedals, and they are all great. Tune it to your style, I'm sure you can find one setting that you will fall in love with.

all you need... vol, gain, bass, mid, treb...

i sold a marshall jcm2000 to buy a mesa stilletto (because it had so many features and was said to sound "like a marshall"... what could i lose?). i went out and got this pedal to make up for the lack of personality the mesa had. it can get tones similar to the Smashing Pumpkins, Bush, and even Refused. it breaks up just right when you turn the gain low... someone on here mentioned turning the mids down, i agree. (you can hear mine at www.myspace.com/wewantmusicians)

havent had it TOO long yet...

sounds very familiar, like you wouldnt be surpised to learn that all your favorite bands have been using it all along.

Its pretty easy to use. A gain knob, a volume control and 3 EQ knobs. Oh and a footswitch.
It took me a while to get used to it - it didnt sound fuzzy enough. I turned the mid right down and the high and low ends up and it sounded much better.
There was a manual. Sort of. A 2-page paper thingy. Didn't need to read it, but I went ahead anyway.

I was expecting more fuzz from this, but it has grown on me.
I was quite excited about the vacuum tubes, none of my other equipment had tubes.
I had been using the distortion from a Zoom 505II unit, which I thought was OK. Then I lost the power supply, so I used the Muff'n on its own. I recently got a new power supply, and hearing transistor distortion for the first time in about a year, I realise now how much better the Muff'n sounds. There's no contest whatsoever.
There's no hiss from it, even on maximum gain, which I thought was strange, but Im not complaining.
Its fine for most of the stuff I play (just about everything) but I was expecting more disortion....(I really wanted to play the solos on Live It Up by the Isley Brothers!) but used in tandem with the Zoom distortion, I can achieve ultra fuzz! At which point there is a rather massive hissing noise.
That said, vacuum tubes really are the way forward.
I was also quite surprised with the clean sound available (output level at maximum, gain at minimum). Its wonderful.

Its built like a brick, in fact I frequently refer to it as my 'distortion brick'. It has a sheet metal covering, with a big ugly metal thing guarding the tubes.
It has done more damage to me than me to it - the corners are incredibly sharp, and frequently shred my hands.
I would gig without a backup, oh yes. If this breaks down, Ill eat my hat.
That said, the nut on the footswitch is a bit loose...though nothing a good spanner cant fix.

Never dealt with them. I dont think I ever will either.

Two thumbs up! Its awesome.
I play a verrry wide range of musical styles. This stomp box has an incredible sound, from dirty grunge to thick meaty muff goodness. The clean sound is indispensible too, I never use the clean sound on my amp anymore, I use this. It covers just about any sort of distortion (except really high gain distortion) but is best for classic rock, e.g. The Darkness, where it sounds like a great big Marshall stack.
It could do with just a little more distortion though.
I bought it mainly for the tubes. If it got stolen, I would buy another, or perhaps a Hot Tubes pedal (same thing, just more distortion).
Just one complaint: the power cord falls out a little too easily, which is quite annoying when playing live, or doing a live recording.

Summary
Great sound, great value, great construction, TUBES!
Its like a big muff, but with an equalizer and tubes.
It does indeed sound very British.