Electro Harmonix Big Muff PI Classic

Marshall DSL1, 2x12 v30, emg81 (volume pot only) = bright and cutting tone.

Ultra gain channel with a little gain (9 o'clock)

All muffs @ 12 o'clock, except for big box muff, slightly more as it is quieter

1. Russian = the fattest mofo around but still clear enough to hear chords and different strings. It feels like the 3rd channel I wish I had in my amp. Absolutely massive sound but it doesn't loose too much definition/ A little muddier Dual Rectifier kind of thing



2. Ram's head = very similar to Russian but it has less definition and goes more towards OG triangle in terms of mud. Still very powerful and bassy

3. op amp = thin/cutting like a razor, weird sounding offspring. Loved it because it had its own character and was amazing for cutting. It chocks on chords and notes definition

4. triangle = OG, super loud. I liked it the best on clean channel as it was super powerful sounding, fizzy fuzzy but still very punchy

5. big box big muff USA (writing only) = the reason I have ordered other muffs... It was just chocking all over the place on ultra gain channel (dirty). There was basically no definition of notes nor chords but... I loved it the most of single strings/notes solo stuff. Super creamy, very pleasant and compressed. I liked it so much that I had big trouble to let it go... For solos it was amazing.


I was seriously debating leaving all 5 muffs with me... They are all different, altought 4 & 5 very very similar with triangle having slightly more note definitions and more punch. Though 4 with super creamy solo/single string was super hard to forget about.


I don't think there's a wrong choice here. They behave/sound so different with different amps, guitars, etc. that it's just impossible to decide which to get...


If you have a dark very fat sounding amp like Dual Rectifier/similar I would definitely pick op amp as it cuts the best.

Mind you, this is all on ULTRA GAIN channel on my amp which has tons of gain on tap already.

On clean channel they all sound very similar. Op amp has its own character which is super cool and I already miss it (both on dirt and clean channel)...

Triangle was the punchiest and most powerful on clean channel. Big box muff was almost exactly the same. Ram's head and Russian too but they were much better on dirt channel for my FAT MASSIVE tone needs.

On clean channel I would go TRIANGLE. Op amp is cool on either, it has its own character but it chokes on already dirty channel not as much as big box muff and triangle but still, similar to ram's head but ram's head sounds more pleasant overall


Ram's head is like the best of both worlds TRIANGLE <> Russian.

It sits in the middle. Big bassy but chockes a little, but still define. I had a hard time deciding between Russian and Ram's head as they were super similar. Ram's head was a little less defined so I went with Russian as I am using it as a fake 3rd MASSIVE channel on my DSL1.



You can't go wrong with either~!! I was for days thinking about leaving all of them for different scenarios... They are all super amazing pedal with their own character. There's no better/worse. All lovely./

Quite a few pedals are quintessential, But when you factor in price range, history, and character, not many are in the Big Muff category. You could, of course, get a few bucks more and get one of the variants, but if you're not that interested in pedalboard real estate, or after the very specific sound and are just interested in the Big Muff fuzz sound, this is arguably the best option for you, save maybe for some DIY clones. It's currently being used for some fun Seattle-style grunge sounds, but it fits right at home with anything that you want to do with a wall-of-sound type tone, or some very interesting dark, jazzy melodic work when the guitar shouldn't sound entirely like a guitar (just the tiniest bit alien).
It is, though, very full of character, and you can always recognize a Muff style pedal from a mile away in most mixes. Never met anyone who actually didn't like the sound, but I'm sure you're out there. It does play very well with synths as well as electric guitar (been using it also on some melodies with my Korg Minilogue XD, and it makes it sound like a very peculiar guitar some of the time).
And, as a cherry on the cake, it's also a fun pedal to mod, which is why I got two of them. The big box makes it so you can fit almost anything inside it and it won't get really cramped. So if you're not totally convinced on the sound, but get intrigued by it's spirit, change stuff around! Swap in resistors, take away diodes, or even take away one of the gain stages. All in all, in my opinion you can never go wrong with this piece of history, and everyone should have one in their arsenal.

First things first, the EHX Big Muff PI is a MASSIVE pedal! Having never owned one or seen one up close I was very surprised at the sheer size of the thing when it first arrived!

Don't let the giant size of the pedal put you off though, the Big Muff PI is a fantastic sounding fuzz pedal, used on countless classic records, and is a worthy addition to any pedalboard! If it's size is a concern, It's also available in a variety of smaller sizes.

The Big Muff sound is a heavily distorted, but warm and creamy fuzz, defined by its signature long sustained notes, which are often described as being 'violin-like'. It's an excellent pedal for both lead guitar and rhythm guitar and can even sound especially dirty on bass!

The pedal lacks any extensive features, opting for 3 knobs to control the extent of the Big Muff's fuzz. You may not have huge amounts of control, but the Tone and Sustain knobs provide the user with a simple way of sculpting rich, dirty tones. There are newer fuzz boxes on the market with more features, but in my opion the Big Muff doesn't need extra options to overcomplicate it's sound and design!

EHX's Big Muff PI is a fantastic pedal, with a rich heritage in guitar music. Every player should get one.

a classic pedal with a classic sound

easy to use... has 3 control knobs
1 volume
1 tone
1 sustain

Volume knob is self explanatory.

Tone knob goes from really bassy to really trebley.

Sustain knob gives you more sustain, as you would expect, but in the process distorts & dirties up the sound the more you turn it

by adjusting the tone & sustain you can shape a variety of fuzzy muff sounds, from deep bluesy tones to dirty grungey distortion

its big & built like a tank. I Like the size but i know some people will look at that as negative

i can't fault it & absolutely love it!
I definitely recommend this FX pedal

To set this straight, this is not a pedal that works no matter what,and very few people use it in modern music. Big Muff is a fuzz (not a distorsion pedal). But most importantly, the Bifg Muff will not help you unless: you use a tube amplifier AND an overdrive; using only the Big Muff, even on a good amp, will get you a heavy fuzzy sound (closer to Heavy Metal than to the desired Gilmour).

HOWEVER this really is an amazing pedal: i am using the Big Muff for almost every solo, i used it in the studio, live gigs, i use it at home. I am always getting perfect sound, excellent sustain and great disruption for the solos (sometimes i use it for heavier rhythm lycks as well). I use it however in the following way: Fender Deluxe Reverb amp (also used other tube amps with it, Marshall, Bronx, or Fender Twin) - key is to use TUBE AMP, then i am always using it through my Ibanez TS9 overdrive (the Big Muff CANNOT BE USED without OVERDRIVE). This is the way i am getting the smooth sound that gets close to Gilmour or Hendrix.

Controls: volume (easy - you need it at >50%, guitar through Big Muff needs volume in order not to lose distinctiveness, especially on stage), tone - depends on preference, veeeery effective little twist, then sustain - less sensitive, anything in the range 40-80% will do. This pedal is NOT EASY TO SET, try all alternatives, experiment. This is why my score for Features is not top, as you really need to try different setups before concluding on your sound.

Two more things worth mentioning: the pedal is noisy, you will appreciate a noise filter (i am using a Boss noise gate), secondly it is usefull for solos to add a delay to the Muff+overdrive set (i am using an average analogue one, i also have my amp's Reverb setting at 3).

Again, i have to say that each type of Big Muff interacts very differently with each amp and overdrive pedal (and i really mean veeeeery different!), but if you find the right combination, miracles happen. My Deluxe Reverb amp and TS9 make wonders with the Muff. The Muff has defined my distorted sound, and mostly guided my work with solos, i would not change it for anything.