I think it is so cool that you are out here always talking about non-JHS pedals. It is obviously that are passionate about everything pedal-related, and not just your own work.
Absolutely. First time watching and very impressed. Josh is passionate and not trying to sell his pedals. Mind you, that makes me very interested in buying his pedals. Honest down to earth guy!
EHX got to be my favorite pedal-company... They make such good pedals and 90% of them are at such an affordable price - which is important for me, an 18 year old with no money.
I couldn't tell the difference in the original muff, thought the original op-amp sounded better, liked the green reissue better, liked the reissue NYC better. For me, I think I'd probably go with green reissue as well.
The NYC wes the closest to me. Almost impossible to tell apart. The Russian was the furthest apart, but that might be down to individual component variations. All were really good.
I’m my opinion, J Mascis is the quintessential Big Muff guy. He’s actually somewhat of a vintage Big Muff hoarder. He has like 50 of them on the shelf at his house.
@@PageandPlant4Life That’s for two reasons- one is that if you are only a “power trio” the mix is not much of an issue. Secondly, J has said that he owns and has tried hundreds of vintage Big Muffs that have the tone he’s looking for. I guess I’m mainly just thinking of the reissue ones. My experience with those is that they have zero midrange, which actually sounds killer! But it’s notoriously difficult to record, especially with a band with multiple guitars. But you’re right- when you see Dino live, you hear J loud and clear!
@@kevinmurtagh4996 Definitely some power in that power trio, even the bass is overdriven.. coming thru a bass and guitar rig.. Dinosaur Jr. needs to be heard live to really "get it"
My 90s Danelectro Dan Echo does the "tone shift delay" thing just slightly, the delays slightly drop in pitch. I think maybe the chip is going a bit wonky in it's old age but it sounds cool.
i had 70's op-amp in the early 80's in HS, didn't come with the adapter, so when the battery died i tried to make an adapter from an old lamp cord. that was the end of the muff and my pedal mod career, best to leave some things to the experts : ) i've never told anyone that story, feels good to dump that shame, thought that was one i'd take to the grave.
Yeah Siamese Dream is in the echelon of "all killer, no filler" albums. A songwriting and sonic masterpiece from start to finish, soup to nuts! I used to love cranking it in my car which had a full aftermarket stereo system with subwoofers back in 93/94. I felt enveloped by the music when I would crank it in there on aimless drives.
I bought a Big Muff when I was in the Air Force in 1975. I was young and didn't know anything. Now I'm old and still don't know anything. Wonderful video. I love your channel, Josh!
Lionello Nardon dave actually used the P1 fuzz (a.big muff clone) through a yamaha rotating speaker in animals, he started using the mistress with pink floyd in the wall
SIAMESE DREAM is THE quintessential Big Muff album. On the shootout, I prefer: Original Triangle New Op Amp Original Russian NYC are identical Overall, the Op Amp Reissue is my favorite.
@@jonathanwapner6262 I've only got one (tone wicker), but I've only been into pedals for less than a year. It was my first one too. I'd definitely pick up a used green russian or op amp if I found one at a decent price. One of the best things about Big Muffs is you can get most of the modern ones on the used market for ~$50-60.
Whatever was used in the signal chain for "Ball & Biscuit" by White Stripes is my favorite fuzz tone I've ever heard. Puts a smile on my face every time
Was about to comment the same 🤜🤛 I believe it was the big muff pi, cuz it was specifically the first pedal I ever bought because of “Elephant” and learning about Jack Whites rig at the time. One day it vanished, now I’ve got the reissue and watching them go head to head in this vid was special ❤
I find myself amused by the fact that the Teisco pedals just have the english names for the effects on them, written in katakana. "Buustaa" (Booster) "Faazu"(Fuzz) and "Direi" (Delay). Bit on the nose there.
It's also a handy tip if you happen to be in Japan and don't know a specific word for something. Just say the English word but do it basically as an anime sub character and, most of the time, people will know or have an idea of what you're talking about
Blake Schwarzenbach of Jawbreaker uses a Big Muff silver face in front of a Marshall, and (yes, it's double-tracked) achieves tone nirvana on "Accident Prone" at about 5:12 on.
White Stripes album 'Elephant' is one of my favorite Big Muff album.(along with Siamese Dream) Jack White stacks a Big Muff and a Digitech Whammy for most solos and leads and it rips your head off. I Just got the Op-Amp re-issue and it's amazing. More bite and clarity then a standard muff (that I also like very much). I used a lot of different Muffs over the years, one that I really like is the Bass Big Muff, based on the Russian Muff with a switch for bass boost/normal/dry. Any bass player should have one.
JHS y'all are just amazing!! You always promote other pedals and still feature your own and it makes me want JHS pedals more, I've been watching y'all almost religiously for a few months now and it's taught me so much about pedals and what to look for and how to dial them into what I want them to sound like. You're just amazing and nothing short of it!!
David Gilmour immediately comes to mind when I hear 'Big Muff', the Comfortably Numb tone in particular. Also the dry solo from Dogs, that tone is unreal!
I have your Muffuletta pedal and it’s interesting because it quickly becomes apparent that the “best” Muff is the one that works best between the particular guitar and amp used. For my semi-hollow with humbuckers, I like the Green Russian mode best. For my single coils through my amp, I like the Triangle mode. But through my friend’s amp the Ram’s Head mode is better.
Amazing how close they got the reissues to the original ones. Especially the triangle ones sound pretty much identical. I really like your appreciation for other pedal makers!
Siamese Dream is one of my top 10 albums of all time! I listened to it countless times as a teenager, seriously one of the best 90's rock records. The B-Sides are all awesome too! I think from the Shootout I have to go with the Op-Amp reissue - I need to snag one of those. I have owned a Black Russian Big Muff & the American silver box Big Muff (currently). Sold the Russian for almost double the price I paid for it 5 years after I got it. Great vid!
Yeah, the Muff Fuzz/Overdrive. Built a DIY one of those on a breadboard and it was killer. Schematic: beavisaudio.com/schematics/Electro-Harmonix-Muff-Fuzz-Transistor-Schematic.htm
I haven’t looked through all 1.2k comments but a quick scroll says that no one is talking about the Big Muff for BASS. I bought my green Big Muff EH/Sovtek in 94/95 after hearing Robert Sledge of Ben Folds Five. Their debut record is covered in deep rich fuzz tones.
I have all of the big muff reissues. They're all fantastic! Each one has special sonic characteristics that make them unique. Whenever I've had a bad week, I plug up to one of these ... And they never fail to make me smile. Cheers from NYC! (The home of the Big Muff!). 😉 Thank you very much for posting this. Always appreciated. 👍
J Mascis. Anything he's ever done. That's my favorite album with a big muff. Also, I think Mike Kinsella uses a muff for the solo on the Owen song "A Bird in Hand" on the At Home with Owen album. But I could be totally mistaken on that one
You can't talk about Big Muff albums without mentioning Mogwai Young Team by Mogwai. This album is pure 90's post-rock gold from beginning to end. There was even a limited edition Mogwai Big Muff with 'Rock' and 'Action' controls (possibly the only variation on 'Tone' and 'Sustain').
When I was about 18 I built a Big Muff with a local pedal builder. After we put it together he sent me home with a bag of transistors to swap out and play around with to get the sound I wanted because of the stories about the parts variations. It was crazy how big and crunchy mine ended up being compared to the modern reissue one of my friends had. I wish I still had that pedal
I had the classic big muff for several years but it started breaking apart so for some time I borrowed my bassist's green big muff pi bass, that he didn't use. I loved it so much that I sold my classic to buy the bass one from my bassist. It seemed to have much more destructive gain but at the same time it was more controlled, less fizzy and that low end... My god I know I don't need that much low end but it even makes my small blues jr sound impressive. Let alone my jcm2000 head. Very studio friendly too. Underrated bass pedal for guitar, you guys should try it. I have heard that it is based on the russian one.
Favorite (modern) Muff usage: Julian Lage's recordings with John Zorn's band "Insurrection." Jules used a JHS Morning Glory into Op-Amp Big Muff Pi reissue.
the reissue triangle muff is the best distortion i have ever played. i am willing to die on this hill. it is full-bodied, so much girth and depth to it, it's just incredible at stage volumes.
Thank you for the reference - I just started exploring all of the different incarnations of the Big Muff Pi on a breadboard - this pedal has a fascinating history.
Veruca Salt's "American Thighs" is one of my favorite albums that has the signature Big Muff sound. Personally, I'm a sucker for the green Russian Big Muff. :)
What I noticed in several of these OG vs RI shootouts now is that the OGs always seem to sound a little bit more open and dynamic, especially the Triangle, Op-Amp, and Ram's Head which had not been released at the time of this video. Of course, the RIs benefit from consistency and smaller size. The Green Russian was spot on and I actually preferred the Nano slightly over the 2000s BMP. My favorite Big Muff tone would probably be Gilmour's work on Animals or The Wall.
Yayyy!! Smashing Pumpkins!! I still have some of my collectors items from the 90s and 2000s. I was a superfan. Not really following what they do now for obvious reasons, but I was OBSESSED with them back in the day. Glad to hear a shout out.
Love this, the reissue sounds so good compared to the originals, especially the triangles. I have the op-amp but plan on grabbing the others too. Fav big muff album has to be either Siamese Dream by Smashing Pumpkins or Without a Sound by Dinosaur Jr.
Man, that triangle reissue is sweet. I've had a love/hate thing with muffs since I sold my 90's green Sovtek. The one I've liked the best so far is the Op Amp reissue. Instant Siamese Dream.
I scrolled down the comment section thinking i was going to find Robert keeley comment... where are you Robert ? This is an amazing episode the reissue sounds super close to the originals. One of the best channels in the all RUclips community and my favorite pedal company.
Hello sir! I got busy with pedal design and missed out on this video! I showed Mike Matthews pictures of my pedal with the perf board.... he said (in his Trademark voice) "uhh yeah, we made those at the kitchen table back in 69." ;-)
My first memory of trying a guitar pedal was a green Muff in the late 90's. Didn't blow my hair back at the time, but nowadays you'd have to pry my EQD Hoof from my cold, dead hands.
All the original versions sound more open and airy to me. Pretty spot on when it comes to gain structure though. I think nitpicking over little things like that probably misses the point of using an aggressive thick sounding fuzz in the first place. Basically most people aren't gonna notice or give shit. I mean, I'll notice, guitar tone nerds will notice, but that really has nothing to do practical application. Maybe use the vintage ones for recording or in a studio for the extra specialness, but even that's probably not necessary if you can still get the feeling and effect from the new ones. It's (almost) always going to be more about the performance and the connection the player is making to the sounds. My 2 cents.
Yup. A large section of the community is more interested in debating academic points rather than practicing the instrument and exploring effect / amp controls.
I really dig the JHS Green Russian Moscow Mod. Found one on Reverb that's on its way. Looking forward to hearing what I can make out of it. Brilliant stuff! Keep up the good work. I think there needs to Be more videos about it. It's such a great sounding pedal.
I'm an operator of the Muffuletta and I like to use these sounds in less usual settings such as, The Isley bros. or David Gilmour. Your riffs were an excellent example of this as well. At the top of my list of recorded operators of the "Muff" are, Dan Auerbach of Black Keys. Not sure I would have known he used it till I was told. The Green Russian sounded perfect today..Love my Muffuletta more than ever now!
To this day, my favorite is still the ever so increasingly rare black Russian V8. Great chunky fuzz that sounds great on everything from guitars to synths and the filter has so much character, I've drawn out the schematic and I'm breadboarding a Eurorack-compatible circuit now!
I've been a Big Muff user since the 70s, and owned all kinds of versions, like the Guild Foxey Lady. When Mike Matthews made the first reissue (called the RED ARMY, I think 1989) it was amazing and $19 cost for dealers (I bought 6 for our store) and they were amazing. I prefer the sound of the Red Army to all the other ones I had. Wish I had kept one, but they got too valuable. My favorite fuzz replaced it, the Texas Tornado by Crews Maniac Sound from the 90s.
This is the greatest muff comparison of all time. Nobody has straight up compared units. Nobody has compared units with very tasty playing either. I am partial to V7 Russian. I have owned mine since the late 90s and use for bass or synths. Your comparison shows me which muff I might want for guitar, meaning I will need to watch the video again, and maybe again, just to be sure. Siamese Dream was an almost daily listen during my teens.
First: big ups to Josh for doing this:) I thought the new versions all sounded tonally like their predecessors but I also found that all the new pedals lacked a little bit of harmonic complexity compared to their predecessors. I'm wondering if that has to do with the number of hours on them compared to their presumably well broken-in parent pedals. In my experience, pretty much any audio device that has electrolytic capacitors on board (signal path and/or power supply) sounds better after at least a solid twenty hours of use. I wonder if these fresh pedals will start to sound even more like the big old boxes once they get a few hours of burn.
I agree re greater harmonic complexity from the originals. It could be as simple as the fact the the older boxes all had larger and apparently undamped enclosures. From a hifi playback perspective, meaningful reductions in perceived harmonic distortion can be achieved by damping metal enclosures of playback and amplification devices. In the case of a distortion pedal though, we want more...distortion:) Also big ups to Josh for all the good work he puts in here:)
Good job on the reissues. I like the Green Russian. My favorite Muff albums are by The Violet Burning - their self titled release in ‘96, and their 2011 trilogy, “The Story Of Our Lives”.
I have a later Russian Big Muff (I think from right around when the Russian ones were discontinued) and that has always been my favorite fuzz pedal. It had plastic jacks and plastic screws holding them in, so I had to fix it multiple times but every time it broke I'd glue the thing back together. After one final repair I gave up and bought a tone wicker model, which is still one of my favorite pedals but just isn't the same. This video makes me want to dig it out of my parents' basement and solder new jacks onto there. Love your channel.
“Siamese Dream” is my favorite Pumpkins album, and I can’t think of any other album that is, as you say, MADE by a single pedal in quite the same way. Huge impact. Anyway, Op-Amp or Green Russian for me, as a general rule 🤷🏼♂️😄 Thanks for posting as always!
Even in this shootout, when he got to the Sovtek, I thought, "There it is." I know it's just because that's the one I own (bought from a catalog in 1994) and the one I built what I would describe as "my sound" upon, but... Come on. That sounds amazing. Put it with a solid-state amp (never got the fascination with tubes), a Strat on the neck pickup, and a Roland Space Echo (setting #9, reverb about a third of the way up), and you can sound just as bad as me.
Siamese Dream is my favorite album of all time. Chased that tone for years, came close but never quite got it. As soon as the OpAmp reissue came out I bought one & viola, instant Siamese Dream. I’ve also found it sits in a mix really, really well & have gotten what I feel are the best distorted tones I’ve ever recorded. Just a great pedal all around. I also have the Ram’s Head reissue & it’s fantastic too. I find I like it better for lead tones, it’s smoother & has more midrange. Probably end up with all the reissues at some point, my first Muff was a green Russian in 1996 so I have a soft spot for that circuit. Never owned or played through Triangle but it’s a Muff so pretty sure I’ll like it. Siamese Dream highlights: Cherub Rock, the solo on Quiet is amazing, Hummer is unlike anything else & Mayonnaise shows that Billy wasn’t the only talented songwriter in the band. Billy’s lead tone is...explosive. Listen to the solo on Geek USA for a good example of what I mean.
Touch me, I'm Sick! I own a BYOC Triangle Muff which I love, came here expecting to confirm I want an op-amp version next (loved Smashing Pumpkins since their early EPs), but was surprised - I think the Green Russian sounds most awesome.
Eddie Hazel of Parliament-Funkadelic is one of my favorite champions of the Big Muff. Paired with a phaser, an echoplex, and the occasional wah, he made some incredible sounds. His solo record is worth a listen.
Siamese Dream is the best Pumpkins album...IMHO...every song start to finish...my favorite album from that era!...and a great era it was...so bittersweet it hurts
Triangle - Reissue (idk there's some kind of "bite" in the reissue that I really liked) Op Amp - Vintage Russian - Vintage (More Pronounced Mids) I do have to say that all these reissues did a great job emulating these classic pedals and this is all a matter of personal preference
This channel is an online museum. My favorite is the op amp version, it rocks the hardest. I think the green is my second favorite. It seems the fuzziest. I sold an original for a pretty penny.
My first experience with the Muff was a Russian Tall Font that a buddy of mine found in the garbage when he was a garbage man. It was great and moved its way thru all our friends like a loose high school cheerleader. Eventually it got sold to someone outside our circle (and I never hear the end of it..) but it made a huge impression on us and the sounds we went after. For that, the green Russian is my favorite.
This video helped me choose between the Big Muff variants. At first, I wanted the Green Russian reissue, but upon discovering the op-amp version, I went and got taht instead. Love it!
I think it is so cool that you are out here always talking about non-JHS pedals. It is obviously that are passionate about everything pedal-related, and not just your own work.
Thats a fact , i agree
Absolutely. First time watching and very impressed. Josh is passionate and not trying to sell his pedals. Mind you, that makes me very interested in buying his pedals. Honest down to earth guy!
Mark Woodward, his name is Josh Scott, founder of JHS Pedals. He makes great stuff.
Josh is to pedals kinda what Les Paul was to recording inventiveness. "The Alabama Wizard". Funny how they're both ginger.
Yeah I always watch his videos and never buy his stuffs LOL just because I’m too poor
EHX got to be my favorite pedal-company... They make such good pedals and 90% of them are at such an affordable price - which is important for me, an 18 year old with no money.
Check behringer
yeah.... try living in brazil
Behringer
EHX used to be considered expensive! The difference is we became used to boutique pricing, and EHX have dropped their prices a bit!
@@luisfelipenicodemus2055 why would anyone want to do that lol
Surprised at how true to the originals these reissues are. Great video, thks
Oh, and green muff for me
I couldn't tell the difference in the original muff, thought the original op-amp sounded better, liked the green reissue better, liked the reissue NYC better. For me, I think I'd probably go with green reissue as well.
I heard all of the originals being more "airy", for lack of better words. The reissues seemed kind of tamed but really close.
Yes me too !!.........probably done by passionat people !!
The NYC wes the closest to me. Almost impossible to tell apart. The Russian was the furthest apart, but that might be down to individual component variations. All were really good.
I’m my opinion, J Mascis is the quintessential Big Muff guy. He’s actually somewhat of a vintage Big Muff hoarder. He has like 50 of them on the shelf at his house.
Everyone says that a big muff gets lost in the mix, but J is always front and center to my ears
@@PageandPlant4Life That’s for two reasons- one is that if you are only a “power trio” the mix is not much of an issue. Secondly, J has said that he owns and has tried hundreds of vintage Big Muffs that have the tone he’s looking for. I guess I’m mainly just thinking of the reissue ones. My experience with those is that they have zero midrange, which actually sounds killer! But it’s notoriously difficult to record, especially with a band with multiple guitars. But you’re right- when you see Dino live, you hear J loud and clear!
@@kevinmurtagh4996 Definitely some power in that power trio, even the bass is overdriven.. coming thru a bass and guitar rig.. Dinosaur Jr. needs to be heard live to really "get it"
Put your tubescreamer or booster like a soul food or little green wonder past big muff and you’ll have more presence and power in your sound
@@SimonSawal yeah J runs an OD into his muff
Ah yes, the Teisco Analog Delay was my favorite Big Muff
Beauty clean
Pristine! No flub at all!
My 90s Danelectro Dan Echo does the "tone shift delay" thing just slightly, the delays slightly drop in pitch. I think maybe the chip is going a bit wonky in it's old age but it sounds cool.
i had 70's op-amp in the early 80's in HS, didn't come with the adapter, so when the battery died i tried to make an adapter from an old lamp cord. that was the end of the muff and my pedal mod career, best to leave some things to the experts : )
i've never told anyone that story, feels good to dump that shame, thought that was one i'd take to the grave.
Hahahah!!!! Great comment!!!!
no transformer eh?
Yeah Siamese Dream is in the echelon of "all killer, no filler" albums. A songwriting and sonic masterpiece from start to finish, soup to nuts! I used to love cranking it in my car which had a full aftermarket stereo system with subwoofers back in 93/94. I felt enveloped by the music when I would crank it in there on aimless drives.
I bought a Big Muff when I was in the Air Force in 1975. I was young and didn't know anything. Now I'm old and still don't know anything. Wonderful video. I love your channel, Josh!
Thank you for being one of those guys who doesn't play boring bluesriffs and just solo when showcasing pedals.
The green russian sounds better for me. Awesome video, love muffs!
Totally agree
🇧🇷🇧🇷
I agree, it sounds more sonically pure, if that makes sense.
its a phenomenal on bass
Hands downtrend best to my ears. Some good Ronson sounds in there. I think he used Colorsound and Tonebender. Off to check out a Russian Big Muff.
Sovtek/Russian
And thanks for all you do, including the inherent wittiness of your commentary.
lol
My favorite "Big Muff" album is Animals by Pink Floyd. Gilmour's tone with his Ram's Head muff and Electric Mistress blows my mind any day.
Lionello Nardon dave actually used the P1 fuzz (a.big muff clone) through a yamaha rotating speaker in animals, he started using the mistress with pink floyd in the wall
The Skreddy P19 gets close
SIAMESE DREAM is THE quintessential Big Muff album.
On the shootout, I prefer:
Original Triangle
New Op Amp
Original Russian
NYC are identical
Overall, the Op Amp Reissue is my favorite.
Jonathan Wapner same here, I also own it lol it’s on my pedal board now lol
Eh, I'll take J Mascis on the first three Dinosaur Jr records any day.
I want to know how many Muffs Siamese Dream sold.
@@joebowles06 Whatever that number is, I can amount for 8 of them.
@@jonathanwapner6262 I've only got one (tone wicker), but I've only been into pedals for less than a year. It was my first one too.
I'd definitely pick up a used green russian or op amp if I found one at a decent price. One of the best things about Big Muffs is you can get most of the modern ones on the used market for ~$50-60.
This is why I'm glad Josh made the Muffuleta. I'm tired of having 3 big muffs on my board lol.
Dinosaur Jr gets my vote for BM usage. "You're Living All Over Me" or "Where You Been". Y.L.A.O.M is the better album, W.Y.B. got better tones.
hard agree
Yes!!!!
bug is an underrated album and "budge" & "let it ride" are amazing guitar sounds
God damn j mascis was the jimi hendrix of the 90s
I'm a Green Mind fan myself. Love the others but kept GM in constant rotation that summer, to the point I regard it as one long song.
Old or new, the sound of a Big Muff will always warm my heart. It's such a great sound, and I honestly can't get enough of it.
"Quiet" from Siamese Dream is such an underrated song and it's the muff sound that I chase
Right? So massive. 💯
Me too. The plane flies high is pretty great too
The "Today" tone has caused a lifelong big muff addiction for me. I'll be trying to quit for the rest of my life.
If I had to pick an SD song that most made me want to buy a Big Muff, it was probably Rocket. But yes, Quiet is amazing
I love that song
11:05 Josh, i have terrible news the future is NOT fine!
Especially if that fat arse Trump is still in power. How on earth he was voted in is a mystery to rest of the world..
@@MacAJ1874 It's called the electoral college.
@@middle_pickup Where we come from its called Fuckwittery. Idiots let loose with a vote.
@@MacAJ1874 why bring politics into it? especially if all you are going to do is be an ignorant asshat
@@coolerthanyou9548 agreed. Biden is worse than trump anyway
Whatever was used in the signal chain for "Ball & Biscuit" by White Stripes is my favorite fuzz tone I've ever heard. Puts a smile on my face every time
Was about to comment the same 🤜🤛 I believe it was the big muff pi, cuz it was specifically the first pedal I ever bought because of “Elephant” and learning about Jack Whites rig at the time. One day it vanished, now I’ve got the reissue and watching them go head to head in this vid was special ❤
He did use a Big Muff on those records
Dave Gilmour’s use of the Muff is fantastic, and I’ve heard some stuff Adrian Belew did with one that sounds divine.
I find myself amused by the fact that the Teisco pedals just have the english names for the effects on them, written in katakana. "Buustaa" (Booster) "Faazu"(Fuzz) and "Direi" (Delay). Bit on the nose there.
I don't read any Japanese script so I speculated those words are Japanese pronounciation of English words. Glad I was right haha
Katakana rules!!!!
Impossibaru!
Lol direi
It's also a handy tip if you happen to be in Japan and don't know a specific word for something. Just say the English word but do it basically as an anime sub character and, most of the time, people will know or have an idea of what you're talking about
Blake Schwarzenbach of Jawbreaker uses a Big Muff silver face in front of a Marshall, and (yes, it's double-tracked) achieves tone nirvana on "Accident Prone" at about 5:12 on.
I don't think I could single out which Big Muff might be the "best", but one thing's for sure - there's no such thing as a bad Big Muff.
White Stripes album 'Elephant' is one of my favorite Big Muff album.(along with Siamese Dream) Jack White stacks a Big Muff and a Digitech Whammy for most solos and leads and it rips your head off. I Just got the Op-Amp re-issue and it's amazing. More bite and clarity then a standard muff (that I also like very much). I used a lot of different Muffs over the years, one that I really like is the Bass Big Muff, based on the Russian Muff with a switch for bass boost/normal/dry. Any bass player should have one.
JHS y'all are just amazing!! You always promote other pedals and still feature your own and it makes me want JHS pedals more, I've been watching y'all almost religiously for a few months now and it's taught me so much about pedals and what to look for and how to dial them into what I want them to sound like. You're just amazing and nothing short of it!!
thank you!
David Gilmour immediately comes to mind when I hear 'Big Muff', the Comfortably Numb tone in particular. Also the dry solo from Dogs, that tone is unreal!
I have your Muffuletta pedal and it’s interesting because it quickly becomes apparent that the “best” Muff is the one that works best between the particular guitar and amp used. For my semi-hollow with humbuckers, I like the Green Russian mode best. For my single coils through my amp, I like the Triangle mode. But through my friend’s amp the Ram’s Head mode is better.
Indiana Jones on seeing the '69 BigMuff- "That belongs in a Museum!"
Amazing how close they got the reissues to the original ones. Especially the triangle ones sound pretty much identical.
I really like your appreciation for other pedal makers!
The early Black Keys Big Muff sounds are amazing
5:05 Triangle Less Talk More Rock!!!
6:50 Op-Amp
8:29 Green Russian
10:00 NYC
I do suggest watching the whole thing though. A lot of cool information.
Man, this videos, sometimes, are better than netflix.
Love the Green Russian reissue. Got it for some amazing Gilmour tones.
Hummer and Mayonaise are some of my favorite songs. The tone from that big muff is just huge. Its hard not to fall in love with.
Siamese Dream is one of my top 10 albums of all time! I listened to it countless times as a teenager, seriously one of the best 90's rock records. The B-Sides are all awesome too! I think from the Shootout I have to go with the Op-Amp reissue - I need to snag one of those. I have owned a Black Russian Big Muff & the American silver box Big Muff (currently). Sold the Russian for almost double the price I paid for it 5 years after I got it. Great vid!
Looking at the prices on Reverb, if I sold my 90's Soviet Muff I could get almost 10 times what I paid it.
Mudhoney's Superfuzz Big Muff is probably my favorite recording using a muff. Also some of the Dead Meadow stuff.
The nano big muff should be called a muff change my mind.
Rowe 4900 Snack Candy Vending Machine no, I won’t
But the muff already exists
Little Muff
Yeah, the Muff Fuzz/Overdrive. Built a DIY one of those on a breadboard and it was killer.
Schematic: beavisaudio.com/schematics/Electro-Harmonix-Muff-Fuzz-Transistor-Schematic.htm
or a yes muff
I haven’t looked through all 1.2k comments but a quick scroll says that no one is talking about the Big Muff for BASS. I bought my green Big Muff EH/Sovtek in 94/95 after hearing Robert Sledge of Ben Folds Five. Their debut record is covered in deep rich fuzz tones.
I have all of the big muff reissues. They're all fantastic! Each one has special sonic characteristics that make them unique. Whenever I've had a bad week, I plug up to one of these ... And they never fail to make me smile. Cheers from NYC! (The home of the Big Muff!). 😉
Thank you very much for posting this. Always appreciated. 👍
J Mascis. Anything he's ever done. That's my favorite album with a big muff. Also, I think Mike Kinsella uses a muff for the solo on the Owen song "A Bird in Hand" on the At Home with Owen album. But I could be totally mistaken on that one
You can't talk about Big Muff albums without mentioning Mogwai Young Team by Mogwai. This album is pure 90's post-rock gold from beginning to end. There was even a limited edition Mogwai Big Muff with 'Rock' and 'Action' controls (possibly the only variation on 'Tone' and 'Sustain').
James Martin Great call man. MOGWAi is infallible
When I was about 18 I built a Big Muff with a local pedal builder. After we put it together he sent me home with a bag of transistors to swap out and play around with to get the sound I wanted because of the stories about the parts variations.
It was crazy how big and crunchy mine ended up being compared to the modern reissue one of my friends had.
I wish I still had that pedal
I had the classic big muff for several years but it started breaking apart so for some time I borrowed my bassist's green big muff pi bass, that he didn't use. I loved it so much that I sold my classic to buy the bass one from my bassist. It seemed to have much more destructive gain but at the same time it was more controlled, less fizzy and that low end... My god I know I don't need that much low end but it even makes my small blues jr sound impressive. Let alone my jcm2000 head. Very studio friendly too. Underrated bass pedal for guitar, you guys should try it. I have heard that it is based on the russian one.
Favorite (modern) Muff usage: Julian Lage's recordings with John Zorn's band "Insurrection." Jules used a JHS Morning Glory into Op-Amp Big Muff Pi reissue.
the reissue triangle muff is the best distortion i have ever played. i am willing to die on this hill. it is full-bodied, so much girth and depth to it, it's just incredible at stage volumes.
Thank you for the reference - I just started exploring all of the different incarnations of the Big Muff Pi on a breadboard - this pedal has a fascinating history.
J. Mascis in every way is the reason I play guitar (and why I like Big Muffs)
Veruca Salt's "American Thighs" is one of my favorite albums that has the signature Big Muff sound.
Personally, I'm a sucker for the green Russian Big Muff. :)
Holy moly! Thanks for the recommendation... Veruca Salt sounds awesome!
What I noticed in several of these OG vs RI shootouts now is that the OGs always seem to sound a little bit more open and dynamic, especially the Triangle, Op-Amp, and Ram's Head which had not been released at the time of this video. Of course, the RIs benefit from consistency and smaller size. The Green Russian was spot on and I actually preferred the Nano slightly over the 2000s BMP. My favorite Big Muff tone would probably be Gilmour's work on Animals or The Wall.
siamese dream is one of my favourite albums of the 90’s , i was listening to it when it first came out and i’m still listening to it today🤘🏻
You need to check out Gish, their first and arguably their best.
My favorite Muff tone is stuff like Fripp did on King Crimson's Starless.
He used a Guild Foxey Lady which is a Triangle Big Muff. The Triangle Big Muff reissue nails the fripp tone.
Yayyy!! Smashing Pumpkins!! I still have some of my collectors items from the 90s and 2000s. I was a superfan. Not really following what they do now for obvious reasons, but I was OBSESSED with them back in the day. Glad to hear a shout out.
Mudhoney, Superfuzz Bigmuff. My favourite reissue was number 1.
Bugger, ya beat me to it ! Yeah Mudhoney 👍👍👍
Still have that vinyl
Touch me....I'm sick
I think most of this album is super fuzz, not big muff
@@dt9r its both; Steve is playing the Superfuzz & Mark plays thru the muff.
my fav big muff sound/moment is either when the distortion kicks in after the intro in Cherub Rock or the big sustained chord at the end of Mayonaise
Siamese Dream has great non-single songs that hold up well.
Love this, the reissue sounds so good compared to the originals, especially the triangles. I have the op-amp but plan on grabbing the others too.
Fav big muff album has to be either Siamese Dream by Smashing Pumpkins or Without a Sound by Dinosaur Jr.
Big Muff reissue #2! Op amp sound is great
Loved the green Russian reissue! The Smashing Pumpkins first album ‘Gish’ is also killer!
Man, that triangle reissue is sweet. I've had a love/hate thing with muffs since I sold my 90's green Sovtek. The one I've liked the best so far is the Op Amp reissue. Instant Siamese Dream.
I absolutely love my op amp reissue. Sustain and volume up, tone switch off and destroy.
I scrolled down the comment section thinking i was going to find Robert keeley comment...
where are you Robert ?
This is an amazing episode the reissue sounds super close to the originals.
One of the best channels in the all RUclips community and my favorite pedal company.
Hello sir! I got busy with pedal design and missed out on this video! I showed Mike Matthews pictures of my pedal with the perf board.... he said (in his Trademark voice) "uhh yeah, we made those at the kitchen table back in 69." ;-)
My first memory of trying a guitar pedal was a green Muff in the late 90's. Didn't blow my hair back at the time, but nowadays you'd have to pry my EQD Hoof from my cold, dead hands.
I love, love the green reissue. I have played it with singles and humbuckers, through amps with different power sections, at they all sound great.
All the original versions sound more open and airy to me. Pretty spot on when it comes to gain structure though. I think nitpicking over little things like that probably misses the point of using an aggressive thick sounding fuzz in the first place. Basically most people aren't gonna notice or give shit. I mean, I'll notice, guitar tone nerds will notice, but that really has nothing to do practical application. Maybe use the vintage ones for recording or in a studio for the extra specialness, but even that's probably not necessary if you can still get the feeling and effect from the new ones. It's (almost) always going to be more about the performance and the connection the player is making to the sounds. My 2 cents.
Agreed. I heard that, too, right off. Though the reissues are pretty close.
And I'm a tone nerd, too, obviously.
I notice every vintage version has that 10% more 'alive/warm/inyourface'. btw I have an Op reissue and I like a lot :)
Yup. A large section of the community is more interested in debating academic points rather than practicing the instrument and exploring effect / amp controls.
Siamese Dream, IMO one of the top three best recorded album of all time.
I really dig the JHS Green Russian Moscow Mod. Found one on Reverb that's on its way. Looking forward to hearing what I can make out of it. Brilliant stuff! Keep up the good work. I think there needs to
Be more videos about it. It's such a great sounding pedal.
I'm an operator of the Muffuletta and I like to use these sounds in less usual settings such as, The Isley bros. or David Gilmour. Your riffs were an excellent example of this as well. At the top of my list of recorded operators of the "Muff" are, Dan Auerbach of Black Keys. Not sure I would have known he used it till I was told. The Green Russian sounded perfect today..Love my Muffuletta more than ever now!
I’ve been wating for this sooo bad. This is my favorite JHS video and i love JHS videos!
My favourite ended up being the JHS modded nano big muff w/ moon pi mod! Great job, Josh! Thank you!
#1 and #3
Great video! The new ones really stack up. 👍🏻
David Gilmour, Comfortably Numb!
To this day, my favorite is still the ever so increasingly rare black Russian V8. Great chunky fuzz that sounds great on everything from guitars to synths and the filter has so much character, I've drawn out the schematic and I'm breadboarding a Eurorack-compatible circuit now!
I've been a Big Muff user since the 70s, and owned all kinds of versions, like the Guild Foxey Lady. When Mike Matthews made the first reissue (called the RED ARMY, I think 1989) it was amazing and $19 cost for dealers (I bought 6 for our store) and they were amazing. I prefer the sound of the Red Army to all the other ones I had. Wish I had kept one, but they got too valuable. My favorite fuzz replaced it, the Texas Tornado by Crews Maniac Sound from the 90s.
GREAT explanations, btw - this really makes it clear what we're hearing.
This is the greatest muff comparison of all time. Nobody has straight up compared units. Nobody has compared units with very tasty playing either. I am partial to V7 Russian. I have owned mine since the late 90s and use for bass or synths. Your comparison shows me which muff I might want for guitar, meaning I will need to watch the video again, and maybe again, just to be sure. Siamese Dream was an almost daily listen during my teens.
First: big ups to Josh for doing this:) I thought the new versions all sounded tonally like their predecessors but I also found that all the new pedals lacked a little bit of harmonic complexity compared to their predecessors. I'm wondering if that has to do with the number of hours on them compared to their presumably well broken-in parent pedals. In my experience, pretty much any audio device that has electrolytic capacitors on board (signal path and/or power supply) sounds better after at least a solid twenty hours of use. I wonder if these fresh pedals will start to sound even more like the big old boxes once they get a few hours of burn.
I agree re greater harmonic complexity from the originals. It could be as simple as the fact the the older boxes all had larger and apparently undamped enclosures. From a hifi playback perspective, meaningful reductions in perceived harmonic distortion can be achieved by damping metal enclosures of playback and amplification devices. In the case of a distortion pedal though, we want more...distortion:) Also big ups to Josh for all the good work he puts in here:)
Good job on the reissues. I like the Green Russian. My favorite Muff albums are by The Violet Burning - their self titled release in ‘96, and their 2011 trilogy, “The Story Of Our Lives”.
Dinosaur Jr "Where You Been" J Mascis + '76 Ram's Head
I have one, it's the best Muff IMO. I am old school, 70's Santana and Pink Floyd. Also Montrose first album
I have a later Russian Big Muff (I think from right around when the Russian ones were discontinued) and that has always been my favorite fuzz pedal. It had plastic jacks and plastic screws holding them in, so I had to fix it multiple times but every time it broke I'd glue the thing back together. After one final repair I gave up and bought a tone wicker model, which is still one of my favorite pedals but just isn't the same. This video makes me want to dig it out of my parents' basement and solder new jacks onto there. Love your channel.
The White Stripes’ “dead leaves and the dirty ground” has BM written all over it
The fuzz on Little Acorns is probably my favorite from them
RHCP Stadium Arcadium. Frusciante is famous for using the DS2, but a green russian big muff was also a big part of his tone on this album..
My fav is the Rams Head big muff, the wall gilmour tone!
Best RUclips video of the month. Possibly the year. Thank you Josh! Your review of the Green Russian and the Triangle Muff were awesome.
I thought I would prefer the OpAmp but the triangle really got me.
Especially the original. That has a clarity that the reissue didn't match.
“Siamese Dream” is my favorite Pumpkins album, and I can’t think of any other album that is, as you say, MADE by a single pedal in quite the same way. Huge impact.
Anyway, Op-Amp or Green Russian for me, as a general rule 🤷🏼♂️😄 Thanks for posting as always!
Liked them all A LOT but the SOVTEK, from Muther Ruuussia was my fav..
Even in this shootout, when he got to the Sovtek, I thought, "There it is." I know it's just because that's the one I own (bought from a catalog in 1994) and the one I built what I would describe as "my sound" upon, but... Come on. That sounds amazing. Put it with a solid-state amp (never got the fascination with tubes), a Strat on the neck pickup, and a Roland Space Echo (setting #9, reverb about a third of the way up), and you can sound just as bad as me.
Siamese Dream is my favorite album of all time. Chased that tone for years, came close but never quite got it. As soon as the OpAmp reissue came out I bought one & viola, instant Siamese Dream. I’ve also found it sits in a mix really, really well & have gotten what I feel are the best distorted tones I’ve ever recorded. Just a great pedal all around. I also have the Ram’s Head reissue & it’s fantastic too. I find I like it better for lead tones, it’s smoother & has more midrange. Probably end up with all the reissues at some point, my first Muff was a green Russian in 1996 so I have a soft spot for that circuit. Never owned or played through Triangle but it’s a Muff so pretty sure I’ll like it.
Siamese Dream highlights: Cherub Rock, the solo on Quiet is amazing, Hummer is unlike anything else & Mayonnaise shows that Billy wasn’t the only talented songwriter in the band. Billy’s lead tone is...explosive. Listen to the solo on Geek USA for a good example of what I mean.
Siamese Dream is a great Album, but I like “Gish” even more, seems a bit harder/ rawer to me. Great video on the Muff!
Tristessa is their best song imo.
Touch me, I'm Sick!
I own a BYOC Triangle Muff which I love, came here expecting to confirm I want an op-amp version next (loved Smashing Pumpkins since their early EPs), but was surprised - I think the Green Russian sounds most awesome.
Would have been interesting to have the Ram's Head version covered, too, as I got the impression that it's considered to be quite sought after.
Eddie Hazel of Parliament-Funkadelic is one of my favorite champions of the Big Muff. Paired with a phaser, an echoplex, and the occasional wah, he made some incredible sounds. His solo record is worth a listen.
My favorite part of shootouts is listening to people pretend that exceedingly minor differences are material.
@@ldf4064 😆
But it's fun though, so who cares👍
Also I will be lucky to get my hands on 1 vintage pedal, let alone 4, plus their reissues so it is interesting
Quiet! You'll break the entire industry!
This is just something a tone-deaf person would say lol
If a difference is minor, how can it be exceeding? Wouldn't "imperceptibly" be a better adverb?
Siamese Dream is the best Pumpkins album...IMHO...every song start to finish...my favorite album from that era!...and a great era it was...so bittersweet it hurts
the editing and coloring of this channel is really well done. Love the content as well!
Triangle - Reissue (idk there's some kind of "bite" in the reissue that I really liked)
Op Amp - Vintage
Russian - Vintage (More Pronounced Mids)
I do have to say that all these reissues did a great job emulating these classic pedals and this is all a matter of personal preference
For muff album recommendations: Cloakroom, "Time Well". Huge walls of fuzz.
Strength and Sanity cloakroom is ridiculously underrated
I really loved the Green Russian Big Muff. It sounded wonderful to my ears!
Bought the Big Muff Op Amp just for playing Siamese Dream songs.
The op-amp because I had it when I was supposed to be in High School. I learn so much from your channel, thank you!!!!
Amazing how they pretty much nailed it from the drop. The Keeley V1 and the reissue both sounded great.
Big Muff: the Telecaster of effects pedals?
I was amazed at how similar they are. If you look away from the screen, and just listen, you can't tell a difference worth noting.
This channel is an online museum. My favorite is the op amp version, it rocks the hardest. I think the green is my second favorite. It seems the fuzziest. I sold an original for a pretty penny.
My first experience with the Muff was a Russian Tall Font that a buddy of mine found in the garbage when he was a garbage man. It was great and moved its way thru all our friends like a loose high school cheerleader. Eventually it got sold to someone outside our circle (and I never hear the end of it..) but it made a huge impression on us and the sounds we went after. For that, the green Russian is my favorite.
This video helped me choose between the Big Muff variants. At first, I wanted the Green Russian reissue, but upon discovering the op-amp version, I went and got taht instead. Love it!