The Big Muff is one of the most iconic fuzz pedals. It has been adopted by many artists, especially from indie rock, grunge, garage and post rock. Among its most fervent supporters are David Gilmour, Jack White, the Smashing Pumpkins and many others.
first of all, what is the big muff?
In 1969 in New York, Electro Harmonix founder Mike Matthews and Bob Myer from IBM designed a fuzz/distortion pedal that immediately became the reference for all musicians looking for the biggest sound possible. You can easily recognize it by its thick and rich sound and scooped mids. It also has a much better sustain than its competitor of the same era, the Fuzz Face.
Technically it is not a fuzz but a distortion pedal but in practice, thanks to its two clipping stages, the sound is so saturated and compressed that it can be considered as a fuzz. Electro Harmonix proudly claims it is a “distortion sustainer”. As for the technology used: everything is made of silicon, whether transistors or diodes! Many versions and reissues have been made by Electro Harmonix, each musician has his own Big Muff: some will prefer the “violin” side of the Triangle, others the power of the “Ram’s Head” for example. It’s time to explore the history of this must-have fuzz!
If you want to get an idea of what the Big Muff is capable of, I suggest you watch the video below:
the origin of the big muff story: the united states
the triangle
The Triangle, so-called because of the placement of its three knobs in a triangular rather than in-line arrangement, was the first version to be released, from 1969 to 1972. It is known for its huge bass and smooth treble, its big, scooped but well-defined sound, seemingly contradictory qualities that make the magic of this first iteration. The legend says that it was played by Jimi Hendrix, which seems quite possible considering that the Voodoo Child tended to test everything he could get of his hands, and the Triangle was such a different texture that he probably found it interesting. The Triangle were also seen on the board of Santana (the king of sustain!) for his third album, David Gilmour for his solo tour for the On An Island album, Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine (the boss of shoegazers!), Robert Fripp of King Crimson at the beginning of his career and even John Lennon bought his own since he lived in New York at the beginning of the 70’s!
the ram’s head
The Ram’s Head, manufactured from 1973 to 1977, is named after the Electro Harmonix logo, a small ram’s head that appears on the bottom right of the pedal. This is the version associated with David Gilmour since the Pink Floyd genius used it for his beautiful solos from 1976 onwards. It’s a Ram’s Head that can be heard on Animals and particularly The Wall, especially on the brillant moment “Comfortably Numb”. In addition, this is the favourite version of Dinosaur Jr.’s J. Mascis, who also has a talent for developing long lyrical solos, making it reputed to be the richest in sustain, with a warm, rich tone and less pronounced highs than the Triangle. In other words, if you have a single-coil guitar that tends to be a little aggressive, and you’re also plugging it into a punchy clean amp, the Ram’s Head will be the best way to keep your listeners from being pierced by a sonic ice pick.
the red and black
Speaking of sonic ice picks, here is the Red & Black! This is the classic design with the red Pi symbol on a black background, hence the name. It is also with this version that the font associated with the model is introduced, and that you will obviously find on the Full Story. This visual, which has become a symbol on its own (used for example by Mudhoney for a famous tshirt), corresponds actually to three different circuits, the first one (1977-1978) very close to the Ram’s Head, the second one (1978-1980) is nicknamed Opamp (we’ll come to that later), and the third one corresponds to the first New York reissues from 2000. We were inspired by the latter version, both because of its very bright and aggressive sound that ensures you can be heard in the mix, but also because of the many artists who have chosen it. It’s a less elaborate sound than the Ram’s Head, but much more efficient in more “basic” rock contexts. It has been used by John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Jack White, The Edge, the Black Crowes, Arctic Monkeys, Mogwai and many others.
the opamp
Historically, the Opamp, released in 1978, retains the same Red & Black design as the previous version, but with a radically different circuit. It uses operational amplifiers (called Opamps) rather than transistors, for a sound result that is less mid scooped, closer to distortion than fuzz, and better suited to palm mute rock rhythms. To say it honestly, the Opamp became legendary after it was used as the sound base for The Smashing Pumpkins’ classic 1993 album Siamese Dream. Since then, the Opamp has remained associated with that huge, rich, punchy sound, so much so that the recent reissue of this pedal has chosen an orange background in reference to the pumpkins in the band’s name. Billy Corgan, guitarist and leader of the Smashing Pumpkins, revealed that for this album he was plugging his Opamp into a Marshall JCM-800 that was already saturated, and it’s probably for this ability to stack gracefully that the Opamp comes in most handy. With the Full Story, you can stack it with a Ram’s Head, and boost it with a treble booster… Tell your amp beforehand, it might not like it!
the second life of ehx / sovtek in the ussr
the civil war
In 1984, Mike Matthews’ company went bankrupt and he exiled himself to the Soviet Union, where he founded Sovtek (for Soviet Technology). He first made some excellent amps that remain particularly popular with vintage Marshall lovers, then in 1991 he released the Red Army Overdrive, which became the Civil War version of the Muff a year later. Civil War is the name given to the American War of 1861, so the nickname was given because of the two colours of the pedal: light blue for the Union uniform and grey for the Confederate uniform. The fact remains that this version is known for its less saturated sound with more midrange and treble than the Ram’s Head, without falling into the aggressiveness of the Red & Black. This is why it was called “Overdrive” in its first version, as it is probably the smoothest version, and the best for a big, chubby crunch. It can be found on pedalboards of Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), Peter Buck (R.E.M.), David Gilmour ( again!) or John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival), who collects all versions of the Soviet Muff.
the green russian
In 1994, the Sovtek’s visuals changed radically to massive, ultra-strong boxes with a switch that looks like it came straight out of a Soviet missile launcher (this was the rumour at the time, and Matthews was quick to not deny it). The goose-poop green colour also evokes the military world, but this version is anything but disciplined: it’s a screaming garage sound, a little less bass-heavy than the other Muffs, and above all very direct and rude in its attack. It’s a bit like a small tube amp from the 50s pushed to its limits, but easier to play and without the untimely malfunction. Its reputation was made when it was chosen by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, who kept it on tour, always plugged into slightly overdriven amps. It’s also the one people associate with Jack White’s sound, even though White himself gets that sound from his Silvertone amps and uses his own Big Muff as a big, uncontrollable fuzz for certain sections. It’s also the Green Russian that was chosen for Nine Inch Nails guitarist Robin Finck’s dirty, synthetic sounds.
the black russian
The paint used on the Green Russian was of rather poor quality and tended to get damaged very easily, so Electro Harmonix switched to a new, more resistant black paint in 1998. The Black Russian was the last version to be made in Russia before production was relocated to the USA. It is also currently the last version to be considered as a collector’s pedal. The circuit of the Green and Black Russian are supposed to be identical but during our tests we noticed some important nuances. Our version is therefore more massive and has more bass. Some would say that this is the ideal version for bass, and the use of a Black Russian by Muse’s Chris Wolstenholme is a not-so-subtle indication of the kind of incredible sound you can get from it. On a very low tuned guitar it’s also formidable, just be careful not to eat too much beforehand, it hurts the stomach.
back to basics and expansion of the big muff range
Meanwhile, Mike Matthews and Electro Harmonix returned to their native New York. It is from the United States that a brand new series of Big Muffs is released: reissues, revision of cult models or addition of features. He started by releasing the Big Muff NYC reissue, which uses the same circuit and design as the Red and Black. The most remarkable change is certainly the addition of the LED.
Big Muff NYC reissue
Among the new range is the little Big Muff (released in 2006) which is a compact reissue of the Red and Black. The Bass Big Muff (2008), made for basses but also works very well on a guitar, which is similar to the Green Russian. The Big Muff Tone Wicker was released in 2009, it integrates two additional switches: one is used to bypass the tone, the other one adds a capacitor that pushes even more on the trebles. There is also a series of Deluxe versions that incorporate other features such as a blend control or a midrange pot that can be useful for playing in a band for example. The Big Muff will then be found in even more compact formats with the Nano series, which includes the reissue of the OpAmp Big Muff, which abandons its original colours for a new orange shade inspired by the Smashing Pumpkins.
the current market and clones
Today, there are many Big Muff models available, and Electro Harmonix alone has produced almost thirty of them. Encouraged by its easy-to-modify circuit, many brands have made clones. Among the most famous: the Supa ToneBender or the Ibanez OD-850 for the vintage ones. We can think of the Earthquaker Devices Hoof fuzz or the Battersea Distortion from ALH for the recent clones.
Of course, we couldn’t resist to offer our own reinterpretation with the Full Story, retracing the history of these 7 iconic versions thanks to the Tone Cards, with many other additional features.
English
Français
The history of the big muff over time
The Big Muff is one of the most iconic fuzz pedals. It has been adopted by many artists, especially from indie rock, grunge, garage and post rock. Among its most fervent supporters are David Gilmour, Jack White, the Smashing Pumpkins and many others.
first of all, what is the big muff?
In 1969 in New York, Electro Harmonix founder Mike Matthews and Bob Myer from IBM designed a fuzz/distortion pedal that immediately became the reference for all musicians looking for the biggest sound possible. You can easily recognize it by its thick and rich sound and scooped mids. It also has a much better sustain than its competitor of the same era, the Fuzz Face.
Technically it is not a fuzz but a distortion pedal but in practice, thanks to its two clipping stages, the sound is so saturated and compressed that it can be considered as a fuzz. Electro Harmonix proudly claims it is a “distortion sustainer”. As for the technology used: everything is made of silicon, whether transistors or diodes! Many versions and reissues have been made by Electro Harmonix, each musician has his own Big Muff: some will prefer the “violin” side of the Triangle, others the power of the “Ram’s Head” for example. It’s time to explore the history of this must-have fuzz!
If you want to get an idea of what the Big Muff is capable of, I suggest you watch the video below:
the origin of the big muff story: the united states
the triangle
The Triangle, so-called because of the placement of its three knobs in a triangular rather than in-line arrangement, was the first version to be released, from 1969 to 1972. It is known for its huge bass and smooth treble, its big, scooped but well-defined sound, seemingly contradictory qualities that make the magic of this first iteration.
The legend says that it was played by Jimi Hendrix, which seems quite possible considering that the Voodoo Child tended to test everything he could get of his hands, and the Triangle was such a different texture that he probably found it interesting.
The Triangle were also seen on the board of Santana (the king of sustain!) for his third album, David Gilmour for his solo tour for the On An Island album, Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine (the boss of shoegazers!), Robert Fripp of King Crimson at the beginning of his career and even John Lennon bought his own since he lived in New York at the beginning of the 70’s!
the ram’s head
The Ram’s Head, manufactured from 1973 to 1977, is named after the Electro Harmonix logo, a small ram’s head that appears on the bottom right of the pedal. This is the version associated with David Gilmour since the Pink Floyd genius used it for his beautiful solos from 1976 onwards. It’s a Ram’s Head that can be heard on Animals and particularly The Wall, especially on the brillant moment “Comfortably Numb”. In addition, this is the favourite version of Dinosaur Jr.’s J. Mascis, who also has a talent for developing long lyrical solos, making it reputed to be the richest in sustain, with a warm, rich tone and less pronounced highs than the Triangle.
In other words, if you have a single-coil guitar that tends to be a little aggressive, and you’re also plugging it into a punchy clean amp, the Ram’s Head will be the best way to keep your listeners from being pierced by a sonic ice pick.
the red and black
Speaking of sonic ice picks, here is the Red & Black! This is the classic design with the red Pi symbol on a black background, hence the name. It is also with this version that the font associated with the model is introduced, and that you will obviously find on the Full Story. This visual, which has become a symbol on its own (used for example by Mudhoney for a famous tshirt), corresponds actually to three different circuits, the first one (1977-1978) very close to the Ram’s Head, the second one (1978-1980) is nicknamed Opamp (we’ll come to that later), and the third one corresponds to the first New York reissues from 2000.
We were inspired by the latter version, both because of its very bright and aggressive sound that ensures you can be heard in the mix, but also because of the many artists who have chosen it. It’s a less elaborate sound than the Ram’s Head, but much more efficient in more “basic” rock contexts. It has been used by John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Jack White, The Edge, the Black Crowes, Arctic Monkeys, Mogwai and many others.
the opamp
Historically, the Opamp, released in 1978, retains the same Red & Black design as the previous version, but with a radically different circuit. It uses operational amplifiers (called Opamps) rather than transistors, for a sound result that is less mid scooped, closer to distortion than fuzz, and better suited to palm mute rock rhythms.
To say it honestly, the Opamp became legendary after it was used as the sound base for The Smashing Pumpkins’ classic 1993 album Siamese Dream. Since then, the Opamp has remained associated with that huge, rich, punchy sound, so much so that the recent reissue of this pedal has chosen an orange background in reference to the pumpkins in the band’s name.
Billy Corgan, guitarist and leader of the Smashing Pumpkins, revealed that for this album he was plugging his Opamp into a Marshall JCM-800 that was already saturated, and it’s probably for this ability to stack gracefully that the Opamp comes in most handy. With the Full Story, you can stack it with a Ram’s Head, and boost it with a treble booster… Tell your amp beforehand, it might not like it!
the second life of ehx / sovtek in the ussr
the civil war
In 1984, Mike Matthews’ company went bankrupt and he exiled himself to the Soviet Union, where he founded Sovtek (for Soviet Technology). He first made some excellent amps that remain particularly popular with vintage Marshall lovers, then in 1991 he released the Red Army Overdrive, which became the Civil War version of the Muff a year later. Civil War is the name given to the American War of 1861, so the nickname was given because of the two colours of the pedal: light blue for the Union uniform and grey for the Confederate uniform.
The fact remains that this version is known for its less saturated sound with more midrange and treble than the Ram’s Head, without falling into the aggressiveness of the Red & Black. This is why it was called “Overdrive” in its first version, as it is probably the smoothest version, and the best for a big, chubby crunch.
It can be found on pedalboards of Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), Peter Buck (R.E.M.), David Gilmour ( again!) or John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival), who collects all versions of the Soviet Muff.
the green russian
In 1994, the Sovtek’s visuals changed radically to massive, ultra-strong boxes with a switch that looks like it came straight out of a Soviet missile launcher (this was the rumour at the time, and Matthews was quick to not deny it). The goose-poop green colour also evokes the military world, but this version is anything but disciplined: it’s a screaming garage sound, a little less bass-heavy than the other Muffs, and above all very direct and rude in its attack. It’s a bit like a small tube amp from the 50s pushed to its limits, but easier to play and without the untimely malfunction.
Its reputation was made when it was chosen by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, who kept it on tour, always plugged into slightly overdriven amps. It’s also the one people associate with Jack White’s sound, even though White himself gets that sound from his Silvertone amps and uses his own Big Muff as a big, uncontrollable fuzz for certain sections. It’s also the Green Russian that was chosen for Nine Inch Nails guitarist Robin Finck’s dirty, synthetic sounds.
the black russian
The paint used on the Green Russian was of rather poor quality and tended to get damaged very easily, so Electro Harmonix switched to a new, more resistant black paint in 1998. The Black Russian was the last version to be made in Russia before production was relocated to the USA. It is also currently the last version to be considered as a collector’s pedal. The circuit of the Green and Black Russian are supposed to be identical but during our tests we noticed some important nuances.
Our version is therefore more massive and has more bass. Some would say that this is the ideal version for bass, and the use of a Black Russian by Muse’s Chris Wolstenholme is a not-so-subtle indication of the kind of incredible sound you can get from it. On a very low tuned guitar it’s also formidable, just be careful not to eat too much beforehand, it hurts the stomach.
back to basics and expansion of the big muff range
Meanwhile, Mike Matthews and Electro Harmonix returned to their native New York. It is from the United States that a brand new series of Big Muffs is released: reissues, revision of cult models or addition of features. He started by releasing the Big Muff NYC reissue, which uses the same circuit and design as the Red and Black. The most remarkable change is certainly the addition of the LED.
Among the new range is the little Big Muff (released in 2006) which is a compact reissue of the Red and Black. The Bass Big Muff (2008), made for basses but also works very well on a guitar, which is similar to the Green Russian. The Big Muff Tone Wicker was released in 2009, it integrates two additional switches: one is used to bypass the tone, the other one adds a capacitor that pushes even more on the trebles. There is also a series of Deluxe versions that incorporate other features such as a blend control or a midrange pot that can be useful for playing in a band for example. The Big Muff will then be found in even more compact formats with the Nano series, which includes the reissue of the OpAmp Big Muff, which abandons its original colours for a new orange shade inspired by the Smashing Pumpkins.
the current market and clones
Today, there are many Big Muff models available, and Electro Harmonix alone has produced almost thirty of them. Encouraged by its easy-to-modify circuit, many brands have made clones. Among the most famous: the Supa ToneBender or the Ibanez OD-850 for the vintage ones. We can think of the Earthquaker Devices Hoof fuzz or the Battersea Distortion from ALH for the recent clones.
Of course, we couldn’t resist to offer our own reinterpretation with the Full Story, retracing the history of these 7 iconic versions thanks to the Tone Cards, with many other additional features.