# Big Muff Question



## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

Question: If you found an early 70s Big Muff Pi Ram's Head for $300, would you jump on it?
I've never really had much luck with muff type pedals, but I hear this is the one (next to a triangle). What say you all?


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## hoser (Feb 2, 2006)

for 300 bucks? no thanks.


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

Cauliflower dipped in chocolate? Mmmmmmmm! Never thought of that.
How about cauliflower vs. death by cauliflower. 

I saw a triangle muff go on evil bay a couple of weeks ago for $150 but usually they're way up there in the $500s range. I've also seen ram's heads up in that price range...I was thinking about trying a D*A*M a while back then he stopped making them and the prices went through the roof ($900 US !!!!). I had a green Russian one years ago and hated it and I pitched an early one in the 80s when I didn't know any better. I love that David Gilmour sound though...and Robert Fripp of course. Although most other muff users I've heard sound like Jack White or Mudhoney, which isn't really my thing.


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## hoser (Feb 2, 2006)

500 bucks. wow. I never thought a big muff would sell for that.


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

hoser said:


> 500 bucks. wow. I never thought a big muff would sell for that.


me neither - I threw one in the trash at a bus stop no less in the early 80s because I finally scraped together enough cash for a Boss HM-2 pedal !


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## Guest (Nov 6, 2008)

No.

That's a pedal that can be built yourself and tuned to your liking for far less.


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## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

I'd try an Analogman or Sweetsound fuzz. The Skreddy fuzzes look cool too


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## sproul07 (Jun 23, 2007)

It all depends on what you are using it for. I had a 1974 Muff and I found it nice, but I found it just had too much distortion in it. I prefer the Triangle version. And I honestly think that the BYOC muff clones are better than the originals. They are much more contained and even sounding. My 74 Muff had a tendancy to get farty in the low end at lower volumes.


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## hoser (Feb 2, 2006)

devnulljp said:


> me neither - I threw one in the trash at a bus stop no less in the early 80s because I finally scraped together enough cash for a Boss pedal !


Before the grunge explosion they were dirt cheap.
A buddy of mine was doing a remodelling job and actually found one between a wall he was taking down.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Nope. I would jump on it for 150 or 200 maybe, but I couldn't justify 300. I have a Green Sovtek right now and I barely use that. I keep trying to get into fuzz, but it's not working for me. Having said that, my Sovtek sounds a lot better than my NYC reissue, and is a lot more stable than the Fuzz Factory I had.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

As Ian notes, modding a current or recent issue BMP to "Ram's Head" specs is no big deal, and provides a nice inexpensive learning experience. If you need one to have some sort of complete set, then I suppose the price tag is justified. If you want the sound but don't have the time or tools to mod one, then I suppose time is money, so $150-200 for what is a $60 fuzzbox might be considered a worthwhile expenditure.

But like several have noted (even Mike Matthews himself), there is so much variability from unit to unit, that buying something sight unseen, without being able to sit in a showroom and try out 6 of the same pedal for the "best" one, is a crap-shoot.

There ARE some things that are so idiosyncratic with respect to parts, functioning, design, packaging, sound, etc., as to command high prices because there is simply no other way to recapture what that effect does. The BMP is not one of these.

As for cauliflower, some months ago I heard a local chef interviewed on CBC radio and he was asked what the simplest recipe was that he knew of. His reply was a 3-ingredient dish. Take a fresh cauliflower, break it up into florets, toss it in a big bowl with a bit of oil and some salt, and bake it on a flat tray or dish at 400 degrees for an hour. The natural sugars in the cauliflower carmelize at that heat and the stuff comes out golden brown and a little crispy. You can eat that stuff like candy. I know kids I have served it to do.


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## Buzz (May 15, 2008)

Hell ya! Ram's head Muffs are rare and have the vintage mojo new pedals dont have. You could probably sell it again for the same amount if you didnt like it.


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## NB-SK (Jul 28, 2007)

Wouldn't it be cheaper and more fun to make your own clone of that pedal?


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## Scottone (Feb 10, 2006)

I'd probably be more inclined to grab one of the BYOC Rams Head kits for a fraction of the price. The old Electroharmonix stuff is not really well made and the box takes up a lot of real estate on the pedalboard.


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

Anyone got a pointer to the mods mhammer mentioned? Where to get parts too? I thought the new muffs were completely different to the older ones -- trannies, opamps (do't the red and black ones use opamps?) etc.
I usedto have one of those big green Russian ones, and sold it. Apparently they're rare now too? 
Thanks all

I'm going to try that cauliflower thing BTW.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

http://www.pisotones.com/BigMuffPi/psst/BMP_versions.htm

You'll like the cauliflower thing. Just keep in mind that the volume shrinks by about 30-40% (at least), so if you're making it for company budget accordingly.


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

Wow, that modded one on evilbay just went for $545 US! Mine was "only" $300, all original. 
Now't queer as folks.


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## Geek (Jun 5, 2007)

That is freakin' CRAZY!


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## Guest (Nov 11, 2008)

Worth, much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.


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## Ripper (Jul 1, 2006)

iaresee said:


> Worth, much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.



Very very true. One man's junk is another man's treasure.


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

Geek said:


> That is freakin' CRAZY!


There's another one up on the evilbay right now with a BIN of $599! 

Kinda makes me feel better about this:










I can't find any codes on it to date it, but it's an FS36999 transistor Ram's head v2 muff. You can see the thin coating of pixie mojo dust on the board there. 










Sounds sweet, not as gnarly as other (opamp) muffs I've used. it's off to Greg next week for TB mod though.

EDIT: OK, so I just saw two of these things sell on evilbay. The last one just came off and sold for US$495 == C $636.03 
Mine was C$300 with shipping and tax. I guess it was a score then...? 
Insane. These things used to go for $50.


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## screamingdaisy (Oct 14, 2008)

devnulljp said:


> Anyone got a pointer to the mods mhammer mentioned? Where to get parts too? I thought the new muffs were completely different to the older ones -- trannies, opamps (do't the red and black ones use opamps?) etc.
> I usedto have one of those big green Russian ones, and sold it. Apparently they're rare now too?
> Thanks all
> 
> I'm going to try that cauliflower thing BTW.


Op amp Muffs were a late 70s thing. They didn't last long.

Anyway, I've owned various Muffs strait from the early 70s on through made last year Little Big Muffs. Muffs are so hit and miss I wouldn't buy one without trying it first unless it was a pretty sweet deal.


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