hey all at GN,
For my birthday last year I got a Behringer v-amp effects pedal and it's served me well, and still does, but for some songs that I play I feel as if the distortion and amp modulations don't really cut it - not precise for what I'm looking for. So I thought I'd look up some affordable distortion pedals on the net and came across the Electro Harmonix big muff pedal, it seems to be well priced and the description is really good (well i reckon it is), it says that people like David Gilmour have used it for songs and that's right on the money for me as I have always loved the distortion used in a lot of Pink Floyd songs and I've always wanted to achieve similar sound when I play.
So I am asking if anyone can tell me about this pedal and whether I should look into buying it or not.
Thanks in advance,
Jordan
"If you give a man a Les Paul guitar, he doesn't become Eric Clapton. If you give a man an amp and a synthesizer, he doesn't become whoever. He doesn't become us." - Roger Waters, Pink Floyd
The original Big Muff will cost you a fortune now, but the new Muffs out of Electro Harmonix are very good and effectively reproduce the sound. Go for it.
Best,
A :-)
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
Big Muff is a true classic. I thought of getting one, but I am pleased with my rig.
go for it.
The Big Muff is a great pedal. Wanna hear what a Big Muff sounds like, listen to Smashing Pumpkins, I read this was Billy Corgan's main distortion pedal on many albums like Siamese Dream. Listen to songs like Cherub Rock, Quiet, and Rocket, I am pretty sure those are all the Big Muff.
Here are some clips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1N_qX_r4Iw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jdgj0cSgPLo
Some of the hottest distortion ever. :twisted:
Wes
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
Well, it's tough to achieve "the tone from heaven" (aka David Gilmour's tone), but a Big Muff would surely help. If I remember correcting, I think he used that on a lot of songs, but especially on his Comfortably Numb(amazing solo...mmm :) )and on Another Brick in the Wall(not my fave song but wow, the guitar tone is beautiful, perfect on that).
I'd go for it, I have interest in getting a reissude of it eventually.
But remember this, there are THREE different Big Muffs.
Big Muff (USA), Little Big Muff (USA) and the Big Muff (Russia, I think). The USA Big Muff and the Russian Big Muff have different tones, I've read. But I'm sure it's not too different.
Also, if this makes you feel any better- Jimi Hendrix loved the prototype Big Muff and he planned on using it for more experimentation to help match the sounds he heard in his head. So, if Hendrix liked it, that's always a good thing, right? ;)
I'd go for the Big Muff Pi, for sure. I've got one and it's fantastic. Just remember that if you listen to artists who use one, more often than not they're using a modified Big Muff... There are many mods available for these pedals. The one I've got is unmodified and I love it. It's really only good for soloing or power chords, though. Arpeggios don't fly too well with it.
First I bought it, then I paid for it.
^^Ah yes. There's so many mods out there for pedals.
For example, I was looking at a Boss BD-2 Blues Overdrive pedal on ebay. To buy it new it's about $80, used it's about $50. A modded one is about $120, old or new. Is it really that much of a difference? Well maybe, maybe not.
Like I said in my previous post. Getting the Big Muff won't get you Gilmour's sound, but it might get you closer. Go for it.
For floyd sounds I'd rather go with a RAT instead actually, but the BM is cool too.
Well, it's tough to achieve "the tone from heaven" (aka David Gilmour's tone), but a Big Muff would surely help. If I remember correcting, I think he used that on a lot of songs, but especially on his Comfortably Numb(amazing solo...mmm :) )and on Another Brick in the Wall(not my fave song but wow, the guitar tone is beautiful, perfect on that).
I'd go for it, I have interest in getting a reissude of it eventually.
But remember this, there are THREE different Big Muffs.
Big Muff (USA), Little Big Muff (USA) and the Big Muff (Russia, I think). The USA Big Muff and the Russian Big Muff have different tones, I've read. But I'm sure it's not too different.
Also, if this makes you feel any better- Jimi Hendrix loved the prototype Big Muff and he planned on using it for more experimentation to help match the sounds he heard in his head. So, if Hendrix liked it, that's always a good thing, right? ;)
for anyone who happens to read this... STAY AWAY FROM ANY MUFF PEDAL MADE IN RUSSIA!!!! of course thats my opinion, but i have a russian version of the big muff, i believe it is, and its (again in my opinion) garbage. you cannot turn the gain up much at all until it really starts to sound like you are playing out of a headphone speaker, and everytime you turn it on/off, there is a terrible popping sound. very annoying. unless you are using it for maybe a studio application for overdubs or solos, if you can find the right amount of distortion out of this thing good on you. the american made ones are freaking great!! the metal muff is the only distortion pedal ive ever bought that i would consider burying myself with. i just wanted to warn you on the russian ones. i was intrigued by the fact that it was made in russia, and i dont try pdeals befor i buy them. ever! i like to experiment with something i know nothing about. bit me in the butt this time...
