Electro Harmonix Ram's Head Big Muff Pi Distortion Fuzz Sustainer Pedal

Product Information

Technically the Big Muff is not a fuzz but closer to a distortion. Sonically though, its tone is perhaps closer to a silicon transistor fuzz than a DS1. As a rule of thumb, and for authentic David Gilmour tones, I would say fuzz for 1968-75 and Muff from 1977 to present. Russian made Big Muffs have Russian made pots, usually 100k linear taper, but often the volume pot was logarithmic. You can use 100k audio log taper for the volume and sustain pots. EHX also used 150k pots at times. Replacements could be found at Small Bear Electronics at the time this article was written.

David Gilmour’s Big Muff tones are based on mid range oriented Hiwatt amps and a volume that creates a lot of tube and speaker compression. This is crucial for getting that smooth violin like sustain. A Big Muff tend to sound either very harsh or muddy otherwise, which isn’t necessarily bad but not quite what you want for your Gilmour tones.In general terms, the new Ram's Head is growlier in the midrange than most Russian-style Muffs (which are famously extra-scooped and wooly) and “triangle" versions (which are often more focused, fizzier, and white-hot in the high-mids). Sustained single notes are smoother and more sonorous than the output from triangle versions, and tend to split the difference between a triangle's silicon fizziness and a Russian-type's cabernet-smooth contours. It marks an absolute sweet spot, in my opinion, and a reason for Animals-era Gilmour fans to take note. V3 BIG MUFF PI with TONE BYPASS - The very first circuit mod by EHX. A rare variant of the V3 circuit with tone bypass switching (C15, R28, switch) and power filtering (R27, C14), made simultaneously with the V4 and V5 op-amp versions. Many people think the tone bypass was added with the V5 Big Muff, but it actually first appeared in this V3 variant, circa 1979. It was simple switch in between C14 and C3 that completely bypassed the Big Muff tone control, making the tone pot inactive, flattening the EQ, and giving a slight volume boost. This variant used MPSA18 transistors, very rarely used in a BMP.

IV1 Triangle Big Muff - The high pass resistor value was 27k in the early units, but 33k was the most common. 22k and 39k were also used, but rarely. You will find the same range on the Guild Foxey Lady version.

Additional Media

V9 Big Muffs had varied pots, with some using all 100k linear pots, and some using 500k logarithmic volume pots. V1 Triangle Big Muff - The low pass resistor values started with 27k. 33k was the most used. Other variants used 22k and 39k. V4 and V5 op-amp Big Muffs were made with 10k linear taper Sustain and Tone pots (marked PO130 or ZA2124). The Volume pot was 100k linear (marked XM2184 or PO150), but some early V4's had 50k volume pots and some late model V5s had 150k. The first era includes the original “Triangle” and V2 “Ram’s Head” models. These are some of the most sought-after Muffs on the vintage market. These pedals defined the sound of the Muff, with the characteristic mid scoop, high gain sustain, and wide available tonal range, from heavy bass to fizzy highs. However, there were so many circuit revisions that three vintage Ram’s Heads next to one another would likely all sound different. David Gilmour used a Ram’s Head Muff for the solo on “Comfortably Numb.” Although a Big Muff can replicate David’s earlier tones, as he himself has done on recent tours, I wouldn’t recommend using a fuzz to replicate the Big Muff tones of Animals, The Wall and onwards. A rusty sounding fuzz just doesn’t sound right for Dogs and Comfortably Numb. Big Muff on the pedalboard

It's definitely a leads beast, you'll get some screaming leads out of there - for long sustained violin-like bend (for your inner Gilmour wanabe) or crazy roaring stuff (think J mascis) So overall, go buy a big muff, you absolutely need one, but trust your ears, or just take the one that your favorite artist has and don't try to find "the best one overall", there is none as they are all so different and so good at what they do :) Note that I have not shown the switching for the volume pedal feature of this circuit, primarily because I thought it was a stupid and clumsily executed idea. The low level signal does not get loud enough to even meet an average unity level of most other pedals from the time, nor is the switching setup practical. It would have better to simply wire in a standard 100k volume pot like a typical BMP. This variant includes all the same deluxe features as the Sovtek version but uses the NYC muff as its circuit blueprint. It just comes down to which base model you prefer.V6 BIG MUFF PI with TONE BYPASS - The common "V6" Big Muff circuit, circa 1979. The V3 tone bypass version had become standardized by this time so EHX reworked the old 3003 pcb layout into a smaller size, including the tone bypass (C14, R28, switch) and power fitering components (R27, C15), all on one board. The same pcb was also used in the LIttle Big Muff. Although there was the occasional part substituted for one of a similar value, this was the standard schematic used until Electro-Harmonix closed its doors and shut down in 1984. Other than the transistors used and power filterig components, the component values are identical to the rare V3 tone bypass version shown above. This entry into the JHS Legends of Fuzz series is a replica of one of Josh Scott’s own vintage Red Army Overdrives from the early 90s. Despite being called an overdrive, this was the first Muff Mike Matthews made in Russia. Like all of the fuzzes in the lineup, the crimson has a special “JHS Mode” button which in this case activates a mid frequency boost. David Gilmour got his first Big Muff, a Ram’s Head model, around 1975 or early 1976, depending on which source you read, and it was used extensively on the recording of Animals. The Big Muff is still one of his main distortion or fuzz pedals to this day. Fuzz or Big Muff? CAPACITORS - Electro-Harmonix used ceramic, poly film, polarized electrolytic, and various other capacitor types in all periods and models of Big Muff production. Some Big Muffs used all cereamic capacitors, some mixed film and ceramic, some mixed all types. It makes little difference in this circuit. Do they sound different? As with most audio electronics, opinions vary wildy. The general consensus among audio buffs is that film caps sound better in audio circuits than ceramic, but there is no evidence and the difference cannot be heard in blind comparisons. In fact, the evidence indicates the audible distortion differences are actually very well below what the human ear can hear or differentiate. My opinion is that if you can't hear it, it does not matter. All capacitors lose capacitance over time as the parts age, but leakage in electrolytics is faster than the other types, and tolerances (electrical variance from part to part) not very good. Film capacitors last much longer and have better tolerances than ceramic and electrolytic. However, in small signal circuits like effect pedals, the minor capacitance changes over time usually make little difference to the sound. If you add up the electical value changes across all parts in the whole circuit however, you would probably hear some difference between when the pedal was brand new versus thirty to forty years later.

Easy to use: the pedal only has three knobs. Volume, Tone and sustain. The sustain knob controls the amount of distortion and of course, as the name says sustain.

Electro-Harmonix Ram’s Head Big Muff Fuzz Pedal Features:

RUSSIAN BIG MUFF BATTERY DOORS - Small Bear Electronics was selling the metal battery doors online for a time. They fit the green Bubble Font Big Muffs. There are no plastic replacement doors available for the earlier Russian made Big Muffs. As a substitute for the plastic doors, I have used a piece of aluminum or steel sheet metal, folded and cut to size with wire cutters. Electro Harmonix finally decided to celebrate their Animals, David’s first solo album, The Wall and Final Cut were all recorded with a setup consisting of a 100w Hiwatt head with a WEM 4×12 speaker cabinet and a Yamaha RA200 rotating speaker cabinet. The signal from David’s pedal board or stand alone pedals would be split into these two amps and the Yamaha would often be mixed slightly lower for a mild, chorusy effect. This would also be David’s stage setup for the era. Note that the original Silicon diodes are marked SYL GD938, but the actual diode types used are unknown. 1N914 (shown on the schematic) and 1N4148 are some modern equivalents that work, but they may not be identical to the original diodes. The differences are minor, but diode types do affect the sound frequencies that are clipped. The Big Muff was designed by Electro Harmonix founder Mike Matthews in the late 60s. The first years of production saw the pedal in various shapes and forms, both under the Electro Harmonix banner and other brands as well.