Big Muff

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Two big muffs for electric guitar (US version left, Russian version right)

The Big Muff is a distortion pedal - Effects Processor for electric guitar and electric bass , which both Electro-Harmonix ( NYC as well) as a favorable variation of the Russian subsidiary Sovtek is made. The electric bass version is specially designed for lower frequency ranges and thereby reduces the audible loss of pressure in the bass signal that is typical of distortion devices. The tone control could be bypassed with a switch on some older models.

history

The Big Muff was launched in the early 1970s. At that time it was already used by David Gilmour and Carlos Santana . Contrary to popular rumor, Jimi Hendrix did not use the Big Muff as it is available today, as mass production of the Big Muff was not available before 1970, the year Hendrix died. Mike Matthews, the creator of the Big Muff, claimed that Jimi Hendrix was using a prototype of the distortion device that he liked so much that he wanted to use it on the next album.

variants

There are currently five variants:

  • Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (NYC) with silver metallic housing and red and black print
  • Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff Pi Distortion / Sustainer (NYC) with silver metallic housing and green-black print
  • Sovtek Big Muff Pi (Russia) with black housing
  • Sovtek Big Muff PI (Russia) with green housing and black lettering, distortion instead of sustain control
  • Electro-Harmonix Little Big Muff Pi (NYC) corresponds to Big Muff Pi (NYC), but with a smaller housing
  • Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (NYC) with tone wicker, corresponds to the standard model, but with additional tone switching options

Well-known songs and music albums in which the Big Muff was used

  • Ben Folds Five - bassist Robert Sledge used the Big Muff in almost every song.
  • Carpenters - Goodbye to Love - The guitar solo was played by Tony Peluso with a big muff.
  • The Black Keys - 10 AM Automatic , Till I Get My Way
  • Bush - glycerine
  • The Cows - Two Little Pigs (used on an electric bass)
  • Depeche Mode - Big Muff
  • Dinosaur Jr. - Mountain Man
  • Flipper - Sacrifice ( Sex Bomb Baby Version). The distortion is used with an electric bass and was routed through the auxiliary input instead of the normal input. This creates a rougher tone.
  • KoRn Blind - Guitarist Brian Phillip "Head" Welch uses the Big Muff to get a crunchy sound. It's also used on songs like Need To .
  • Metallica - (Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth , For Whom the Bell Tolls , Creeping Death , The Call Of Ktulu and Orion . A big muff is used on all songs in Cliff Burton's time that featured a distorted electric bass.
  • Mudhoney - Touch Me I'm Sick , Who You Drivin 'Now , Fuzzgun '91 , Check Out Time , A Thousand Forms of Mind , This Gift , Here Comes Sickness , Suck You Dry , Beneath the Valley of The Underdog , and many others Songs. It is often used by guitarist Steve Turner .
  • Muse bassist Chris Wolstenholme uses a Russian Big Muff Pi in most songs, often in conjunction with an Akai Deep Impact SB1 pedal. Heard especially in Hysteria .
  • Nirvana - Lithium (hard to hear but used according to Butch Vig who produced the album), Breed (very easy to hear when the guitar starts and stops), and Stay Away (heard during the last 15 seconds)
  • Pink Floyd - guitar solo on Comfortably Numb and riffs on In the Flesh? . David Gilmour uses a Sovtek Big Muff on stage and as part of his signature tone. David Gilmour also uses it in the intro of Sorrow on the album A Momentary Lapse of Reason . The Big Muff has been Gilmour's main distortion device since 1977.
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers - Used for the guitar solos on several songs by Stadium Arcadium , audible on Strip My Mind and Wet Sand by guitarist John Frusciante, and also on several other albums such as Californication and many guitar solos in concert recordings.
  • Carlos Santana - Hope You're Feeling Better
  • Slint - Nosferatu Man
  • Sonic Youth - Mieux: De Corrosion (Russian Sovtek version).
  • The Smashing Pumpkins - Cherub Rock , Hummer , Quiet and other songs on the albums Siamese Dream , Pisces Iscariot and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
  • U2 - Bullet the Blue Sky , Love is Blindness
  • Whirlwind Heat - Bassist Steve Damstra uses the Little Big Muff in almost every song.
  • The White Stripes - Dead Leaves and The Dirty Ground , Aluminum , Black Math , Ball and Biscuit , Little Acorns , Hypnotize , Red Rain , and many others. Guitarist Jack White uses the Big Muff as part of his unique distortion tone.
  • Tocotronic - Dirk v. Lowtzow uses a Russian Big Muff v. a. on the early albums for the typical dirty toco sound.
  • Young & Restless - Young and Restless uses an Electro-Harmonix Double Muff on the songs Satan , Police! Police! and Black .
  • Wolfmother - Dimension (used during the post-chorus)
  • Vigilante - Area 51 and Living Lies
  • Patti Smith - The sound of the Big Muff can be found almost everywhere on the Horses album . There is even a photo of the distortion on the inside cover.
  • LostAlone - At the beginning and the end of Standing on the ruin of a beautiful empire (from the album SayNoToTheWorld according to singer Steven Battelle)

Web links