What version of Big Muff should I build? (Again?!)

Started by sajy_ho, July 28, 2014, 01:02:09 PM

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sajy_ho

Hi guys, finally I'm going to build a Big Muff but I don't know which version to build. I want a smooth and fat distortion, something like what Gilmour uses in his pedalboard, speacially in "Comfortably Numb". Most of distortion and fuzz pedals sound very brittle with strats, but his version is so smooth and still has a steal string taste inside, if you know what I mean!
So what version do you suggest for me to build?
Thanks
Life is too short for being regretful about it.

sajy_ho

Life is too short for being regretful about it.

MaxPower

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us - Emerson

AS74

Pretty sure I've heard he used a RAT for that song...


AS74

Nothing about the RAT in there,  probably remembering wrong, again...Sorry ;)
It is a good pedal though.

sajy_ho

Life is too short for being regretful about it.

JebemMajke


aballen

First build a time machine, go back and get some 5133 trannys and build a triangle era muff.   Don't forget to PM me when you get those 5133s.  Cause I need some good ones too 😀
So many builds, I just can't list them anymore.

ode2no1

http://www.smallbearelec.com/servlet/Detail?no=492

i built a triangle knob using these and it came out great, but i used sockets and found that most other transistors sounded just as good. triangle version is cool cause it'll actually clean up pretty well with your volume knob, and turning the sustain knob down actually yields a good overdrive as opposed to the flubby, muffled sound you get when turning the sustain way down on later versions.

sajy_ho

Thank you guys for your helpful answers. According to above articles the Rams Head '73 was actually the one that used in Comfortably Numb's recording; so I don't know if the Triangle version is more suitable for smooth distortion or the Rams Head?
And one more question; I fond only these PNP transistors around: 2N3904, BC549, BC550. Which one would be the best choice?
Thanks again
Life is too short for being regretful about it.

ghostsauce

I've built two byoc muffs, one triangle and one rams head... And to be honest there's not much difference. The triangle just has sweeter highs, and the rams head has tighter lows. I went with the triangle cause I liked it better for leads, and if you fingerpick rhythms with it, it sounds very 'la grange'.

Les Paul Lover

Quote from: JebemMajke on July 29, 2014, 04:37:50 AM
Go build a pharaoh or supercollider :)


I would agree with that statement to a degree - I will myself be building a Ram's head version with the Pharoah tone stack to get rid of the scooped tone control.

The pharoah tone control lets in lots of lows and a mid hump so to speak. I prefer mids rich tone to scooped tones.



As for the transistors, I read that the 2N5088 & 2N5089 are very good in all BMP version, the 2N5089 are those used in the Pharoah.
But I believe the 2N5088 is a very good modern equivalent, please correct me if inaccurate.