How to play a Big Muff?

[JohnM]

Are there any tricks to setting up guitar, amp, other elements, or the pedal itself when using a Big Muff?

For example, some pedals sound "better" with:
-different guitars/pickups.
-guitar tone set to bass.
-direct connection to guitar or amp.
-amp set to clean vs. dirty.
-specific type of amp.
-specific volume settings of "x".
-before or after "x".
-etc.

I really want to like the Big Muff because so many people do.  But, I don't, so I must be doing something wrong.  I'd appreciate any informed opinions on how to use this pedal, what to use it for, and what to expect (and not expect) from it.

Thanks.

[JebemMajke]

Which one?

I love me some big muff as a boost, as a distortion, as a noise box.

Everything. Delay ... during rehearsals. Delaying the actual playing.

But i can not get a decent sound from pharaoh

It sound like a very very bad mud bucket with my vox at vd 212 50.

No matter the guitar.

So i think the amp is the main thing. And also how you use the tone pot is very important.

And your mid expectation/liking.

Does someone smarter has an opinion?

[GibsonGM]

Try it all ways, see how YOU like it  

[MrBinns]

maxed out and covering mudhoney

[Tony Forestiere]

I have an older V3R3 I use as my main "dirtier" box. This thing has always been very loud. Clean amp at a sane level, guitar volume full, sustain down, I slowly get to unity (about 8:00 on this guy). Start adding a bit of sustain for the crunch you want. Trim the tone to taste, and roll the guitar volume down where it sounds good to you. Compensate by increasing the amp volume, and you have a lot of drive and gain available at the volume knob. Mine cleans up well. YMMV

[Fp-www.Tonepad.com]

Triangle big muff, gain maxed with a LOUD tube amp...

I think the trick to loving the muff is getting it loud!!

[electrosonic]

I find my BMP clone sounds great on its own, but in a band setting it disappears in the mix.

Unless I crank it of course - which sounds pretty great.

I keep wondering if I should mess with the tone stack to boost the mids so it cuts through at a lower setting.


Andrew.

[deadastronaut]

@Johnm,  its a matter of taste, style,  really,  just because a lot of people love it doesn,t mean you will...i don,t get the big muff thing either btw..but i can imagine its a great first dirt box to start off with...if it doesn,t inspire, then it doesn,t....try something else...plenty of options out there...

[Philippe]

a noteworthy query...I brought up the same question in the 'lounge' section a couple of days ago. for some reason a bmp seems to be an effect with a plethora of settings & tonal settings & 'recipes'. for something so basic it's amazing the amount of time spent on internal tweaking & knob settings. one would think that a properly built triangle or ram's head should do the trick...apparently not the case.

[J0K3RX]

Are there any tricks to setting up guitar, amp, other elements, or the pedal itself when using a Big Muff?

Yes, leave it unplugged and completely out of the signal chain... 

I really want to like the Big Muff because so many people do.  But, I don't, so I must be doing something wrong.  I'd appreciate any informed opinions on how to use this pedal, what to use it for, and what to expect (and not expect) from it.

So many people like to smoke meth... but, I don't. Does that make me the odd ball? If so, then so be it. Let your ears be the judge and if you don't like it then there ya go! Don't second guess yourself... if you didn't like it the first time, then guess what...? If everybody like Big Muff and you don't then consider yourself unique and not like "everybody else".... 

[SISKO]

As far a i know, the BM is ussualy playled with a loud tube amp just breaking (not crucnhy, but compressed). Also, David Gilmour played hes BM with a boost in order to increase its gain. The guy from  dinasour Jr also played a BM but with a chandler overdrive (or something simiilar, i dont remember) after the BM in order to simulate the tube amp breaking