Question for Muff Fuzz experts...

[Mapleneck]

Never owned one. I am not after the Gilmore sound per se, in fact I am not even that huge a fan. But I saw a video of some kid playing some Gilmore rifs through a ram's head and it sounded pretty cool. At least cool enough to check out. Not cool enough to blow $200 plus on.

I have never had a bad MJM pedals. Can the MJM Foxey Fuzz get me there? Any others that fall into that no-more-than $150-ish category fit the bill? BYOC maybe? Thanks all.

[yellowecho]

IMO, most muffs can get you close... what you're usually paying extra for is more clarity and/or more flexibility.

i've played many muffs and i'm happy using a swollen pickle mkII, which you can certainly get in your price range used.
checkout videos on the tone wicker, as well...

[thetangmang]

Check out a Ronsound Hairpie for a triangle muff clone starting at $125.

http://www.ronsound.com/index.php?ma...&products_id=2

There's a bunch of them in the emporium for even less right now if you're interested and want one now.

[mike@nortoncable.com]

Can't say good enough things about the New EHX Big Muff with tone wicker.
good stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZTN2gaVGjY

very affordable and it sounds good... real good..

[whoismarykelly]

I think the Guild Foxy Lady was a rebadged EH Triangle Muff so it wont have the same sound as a ram head if thats what MJM is cloning. The Ronsound clone of the ram head should get you there on a budget and at very high quality too.

[thetangmang]

Originally Posted by whoismarykelly

I think the Guild Foxy Lady was a rebadged EH Triangle Muff so it wont have the same sound as a ram head if thats what MJM is cloning. The Ronsound clone of the ram head should get you there on a budget and at very high quality too.

Right, just looked again at the site and the Ram's Head clone is the Hairpie '75.

[ungarn]

Lots on the used market try there...or if you are handy...check generalguitargadgets and build your own!

[devnulljp]

Keep your eye out for a used v3 Big Muff though -- same board, same transistors (as some at least, my ram's head has the FS36999 trannies, which are the business; my v3 has the slightly more usual BC239C and it sounds great too), just a different box -- it is a Ram head muff..without the ram head. You can get a v3 (red/black graphic, on/off switch; 3003 board) for <$200 if you keep wits about you.

Tonewicker is pretty good, but really not much like a ram's head IMO.

But you really can't go wrong with Ronsound.

[sunken.anchor]

I don't know if the Foxey Fuzz would get you there or not. I use mine mostly for rhythm, and use my Subdecay Flying Tomato for Gilmour-esque leads. That said, the Foxey Fuzz is an amazing pedal. I find it warmer and more vintagey than many current Muff clones.

[thrashmetl]

The Build Your Own Clone Ram's Head Muff I made is hands down my favorite Muff thus far, and I've played just about all of the clones aside from a few Skreddy's, the D*A*M, and the MJM. You can't go wrong with the BYOC at $90, and the General Guitar Gadgets Ram's Head kit ($60) looks like the same exact thing minus the mids switch which is a must for me, just buy some BC239C transistors from Mouser Electronics and change some values in the tone stack if you want some added mids. After that, all you have to do is throw a compressor or a boost next to it and you've got something very close to Gilmour lead tones.

[Mr. Kite]

+1 He's a nice person too, I have called asking for help on identifying an old Small Clone and he knows EH stuff. He's the EH Man ya know.

Originally Posted by thetangmang

Check out a Ronsound Hairpie for a triangle muff clone starting at $125.

http://www.ronsound.com/index.php?ma...&products_id=2

There's a bunch of them in the emporium for even less right now if you're interested and want one now.

[Guitar Josh]

Talk to our own TGP'er Mattpas at Stomp Under Foot. He's always diving into muffs and creating great pedals.

[Rumblefish]

I've tried several muff variants the last few years including the Ronsound classic.It's about as good as it gets and is readily available.I never was too pleased with the muff sound in front of my plexi.When I got my Sound City 50 watt I bought another muff clone and love it with that amp.I bought a Peptone effects triangle muff off ebay and love this one.Ronsound's probably
just as good.

[Domenic]

IMO, the Ram's Head is the best Big Muff and the Civil War Russian Big Muff would be second. For around $125, the best deal for a Ram's Head sound is a B.Y.O.C. Large Beaver (Ram's Head specs). You can get one pre-built for a few bucks more if you can't solder. You could find a V3 Big Muff on ebay for $125-150, but most of those do not sound good, especially the op-amp Muffs, which are actually V4 and V5. Only some of the very first V3s made in 1976 or 1977 actually sound the same as the Ram's Head, and they don't sell cheap. The component values and transistors changed after those were made and the sound went from creamy to buzzy.

The Tone Wicker, current Big Muffs, and current Russian Big Muffs will not get you that Ram's Head/Gilmour sound. The Russians are close, but much darker and boomier. Any of those can have the sound improved with a good compressor or a Tube Driver added as for a light gain boost and a bit of color before or after the Muff in the chain, but then you are spending too much again.

The guy who made this Muff website is a friend and he agrees with me. The BYOC is the best clone out there for the money.
http://www.kitrae.net/music/music_big_muff.html

[Kit Rae]

I would be the guy who made that Muff website. Hey Domenic.

I agree, the BYOC is a great Ram's Head clone, but I have never compared it to the Ronsound hairpie. I just know the BYOC gets about 85-90% the same sound as my #1 Ram's Head. You need a really good, clean sounding amp to make a Ram's Head circuit sound like Gilmour though. If your amp breaks up when you crank it you may not be happy with one.

Here is a BYOC Beaver doing some Gilmour through a Fender twin with a strat.
http://www.kitrae.net/music/OAI%20Solo%202_(1).mp3

And here is a '73 Ram's Head Playing the same thing.
http://www.kitrae.net/music/OAI%20Solo%202_(3).mp3

And here is a Ram's Head doing some Gilmour with a bit of chorus froma Boss CE-2.
http://www.kitrae.net/music/Mother_R...f_OLD%20TD.mp3