Anyone built a General Guitar Gadgets Big Muff?

[thrashmetl]

So I have a BYOC Ram's Head Muff and I love it, but the problem with it is that it has one awesome sweet spot, and the rest of it is pretty crap.

Is the GGG Muff any better?

 

[allmonochrome]

muff's arent very versatile, so if you feel like the BYOC is a one-trick pony then chances are another muff will be the same.

 

[thrashmetl]

definitely not so, I love muffs, every other muff or muff variant I've played has been far more versatile than the BYOC, but the BYOC has an AWESOME sweet spot which makes up slightly for this shortcoming, I just want more.

 

[Hanglow]

I'd get another diy muff and socket the transistors, diodes and a few caps and resistors. Then play around with it and get something you like - there is lots of information out there about what values to tweak. Once you have something you really like, you can solder everything into place to make it permament.

 

[charmboy]

I've built two GGG muffs for friends. A green Russian and a Triangle. The green Russian was very versatile and the triangle was more limited with a small sweet spot area, but it was a smokin sweet spot and sounded as good or better than any muff I'd ever heard. Consider building the GGG tuned version, that sounds great from the clips and seems like their own boutique take on the muff. They're really inexpensive ($60 last i checked) and you get allthe parts for several different versions with each kit; so you can build any version or mod to any other later on. Really can't go wrong.

 

[Bucksears]

I've built the 'GGG Tuned' Big Muff (from scratch, not a kit), but added AMZ's Presence control. It's really good, but a little noisy in places. I'm thinking about housing it into a different case and removing the Presence.
I built a second GGG one back over the summer, but built it to Triangle, then Green Russian specs. I thought they were ok; more 'overdrive' characteristics when the gain was backed off. The GGG Tuned one seems much heavier to me.

 

[thrashmetl]

I'd get another diy muff and socket the transistors, diodes and a few caps and resistors. Then play around with it and get something you like - there is lots of information out there about what values to tweak. Once you have something you really like, you can solder everything into place to make it permament.

Good idea, I'll probably do that.

Anyone ever compared a BYOC with a GGG?

 

[thrashmetl]

I've built the 'GGG Tuned' Big Muff (from scratch, not a kit), but added AMZ's Presence control. It's really good, but a little noisy in places. I'm thinking about housing it into a different case and removing the Presence.
I built a second GGG one back over the summer, but built it to Triangle, then Green Russian specs. I thought they were ok; more 'overdrive' characteristics when the gain was backed off. The GGG Tuned one seems much heavier to me.

What are the tonal differences between the GGG tuned version and the other versions you've tried?

 

[Bucksears]

What are the tonal differences between the GGG tuned version and the other versions you've tried?

Th GGG tuned one seemed like it had more gain, more treble/clarity than the others.

 

[cj_wattage]

Th GGG tuned one seemed like it had more gain, more treble/clarity than the others.

My third build ever was a GGG-tuned Muff. I really like it better than any "stock" Muff I've heard. It seems to simultaneous have a *tad* more gain and yet still be a *tad* bit smoother than other version. Could just be subjective hearing, however.

 

[whoismarykelly]

There are a lot of tweaks I like to do to make a muff sound like what I want. You have to alter the coupling cap values between stages and swap out some feedback values in each stage and you get something with a wider range of tones and a better overall sound. The GGG boards are great and small too.

 

[thrashmetl]

There are a lot of tweaks I like to do to make a muff sound like what I want. You have to alter the coupling cap values between stages and swap out some feedback values in each stage and you get something with a wider range of tones and a better overall sound. The GGG boards are great and small too.

Well give me some advice then. I don't really like my muffs smooth persay, I like them kind of dirty. I'm not really a fan, but I like the dirtiness of Dan Auerbach's guitar tone. I'm not looking for a smooth David Gilmour lead tone, but a dirty, old school single note rhythm tone. I know Auerbach uses a Green Russian Muff, but I like the clarity of the Ram's Head muff sound over the Green Russian sound. I also like the mids flat on my muffs, tons of bass, and loads of gain.

What mods would you suggest? I'm a nube to this so detail would be appreciated.

 

[soulsonic]

Try LEDs for the clipping diodes. Big and angry sounding.

 

[thrashmetl]

????

 

[thrashmetl]

As for the GGG Tuned version, does it sound more like a modern Muff or a vintage type muff?

 

[Frater106]

I’m thinking of buying and building a GGG Black Russian Big Muff. Earthquakes Devices Hoof sounds awesome, but it’s $179. I’ve heard great things about Stomp Under Foot, but again their Black Russian is $189. I’m thinking the $60 kit I is the way to go. Anybody build one of these? Or heard it?

 

[chankgeez]

I’m thinking of buying and building a GGG Black Russian Big Muff. Earthquakes Devices Hoof sounds awesome, but it’s $179. I’ve heard great things about Stomp Under Foot, but again their Black Russian is $189. I’m thinking the $60 kit I is the way to go. Anybody build one of these? Or heard it?

That's only $140 or $150 in 2009 dollars though.

 

[guitarslinger21]

I built a ggg civil war muff.
However,
I used some metal can Motorola bc109 transistors and some 430pf caps.

It sounds great. Here’s a video