Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (RUSSIA)

by Electro-Harmonix

Product Details

Check out the Big Muff Pi User Manual [PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 3.4 x 5.2 inches ; 1.6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002CZVKA
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,174 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)

Product Description

A pinch smoother than its American-made comrade, the Russian Muff exhibits slightly less sustain, yet retains that unmistakable Big Muff sound. Prized by bass players for its edge, and sought after by guitarists seeking its unique flavor.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rich complex distortion, July 20, 2004

By 

BassMan (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (RUSSIA) (Electronics)

For years I used Rat distortion boxes for guitar and for bass. Now I play bass a lot more in bands, and find the Rat sound to be weak and one dimensional. I sold off my rat and tried out a number of other distortion boxes at a local shop and settled on the Big Muff Pi. This thing is rich. The complexity of the distortion is incredible compared to what you get with most other pedals--must be the brilliant Russian engineering behind it. It has three knobs: Volume, Sustain, and Tone. The Volume is obvious, the sustain is really the distortion level. For the Bass, I run the sustain very low, and the volume higher and get a great mix of clean and distorted tone. Sometimes I run the sustain knob turned all the way off and this thing still drives the sound nicely. Too much distortion on the bass and you loose your ability to cut through the rest of the band in my opinion. The Tone knob adjusts the center frequency of the distortion. I run mine way over to the left and distort the low end around 200-400 kHz. You can crank it around and get anything from a low grumbly distortion tall the way to a really tinny irritating heavy metal sound. This thing is versatile, and no matter how you like your settings, the distortion it produces is rich in harmonic overtones, multi-dimensional, and unlike any other boxes I've tried. Highly recommended.
My only complaint is that this box is designed to work only on battery power--no AC adapter at all. Fortunately now there's an adapter from One-Spot that can be connected to a battery lead and then to an AC adapter. Hopefully Amazon will start carrying that soon.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Does what a muff does, September 30, 2008

By 

S. Laning (Jersey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (RUSSIA) (Electronics)

Great range with more sensitive controls than the US version. Once dialed in, it sustains for days. No longer comes with the wood box, as pictured.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Complex Monster, February 14, 2008

By 

Jack Baker "Beauty Will Save the World" (LeRoy,IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi (RUSSIA) (Electronics)

I first fell in love with the Big Muff after hearing R.E.M.'s album Monster, where it's present on virtually every track. The Smashing Pumpkins, among others, also made extensive use of it. I purchased mine back in '94 and was quickly impressed by its versatility. This Russian built beast has three knobs: volume, tone, and distortion and by playing with these, you can create many different sounds. This pedal can range from a simple overdriven sound to a full out crackling, almost uncontrollable roar. My pedal is now fourteen years old and I've never once had an issue with it cutting out. It's solidly built, so much so you could probably brain someone with it and cause some serious damage. Plus, it's fairly affordable as far as effects go. A solid buy.