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Picked up a Russian Big Muff today for $40. After a brief false panic that it didn't work (turns out the input and output jacks are reversed. Who knew?) I hooked it to the amp and did a little A-B-ing with the NYC model. I concluded that I don't know which one I like more. Any thoughts?

Well i want both?

I like they NYC Muff more, its fuzzier and seems smoother to my ears.

the volume drop on both of these pedals really bothers me, I love big muffs but man the volume on them is no good. I have a russian muff that is all modded up, and its my favorite pedal probably. out of the two stock ones I would probably pick the new york muff. To me that is the essential big muff sound.

There's only a volume drop with higher output pickups, I've used Muffs with single coils and generally have the pedal's volume at less than half.

Never noticed the volume drop on mine.
I really need to buy a battery adapter and get it back in action. It's quite different from my other Big Muff and I kinda miss it.

(Slight derail, is there anywhere I can buy a couple of battery clips from in the UK? Seems silly to go somewhere like the diago website for something that trivial).

Not much better but:
http://www.effectpowersupplies.com/9v-b ... or-9-p.asp

It'd seem the female end is harder to come by than it's male equivalent (ain't it always the way):
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trks ... ip+adaptor

I use gibson p90s so maybe thats my problem with them.

I'm going to buy a Russian one tonight with plans on modding it into the Green Russian model for my new bass rig. I have the USA one, and I like that one okish, but I built a BYOC clone and that's my favorite for guitar. Since they stopped making the current black russian ones I am pseudo hesitant to mod as their value may/is going to go up on eBay. I could have bought one for $20 a few months ago from Guitar Center, and opted for the $35 USA one instead... should have gotten both but was really short on cash.

Dingus wrote:I'm going to buy a Russian one tonight with plans on modding it into the Green Russian model for my new bass rig. I have the USA one, and I like that one okish, but I built a BYOC clone and that's my favorite for guitar. Since they stopped making the current black russian ones I am pseudo hesitant to mod as their value may/is going to go up on eBay. I could have bought one for $20 a few months ago from Guitar Center, and opted for the $35 USA one instead... should have gotten both but was really short on cash.

If you're adding it to a bass pedal board go with the behringer vintage distortion. I used a a russian muff with my bass but IMHO, the behringer put the russian muff to shame for a bass fuzz. And I picked up (off here for 5$)

portugalwillie wrote:

Dingus wrote:I'm going to buy a Russian one tonight with plans on modding it into the Green Russian model for my new bass rig. I have the USA one, and I like that one okish, but I built a BYOC clone and that's my favorite for guitar. Since they stopped making the current black russian ones I am pseudo hesitant to mod as their value may/is going to go up on eBay. I could have bought one for $20 a few months ago from Guitar Center, and opted for the $35 USA one instead... should have gotten both but was really short on cash.

If you're adding it to a bass pedal board go with the behringer vintage distortion. I used a a russian muff with my bass but IMHO, the behringer put the russian muff to shame for a bass fuzz. And I picked up (off here for 5$)

Did you modify the input and output caps though?

Black Russian or Green Russian?

I didn't go crap to either. And black russian.

Some say that the Behringer is noisy without true bypass but I didn't notice it. Well, the first time I plugged it in I could hear it a little but it seems to have gone away.

the isaac eaton wrote:the volume drop on both of these pedals really bothers me, I love big muffs but man the volume on them is no good. I have a russian muff that is all modded up, and its my favorite pedal probably. out of the two stock ones I would probably pick the new york muff. To me that is the essential big muff sound.

Big Muff w/ Tonewicker will fix those volume drop woes. As for which one is better, I vote NYC, but it depends on your type of sound. If you rather have a QotSA sound then Russian Muff but if you want a White Stripesy/Pumpkins type of sound NYC.

Bought the Black Russian tonight, got that and a Proco Vintage Rat and a Boss A/B switch for $100, not too bad. I probably won't keep the Vintage Rat though since I have a BYOC rat that does that stuff and more, and I have a better A/B switch so I'll probably sell the Boss one too.

I'll A/B my Black Russian with the other two muffs probably Wednesday night. So far I like how bassy the Black Russian gets, if I turn the Tone knob all the way to the left with the Sustain cranked it sounds just like the beginning to "Almost Ready" by Dinosaur Jr.

After a few days with both pedals, I'm liking both for different applications. I may even use both in my eventual guitar rig. The russian as more of an overdrive and the NYC as the dirt, then turn 'em both on for feedback and solos.

lank81 wrote:If you rather have a QotSA sound then Russian Muff but if you want a White Stripesy/Pumpkins type of sound NYC.

I'm really hearing the Pumpkins sound with the NYC (probably 'cause I've been playing nothing but Cherub Rock the past few weeks).

Doog wrote:There's only a volume drop with higher output pickups, I've used Muffs with single coils and generally have the pedal's volume at less than half.

yeah, i have never noticed a volume drop