Comparing Big Muffs

 

The Big Muff Shootout

The Electro Harmonix Big Muff comes in many different shapes, sizes, and varieties. But what is the difference between their sounds?

 

 

The Epitome of Fuzz

Here at Alto Music we like our coffee strong, our whiskey neat, and our pedalboards fuzzy.  If you know anything about fuzz, you know that you can't avoid discussing the Electro Harmonix Big Muff. There are a growing number of Big Muff varieties, so we decided to compare them side-by-side to hear each one's unique brand of FUZZ. Our method was simple: run a loop through the Op Amp Big Muff Pi, Ram's Head Big Muff Pi, Green Russian Big Muff, and the Triangle Big Muff Pi.

 

 

What do all of these pedals have in common?

  • Universal Audio’s powerful UAFX dual-engine gives you the most authentic sound packed into a stompbox.
  • Speaker cab, microphone, and room tones pulled straight from the award-winning OX Amp Top Box. 
  • Multiple speakers, cabinets, and preamp boosts can be configured and saved as a preset using the STORE function. 

Can I use the UAFX Amp pedals with my amplifier?

  • Yes, you can choose to bypass cabinet/mic emulations and use it in front of your amp for added flavor and overdrive tone.

What is the UAFX Control App?

The UAFX Control app is the ultimate tool for unlocking all aspects of your UAFX pedal. When you pair any of these with the UAFX Control mobile app, you can unlock even more amps and cabs, as well as custom artist presets and archived user settings. You can connect to it via Bluetooth (Mobile App) or USB-C (Desktop).

Now, let's get into what makes each of these amps a necessary tool on your board or in your studio!

 

What is the Dream ‘65 Reverb Amplifier?

This pedal is a recreation of the essential American tube amps found all over classic recordings from legends like Muddy Waters or The Beatles to modern indie acts like Mac Demarco, Tom Misch, or St. Vincent.

Sounds Like: Equal parts classic rock guitar tone and those vibey guitars on your “Lo-Fi Beats To Study To” playlist. Think the classic Beatles overdrive sounds and the subtleties of Mac Demarco.

Which speaker emulations are included with the Dream ‘65?

  • GB25: Vintage Celestion Greenback
  • OXFORD: Original Oxford 12K5-6
  • EV12: Electro-Voice EVM12L
  • Boutique D65, S-Verb, and JBF120 speaker cabinets are added to the pedal after registration. 
    • (To select these speaker cabinets, push the Effect Type switch until the top, middle, or bottom LED is lit green.)
 
  • AMP Mode gives you access to the onboard EQ parameters to contour your tone to perfection. 
  • “Golden unit reverb” The REVERB knob on this pedal gives you access to the classic tube-driven reverb sounds of classic deluxe reverb amps.
  • ALT Mode engages the tremolo controls allowing you to control the speed and intensity.
  • “Hot rodded” amp and speaker mods in the box.
    • LEAD: 80’s OD (Think Steve Lukather)
    • STOCK: Clean Preamp Boost
    • D-TEX: SRV Mod (Stevie Ray Vaughn)

 

What is the Ruby ‘63 Top Boost Amplifier?

The Ruby ‘63 is a tribute to the mammoth British tube-driven amps found on records from your favorite classic-rock, brit-rock, and psychedelic acts of yesterday & today! The “chimey” cleans mixed with the rich overdrive offer a tone ideal for every player. Moreover, the authentic Trem/Vibrato programmed into this pedal truly rounds out the legendary British tone that many modern players seek.

Sounds Like: U2 “Joshua Tree” guitar tone, Radiohead, Queen, and early Tame Impala guitar tones.

What is in the Ruby ‘63 Top Boost Amplifier pedal?

This pedal has a CUT knob, letting you dial in the classic “Tone Cut”

  • AMP mode allows you to control the onboard EQ and boost parameters.
  • ALT mode changes the EQ & Boost controls to adjust the vibrato channel’s INTENSITY and SPEED. 
  • ALT Mode also unlocks the “ROOM” knob, allowing you to increase or decrease the amount of room ambiance. 
  • Each channel on the Ruby can be broken down by the type of preamp it emulates:
    • Brilliant: ‘70s Maestro EP-III Tape Delay Preamp Boosted
    • Norm: '60s Dallas Rangemaster Germanium Treble Booster
    • Vibrato: This is the channel where the vibrato can be heard and is more of a clean boost

Which speakers are included in the Ruby ‘63?

  • SILVER: Rare 15W Celestion Silver Bulldogs
  • BLUE: Original Celestion Blue Bulldogs
  • GREEN: Modern Celestion G12H
  • With the UAFX Control App you can unlock even more cabinet models: 
    • 1x12-AC15 with BlueBulldog speakers
    • 2x12 Matchless cab with Celestion G12Hs
    • 2x12 Two-Rock cab with Celestion Golds
 
  • Powerful UAFX dual-engine delivers the most authentic '60s British tube combo sound ever placed into a stompbox
  • Includes the world's best speaker cabinet, mic, and room tones derived from the award-winning OX Amp Top Box
  • Features "hot rod" treble booster, preamp boost, and speaker swaps, plus free additional downloadable speaker cabinets and mics upon registration
  • Bypass cabinet/mic emulations and use in front of your amp for added tonal flavor and overdrive sounds
  • UAFX mobile app lets you customize footswitches, recall and archive your presets, unlock additional features, download artist presets, and more
  • Timeless UA design and craftsmanship, built to last decades

 

Woodrow ‘55 Instrument Amplifier

The Woodrow ‘55 captures the raw tone found at the birth of the electric guitar by giving you the classic sound of a tweed tube amplifier. With this amp you get sweet cleans, rich overdrives, and a killer distortion.

Sounds Like: The Laurel Canyon sound. Neil Young distortion. “Running on Empty”. Modern acts like Dawes, Bahamas, and Julian Lage.
 
  • BOOST: This pedal has easily switchable preamp boosts from some of the most iconic studio gear.
    • STOCK: Clean Preamp boost
    • KP-3K: KORG SDD-3000 80’S Rack delay preamp boost
    • EP-III: Vintage Tape Machine Preamp boost
  • SPEAKERS: 
    • BLU15: 15W Celestion Blue
    • JP12: Stock Jensen P12R
    • GB25: 25W Celestion Greenback
  • This pedal has FOUR unique knob controls to let you dial in the ideal studio amp tone.
    • INST Volume: Controls the input gain of the Instrument.
    • MIC Volume: Controls the input volume of the microphone on the amp.
    • TONE: The TONE knob on the Woodrow rolls off or opens up the higher frequencies. 
    • ROOM: Adds studio ambiance and air to your sound.

 

Why do I need the Universal Audio UAFX Amplifier Pedals?

In conclusion, the UAFX amplifier pedal collection from Universal Audio gives a studio-quality amp and cab emulation for every type of player.

If you are someone who has decided to go “amp-less” in your rig, these pedals promise an uncompromising recreation of the most sought-after amplifiers. At the same time, if you don’t want to get rid of your amp, these pedals will give your tone a unique character and truly round out your signal chain. 

Overall, with the addition of the DREAM ‘65, RUBY ‘63, and WOODROW ‘55 amplifier pedals, Universal Audio’s UAFX line continues to grow and make a name for itself by dutifully recreating legendary gear in a stompbox form for the modern age.