In this video we’ll go deep into the Big Muffin Pi Opamp (IC) version, commonly thought of as the “Siamese Dream” pedal.
We'll compare it to its transistor-based sibling and discuss the things that make each unique. After examining the classic design, we’ll take the Big Muff Pi IC circuit to the breadboard to see how we can tweak and improve it.
We'll start by discussing the differences between transistor and op-amp-based Big Muffs and why these variations exist. Then, we'll bypass the tone stack to hear the raw character of the pedal. From there, I'll walk you through my custom build of the Big Muff IC circuit on a breadboard, and we’ll walk through some modifications I’ve made to the gain stages, tone control, and clipping sections in an attempt to make it different or better.
Finally, we'll do side-by-side comparisons of the stock Big Muff, the modified circuit with the tone stack bypassed, and the circuit with both tone control and clipping modifications. Did I succeed in making a better Big Muff Pi fuzz? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
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➡️ *Links:*
https://www.guitarpedalcourse.com/ for detailed courses on DIY guitar pedals
*Get 15% off all courses: use coupon code “youtube15”*
https://www.wamplerpedals.com/ for Wampler Pedals
Buy this Big Muff Pi Pedal:
https://www.amazon.com/Electro-Harmonix-Op-amp-Muff-Fuzz-Pedal/dp/B078HDPH3F/ref=sr_1_1
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Check the timestamps below to jump to specific sections of the video.
00:00 - Intro
09:09 - Big Muffs Compared
03:14 - Big Muff IC Discussion
05:06 - Bypassing Tone Control on Big Muff
06:28 - My “Build” of the Big Muff IC
08:39 - Circuit Discussion
17:20 - Changing Gain Stages in the Big Muff IC Circuit
18:53 - Changing the Tone Control Circuit in the Big Muff IC Circuit
21:23 - Changing the “Clipping” Circuit in the Big Muff IC Circuit
22:18 - Side by Side Comparison: Stock Big Muff
22:34 - Side by Side Comparison: Stock Big Muff, Tone Stack Bypassed
22:51 - Side by Side Comparison: Big Muff Circuit, Tone Control Modification
23:06 - Side by Side Comparison: Big Muff Circuit, Tone Control & Clipping Modification
23:21 - Closing Thoughts