Electro Harmonix: NANO Metal Muff

[subversion]

Electro Harmonix NANO Metal Muff
List: $125

Prevalent among the guitar effects manufacturers, is the practice of offering an economic interpretation of their likeable products. A case in mind here is the latest (winter 2006) offerings by American stompbox stronghold, Electro Harmonics (EHX), in the guise of their NANO series. The NANO Metal Muff (MM) is still the black intense distortion menace albeit in a scaled down manifestation.

Build
There is no compromise when it comes to EHX pedal housing; what you get is a tank-grade, black, aluminum housing with a matching base to boot. There isn’t a major deviation from its original elder brother especially when the knobs, footswitch & font colour are inherent features so at a single glance, the MM’s immediate identity is assured. The overall mass of this pedal is perhaps straying on the lighter fringe (with battery in tact); good news to pedal-reliant guitar enthusiasts who are always on the move.

Rating: 90%

Features
Due to its dwarfed nature, the NANO MM is reduced to a pair of control knobs (Volume/ Distortion) & a minute tone selector flick switch, the location of which (residing in the centre, proximate to the aforementioned pair of knobs) necessitates the relocation of the LED; it now resides next to the footswitch. In use, every time the player wishes to activate/ deactivate the MM, s/he won’t get an immediate visual status indicator as the LED is obscured by the player’s foot. There is therefore, infallible wisdom in allocating the LED at the summit, above the control knobs.

Moving on to tonal manipulation, it is rather disheartening to see the vital EQ access here being a minute flick switch- are you going to use it while playing? Dismiss this idea, make up your mind during sound check, select the preferred frequency enhancement (Hi/ Lo/ Off) & leave it be.

Rating: 75%

Tone
This is perhaps the crucial scrutiny when buying any pedals; does the NANO MM sing or croak? If you’ve come across & fallen in love with the original MM hulk, be assured that the drive intensity is very much retained. The shortcoming is rather predictable; tonal variation is restricted to the tri-modal flick offerings which present a limited parameter in EQ manipulations. With this in mind, there isn’t any excessive inclination of any particular frequency, upon selection, the Hi/ Lo options only offer audible differences & unfortunately, these clip your output volume. Employing it with various guitars & amps for this tone test, I get best results with the OFF option…

The NANO MM is still the distortion menace like its 2 other bigger siblings, as such, it thrives on active pickups & being paired with a mild drive-type booster; with the latter pairing, watch your distortion level on the MM. This pedal manifests better definition plugged into the clean channels of tube/ solid state amps. The intense drive of the MM makes it less suitable as a booster unit; also, no amount of smooth midrange can be procured by backing off its distortion level & relying on the drive type booster’s EQ settings.

Tone test equipment:
• Ibanez ValBee amp
• Peavey XXL amp
• ESP Eclipse II
• Ibanez Artcore TM70
• Ibanez RG321
• Fender ST72
• Gibson LP Std
• PRS McCarty
• Drive type boosters: BOSS (BD2/ OD3/ DS1), Ibanez TS7
• Clean Boosters: Behringer (PB-100), MXR Micro Amp

Rating: 85%

Conclusion:
If you’ve made up your mind about embracing the fuzz laden intense drive of the original MM but couldn’t care much when it comes to EQ (probably because you have a more reliable EQ unit in place), the NANO MM will save you some money & of course, space on your pedal board. Due to its scaled down physique, be sure to strap the NANO MM down to prevent unnecessary yanking during your most animated guitar moments.

Overall rating: 80%

Likes:
• Drive voicing
• Not a battery drainer
• Light
• Space saver

Dislikes:
• Battery access (complete baseplate removal required)
• Limited EQ options
• Minute EQ flick switch
• LED placement
• Volume clipped by Hi/ Lo EQ options

Worthy competitors:
• Danelectro Black Coffee
• Digitech Metal Master
• BOSS Metal Zone
• Marshall Jackhammer
• Carl Martin Heavy Drive
• Behringer Ultra Metal

 

[edder]

Although it may seem bias for me to comment on the Nano Metal Muff as I'm selling them, this pedal has got a permanent home on my pedal board.

Love the size, voicing and simplicity. My kind of heavy drive pedal other than a Roland Bee Gee clone.

 

[subversion]

ok, so someone PMed me to ask why the control knobs pictured above are different from the ones sold domestically (pictured here). for the record, the one pictured in the initial post is the version offered by the US market, no there are no tonal differences... but if you bang the US version agaisnt a metal surface, he knobs make a different sound from the ones offered in the shops here. :toimonster:

 

[cube]

by the way which guitar shop brings in electro harmonix pedals ?

 

[subversion]

EHX available @:

*Yamaha Music Plaza
*Mr. Misse
*ask edder 8)

 

[ShredCow]

but if you bang the US version agaisnt a metal surface, he knobs make a different sound from the ones offered in the shops here.

:lol:

I appreciate the rare humor u exhibit on occasion. Cheers!

 

[subversion]

it's rare humour and frustration manifestation... there's this notion that if it doesn't look like the real thing, it's compromised. probably newbie mentality/ conspiracy theory.

 

[edder]

just a sidestrack, I had a customer doubting the authencity of my USA Small Stone cos there wasn't a MADE IN USA print on the pedal while the pictures on the web does.

out of many years dealing with EH... all I can say is, EH does it again!!! :lol:

 

[snuffleupagus]

I just bought my nano metal muff from misse yesterday, i own the big-ass metal muff too.

after playing with it for a while last nite, I have to say that subbie is spot on with his review....I agree totally.

I'd like to add that it sounds way much better(IT ROARS) when your amp is blasted to a higher volume ala jamming / gigging level...for bedroom levels, it sounds thinny and fizzy.

I do appreciate the big metal muff EQ section though.... :roll:

 

[subversion]

snuff: you're one pedal away from embracing the entire family... :lol:

 

[abaddon]

Any idea which shops carry this?

 

[subversion]

where to get EHX products:

*Yamaha Music Plaza
*Mr Misse
*Ebenex

 

[moggie_54]

Is there any major difference between the Nano Metal Muff and The Metal Muff Top Boosts? 8) 8)

Which is better in terms of tone Sub?

 

[subversion]

the distortion grade is the same. the TOP BOOST, as the name implies, is a top end EQ boost, especially useful for solos (in the neck pickup particularly).

this then brings us to the question of needs- do you need the top boost? if you don't then don't pay for one. the NANO unit is also more pedal board friendly. 8)

 

[ebenex]

electro harmonix

just to clarify, ebenex music is an official dealer for Electro Harmonix.

we are having 10% off ALL EHX pedals till the end of May.

that's 10% of current 'street' prices, not list price.

i.e. $130.50 for a brand new ehx small stone/clone. plus we absorb the gst.

 

[subversion]

a good deal indeed- thanks for the heads up Mr. David, sir 8)

 

[ebenex]

no problem.

i think i have a 'soft' spot for softies. good for you guys, bad for business. then again, as long as we have enough sales/revenue/profit to stay afloat, i'm fine with that.

main thing's everyone's happy and we all have a good time.

i don't think selling pedals can ever make you a millionaire but sometimes, the fun/passion and the people you meet from doing this business makes it all worthwhile.

this is beginning to sound like a mastercard ad.

regards,

david
ebenex music

 

[subversion]

nah- it sounds more like valid sincerity than anything alse. thumbs up :smt023

thanks for the SOFTies preference too.

 

[ebenex]

thanks!