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Electro Harmonix Big Muff Pi (Russian)
List: $100
Legend has it that when it comes to the Big Muff fuzz box, no two units are tonally alike, even if they are of common country lineage. The black intimidator here is a fabled Russian counterpart which is actually a subsequent manifestation; the initial unit has a military green finish. How different is the Russian compared to its American counterpart?
Build/ features
The Russian BMP is, well, made in Russia by Sovtek, the sister company of the American Electro Harmonix. The chassis consists of two primary components; the top control panel base is attached to the battery cradle via a 4-screw mounting. The Russian is gigantic but weighs much lesser than the average Digitech/ LINE6 foot pedal. A quick peek into the interior reveals much hot air (refer to pic below) as only half of the the top covert holds the mounted circuit board & the foot switch. The controls here are the typical BMP trio of Volume/ Sustain/ Tone albeit the different arrangement compared to the American counterpart.
Despite this hollow nature, the black aluminum exterior remains rigid. Thanks to the rubber feet & hatch type battery cover, the Russian remains to be effectively utilitarian & moron-proof. Do note that the Russian is strictly battery operated & the input/ output jacks are swapped residents in light of the American counterpart; is dyslexia part of the pedal’s time-tested mojo?
Rating: 80%
Tone
The Russian isn’t too removed from its other Muff siblings’ tone; it’s still a fuzz type drive with plenty of grizzly top end which is either a love or hate affair upon hearing it in action. In general, the Russian differentiates itself from the American counterpart in the midrange domain. What you hear from this pedal is a more growling midrange as opposed to the wooly voicing of the American.
In use with a humbucking guitar, the Russian churns out a thick fuzz at the initial noon SUATAIN setting. Pump up the drive & you’ll get more growl but be prepared to accept a loss in definition especially in use with a neck pickup. Things get only fuzzier with both the pedal/ amp’s VOLUME turned up. Do manage a suitable EQ section to prevent an all-out sludge affair but to the majority of us who are fuzz indulgent, this is the ultimate high.
The Russian does better with single coil pickups at lower fuzz setting; this would suitably evoke a very Hendrix-esque tone with a wah unit to boot. As with other typical drive pedals, the more output it churns out, the more hum you get with this type of pickup.
Should you choose to trip over the fuzz offerings, the Russian sounds rather pleasing with a suitable drive type booster in employment. In fact, this is the sure method to effectively alter the fuzz voicing in its entirety but dependent on the type of drive booster in use. For instance, one gets a prickly response with a BOSS DS-1 in the chain, spongier midrange with a Tubescreamer & a swallowed-note attack with another fuzz box; in this case, the reviewer employed his NANO Muff to good effect.
All in all, what the punters forewarned is true; the Russian BMP has a different fuzz voicing from its other counterparts but it remains firmly in the fuzz zone.
Tone test equipment:
• Guitars: Fender ST72/ Gibson SG Special/ Ibanez RGR321
• Amps: Marshall JVM/ Crate Power Block
• Drive Boosters: EHX NANO Muff/ BOSS DS-1/ Ibanez TS9/ Guyatone OD-2
Rating: 85%
Conclusion
If you wish for a little more clarity in your fuzz (because you solo), the Russian is recommended for its more pronounced lower midrange. Unlike its American counterpart, this manifestation does not profess in an all-out grizzliness. The manufacturer could have done better to actually trim the pedal’s dimensions as today’s players are pedal board inclined when using multiple pedals in the chain; the gigantic physique here is a bane to pedal board placement considering that there’s much hot air in the pedal as opposed to rocket grade electronic components. The Input/ Output displacement here is also another oversight but it endured the test of time & its rectification would arguably reduce the Russian’s lure. These considerations in mind, one should acquire the Russian for its appealing voicing above other peculiarities.
Overall rating: 83%
Likes:
• More midrange clarity
• Not a battery drainer
• Light
• Price
• Rigid build
Dislikes:
• Battery operation only
• Reversed Input/ Output design
• Overwhelming physique for pedal boards
Worthy competitors:
• Seymour Duncan: Tweak Fuzz
• Carl Martin: The Fuzz
• BOSS: FZ-5
• Ibanez: FZ-7
• Artec: Classic Fuzz Town
