Big Muff shoot-out | NYC vs Green Russian / Sovtek | Electro-Harmonix

[@ezdude7230]

i like the green russian big muff better because it sounds more full to my ears but both are great and the difference is not very noticable while the price difference is enormous

[@burninglcd]

ez dude guess what was just reissued, hint, it's green and $80

[@massivethrobbingmast]

Good video, this. It's nice to hear a distortion pedal video playing some chords rather than ridiculous soloing.

[@monkeyxx]

+massivethrobbingmast HAHAHA so true!

[@aaronkerr5993]

Dude I couldn’t agree more, holy shit I don’t understand why people have to constantly solo and do leads doing an overdrive or distortion review

[@JJoftheT]

massivethrobbingmast Thanks, I figure that that's what we do 95% of the time right?

[@crazylion26]

Hands down truth.

[@McAdamstry]

Couldn’t agree more. Some reviewers I’ve actually blocked because it’s all they do.

[@Zavarzin]

Sounds like the Sovtek one has less Muff :) and you can hear the individual notes better. Recognizable Black Keys tone, awesome.

[@snickylicky]

finally a pedal review with the foot used to turn off and on the pedal! people using their hand bothers me for some reason

[@burninglcd]

snickylicky they call it a stomp box for a reason

[@THEQueeferSutherland]

I slap my pedals with my dick...at least my Big Muff Pi.

[@GunsNRoosendael]

AND he has shoes on!!!

[@rogerandroger4852]

@@THEQueeferSutherland LAAAAAAAAHHAAAHHAHA !!!!!

[@lunargentleman3750]

@@THEQueeferSutherland great user name, I pissed a little

[@amdar1]

so I was offered the green 1990's one in a CL trade deal. So I researched it here on youtube, and fell in love with the green tone. Before the trade offer, I wasn't aware how much I needed this pedal. Then the guy changed his mind and backed out of the trade. I was so sad that I didn't get it. Then I started wondering how close I could get to this sound with just an amplifier gain channel, So I plugged my 1988 Strat plus into my Mesa Boogie F50 gain channel on 9 or ten, turned the treble down, the bass up, and fiddled with the mids, and the tone on the guitar, and I think I nailed it. Not so sad now. didn't cost me a dime.

[@celsoch]

Russian is way more badass

[@Dreyno]

I bought a green one from a guy who worked in a guitar shop in Dublin in the late 90s. 50 quid. In a wooden box. Epic sustain and smooth distortion. Love it. Just found out they're worth so much. Wouldn't sell it anyway.

[@Shadow__Banned]

who cares about the low end on a guitar, it will get in the way of the bass in a band, and anyway you can have that low end on your amp or cab, also the guitar settings matter a lot.

[@mastershake4237]

I got the sovtek big muff as a kid in the 90's hoping I would get that heavy smashing pumpkins sound. I heard that Billy Corgan used a "Big Muff". It ended up having pretty weak gain for the sound I was going for; I was disappointed and thought it was a useless pedal. I am in utter disbelief that it sells for upwards of $500 nowadays.

[@PHAEDRIDER]

my russian big muff looks like it was in a war.

[@boosh90]

a CIVIL WAR???????? 🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠

[@FollowingFollowers]

I've owned them both....actually have 2 silver ones now(one has brighter tone...who knows why). The green muff is awesome. Real muddy on chords and fast notes. It does well as a fuzzy sustainer. The tone knob on green muff goes from pure treble to bass muddy.....somewhere in middle is a great loud balanced sound.

[@edosborne5179]

FollowingFollowers would you say the green one has more fuzz? I'm looking at buying ine

[@themilstead]

Each time you play that "Quiet" riff wrong, I'm dying a little on the inside.

[@nobrainer40]

[ MM ] it's done so badly

[@brendanbrown3871]

[ MM ] so make you're own fuckin comparison video

[@shplog2]

Me too. It makes me fart

[@shplog2]

+Brendan Brown hahah, why would that correct the problem?

[@GunsNRoosendael]

it's just played lower?

[@burnindownthehouse]

I own a Big Muff pedal that is even older than the one on the left. It came in an unpainted pine box with Russian writing on it and I think I purchased it in 1993. BUT, the Big Muff they were selling at that store was from before 1993. It was new but it was older than they year in which I bought it. I guess it had been sitting there for a long time because nobody had bought it. So it's really old. The distortion on it sounds great. Very heavy. It sounds just like the distortion on the Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream album. There is only one downside to the Big Muff. The chugs (the palm mutes) aren't very heavy sounding. Not enough bass/ depth to them. So I went out and bought a Boss Metal Zone pedal. The Metal Zone was kind of a revolutionary pedal for metal guitarists at that time. It sounded heavier than all hell. But I still kept the Big Muff because it has that distinct distortion and sustain that no other pedal has. The Big Muff is a gem.

[@danielallan5058]

It could be one of a few different versions that you own pre 93 and some veri quite a bit circuit and transistor wise, theres even an op amp version that comes in the same case and decals that use op amps from I think 1979...the reason why they call the sovtek green muff vintage when it was only made in 94 is because its a sort after desgin.transistor wise nobody really know what they are or where to get them.you can get 2n5088s/89s as a modren replament but some want what was used. .ive never really thought to use a fuzz the get plam muted heavy metal type sounds..the boss pedal you have is more suited although its not an transistor driven pedal like the muffs (apart from the op amp version).if you wanted a big muff that gets you more of a metal sound id suggest the black russian.even thought some muff say they are distortions they are really fuzzes but the black russian is the nearest to a distortion pedal!!

[@briantaylor340]

I like the Russian one better but for $80 the new one can't be beaten. I love mine, I'm not going to drop $600 plus for a green one when $80 sounds good in my bedroom.

[@monkeyxx]

JJ great demo! I find the russian big muffs to be wild fuzzy children that are very strange and rude, impolite and unproper. The NYC muff and some of the more standard Big Muffs have a more predictable response that is more generally suited to high gain distortion type playing. Of course they are great to modify. I simply cannot choose. I currently own 5 completely different big muff circuits and I like them all for different reasons. They are surprisingly different sounding. I haven't picked a favorite yet.

[@3YearsApart1613]

i have that exact sovtek green. Didn't realize it was so rare now. Got it back in the mid-90s

[@Coolbeans1492]

They both sound great. I’m a big muff and super fuzz fan in general. But the current nyc pedal is very underrated. It’s arguably one of the best muff circuts of all time. They never made a bad one honestly but it has a lot more gain than say a rams head and a lot of low end when compared to an op amp or triangle. It’s really an amalgamation of all the muffs. And like the russian when the vol is cranked you get the low end but perhaps not as much. Tbh the best of the russians was either the early ones or the black ones. The green ones are amazing too but i thought the nyc was a better sounding pedal at time and the russian at others. The decision is rly down to how its setup. With the vol sustain and tone up id say tbe russian. But in every other application the nyc.

[@kinochdotcom]

The NYC one came to life when you pumped up the gain on it. It was getting somewhat smoked until it got to 3 o'clock. I'll stick with my Sovtek Civil War though. Nothing grabs me like a Ram's Head so I couldn't see dishing out the cash for the Green box when I could shell out just a bit more for the Ram.

[@thebahana]

I still have a green one from the 90s. I didn't realize people were paying so much for them these days. I prefer to use it on leads. Gives a very rich tone with a lot of sustain.

[@JJoftheT]

thebahana It's crazy really. Have you seen "Fuzz - The Sound that Revolutioned the World" documentary? Highly recommended!

[@lifetakesflight]

The green muff through a fender tube Amp with reverb is $

[@wessebren4474]

Green Russian just has that 90's sound to me, it's a little darker and thicker but both sound great

[@shane17thsun]

I own both as well, and they do not sound the same dialed in the same, however, I can dial them in to sound identical with the tone knob. In fact the Green Muff that I own is a good bit noisier then the NYC. I love them both, but I would much rather take the NYC out in a live situation because it would be much easier to replace.

[@ivangil-silva2044]

I'm torn, it's like they are almost two great pedals in different ways. The new muff is brighter but has a low undertone that is great. The green muff is flatter but less bright. Is like to see them both mached as best as possible to see the actual differences instead of their knob placement

[@OP-ts7kh]

A bit like the differences between the germanium and silicon fuzz faces. Sovtek sounds better IMHO, which surprises me as I was expecting to prefer the New York one. Sovtek sounds creamier in the lower tone areas.

[@NoPlaceForTheDead]

Man, that Green Muff is mint.

[@itchyvinyl]

The Green is so much louder in this vid. Having said that, I like chords on the Green and leads on the NYC.

[@NoPlaceForTheDead]

I like the top end tone of the Green Muff and the bottom end of the tone on the NYC.

[@ricardoc.8468]

If you think this is cool, you should try a op-amp '78 muff version ;)

[@FFGG22E]

NYC sounds better imo. 80$ and it's all up to your tone control. The Behringer vintage distortion is also great, as is the DOD vintage fuzz.

[@Tommykncker]

Green Sovtek Big Muff is impressive. I own one and I prefer it to Electro-Harmonix. Warmer, cleaner and heavier. I can´t live without one of these right now. If you can find one for a good price is a must have.

[@Edwender5]

I find the russian sounding cooler/better than the nyc, With the vintage one you get this smooth vintage heavy fuzz wich is fucking awezome. The nyc sounds "industrial". My opinion tho..

[@Wolf_K]

I have a few first version Green Sovteks (Tall font version A). They’re still the coolest looking pedal around.

[@waitwhat7065]

Wow i love the russian muff sound

[@luisvergarafernandez5881]

At just 8:00 moment I definitely fell in love with the Russian Big Muff π.

[@natovallmit5756]

the green looks like best option. More control in knob tone

[@jonahhusak1037]

Now I know why the green is so fucking expensive.

[@anaemiabag]

was that a nailbomb riff?

[@marsattacks7071]

Great job JJ ! Thank you !

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

the Russian made Analog Fox Green Muff is a bang on perfect Sovtek clone $85.00 USD w/ free shipping . Check out the vid with them compared side by side! Scary at any price!

[@pCeLobster]

Anyone else cringe as he smashed the button on the ancient and not-very-solidly-built-in-the-first-place Russian?

[@jamesdoctor8079]

Green sounds more scooped and even. Silver one sounds loose. Both need some mids added

[@flirtwithdanger_les]

Not greatly different but the Sovtek has a little more clarity. Of course with a fuzz you may regard that as a good or a bad thing :)

[@neudan7788]

Hey JJ! ?I have an early V9 (EC3003-A) I was wondering how it compares to the later re issues (Or to Vintage Muffes in that matter!) ,Best Dan!

[@regortex3364]

The truth about the green Russian muffs is that they are waaaay overhyped. I bought on brand new for $60.00 in the early 90's when they came out. I bought a second gree tank used, so I had the tall font and bubble font. Also had the Black Russian. I own a lot of fuzz pedals, LOTS. Put it this way, I sold all my Russians for very reasonable musician to musician prices because I couldn't live with myself otherwise. They don't hold up to something like a Macaris Tonebender Ri for instance. The NYC I bought for $40.00 sounds just as "good". I've kept my 78 op amp and late 70's Big Muffs as they sound unique and are incredible at what they do. I laugh when I see what rip off artists charge for these overpriced tanks, they look cool, I'll give them that. Some will pay for something on how how it looks and the Russian Muffs are the prime example.

[@garypoland5288]

What are your thoughts on the BYOC Large Beaver, have you had a chance to compare it to current and vintage versions of the Big Muff?

[@franco76r]

Since you now have a close relationship with EHX this shouldn't be difficult. PLEAAAASE do a comparison between this two and the two new NANO versions (The Nano Big Muff Pi and the Nano Bass Big Muff)... Had a black russian V7 that broke on me almost a year ago and i'm torn between those two.. I'm very familiar with the NYC sound, but not so much with the nano versions.. PLEASE JJ. *****

[@waitwhat7065]

Russian big muff sounds less aggressive which is a good thing for me

[@alexguvstanson5698]

alright folks, what's the first riff that u can hear from 00:00 to 00:05? yeah , yeah, i know, it's probably some classic hardcore punk riff that sounds like black flag, i know that a lot of folks are playing this riff in their demos.

[@michaelmitchell8955]

Smashing Pumpkins - Quiet

[@demolabstudio2062]

I think the Russian ones are too dark overall. They get lost in a mix imo but it's really down to personal preference. The Russian seems to have Sy more mids

[@Steaminlidz]

Demolab Studio Stack it with a tubescreamer or after a Compressor and you can make it cut right through

[@JakobMooney]

Thank you for this!!!

[@kumadbd]

Dammit! I was about to buy this green big muff in the 90's I remember trying it in the store but hesitated to get it, it was so cheap back then...Now I fucking regret it when I see the ridiculously high price people ask for it.

[@TheCrowHawk]

Eh, the green one sounds good but I like a fuzzier, fizzlier, more broken up tone so it's the NYC for me all day. Don't see what's so special about the Russian to be honest. There's better pedals out there for far less. Is it just cuz the black keys thing? In that case I'm even further disenchanted with this thing.

[@ojobreaker7743]

I think the biggest difference is that the Russian one sounded more muddy/warm when playing chords, I don't really think you're paying for the ultimate tone, as much as just paying for the history lurking inside of it lol

[@kevinnel7038]

Please do a video alone for the green Russian by itself and with delay with history and drawings and stuff like your first demos

[@edrosa3485]

Found out that EHX has just made a nano version of the Bass Big Muff Pi, and if it's as close to the full size one that NYC Big Muff Pi Nano is to it's full size counterpart, it's next on my pedal shopping list. Note to EHX: Please stop coming out with awesome pedals, I have so many that I want to get that I may need to go back to working 2 jobs just to get them.

[@Iggytommy]

***** - that should be a very interesting comparison. nice.

[@user-ep9gq7tl8n]

a high quality of sound.　cautions when using

[@robertvogel9460]

Uff, i couldnt decide which one is better.

[@PANICBLADE]

Robert Vogel Well, the NYC model is like 80 bucks new and the green russian one runs typically around 300 dollars. That might help you! If you feel like you need the green one though, plenty of makers make clones or even models that build upon that design and sound, even EHX themselves with the big bass muff.

[@davo171]

Good review.

[@VinnieBlues1]

I prefer the NYC model

[@Bobby59]

I want to say the Russian sounds a little more 'boxy'...maybe a bad adjective. I like them both.

[@chrisds4242]

No, you're definitely correct! Fuller, rounder more thickness...

[@skatterpro]

It's funny how different people describe sounds, because it's just like describing colours, in reality you can't. I do agree with you though, boxy is pretty accurate. It's definitely more in your face.

[@godstomper]

Version 7 C is the best. Buy one , steal one except mine😅

[@thetremonts335]

That doesn't sound at all like my green one. Really up until the Black Russian Muffs, they were pretty inconsistent. The reissue is definitely the better buy out of the two, but not all Green Russian Muffs sound the same.

[@Br1Porro]

best big muff vs vintg comp()+ever*(*))* love the gree I go for the chep nis relly good

[@los_rubos]

Greenie fatter but slightly more compressed. NYC loosie goosier. Either gooder

[@miguelabreumacedo]

If I roll down the volume on my guitar does the sound clean up like with a germanium fuzz? I really want a fuzz and the big muff seems to be a great option specially for the price but first I need to know if it cleans up nicely.

[@anarchocommunist9154]

No, unfortunately. That's one of the few drawbacks of Big Muff type circuits.

[@miguelabreumacedo]

+Anarcho Communist Time to Look somewhere else the . Thanks for helping!

[@PANICBLADE]

Too high gain with symmetrical clipping from silicon diodes. Muffs in general are not for clean dynamic tones at all. They're for fat, singing, violin like sustain and buzzsaw crunch. Definitely go for something with germanium diodes in it. The Hendrix fuzz face being an exception. It uses silicon but still cleans up SUPRISINGLY well.

[@askbearbearknows2592]

green one has more base. it's a better pedal imo

[@iammurphy]

I wish the NYC one had the obnoxiousness the Russian one had. Love my NYC but it's almost too sterile.

[@johnlyle2916]

Does the green muff have more mid range?

[@PANICBLADE]

John Lyle More midrange and a smoother sustain, yes.

[@Mr1stlevel]

Good shoot out NYC model all the way

[@biofear182]

Whoa.... just.... whoa.....

[@FFGG22E]

I get the feeling that the idea of the video is to show that they're really not that different and paying the crazy prices for the green one is stupid.

[@jackbenson8228]

please learn the quiet riff

[@shplog2]

His rhythm is worse than my buddy who used to be a drummer but back problems really fucked his life up so he takes painkillers. The guy can barely clap. Bomb ass tacos though, I always eat his food. One day I shit on his pillow to show dominance and then beat his ass but he just took more pills another day I guess hahaha

[@mattgilbert7347]

I preferred the NYC

[@Demmiian]

Claramente el Green russian tiene un sonido mucho más cálido

[@anaemiabag]

left my v7 black russian at a studio on permanent loan so it gets used on a few local recordings. really miss it. i did borrow a green russian like in this video off a friend for 2 years....but when i returned it, he sold it for drugs. i almost travelled by bus just to punch the mother fucker in the face. amazing pedal.

[@JeanClaudeHotDamn]

this is a very good video, but you shouldn't wear shoes on a shag carpet

[@jeffreyhays6050]

Green Muff sounds way better to me!

[@makainwiginton5967]

I prefer the NYC original because it sounds sharper to my ears. Russian sounds too rounded off.

[@hagelslagopjebrood3]

mijn god jj, hoe kwam je aan deze sovtek? ik zoek er al zoo lang naar in nederland..

[@jantevelde9827]

+Thomas Hagemeijer ikr

[@hagelslagopjebrood3]

+Jan te Velde ik heb het maar opgegeven haha. ik heb een buffalo fx patriot gekocht. briljante sound!

[@vadlasletta]

bought my bubble font for 315 including shippingToday.

[@Lylodile]

The Russian one sounds superior in every way

[@negativezero3107]

ot him it in like 1994 for a lot, didnt know then it was what it is

[@Zeonoid]

Seems like russia has a more defined mids and doesnt mask full spectrum with extensive hights like amerika

[@CC-fi3pp]

NYC all the way.

[@jspartacus]

When you kicked the Russian Big Muff at 5:38, you turned it up... :-(

[@papo507]

green won

[@negativezero3107]

sovtek big green wins always, a shame my brother killed the one i bought him

[@rogerandroger4852]

40$ vs 400$

[@awwwyeaboyeeee]

Russian will always win in a band mix.

[@azambamovies]

Russian is better

[@buckdowns16]

The black keys are a joke

[@Mitchnagel58]

How?

[@RhythmGrizz]

Buck Downs clearly you're not aware of the entirety of their body of work.

[@andrearieta8291]

Watched them live a couple years ago. A joke, indeed.

[@shplog2]

Black Keys are gayer than leap year

[@Shadow__Banned]

Wren & Cuff The Caprid kills them both

[@FauxZen69]

Russian wins.

[@dknsa]

they are exactly the same...