Favourite Big Muffs and other fuzzes for Jazzmasters?

[sal paradise]

For smooth AF muff, I really can't say I've played a better muff than the W&C Caprid. I have one of the violet big box versions and, while it is not economical, it is awesome. I have a decent pile of various muffs, mostly SUF, but the violet Caprid really is something special and it always surprises me with how good it is.

Wow, they do sound amazing! Have you tried the small box?

[JackFawkes]

I've been refraining from commenting on this post since I don't have a Jazzmaster, so I can't really give a well educated opinion.
But I think you might benefit from listening to a couple videos from my favorite pedal demo'er who happens to use a Jazzmaster:
5 EHX Nano Big Muff Pedals (Nano, Triangle, Green Russian, OpAmp, Nano Bass Big Muff) - 7m32s
12 Big Muff Pedal Shootout (EHX, Vick, Mooer, EQD, TC, Greer, Keeley, Wren & Cuff, Blackout) - 3m17s
12 Fuzz Pedal Shootout (Greer, Ibanez, TC, EQD, JHS, Keeley, Death by Audio, Magnetic Effects) - 2m24s
12 Fuzz Pedals Shootout (Guitar Volume Rolled Down) - 4m2s
and maybe one or two others...

Jack

[JackFawkes]

For smooth AF muff, I really can't say I've played a better muff than the W&C Caprid. I have one of the violet big box versions and, while it is not economical, it is awesome. I have a decent pile of various muffs, mostly SUF, but the violet Caprid really is something special and it always surprises me with how good it is.

Wow, they do sound amazing! Have you tried the small box?

I particularly love Wren & Cuff's pedals; I own two of theirs, but neither are a Caprid.
Does the Small Foot version of the Caprid sound the same as the larger one? Here's a quote from W&C themselves:

For practical reasons, we of course had to sacrifice some of the neat features of the first Caprid, in order to fit the circuit into the pedal-board friendly 125-style box of the Small Foot.
So does it sound exactly the same? No, it does not. If it did, what would be special about the original? However, it does sound pretty damn close.
On the small foot we used quieter, metal film resistors, standard size metal film and ceramic capacitors, as well as a smaller PCB in order to fit into the box.

[hulakatt]

Wow, they do sound amazing! Have you tried the small box?

No, this is the only W&C pedal I've played.

[sal paradise]

Wow, they do sound amazing! Have you tried the small box?

No, this is the only W&C pedal I've played.

Cool- was asking as the cost/size is a bit more board friendly.

That said, I’ve got an awful feeling that one day a full sized Violet will end up in my hands thanks to your suggestion

[hulakatt]

Wow, they do sound amazing! Have you tried the small box?

No, this is the only W&C pedal I've played.

Cool- was asking as the cost/size is a bit more board friendly.

That said, I’ve got an awful feeling that one day a full sized Violet will end up in my hands thanks to your suggestion

As they say in photography when buying lenses: Buy once, cry once.

[davidpggarrett]

I've been refraining from commenting on this post since I don't have a Jazzmaster, so I can't really give a well educated opinion.
But I think you might benefit from listening to a couple videos from my favorite pedal demo'er who happens to use a Jazzmaster:
5 EHX Nano Big Muff Pedals (Nano, Triangle, Green Russian, OpAmp, Nano Bass Big Muff) - 7m32s
12 Big Muff Pedal Shootout (EHX, Vick, Mooer, EQD, TC, Greer, Keeley, Wren & Cuff, Blackout) - 3m17s
12 Fuzz Pedal Shootout (Greer, Ibanez, TC, EQD, JHS, Keeley, Death by Audio, Magnetic Effects) - 2m24s
12 Fuzz Pedals Shootout (Guitar Volume Rolled Down) - 4m2s
and maybe one or two others...

Jack


Thanks for the links. It's the best one can do bar going into a stop with a Jazzmaster and demo-ing every one of these pedals.... You win the prize!

[davidpggarrett]

The BSRI "Pi to Seventeen Decimal Places" has become my favorite BM fuzz. Really dialable for band context & you can set it to where you can get really nice palm mutes out of it.

Also the Black Mass 1312 is easily one of my favorite dirt pedals I've ever played & great for heavier music. Running a RAT -> BM is killer, so having both is just the best.

Still haven't played through a Rat. JHS Packrat would be good to try and I have thought about the Wampler Ratsbane too.

[Ceepers]

Rat into a BM is great!

I play ina little covers band and use a Mooer rat clone ( black secret) as my base distorted rhythm tone. Adding the Muff ( a nano Pi in my case) gives a real synthy tone you can kinda get away with using instead of having a keyboard, Especially with a hint of chorus

[JackFawkes]

I really like a RAT for distortion; though honestly, I usually hear less difference between different RAT models than I do between different Muff models.
Like Spitshaded, my favorite (and only) RAT clone is a Black Mass 1312. It has a rotary knob which switches between many different clipping modes, which I really like for fine-tuning the texture of its distortion.
Also, that same Jazzmaster-wielding pedal demo'er did do one video on 4 RAT Style Pedals (ProCo RAT 2, Mooer Black Secret, Arc Soothsayer, Little Bear R.Attack)

Jack

[davidpggarrett]

Rat into a BM is great!

I play ina little covers band and use a Mooer rat clone ( black secret) as my base distorted rhythm tone. Adding the Muff ( a nano Pi in my case) gives a real synthy tone you can kinda get away with using instead of having a keyboard, Especially with a hint of chorus

I totally forgot that I bought my niece the Mooer Black Secret, so have tried it briefly. May try the Rat into Big Muff combo in the future.

[Ceepers]

EDIT - broken link fixed. Doh!

As per that rat video linked above, the mover is a great value clone.

Anyway, little rat into muff illustration vid I made as a demo clip for band mates….

https://i.imgur.com/TIwtleG.mp4

[davidpggarrett]

EDIT - broken link fixed. Doh!

As per that rat video linked above, the mover is a great value clone.

Anyway, little rat into muff illustration vid I made as a demo clip for band mates….

https://i.imgur.com/TIwtleG.mp4

What exact model is that JM?

[doctor_capleson]

Thorpy Field Marshall does a great "Muffy" sort of thing, but it stands out better with a band and it's enough of its own thing that I wouldn't really call it a "muff." The JHS Cheezeball is similar, though the Thorpy is just all around a better product (though it costs a little more...worth it IMO).

Boss HM2 is my favorite "muff" sound I ever played. The waveform is sort of a combination of fuzz and distortion, and with the "color" knobs in the lower range you can get really good "muff" sort of sounds that are just a bit more articulate, and different enough that it will stand out as compared to lots of other tones. I think the Waza HM2 is the best thing to use, owing to its higher volume output. The Wren & Cuff Hangman is great too. I also have an original HM2, but I prefer the newer takes on that pedal to the original.

Boss Hyper Fuzz (or the Behringer clone) do an awesome over-the-top scooped sound that's great to use...sometimes. It's not a useful core sound, but click it on once in a while and it's crazy. It's maybe too scooped to use for anything other than leads (mode II) but it can be really cool.

[Ceepers]

EDIT - broken link fixed. Doh!

As per that rat video linked above, the mover is a great value clone.

Anyway, little rat into muff illustration vid I made as a demo clip for band mates….

https://i.imgur.com/TIwtleG.mp4

What exact model is that JM?

06ish Japanese one with aftermarket pick guard ( original was browner!) and fender 65 pups