current production big muffs... easily modded?

[runmikeyrun]

My favorite distortion for my bass, a budda zenman, was stolen last week.     I used to use a green russian BMP before that but with the ebay prices and seemingly wild variations in sound quality on those I was thinking of buying one of the current production muffs and using that.  That and i am extremely gun-shy buying electronics on ebay.  Are the new ones easy to mod?  I mean, i've built a couple BMP clones and know there are 1000's of pages on muff mods, but as far as how they are built- there's no micro components or surface mount stuff is there?  Also, are there parts and/or general reliability issues on the black russian ones vs the  NYC?  I'd like to stick to the smaller footprint (and lower price) the black russian ones offer.
Thanks!

[Yun]

My favorite distortion for my bass, a budda zenman, was stolen last week.     I used to use a green russian BMP before that but with the ebay prices and seemingly wild variations in sound quality on those I was thinking of buying one of the current production muffs and using that.  That and i am extremely gun-shy buying electronics on ebay.  Are the new ones easy to mod?  I mean, i've built a couple BMP clones and know there are 1000's of pages on muff mods, but as far as how they are built- there's no micro components or surface mount stuff is there?  Also, are there parts and/or general reliability issues on the black russian ones vs the  NYC?  I'd like to stick to the smaller footprint (and lower price) the black russian ones offer.
Thanks!

I have a lot of BMP's.  And the old green, grey and current russian muffs are exactly the same circuitry, man.  So don't pay heaps for the "vintage green tank" . 

The New russians are actually VERY easy to mod.  They're more well built than the new american re-issues. 

The NEW Little BMPi is surface mount though, so- don't get that one if you're planning to mod, man. 

As far as mods go- i stick with the sustain punch mods, and my little added mods:

-Remove and jumper all (except for the Q after the tone control) Q's emitter's restistors to ground.  So, 3 of the tranistor's emmiters go straight to ground, in other words. 

That's what has the most potent effect of bmp's that i've experienced....