Big Muff mods

[drewl]

So I'm bored here at work and my 70's Big Muff Pi is staring me in the face.
Any cool mods to make these sound better?
I've seen a couple but thought y'all might know some good ones as you seem pretty freakin' knowledgeable on this stuff.
This was the first pedal I ever bought when I was 15.
Over the years I've put in true bypass, upgraded caps along the way general maintenance, but it's pretty much stock...and sounds......hmmm......do any of these things sound good?

[MikeH]

The only mod I've done to my big muff is the creamy dreamer mod.  And I have to say, it's not as big of a deal as it was hyped to be.  The descriptions had me thinking it would be belting out sustain and punch like the mother ship from close encounters, but really, it just sounds like a big muff.

[kurtlives]

I have been tinkering with my BMP for a while now and I have to say keep it stock.

I found it isnt a great circut to mod. You could try the creamy dreamer mod (which reminds me of a wet dream). You could also try some of the feedback mods.

Playing with the loved/hated tonestack is also possible.

Also General Guitar Gadgets has lots of suggested mods.

[killerkev]

Change all caps (especially any elecrtro's)  to metalized film capacitors.  I like 0.1 uf for all except before the diodes (two 0.05uf) and tone stack (do what you want... Duncans amp tools!). Creamy dreamer mod (Search it here...Mr. YUN). I've compared it to others side by side..... More gain, Fuller fuzz....Sonic saturation.....There IS a difference.  The difference may not jump out at you BUT when you compare side by side your eye lids will rise!

[tcobretti]

You can replace the resistors in the tonestack with pots and it becomes a more complicated EQ.  One pot controls the mids and the other the highs, while the main tone pot still controls the relationship between the two. 

One mod I like is replacing the caps and resistors with equivalent values.  This way, when the tone pot is in the middle, the overall eq-ing is flat.  Then you can tilt it one way or the other to sculpt the sound.  It mellows the tonestack a bit.

I personally don't have a very good relationship with the BMP.  Despite the tonestack, it is kind of a one trick pony.

[bumblebee]

personally i feel the bigmuff is best left alone, its perfect as it is imo
ive modified a few and was never happy with em, i found every bend they have and they just sound better stock imo!
i modified my current issue little big muff to current issue NYC big muff,thats about the only decent BMP mod around imo, and thats a necessity to clear mud more than anything.
if your intent,yuns got some interesting mods you might try.................

[spudulike]

http://www.singlecoil.com/frmset.html

[oldrocker]

You could make an op amp version.  They sound way different each with a nice sound IMHO.  The '77 op amp version isn't too hard to build either.


CLICK BELOW TO SEE THE SOLDER SIDE
http://www.logmonster.com/images/full/?pic=bm1_1177111339-422-15000.jpg

[Meanderthal]

 I like to monkey with the diodes- replace one in the 1st clipping stage with 1n34a or 2 Si on one side(asymmetrical), you can install a bypass switch for one of the clipping pairs and just run on one pair, try LEDs in there, etc...

Dunno, I always thought the BMP was pretty versatile... But I just plain like em, so I'm biased.

[Solidhex]

I just converted my friends NYC big muff reissue to the GGG "Tuned" specs. I think changing the electro 10ufs to film .1's helps alot. Hear more texture and pick attack from the fuzz.
  Has anyone done the "Creamy Dreamer" mods to an op amp muff? I built one but its just too tame for me, nice grit but needs more gain...wondering if that will help...

--Brad