Vintage Rams Head Big Muff repair question (with pic)

[jasonsmusicgear]

A friend asked me to repair his Big Muff, it is the Rams Head Version but it uses the 3003 circuit board.  When I plug it in, it basically just gives a loud hum.

So I found a picture of someone else's (which is below), and the input jack does not have anything connected on the sleeve lug.  My friend's is the same way, so I connected a ground wire to the sleeve lug and the effect works just fine. 

I was just wondering if EH wires their ground differently?  If so, there must be something else wrong with the effect.  In other words is it okay to fix this pedal by wiring the ground to the sleeve lug like a normal pedal.

Thanks
Jason

[theehman]

Usually those have a ground wire on the input jack but not the output jack.
The 3003 board is normal for this version of the Big Muff.  I hate the "Ram's Head" term and never use it at my EH site.

[jasonsmusicgear]

I don't have it in front of me but I'm pretty sure this one has a ground wire on the output jack also.  Guess I'll just wire up a ground on the input jack and give it back to him since it seems to be working that way.

Thanks

[jefe]

A friend asked me to repair his Big Muff, it is the Rams Head Version but it uses the 3003 circuit board.  When I plug it in, it basically just gives a loud hum.

So I found a picture of someone else's (which is below), and the input jack does not have anything connected on the sleeve lug.  My friend's is the same way, so I connected a ground wire to the sleeve lug and the effect works just fine. 

(I'm still a bit of a newb, but here's my 2 cents) This makes me think that the sleeve of the input jack was designed to be grouded through the metal enclosure, but over time, things got corroded, and the connction between jack and enclosure was broken. Adding a ground wire to the input jact sounds like the perfect solution. Hey, it worked, right?

[jasonsmusicgear]

The jacks are somewhat corroded, you may be right.  Do you think there's any reason to replace all the wiring?  It's solid wire and is very old.  Looks like it could break on him someday.

Thanks

[jefe]

IMO, no, don't fix it unless it's broken. I only say that because this is a vintage pedal - you may be hurting the value of it by doing anything other than repairs. Give the wires (and everything) a close visual inspection - if something is definitely about to break, then fix it, but otherwise leave it alone. That's the way I generally understand the whole vintage thing, others may have differing opinions on this.

[theehman]

The jacks are somewhat corroded, you may be right.  Do you think there's any reason to replace all the wiring?  It's solid wire and is very old.  Looks like it could break on him someday.

Thanks

I'd give a tug at each end to make sure the connections are still good and solid.  Other than that, I'd leave it alone.

[jasonsmusicgear]

OK, I won't replace wires then, thanks for all the help.

[petemoore]

A friend asked me to repair his Big Muff, it is the Rams Head Version but it uses the 3003 circuit board.  When I plug it in, it ba   sically just gives a loud hum.
  I had that happen once, far and above the finest fuzz I;d ever seen, returning it was a drag.
So I found a picture of someone else's (which is below), and the input jack does not have anything connected on the sleeve lug.
  My friend's is the same way, so I connected a ground wire to the sleeve lug and the effect works just fine. 

I was just wondering if EH wires their ground differently?  If so, there must be something else wrong with the effect.  In other words is it okay to fix this pedal by wiring the ground to the sleeve lug like a normal pedal.
  Yes. the sleeve needs to be grounded, a less expensive way, shown, requires 1 less wire.
  Sleeve to sleeve contact through the sheet metal enclosure [one sleeve lug grounded of course], or run the ground wire. 

[ambulancevoice]

why do they call it "ram's head" anyway?
i cant understand the triangle muff and green russian, but rams head? i dont see the pots laid out like horns?

[tehfunk]

why do they call it "ram's head" anyway?
i cant understand the triangle muff and green russian, but rams head? i dont see the pots laid out like horns?

Electro-Harmonix's logo features the head of a ram. The Ram's Head Big Muff has this logo in the bottom right corner.

[ambulancevoice]

really? that thing is a ram head? i thought i was like some sad person with alot of bushy hair
what the hell does a ram head have to do with "ELECTRO HARMONIX" anyway?

[zombiwoof]

why do they call it "ram's head" anyway?
i cant understand the triangle muff and green russian, but rams head? i dont see the pots laid out like horns?

Electro-Harmonix's logo features the head of a ram. The Ram's Head Big Muff has this logo in the bottom right corner.

Look at the EH Man's avatar above, that is the graphic.  Doesn't really look like a Ram.

Al

[ambulancevoice]

why do they call it "ram's head" anyway?
i cant understand the triangle muff and green russian, but rams head? i dont see the pots laid out like horns?

Electro-Harmonix's logo features the head of a ram. The Ram's Head Big Muff has this logo in the bottom right corner.

Look at the EH Man's avatar above, that is the graphic.  Doesn't really look like a Ram.

Al

guess thats why EH man doesnt like that name

[tehfunk]

yeah, it's kinda like a sheep, I was gonna put that in my original message, but I cut it out for some reason.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

I assumed it was Pan,s the Greek god of shepherds and flocks, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music

You can see the resemblance in the pic at the wiki article here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_(mythology)

[theehman]

I assumed it was Pan,s the Greek god of shepherds and flocks, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music

You can see the resemblance in the pic at the wiki article here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_(mythology)

DING DING DING!!!!  WE HAVE A WINNAH!!!
That's exactly the reason I don't use that term.  It's obviously not a ram or any kind of 4-legged hoofed mammal.  I always considered it to be some sort of wood sprite or elf-like creature.
I just refer to those Big Muffs as V2 or Face models.

[SonicVI]

It's as annoying as people who call Klons by the "Horseyman" version.    So then Big Muff V2's are now "Pan's Face" or "Wood Sprite's Face" Muffs?     

[theehman]

How about just Face or V2?

[SonicVI]

I think Face would have the lesser potential for confusion since it's the only one with some kind of face on it.