The most coveted of all the Muffs, the early 70s Ram’s Head was used by David Gilmour for his epic, singing lead tone. The Ram’s head is articulate and very loud, with a bit of vintage “spittiness.”

On clean channel I would go TRIANGLE. Op amp is cool on either, it has its own character but it chokes on already dirty channel not as much as big box muff and triangle but still, similar to ram's head but ram's head sounds more pleasant overall

Tech Specs

Based on the highly coveted 1973 Electro-Harmonix V2 Violet Ram’s Head Big Muff, J’s signature Big Muff produces the indulgent fuzz and exceptional sustain used as his sonic center for decades. I don't own an original Ram's Head Big Muff, though I've had the pleasure of playing a few. I do have a few very nice Ram's Head clones, however: an original bubble-font Sovtek Big Muff, several Sovtek clones, and a few triangle Muff clones. My favorites among these were used as reference for this review of the new Ram's Head. V6 BIG MUFF PI with TONE BYPASS - The common "V6" Big Muff circuit, circa 1979. The V3 tone bypass version had become standardized by this time so EHX reworked the old 3003 pcb layout into a smaller size, including the tone bypass (C14, R28, switch) and power fitering components (R27, C15), all on one board. The same pcb was also used in the LIttle Big Muff. Although there was the occasional part substituted for one of a similar value, this was the standard schematic used until Electro-Harmonix closed its doors and shut down in 1984. Other than the transistors used and power filterig components, the component values are identical to the rare V3 tone bypass version shown above. triangle = OG, super loud. I liked it the best on clean channel as it was super powerful sounding, fizzy fuzzy but still very punchy The Pete Cornish 1976 Animals studio/stage board originally featured a Cornish P1. As noted above, the #2 Big Muff was lying ontop of the board paired with an Electric Mistress, throughout the tour. The board was modified after the tour, in October 1977, and according to Pete Cornish he replaced the P1 with a new ram’s head circuit (most likely modified to sound like #1) and he also built in an Electric Mistress cirquit, removing the two stand alone pedals (Guitar World 2006). The board was later used for David’s 1978 solo album and Wall 1980-81 tour. See this in depth feature about the Pete Cornish Animals board.

So overall, go buy a big muff, you absolutely need one, but trust your ears, or just take the one that your favorite artist has and don't try to find "the best one overall", there is none as they are all so different and so good at what they do :) V2 "BOX CAP" RAMS HEAD BIG MUFF PI - This is the most common V2 from the 1975-77 period, probably the 15th variant. This "Box Cap" Ram's Head version is easily identified by the large white box caps used. Quanitites made seem to be almost as many as the "White Can" Ram's Head version shown above (74#3). Identical to 76#1 below, but with 33k input resistor and low pass tone resistors at R2 and R8, instead of 39k, and 470pF filter caps instead of 560pF at C10, 11 and 12. The C1 input cap was almost always a 10µF polarized electro. Some production of this version changed between 1µF and 10µF at C2, C6, and C7, and a few used 10µF for all C1, C2, C6, and C7 caps. EHX’s response to boutique builders expanding on their circuit is the highly tweakable Deluxe Big Muff. The 90s Russian Muff is the basis, but with a noise gate, parametric EQ, and bass boost switch, this pedal is a tonal powerhouse. The real selling point is the mid boost footswitch, which allows you to cut through any mix without the help of another pedal. Big Muff enthusiasts tend to be a bunch of freaks. For starters, most like their fuzz deafeningly massive and impolite, making it fair to classify at least a few as pathologically anti-social. But Electro-Harmonix gave the Big Muff cult other reasons to be obsessively odd—primarily by creating dozens of iterations of the circuit that engender, shall we say, robust opinions and loyalties, even over the subtlest differences. Another highly versatile od/distortion/fuzz, the Shigeharu is capable of everything from punchy overdrive to full on IC Muff destruction. Holding down the momentary Havoc foot switch engages a spitty upper octave for maximum chaos.REPLACEMENT POTS - Vintage USA Big Muffs (V1, V2, V3) have single-gang, linear taper, 24mm,100k potentiomers. Electro-Harmonix used pots from various makers, but they were usually the 24mm size, with 1/4" D shaped knob shafts. 250k linear can be substituted for the volume and sustain pots if 100k are not available. 100k Logarithmic taper pots, or "audio" pots, will also work, but they are more expensive than linear, and the useful volume range gets squeezed into a smaller area of the knob rotation. The difference between linear and logarithmic/audio pot types is that linear increases (electrical resistance) evenly as you turn the knob, whereas log has a shorter increase at both ends of the knob rotation, but a longer, increase in the middle. That that wider spectrum in the middle means a more usable range to allow better fine tuning with a log pot, in a tone knob for example, but not the best for a Big Muff volume pot. Both types sound the same, but the knobs will be in different positions for the same volume, tone, or gain level. A VINTAGE COMPONENT MOJO - Some Big Muff enthusiasts argue that a particular set of component values (1uF clipping caps vs. 0.1uF caps, for example) give a Big Muff the best sound, but that is subjective based on the sound one person prefers that another may not. Some also think there is mojo in the old vintage components that make those Muffs sound much better than more recent issues (old ceramic caps vs new film caps, or old 2N5133 tranys vs newer 2N5088 tranys, for example), and I would tend to agree with that, as most of the Big Muffs I like best are the older ones. However, I have played vintage pedals side by side with exact clones made using modern components and the sound is very close. I'm not saying the mojo is not there in the older Muffs. It can be, and is in my opinion, but you can get one vintage Big Muff that sounds great and another that sounds average, with the exact same components. If you want a decent vintage Big Muff tone you don't necessarily need to fork over hundreds of dollars to buy a vintage one, hoping you get a good sounding unit, when you can spend under two hundred dollars and get a vintage Big Muff clone like the BYOC Large Beaver, or a Stomp Under Foot, all made with modern parts that are more consistant than most vintage parts. REPLACEMENT TRANSISTORS - Many of the original transistors types used in vintage Big Muffs are no longer made. 2N5088 or 2N5089 Silicon transistors are the closest modern production equivalents to the FS36999/2N5133 transistors used the the early 1970s Big Muffs. 2N5089 have a slightly higher gain than 2N5088 . BC549C, BC550, BC239, SE4010, and 2N5210 are some others that also work in the circuit. 2N5089 or 2N5210 are near eqivalents to the transistors used in early Russian made Big Muffs as well. CAPACITORS - Electro-Harmonix used ceramic, poly film, polarized electrolytic, and various other capacitor types in all periods and models of Big Muff production. Some Big Muffs used all cereamic capacitors, some mixed film and ceramic, some mixed all types. It makes little difference in this circuit. Do they sound different? As with most audio electronics, opinions vary wildy. The general consensus among audio buffs is that film caps sound better in audio circuits than ceramic, but there is no evidence and the difference cannot be heard in blind comparisons. In fact, the evidence indicates the audible distortion differences are actually very well below what the human ear can hear or differentiate. My opinion is that if you can't hear it, it does not matter. All capacitors lose capacitance over time as the parts age, but leakage in electrolytics is faster than the other types, and tolerances (electrical variance from part to part) not very good. Film capacitors last much longer and have better tolerances than ceramic and electrolytic. However, in small signal circuits like effect pedals, the minor capacitance changes over time usually make little difference to the sound. If you add up the electical value changes across all parts in the whole circuit however, you would probably hear some difference between when the pedal was brand new versus thirty to forty years later. If you have never opened your vintage Big Muff up to look at the transistors on the PCB, here are INSTRUCTIONS for taking one apart.

V1 Triangle Big Muff - The low pass resistor values started with 27k. 33k was the most used. Other variants used 22k and 39k. The Pete Cornish 1980 mini front stage Wall board features a ram’s head Big Muff. The circuit was most likely modified to sound like David’s #1 ram’s head. This pedal is one of Josh Scott’s greatest conceits: 6 beloved Muffs in one compact enclosure. Selectable on a dial are the V1 Triangle, V2 Ram’s Head, V3 IC Muff, V7 Civil War, V8 Russian, and a special JHS Muff with more midrange and less compression. Using all-analog circuitry, these aren’t just approximations of the original circuits, they are identical. V2 "73" RAMS HEAD BIG MUFF PI - The second variant of the V2 circuit appeard circa 1973. All of the .047µF caps were replaced with .1 and .15µF. Very similar sound to the violet schematic that would follow . The more common version of this variant had .12µF coupling and clipping caps rather than .1µF shown here. The same circuit was also used in the Guild Foxey Lady OEM version. Several very good clones were based around this version, including the Stomp Under Foot '73 Ram's Head Classic Series and Pigeon FX Ram's Head. Russian Big Muffs - Clipping cap values were almost always .047uF, which is why they sound so smooth and bassy/boomy.Intentionally simple, this muff evolution intends to provide the player with plenty of tonal options without an excessive number of controls. Inspired by the Ram’s Head Muff, the T4 is an attempt to “perfect” that sound with better components, a more present mid-range, and a sweeter-sounding tone control. The output volume is also increased to push your amp to the edge of breakup. V2 "WHITE CAN" RAMS HEAD BIG MUFF PI - I believe this was the sixth in the sequence of circuit variants for the V2. It is also the second most common version of the V2 circuit made by Electro-Harmonix, after the '73 violet. Around 1974 EHX started using these large, barrel shaped, white axial poly film caps, which is the easiest way to identify this version. The 220pF filter cap in the first stage at C10 was unique to this version, as was the small .0068µF filter cap in the tone section. Those were nearly always .01µF. The input cap at C1 increased to 10µF and remained this value on many later V2 variants, allowing more bass into the circuit. For this version, C13 and the C2 output cap were also changed to 10µF for more bass going out of the circuit. The filter caps at C12 and C11 are 680pF, a value only found on this version, and the largest value EHX ever used. The 220pF cap in the first stage was used to sort of balance out the 680pF caps in the clipping stages, in an effort to keep the sound from being too different from the previous versions. The same circuit was also used in the Guild Foxey Lady version.

resistors usually measure accurate to the printed value. Those appear to be metal film, not carbon. The exact circuit also appeared around 1976 in the V2 Big Muff enclosure, without the power filtering, tone bypass switching, and with different transistors. It was used in guitarist J Mascis' (Dinosaur jr) favorite Ram's Head Big Muff. The exact V3 tone bypass schematic later became the standard BMP circuit in the V6 Big Muff Pi, so the Mascis Muff is essentailly a V6. That may be why J likes that particular V2 so much. None of his other V1 and V2 BMP's have this circuit. Technology of the Big Muff - What Does What? - Thanks to RP for alerting me to this thread on the DIY forum. A thread started by John Lyons with lots of good details and discussion of the circuit. Berlin-based KMA’s Dead Stag lets you tailor your fuzz sound to any situation. An active bass and treble eq with 15db of cut and boost is paired with a parametric mid eq for scooping or pushing through a mix. A high/low gain switch cranks up the distortion to extreme levels and a smooth/sharp switch gives you a high mids boost for added clarity.Note that the original Silicon diodes are marked SYL GD938, but the actual diode types used are unknown. 1N914 (shown on the schematic) and 1N4148 are some modern equivalents that work, but they may not be identical to the original diodes. The differences are minor, but diode types do affect the sound frequencies that are clipped. With respect to amps, some of the Ram's Head's most distinctive qualities, particularly the detail and air in the midrange, are less distinctive in Fender-style pairings. (Many Ram's Head tones were made downright Russian with a Bassman downstream.) With a brighter Marshall in the mix, though, you can more distinctly hear the Ram's Head's midrange sparkle and throatier voice. Originally called Precision Fuzz the P2 was introduced around 1988 as an upgrade of the P1. The P2 is first seen in David’s 1989 Momentary Lapse of Reason stage rig after it replaced the #2 ram’s head Big Muff. It was also featured in the 1994 PULSE stage rig labeled Big Muff. Considering the small size of this early version it’s likely that it didn’t feature Cornish’s buffers. Pete Cornish G2 David is seen using this early Sovtek model during the 1993 Division Bell recording sessions. It’s not documented whether it was actually used for the album or not or if he perhaps employed one of the ram’s head models or both. The pedal was again featured in the 1994 stage rig as David’s main distortion pedal for the tour. For the South American shows in December 2015, David once again used the early 90s Sovtek Civil War Big Muff. The pedal was possibly used for Sorrow.