Green Russian Big Muff vs. Way Huge Swollen Pickle

Iron Mtn · October 01, 2011, 11:09:41 PM

My Green Russian Big Muff has been acting up lately and i've been looking for something a little different.
Been checking out the Way Huge line and the Swollen Pickle and the Pork Loin seem like fine replacements.
Just curious if anyone else here has given them a try and what your thoughts are......

Cursed71 · October 02, 2011, 12:09:14 AM

Not from way huge, but the earthquaker devices hoof (3 knob) replaced my old green muff when the switch went south. I tried the swollen pickle reissue at the local music shop and it seemed pretty versatile.

Mike_Sims · October 02, 2011, 04:32:27 AM

The Swollen Pickle is pretty cool, wish I never got rid of mine. It has these 2 little trim pots inside of it which really make a world of difference, you can change between a tight, compressed "muff" sound to an open, splatty fuzz-faceish sound. Takes a looot of tweaking time though. I've heard good things about the Hoof, check out the musket fuzz too, I've been wanting one so bad

grimniggzy · October 02, 2011, 11:24:16 AM

Swollen Pickle has the muff sound. The Pork Loin is actually an overdrive.

matador_sound · October 11, 2011, 02:31:58 PM

I gotta side with the others who are in support of the Swollen Pickle. I've owned one for a little over a year now. pretty badass little box. easily the most versatile fuzz pedal out right now that's not in the boutique/custom market. like Mike said, the trim pots inside make a big difference, but then again, so do the 4 tone shaping knobs on the outside, too. great pedal, for sure. the thing I wasn't crazy about the Big Muff was that it really only did one sound. the Swollen Pickle does that sound, plus many others.

grimniggzy · October 11, 2011, 02:50:27 PM

Here are some other choices, there are a lot of awesome muff variants out there

http://blackartstoneworks.blogspot.com/ "The Pharaoh"
http://www.fuzzrociouspedals.com/ "The Grey Stache"
http://wrenandcuff.com/site/the-stompboxes/the-pickle-pie-b/

Chovie D · October 11, 2011, 03:14:30 PM

I have alot of fuzzes including the swollen pcike.

I dont use the swollen pickle ever. Its juts got too many varialbles on it and Im lazy. Id love it if someone took it and set it up for me to sound like a green russian

..someone post their settings at least

i really like my rams head big muff, Univox superfuzz, byoc leeds fuzz and zvex octane 3, so i dont bother with the pickle...

VOLVO))) · October 11, 2011, 03:17:23 PM

Anyone mention the trim pots inside the case?

bitter · October 11, 2011, 03:37:01 PM

Quote from: Chovie D on October 11, 2011, 03:14:30 PM
I have alot of fuzzes including the swollen pcike.

I dont use the swollen pickle ever. Its juts got too many varialbles on it and Im lazy. Id love it if someone took it and set it up for me to sound like a green russian ..someone post their settings at least

i really like my rams head big muff, Univox superfuzz, byoc leeds fuzz and zvex octane 3, so i dont bother with the pickle...

In the past, peeps used to say the Earthbound Audio Effects Supercollider had the green Russian sound, but I don't know if it was ever confirmed circuit-wise. Like the swollen pickle, its got too many knob, which make balancing the EQ annoying. That's a big reason I skipped the swollen pickle RI. I've got a Catalinbread Manx fuzz (modified Rams head) and its so much easier to setup and sounds better... but I use it like an overdrive.

bloodofkings · October 11, 2011, 03:58:41 PM

I've been eyeballing a Swollen Pickle for some time now. While the versatility sounds great and all I'm a little intimidated by too many damned knobs. Haha. I have a Supercollider it does have a similar sound to the green russian Muff with a bit more versatility to it. I don't remember the green muff sounding all that good when I rolled the sustain knob off. Where the Supercollider sounds great at lower gain settings. After seeing a few guys on here dig it I might get one. Just I have to justify to myself getting another fuzz. I own at least 5 different distortions.

VOLVO))) · October 11, 2011, 04:27:05 PM

5? Bitch please, guys here have that many on their boards! Ive got like 10-15 sitting around, two on my board, and have a bunch loaned out! Buy more fuzz!

Derelict78 · October 11, 2011, 05:22:14 PM

Blackout effectors MUSKET
http://www.blackouteffectors.com/?page_id=402
lots of options and it sounds BAD ASS

Chovie D · October 11, 2011, 06:00:57 PM

you can never have too many fuzzes...

the problem with the pickle isnt just too many knobs on the outside of the case, there are two fucking trim pots on the inside too and everyone says you need to adjust those fuckers also. I guess If I were bored i could sit around all day fucking with that with the case open but im not THAT bored. same with the fuzz factory. 5 knobs and a million possible tones almost none of which are useable, you cna spedn all day getting the sound you like then if you fart the sound will change completely and theres no presets

Lumpy · October 11, 2011, 06:08:04 PM

I guess the Pharaoh is a Green Muff variation. I don't know about the Supercollider - if it's a muff, it's voiced pretty differently. I don't care for regular muffs but I looove the Supercollider, so I'm going to have to rethink my position.

The Fat Sandwich sounded more appealing to me than the Swollen Pickle (youtube clips only).

grimniggzy · October 11, 2011, 06:12:32 PM

Quote from: Derelict78 on October 11, 2011, 05:22:14 PM
Blackout effectors MUSKET
http://www.blackouteffectors.com/?page_id=402
lots of options and it sounds BAD ASS

oh yeah, forgot about that one.

bloodofkings · October 11, 2011, 08:22:54 PM

I'm a bass player. Round the guys I play with I get weird looks if I have more than a tuner. Haha. I have three on my board and after a recount I have 8. Haha.

Quote from: SunnO))) on October 11, 2011, 04:27:05 PM
5? Bitch please, guys here have that many on their boards! Ive got like 10-15 sitting around, two on my board, and have a bunch loaned out! Buy more fuzz!

Baltar · October 13, 2011, 07:59:56 AM

Quote from: SunnO))) on October 11, 2011, 03:17:23 PM
Anyone mention the trim pots inside the case?

Jeorge designed the MXR Classic fuzz too. Which has 3 internal trim pots, I was able to replace 2 of the trims with Alpha's externally. The trims were actually on the top of the PCB, so I had to completely tear the thing apart. Pretty easy though. Visualize a six-knob Pickle!!!

MichaelZodiac · October 13, 2011, 08:17:20 AM

I love my Supercollider, definitely muff-ish. I don't agree however it sounds better on lower gain. I run it at:
gain - full
depth - 3 o'clock
tone - full
mids - 3 o'clock
volume - depending on when & where, at home I don't go beyond noon as my small combo begins to give the overload signal. at practice it's almost always at 3 o'clock. full bore fuzz all the way.

bitter · October 13, 2011, 12:05:35 PM

I'm the same with mine. It just seems more usable with the gain cranked. Complete opposite of my manx, which works best from 0-noon on the dial.

Supercollider settings:

Gain: full
Volume: Usually lower than noon so it doesn't overload
Depth: 11 o'clock
Mids: 2 o'clock to full
Tone: Noon

Chovie D · October 13, 2011, 12:30:04 PM

Quote from: Lumpy on October 11, 2011, 06:08:04 PM
I guess the Pharaoh is a Green Muff variation. I don't know about the Supercollider - if it's a muff, it's voiced pretty differently. I don't care for regular muffs but I looove the Supercollider, so I'm going to have to rethink my position.

The Fat Sandwich sounded more appealing to me than the Swollen Pickle (youtube clips only).

I have the fat sandwhich. Its a very good and versatile distortion, but its not a fuzz. like the pickle its a littel too versatile in that theres just too many knobs and possible settings. it can do a good Rat Imitation...it sounds good. It takes a back seat to my rat tho, and mainly i use fuzz anyway, not so much distrotion so it never gets used.

I will have to try a supercollider. you peopl are making me want to buy more pedals...its been a while....damn you all...

bloodofkings · October 13, 2011, 01:23:56 PM

Oh no I think I was misunderstood here. I was speaking of the Supercollider sounding better at low gain than a green Muff at low gain. I play in three bands and I use the Supercollider for different songs and different settings in each band. I was using a green Muff at first and tried a few lower gain settings and didn't find it as usable as the Supercollider at lower gain settings. The Supercollider I feel is more versatile than the Muff. That was my point.

Edited for clarity, typing on a phone is a bitch.

bitter · October 13, 2011, 02:41:54 PM

^ OK, I gotcha. I should probably clarify as well that the supercollider sounds good at varying gain levels, but is just easier to work with cranked.

Baltar · October 13, 2011, 05:41:58 PM

It's a great versitile Green SuperMuff. I had an original '96 Green Muff, I really liked it but it was pretty much a one trick pony.

The Riffer · October 13, 2011, 06:02:08 PM

Quote from: Lumpy on October 11, 2011, 06:08:04 PM
I guess the Pharaoh is a Green Muff variation.

Not really. There might be a few values that may the same as a Green Russian, not sure , never really scoped that out. But I can assure you, it's not based on one. I took the muff circuit and beat the fuck out of it. It doesn't resemble any EHX variation much.

Chovie D · October 13, 2011, 06:42:35 PM

all da muffs sound so different to me. when we talk aboot muffs (hehe

) we should really be specifying which version.