Home › Forums › Review Your EHX Gear › METAL MUFF (With 3BAND EQ)
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December 8, 2008 at 11:56 pm #77372Ned FlandersModerator
The metal muff is, contrary to popular belief, a distortion not a big muff derivative or a fuzz, It has a 3 band EQ which makes it really easy to dial in your individual sound and the mids knob is particularly useful for scooping the mids. The gain knob goes from mild overdriven Marshall kinda sounds to maxed out SLAYER kinda distortion, it it useful through the full rotation of the knob, not just a third or so like other high gain distortions, it really cleans up well with this knob and you can get some really convincing classic stack sounds with it, even through a twin reverb. It palm mutes very well, real chuga chuga type. The top boost is pretty cool if used sparingly but if you over do it it will become harsh, the key is to just set it a little above you distorted volume so it stands out for solos etc. The main part of the metal muff that catches my interest is the fact that it really does emulate a Marshal/Mesa stack really well, Its quite amazing how it turns a fender twin into a stack convincingly, its not advertised to do so but it does it quite well IMO.
If you want a high gain distortion capable of going from mild to high gain distortion this is it, its very versatile and sounds amazing, its a very underrated pedal.
Check it out on youtube!December 9, 2008 at 12:26 am #88731julianModeratormy friend has one and he loves it
I’m not quite so into it
but then again
I’m not |/|ETAL like my friends areDecember 9, 2008 at 3:36 pm #88736FUZZ (EHX Staff)MemberThe Metal Muff will smash you. It will also smash your audience. Metal Muff delivers that tight, articulate distortion. Yes, I agree too, more of a distortion with that Muff hump in it. You can chug away with your bridge pick up on and have the notes and each string cut through or have a Muff in Your Face sound on the other side. I like this box. It really delivers what it’s supposed to. You can’t tame the Metal Muff; it will unleash the beast in you!
December 9, 2008 at 11:09 pm #88852tubezipperModeratorQuote:The Metal Muff will smash you. It will also smash your audience. Metal Muff delivers that tight, articulate distortion. Yes, I agree too, more of a distortion with that Muff hump in it. You can chug away with your bridge pick up on and have the notes and each string cut through or have a Muff in Your Face sound on the other side. I like this box. It really delivers what it’s supposed to. You can’t tame the Metal Muff; it will unleash the beast in you!:rawk:
December 11, 2008 at 8:02 am #88921John JMemberI turned down a $60 Top Boost Metal Muff last summer and I still kick myself from time to time; I was broke anyways, but the Boss MT2 left an eternally lingering hatred for solid state high gain devices… Little did I know the Metal Muff is rad and extends far beyond the high gain realm.
PS: FUZZ said ‘muff hump…’
December 11, 2008 at 3:57 pm #88951FUZZ (EHX Staff)MemberQuote:I turned down a $60 Top Boost Metal Muff last summer and I still kick myself from time to time; I was broke anyways, but the Boss MT2 left an eternally lingering hatred for solid state high gain devices… Little did I know the Metal Muff is rad and extends far beyond the high gain realm.PS: FUZZ said ‘muff hump…’
We all have those stories of missing a great opportunity because of lacking in funds. This happens all the time and you learn. It’s good to hear that you can recognize the difference in both units. The Metal Muff is a box that stands out on it’s own. :metal:
December 11, 2008 at 4:47 pm #88957SirJackdeFuzzMemberI tried/tested one a few months ago, and was supprized how well this Metal Muff does a Southern Rock type break-up into a Fender ’59 Bassman RI !
Thinking of getting one !December 11, 2008 at 4:57 pm #88958FUZZ (EHX Staff)MemberQuote:I tried/tested one a few months ago, and was supprized how well this Metal Muff does a Southern Rock type break-up into a Fender ’59 Bassman RI !
Thinking of getting one !Funny you say that. The name is deceiving… you can get tons of great Muff tones. Just roll back your volume and you are somewhere else.
The EQ Band is really versatile and allows the frequencies to be adjusted accordingly.
December 11, 2008 at 6:42 pm #88977GoldengloveMemberSo, I tried it out today. The coolest tone I got was with the gain on minimum, mids on max, top boost on and on max, treble on min. A nice blues-rock tone.
But as far as hi-gain goes, it didn’t do it for me, there’s something about the mid control I don’t like. The tones are cool, but imo, it doesn’t beat an nice amps distortion. Still a good pedal, though.January 10, 2009 at 12:49 am #90374snouterMemberI play guitars with either a Seymour Duncan TB-5 or a Seymour Duncan Parallel Axis Distortion pickup in the bridge through a Kustom Coupe ’36 tube amp. I usually use the Metal Muff with the clean channel on the amp. When I switch the Metal Muff off and use the lead channel on the amp, as nice as that overdrive is, I definitely miss all the stuff happening with the Metal Muff on. I built my guitars and wired the tone controls on the pickups similar to the G&L PTB setup. When I turn the treble all the way down on the guitars and hit the top boost, I get another very usuable distortion which has a little muffiness flavor, and with tremendous presence. It is like a cherry on top. Delicious, but you save it for special occasions during a song. And of course using the Metal Muff with the lead channel is yet another option. :p
January 10, 2009 at 4:09 pm #90382GoldengloveMemberSpent some more time with the Metal Muff, and it truly is a beast. Spent a lot of time EQing my clean channel and the Muff, but got some real Slayerish tones. And the pinch-harmonics are awesome. I don’t play metal, so I guess I won’t be buying it, but still, it’s a great pedal.
P.S. We (actually, maybe it’s just me) need some second Metal Muff – which will give more Rectifier-like tones..January 11, 2009 at 8:30 am #90427CostchParticipantThe Metal Muff with Top Boost was my first EHX pedal. Good pedal no doubt, but I really should have thought it through before getting one. I had perfect metal tone in my amp already. But here’s a surprise: the amp is a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. I just have to crank the gain and EQ all the way up, and there you have it.
May 20, 2009 at 11:35 am #96872chevParticipantIt’s an excellent pedal to get a custom Metal Tone.
The Top Boost really helps to stand in front of the mix.
I got rid of it because I’m more into Stoner Metal…Fuzz…May 27, 2009 at 3:22 pm #97050Stoner WizardParticipantHello:
The EH Metal Muff w/Top Boost is really amazing. I was looking for a high-gain distortion and I hit in the bull’s eye. EH always sounds different and more experimental than others… so for the first time EH gets into “metal” territory I think is a very good job!
I use this to play from early 70’s proto-metal to stoner, until reaching the maximum doom/drone metal rumbles (think on Earth, Boris or Sunn O))) for example).
As I’m a Kyuss-fan, especially their 1.992-1.995 “magic” three album period… I could get the Josh Homme’s trademark “bass-heavy” guitar tone. One of my favorite tunes is the Black Sabbath cover “Into the Void”… I use Metal Muff to play it because it matches perfectly the Kyuss’ late-period sound.
When I use wahs, It goes first, fuzz and distortion go immediately after. The first tune I tried to test the Metal Muff with wah was another Kyuss one, which is “Jumbo Blimp Jumbo”, another cool instrumental from last album.
This is only an example, but, if you like bands like Monster Magnet, Fu Manchu, Kyuss, Obsessed, Beaver, Spirit Caravan, Spiritual Beggars… and many from mid to late 90’s stoner movement… don’t hesitate: Metal Muff sounds killer!
But it becomes an even more powerful grind machine when it’s paired with an USA Big Muff. Thus, I place my ’78 Opamp NYC Big Muff first and the Metal Muff after and… wow!, thorugh a Sovtek MiG 100 amp (which is very EH-friendly).
About the Metal Muff, of course you can get some “Marshall stack” sounds, but I think it gets closer to Mesa/Soldano territory.
I’ve managed to get different setups for single coil and humbuckers, from hard-rock sounds to screaming leads, or from solid rhythm to doom mayhem.
About the Top Boost… at moderate levels sound great, not only for soloing. In fact, I keep the Top Boost engaged almost every time I hit the Metal Muff.
As I play with down-tuned guitars (Standard C and D tunings), the Top Boost helps to give and extra bright without losing the “heaviness”.
Remember to shield properly your instrument and have a good wiring & power supply system to avoid unwanted noise, it’s a hi-gain beast so … be careful!
Regards
Nacho
July 1, 2009 at 6:31 am #98690Stoner WizardParticipantHello:
After one year of using with the band, I’ve managed to get four nice settings of EH Metal Muff.
* Single coil (P90/Jazzmaster type coils):
This one gives you a huge sound that works fine with down-tuned guitars. I use this with a Jazzmaster in Standard C. Reminds me the Kyuss guitar sound.
Vol: 2-3 o’clock.
Top Boost ON: 9 o’clock.
Treble: 10 o’clock.
Mid: 1 o’clock.
Bass: 2 o’clock.
Distortion: 10 o’clock.There is a second variation of this one just by setting mid knob to 10 o’clock, and rest of parameters keep the same values.
It serves as well for medium output humbuckers like Fender Wide Range adn Seymour Duncan Antiquity HB’s.
* Double coil (P90/Jazzmaster type coils):
This first settings allows you to cover a wide territory, from hard rock riff/lead to thrash or modern metal sounds. I use these settings with an old Gibson Sonex tuned to Standard D which has two high output HB’s.
Vol: 2 o’clock.
Top Boost: 9-10 o’clock (depending of bridge or neck pickups and tone values).
Treble: 11 o’clock.
Mid: Noon.
Bass: 1 o’clock.
Distortion: 9-10 o’clock (depending of humbucker output and how much the amp is driven).A second variation of the setting is achieved just by turning volume to 3 o’clock and distortion to zero. With this, you may crank the amp a bit more and you can get a nice crunchy sound in the vein of Tool’s complex palm mute rhythm or Porcupine Tree’s style.
Also, as I use a Big Muff before Metal Muff when I want to make it grind heavier than hell!
Regards.
Nacho
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