Home Forums Vintage EHX V5 Big Muff

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 17 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #78991
    firesgt911
    Member

    I got my hands on a 1978’ish V5 Big Muff EH1322 today! It is in really good shape and sounds better than any of my other pedals! I am pretty excited. I know it isn’t the most highly regarded of the muff family, but it does sound good. It is my introduction into vintage pedals. Definitely more of a distortion sound to it than a crazy fuzz.

    BUT…the tone-bypass switch cuts out and you have to wiggle it a little to get it back.

    My question for you fine gentleman is, do you think contact cleaner can fix the problem or do I need to replace the switch? I would like to keep it original, but want it to work right first and foremost. Any suggestions?

    #101530
    firesgt911
    Member

    I can’t seem to find my usb cable for my camera, but I will, and when I do pictures are coming! I even have the original warranty card and instruction sheet.

    #101531
    firesgt911
    Member

    IMG_0974.jpg

    IMG_0979.jpg

    IMG_0978.jpg

    IMG_0977.jpg

    IMG_0975.jpg

    IMG_0981.jpg

    #101539
    The EH Man
    Moderator

    Most likely the switch can use a good cleaning. You can disassemble it with a pair of needle-nose pliers, clean the contacts on the base with an eraser, then reassemble the switch.

    #101561
    firesgt911
    Member

    Great! Thanks. I will try cleaning it. I can get a switch for like a buck, but I would like to keep it original, you know?

    Thanks again.

    #101604
    Ned Flanders
    Moderator

    Your new big muff is the opamp version BTW, it doesnt use any transistors. One of my favorite versions!

    #101614
    devnulljp
    Participant

    What’s that chain of resistors in there? Mine has that too, but it also has a ‘repaired by EHX Man’ sticker inside so I thought it was a repair thing.

    #101617
    Ned Flanders
    Moderator

    Its stock and its the tone bypass. You’ll also notice it has a cut trace. if you were to repair this cut trace and remove them resistors and capacitor it would no longer have tone bypass.

    #101618
    devnulljp
    Participant

    Excellent – Thanks.

    #101911
    firesgt911
    Member

    ***UPDATE***

    So, I cleaned the switch and it works like a dream! This pedal sounds great. It gives me a great distortion sound that I can’t stop using. It does suck the H≪out of my amps tone, but sounds so good while on that I don’t really care.

    Liberty Belle,

    I did a lot of research before buying this pedal. I knew it was the opamp and that most players of the time didn’t really care for them. I read that it didn’t stay in production for long, probably due to the fact that it sounds different than the other Muffs. But, then I read one review that described it as one of the best distortion pedals the person had ever used and one of the worst fuzzes. He also said that it rarely comes off his board. I figured the price was right and it was vintage, so I would give it a go. I am really glad I did. I do hope to get my hands on a Rams Head and a Triangle someday, but for now this one is getting the job done. I might try to make it true bypass, but I have enough projects for now.

    Thanks for all the great posts and information on this forum. EHX has me hooked.

    #101945
    Ned Flanders
    Moderator

    True bypass it, the bypass on vintage EHX (or any vintage pedal for that matter) is terrible.

    #101946
    firesgt911
    Member

    Will do!

    #102077
    devnulljp
    Participant
    Quote:
    Your new big muff is the opamp version BTW, it doesnt use any transistors. One of my favorite versions!

    Man,you can’t give these things away. I’ve been breaking up my muff collection to fund some bigger deal pedals and nobody wants these ones.
    We need a buy & sell forum on here for vintage/old EHX…

    #102079
    firesgt911
    Member

    I think nobody wants them because people say they are bad. Sure, they don’t sound like the other muffs, but man they still sound really good. Im glad I was able to get my hands on it for so cheap. I think people should try it before they drink the Kool Aid.

    #102082
    nneekolas
    Participant

    My guitar player used to have an op-amp with true-bypass Muff, and I thought it sounded huge on bass and recorded with it a couple times, but it had a very compressed, squishy kind of character that other muffs don’t seem to have. It really worked for those dreamy, super-sustaining slow leads.

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 17 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.