Hello! I think my Little Big Muff Ï€ may be broken, or perhaps more acurately speaking may have been faulty when bought. Perhaps I have faulty assumptions of the pedal. Let me describe. The pedal certainly has some level of distortion, but under no circumstance can I replicate or even approach anything like the type of sound that I’ve heard on the EHX website, or on the numerous demos on youtube. For instance, with everything at 12 o’clock, there is a significant volume drop. To break even the ‘sustain’ knob needs to be on full, and the volume something like two-thirds. The fuzz sound just isn’t there, it just sounds rather flatulent, barely distorted (I use distorted in a generic sense), none of that ‘infinite sustain’, it drops off very quickly (in contrast to a compression pedal). I’ve tried 9v batteries and power adaptors, with no difference. I’ve tried putting a tubescreamer before it on the pedal chain, with no significant difference. Of course I’ve also tried it on its own. I’ve tried going directly into the input on my amp, and using the effects loop; no difference. Other than pulling off the rubber feet and fitting velcro, and taking off the back to put in a battery, I’ve not fiddled with the innards of the thing.

When I compare my LBMÏ€ to the ‘fuzz’ setting on my holy stain, it just isn’t anywhere in the same league as it. I assume the Holy Stain’s fuzz isn’t technically a Big Muff Fuzz, but it certainly is a fuzz of some sort.

I’m using a 100w solid state Marshall amp. I only ever use it on the clean setting, with pedals providing all the distortion/overdrive effects. I wondered if the amp needed to have some level of dirt in order to bring out the fuzz, but like I already said, I tried a tubescreamer before it (and after it), to no significant avail.

Please advise – is it broke, or am I a dumbass? I love the rest of my EHX stuff, and I want a big muff sound that works!