Hello to all Electro-Harmonix users

I’ve been inundated with questions about our new BIG MUFF Pi with Tone Wicker…so I thought it’d be best to rap about it on our forum.

It was way back in 1969 that I twiddled with the electronic components of the original Big Muff prototype for days…trying to smooth out the rougher parts of the distortion so it would produce that sweet violin like long sustain. At that time, my pay Jimy James became huge when he changed his style and name to Jimy Hendrix. And everyone wanted to sound like Jimy.

I sold the first Big Muff’s to Manny’s Music and was real pleased when he ( Henry ) told me “I sold one of the first units to Jimy Hendrix. Since Jimy and I were tight , he’d invite me to his recording sessions whenever he taped in New York. And, I dug it when I saw the Big Muff plugged into his lineup at the studio. It was just as much a gas when Carlos Santana ordered one from me mail order, paying with a check with Santana logo and carefully pasting his mail order coupon onto a sheet of Santana stationary.

Now, after almost 40 years, I have to say I am just as excited about the release of the really first design that takes a nice step beyond the original Big Muff Pi. The BIG MUFF Pi with Tone Wicker is exactly the same as the original Big Muff Pi, except it adds two new useful options.

To get that really sweet sustaining sound, there are several spots in the circuit where rougher distortion tones are rolled off. I envisioned defeating 3 of these roll offs and letting users decide if they wanted the option of getting a more raw sound. When we tried it, it really released some wicker on the Big Muff, and had so much raw energy, we didn’t have to tweek it at all. Hot from the first go around. Then I thought about how the Big Muff would sound if its tone control could be completely bypassed. The regular Big Muff tone control is a very warped filter, and so at any setting it’s always doing something to the tone. Presto… having the option to defeat the tone control, makes the whole sound spectrum open up wide.

Enough rap, I’m real excited about the BIG MUFF Pi with Tone Wicker, and if you dig the Big Muff, you’ll really dig it with the Wicker. Check it out and see for yourself.

Rock & Roll,
Mike Matthews