About my DMM’s:

* The 90’s-2000 was modded to 3PDT, because it came with a DPDT but the LED was on with the effect engaged or bypassed. Also, I remember some op-amps had been changed by the previous owner (4558’s instead TL072’s if I’m not mistaken – we didn’t took notes when it was being revised, oops). Also the circuit board was one-sided and it contain two delay chips but with more storage than late reissues, so the delay time was slightly longer and preamp gain was higher too.

* The 2000-2002 (the one from the shop) is all original (described at previous message). Shorter delay time (slight difference) and cleaner than 90’s-2000 modded and 2003.

* My 2003 wooden-box version has the modern round knobs, but the switch is a blue 3PDT EH type (as I saw when opened the cover, but I didn’t do anything else). Although the LED is always on. But has no trails and the preamp stage acts only when delay effect is engaged. Delay time is like the first DMM I mention above. The board is still one-sided. This one is as came out from factory.

* The “after 2005” DMM (cardboard box) is original, but is has a 3PDT and TBP using relays. The delay time is shorter. It contains four delay chips but with less storage than earlier reissues. Although, the LED is always on. as I remember, the circuit board is a double sided one.

That’s all I know. I can open a big boxed EH and look inside (nothing else), but DMM’s too complicated to me.

Maybe I’d give more info in the future. The next time I’ll make notes when I head them to my tech.
No matter which one… DMM’s are always great!

Enjoy them

Nacho

I own one of these units, recently bought in eBay. I own three more reissue versions of DMM modded or stock True-Bypassed (90’s-2000, early 2000-2002, 2.003 and after 2.005), but this is the one I was looking for to complete my “DMM team” (although I have no intention of getting rid of any of them of course because they are great too, but each one has its own style). It creates trails when the effect is bypassed and the preamp stage is always active, which allows you to match levels of effect on and off signals. Weird but acceptable to me.

I’m very happy about getting this DMM because is exactly the same I owned seven years ago and this is the one that “caught” me forever. Others are or have modded to TBP or they have it from stock, but I’ll leave this as it came (with its black-pointer knobs and a DPDT Carling-look switch – very silent).

After testing it, in a long signal chain with a mixture of TBP’s and buffers, I have to say that I don’t appreciate tone-loss issues [sorry, but “tone sucking” is an “ethereal” (and sometimes nonsense) concept to me] and/or bad soundings.

The delay time is slightly shorter than later reissues and cleaner.

As I’ve tried (based on years of playing experience with DMM) I think overloading is not a problem once you set the level to an appropriate value, even more, you can take advantage of this to add more punch to the signal chain. This preamp has a very natural drive and enough performance above half values until it begins to get the overdriven sound (I place it at the second row in my pedal board so I can’t kick level knob or move it accidentally). In fact, when pushed level to max you can get a warm but solid overdrive, and most important, very friendly to playing dynamics.

Despite being reissues, are these 90’s DMM still based on the design of Howard Davis?.

Undoubtely, DMM is one of my favorite pedals from the EH catalog, and one of the best sounding analog delays I’ve ever tried.

My recent interest on EH boxes is focused on 90’s-early 2000’s period (until 2002) reissues, and honestly, they sound good without any kind of mod (sorry I’m not very friendly to mods), I’ve noticed they are underrated and sometimes dismissed.

I have found difficult to find some reissues of that period because I wanted them originals without mods but, at last, I’ve managed to get some reissues of Deluxe Memory Man, Q-Tron, Stereo Polychorus and they’re great!.

And this is my early 2000-2002 reissue, just like the 90’s-2000 but without the AC cord and an external power supply instead.

The unit served as demo in a USA music shop and was almost never used, so it has a mint condition.

Regards

Nacho

Hello:

Finally I’ve bought the EH’s 16 SDD Reissue but without the original foot controller.

Which one do you recommend as a substitute?, the HOG’s foot controller or 2880 SM-Looper’s foot controller?.

As I asked before… do the six switches from 2880’s SML match with the 16-SDD foot controller exactly?

Thank you very much for anybody’s help.

Nacho

Hello:

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

Hello again:

By the way. As I said on my first review that Double Muff works better when placed at first position in the chain, I recently discovered that Double Muff still performs nicely at second position with certain effects…

… yes!. If you have an MXR Blue Box (weird but fantastic effect) but you don’t want to mod it [like me] (because of it’s limited output volume range), put Blue Box first and Double Muff immediately after, then switch them on and be prepared for sonic demolition.

For some reason, the sound of the Double Muff interacts really well with the random two octave down fuzz of the MXR BLue Box, no matter you want to boost the MXR BB or you want to give more “thud” to Double Muff. The results are fantastic because there’s still lots of gain and output volume ranges (over unity gain), making BB more versatile with the Double Muff while the Blue Box gives Double Muff a drone-doomy style.

Also you can get a myriad of combinations using single and double modes of DM while tweaking with the Blend control of BB. Even at max. level of random two-octs. down!.

BB’s built-in noise gate acts as well as usual (taming the noise and unwanted feedback) but lets Double Muff sound as is.

The Double Muff at second position with this set-up still sounds pretty good itself and doesn’t turn trebly or harsh.

As I’ve tested, it suits better with p-90/Jazzmaster or medium-gain humbucker type coils than high-output humbuckers.

Regards and enjoy with DM!

Nacho

Good mornin’

Finally, I’ve completed my “EH Army”: Latest and final update 30/07/09 (no more pedals, please! -laughs)

Original EH boxes:

* 1978 EH NYC Big Muff Pi (Op-Amp) with Tone Bypass and “True Bypass Mod” (still with the original Carling switch).
* 1977-78 EH Deluxe Big Muff Pi (“Blend On/Off” version). All original!
* 1977-78 EH Deluxe Big Muff Pi (“Parallel/Series” version), “True Bypass” modded and additional switch for compressor on/off.
* 1975 EH Octave Multiplexer.
* 1978 EH Doctor Q Envelope Follower.
* 1974-78 EH Small Stone Phase Shifter (First version).
* 197?-78 EH Small Stone Phase Shifter (Second version).

Assorted reissue EH boxes:

* 90’s Sovtek “Military Green” Big Muff Pi – thick graphic version.
* EH Big Muff Pi USA (Early 2.000’s version with black-pointer knobs and Carling-type switch).
* EH Big Muff Pi USA (Bought in 2.005, last of wooden-box units, I suppose).
* EH Double Muff (cardboard packaged version).
* EH Metal Muff Distortion w/Top Boost.
* EH Hot Tubes 2.002 version (pointer knobs and Carling DPDT switch).
* EH Octave Multiplexer reissue (classic chassis) (cardboard box late version with round knobs).
* EH POG.
* EH Q-Tron (wooden box, early 2000’s version with black pointer knobs and Carling-type switch).
* EH Frequency Analyzer (Big box. Bought this year – cardboard packaged).
* EH Pulsar Tremolo (x2) (Wooden Boox version – 2.004 or 2.005 & later (2006) cardboard box version).
* EH Stereo PolyChorus (Early 2.000’s version with black-pointer knobs and Carling-type switch).
* EH XO Stereo Pulsar.
* EH Deluxe Memory Man – early reissue (american AC-cord) with black “pointer knobs” and “True Bypass Mod” with a 3PDT switch.
* EH Deluxe Memory Man – second early reissue with external power supply, black pointer knobs and Carling-type switch. All original!
* EH Deluxe Memory Man – 2.003’s wooden-box reissue round knobs and standard “hex-nut secured” footswitch, pre-“True Bypass” version.
* EH Deluxe Memory Man – Latest reissue (2.005 and after). Cardboard box packing and “True Bypass with relay” unit.
* EH Stereo Memory Man With Hazarai.
* EH Holier Grail Reverb.
* EH 16 Second Digital Delay reissue (x2). Both are “stock” (with the 4-bar count in previous to recording). One is from 2004 (wooden box) and the other one (purchased recently without original packing) is later.

And that’s all, folks!

Greetings from Spain.

Nacho

Hello:

I was thinking on getting one of these via eBay, but finally I decided not to go for it. I’ve read some opinions about this but I didn’t draw any clear conclusion. I preferred not to take any risk and bought the present reissue (the latest round-knob type and cardboard pack).

Maybe the reissue is not as “magic sounding” as the original, but at least (as I’ve tried until today) I don’t have noticed volume drop issues. I think that certain settings go over unity gain.

I’ve found interesting when used at 100 % wet, you may tweak with the “Shift” to interact with a delay pedal set at the edge of self oscillation. It’s really piercing or booming (depending the filter is engaged or not).

For heavy distortion, the Frequency Analyzer with the bass filter engaged is a low-end mayhem. In fact, I use it to boost distorted chords that rely on certain interval notes that make usable harmonies or unison-string chord.

The advantage of EH big boxes is that they seem easier to work and tweak with them. Good luck!

Regards

Nacho