Big Muff Noob Question (with apologies)

[Rich_S]

I realize that the topic of Big Muff Pi versions is immense.  I tried doing some research, but there' just too much info out there to sort through all the noise and find what I need.  So, my apologies for asking a stupid-simple question.

What version of the Mudbunny is close to a normal US-made big-box BMP?  My kids have me on a Red Hot Chili Peppers kick, and I love John Frusciante's fuzz sound on Stadium Arcadium and the subsequent tour.  It's my understanding that it was a normal big box, I'm guessing early-2000s era.

[JakeFuzz]

You can make an NYC BM using the Mudbunny. Just use these part values for the numbering system on the mudbunny docs.

R1 - 1M
R2 - 39K
R3 - 100K
R4 - 510K
R5 - 100R
R6 - 10K
R7 - 1.8K
R8 - 10K
R9 - 100K
R10 - 470K
R11 - 390R
R12 - 10K
R13 - 10K
R14 - 100K
R15 - 470K
R16 - 390R
R17 - 10K
R18 - 22K
R19 - 22K
R20 - 470K
R21 - 100K
R22 - 10K
R23 - 2K
R24 - 100R

C1 - 1uF
C2 - 470pF
C3 - 1uF
C4 - 1uF
C5 - 470pF
C6 - 1uF
C7 - 1uF
C8 - 470pF
C9 - 1uF
C10 - 3.9nF
C11 - 10nF
C12 - 1uF
C13 - 1uF
C14 - 100uF
C15 - 100nF

All the other part values (transistors, diodes, pots, etc) should all be the same values specified in the Mudbunny documentation. I got these values from the pisotones schematic of the American muff.

http://www.pisotones.com/BigMuffPi/psst/BMP_versions.htm

Hope that helps!

[sprayfe]

Jakefuzz ftw! The guy never ceases to be helpful!

[Rich_S]

Thanks, JakeFuzz.  You surely live up to your name.

Another question about transistors:  I just discovered I have a little bag of MPSA18s that I got somewhere for free.  Will these make any appreciable difference in the sound?  I notice on the MPSA18 spec sheet is says, "For characteristics, see SN5008."

With luck, I may be able to build this almost entirely out of my junk box. 

[bigmufffuzzwizz]

Another question about transistors:  I just discovered I have a little bag of MPSA18s that I got somewhere for free.  Will these make any appreciable difference in the sound?  I notice on the MPSA18 spec sheet is says, "For characteristics, see SN5008."

Yes those should work just fine. They are supposed to have insanely high hfe, something like 1500.
My friend was telling me fran from frantone designed the newest NYC big muff thats available. Not sure how true it is but its supposed to be a revised version of a rams head, probably mixed with her peach fuzz circuit. Didn't realize that guy had all those schems posted on his site. Thanks for that link Paul!

[JakeFuzz]

Thanks, JakeFuzz.  You surely live up to your name.

Another question about transistors:  I just discovered I have a little bag of MPSA18s that I got somewhere for free.  Will these make any appreciable difference in the sound?  I notice on the MPSA18 spec sheet is says, "For characteristics, see SN5008."

With luck, I may be able to build this almost entirely out of my junk box. 

Haha, it was nothing really, a couple of glasses of wine and a some cascaded window action...

Another question about transistors:  I just discovered I have a little bag of MPSA18s that I got somewhere for free.  Will these make any appreciable difference in the sound?  I notice on the MPSA18 spec sheet is says, "For characteristics, see SN5008."

Yes those should work just fine. They are supposed to have insanely high hfe, something like 1500.
My friend was telling me fran from frantone designed the newest NYC big muff thats available. Not sure how true it is but its supposed to be a revised version of a rams head, probably mixed with her peach fuzz circuit. Didn't realize that guy had all those schems posted on his site. Thanks for that link Paul!

Yeah that site is awesome. I love comparing the differences in the circuits.

Woah 1500 hfe! That's going to be a wild sounding muff, i'd love to hear it. 

[Rich_S]

Pffft.  I don't know nuthin' 'bout Muffs, anyway.  I just want to use 'em cause they're free.

Somehow, I've played guitar for almost 40 years and never played through a BMP.  Time to change that.

[Haberdasher]

I used mpsa18s in my cherry bomb and I think they sound fantastic.  In a muff they might sound pretty high gain though.  I ended up liking lower gain ones in my triangle (bc549b's).  I felt the pedal was a little easier to control that way instead of just being a balls-out gain monster 24/7.

FWIW the 10 fairchild mpsa18's I got from mouser have an average hfe of 860, so really not that much higher than a 2n5089, and people use those all the time in muffs.