Double Muff Review

They put two of their classic transistor '69 plug-in Muff Fuzz effects together in one box, which means double the trouble! Using just one gives you a hint of milky distortion, or cascading the second lets you turn your milk into cream.

Ease of Use:	8.5
Sound:	9
Reliability:	7
Impression:	8
Overall rating:	8.1
Users rating:	7
Comments:	7

overall: 8

Featured review by: Tele Echoes, on october 22, 2007

Price paid: $ 63.2

Purchased from: Belle Air Music

Ease of Use: I bought this pedal just before summer (manual included, by the way) of this year and it has always been great. However, after getting my first tube amp I was really amazed by how great the standard Drive 1 sounded. It's comsmetic design is as equally simply and appealing as it's sound. There are 2 control knobs, the stomp button, and a switch between Muff 1 and Muff 2. The only thing that bothered me was that when it came time to replace the battery, it was a real bother to find a screw driver small enough to open it up. Now I just keep it undone a little bit. // 8

Sound: Up until recently I had been using a Roland 20x Cube with a Mexican Telecaster with this pedal. While it had been awesome for a fuzz pedal on Muff 2, Muff 1 never sounded that great on the solid state, and I never truly got the pedal I wanted. That was up until I got my Blues Jr. This pedal sounds incredible if you have the right amp. If you're looking for a Overdrive pedal for a solid state, I'm not too sure about this. You'll have to try it with a amp similar to your own before deciding to purchase it. The Overdrive is as weak or as strong as you want it to be with Muff 1 having the option of how much Overdrive you want to milk'er with. The cool thing about the Double Muff is that you don't just get an Overdrive pedal, but you also get a great fuzz pedal to use as well. When in the 2nd Muff mode, the 1st Muff Drive knob becomes a volume knob, while the second knob (only activates when in 2nd Muff mode) adjusts how much fuzz you want to pour out over you strings. Muff 1 has been very good for playing stuff like Eric Clapton, The Beatles, and Joe Walsh (I say that because while I like "Hotel California", I hate The Eagles). The 2nd muff is okay for getting sounds like Cream Clapton and maybe even a bit of SRV. However, the main reason I wanted this pedal was for more Pink Floyd and Hendrix. It's not the pedals fault it doesn't meet the expectations I wanted it to, since I knew beforehand that Hendrix used a Fuzz Face, while Gilmour used both Fuzz Face and Big Muff pedals. It would have been cool if their had been a 3rd knob for sustain when in Muff 2. It's great for Muff 2 on solid state, but it sucks for Muff 1. It's great for Muff 1 on a tube amp, and it's great for Muff 2 as well. // 9

Reliability & Durability: While the battery life is great and the pedal has never ceased to be functional while there is juice in it, the pedal lacks cosmetic durability. I managed to put scratches over the design without even noticing that I was doing so. Out of boredom, I scratched my initials into it without applying for pressure to my finger nail than I would while moving a mouse along it's mouse pad. The box is strong though. Do yourself a favour and remember what the labels under the knobs and Switch say, before they wear off. // 7

Impression: I play the rock & roll with this pedal and it suits me fine. I've been playing for over 4 years now and am very dedicated to my craft and am very picky about the product I use and can be very critical of something if I feel it isn't perfect. If it were stolen, I would probably just get a Fuzz Face and get it modified to the old school hilt, or the same for the Big Muff to sound like it's early '70s models. I love the single muff sound when it's playing through a tube. I hate the single muff through a solid state, as well as how easily the writing and design scratches and wears off. It's better than having a DigiTech distortion or a Dan Electro (the two other ones I've had in the past. I got them when I started. I was young and stupid). One thing I regret asking was how much it would cost to get a Big Muff. I chose this pedal because it was very affordable and I've always felt that Electro Harmonix makes great sounding pedals. I wish it had a sustain knob for the double muff fuzz. I also wish there was a foot switch to toggle between single and double muff. It's good and I would recommend you get it if you have a tube amp and desire a great sounding overdrive, and could use a decent fuzz pedal free of charge. // 8

overall: 8.3

Reviewed by: rhcpjhlz, on december 04, 2008

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Ease of Use: The Double Muff has a pretty simple setup. I didn't read the manual, you really don't need it because the pedal is really simple. There's a switch that determines if you are in single or double mode. Single being a slight overdrive and double being a semi heavy fuzz. In single mode, the bottom knob controls the volume and Overdrive level. In double mode, the bottom knob controls the output of the pedal and the top knob controls the amount of fuzz. // 9

Sound: I'm using an '07 Fender MIM strat through a Crate V18. I don't use any amp gain, it's always clean and if I want any gain I use the pedal. This pedal is classified as an Overdrive pedal, but it could be considered a fuzz pedal too. I mostly play funk, blues, and rock, but occasionally mess around with heavier stuff. In single mode, it sounds a little muddy when the knob is turned up higher at first, but when you start playing with the volume on the guitar, you can achieve a great slightly overdriven sound. If the pedal's knob is about halfway, 12 O'clock, the pedal will give a little break up, but works more as a boost pedal. In Double Muff mode, I typically keep the volume knob at 9 O'clock and the fuzz knob around 3 O'clock. On the neck pup, I can get a great Hendrix like tone here, and if I turn the volume on the guitar down it cleans up nicely for a SRV esque tone. With the guitar volume all the way up, the bridge delivers a tight distortion that is good for classic rock. When the guitar volume is lowered and on the bridge pup, I can get a crisp tone. I typically use that sound for blues rhythm, or RHCP type funk from the Blood Sugar Sex Magic era. It's great for playing bluesier stuff, especially on my strat.

I also use this pedal with a Dunlop original Cry Baby. The order of my setup is guitar, Double Muff, Cry Baby, amp. The distortion before the wah has a really odd effect. The wah seems to control the amount of distortion when I engage it. If the wah pedal is all the way down, it has the typical effect of a wah, and the distortion is all there. But when you toe back, of course your treble rolls off, but so does the distortion a little. I personally love the two pedals effects on each other, but others might not. If the muff is after the wah, it is a little difficult to notice the wah at all. It might as well not be on at all, which is why I always put the muff first. I occasionally use this pedal with my Epiphone G-400 and it has a creamy sound through this pedal. My only complaint is that the highs are a little too flat for my liking, but that could just be the fact that it's a cheaper guitar. It can be a great pedal, you just have to play around a little and find a few of the settings that fit your style. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I've had the pedal for about a year now and it still works fine. I've been using the same 9 Volt battery for the last 9 months or so and it still sounds fine. I don't know how it's lasted this long, but I'm not about to complain. The casing is pretty sturdy because it is made out of metal. The Only complaint I got on this pedal is that the input and output jacks are always going loose. It's really annoying because if you touch the pedal when you're playing, it makes the sound when you touch the end of the cable when it's unplugged. I have gigged with this before and I've never had a fear of it not working. // 7

Impression: It can be a great pedal, you just have to play around a little and find a few of the settings that fit your style. The better features about the Double Muff are that it is really simple to use, and with a few adjustments, it can cover a pretty wide range of music styles, just not really heavier stuff. I wouldn't recommend it for anything heavier than Harder Rock like Led or AC/DC, but it does cover those two particularly well. If it were stolen, I'd be pissed. // 8

Comments

[Pedro O'Mally]

this pedal sounds really good with a guitar that has single-coil pickups, i never use it with my humbucker guitars

[acdc_rocks_1992]

i looks good i have a metal muff and i love it

[bluesbarker]

I have this pedal for a few weeks and has numbers of gigs. It's exactly what i needed, in sound and in the quality of build. Great piece of kit for not much money!

[TJ1991]

I use this for playing Muse on bass. Not perfect but sounds close enough for what I need. Outstanding considering the price.

[papersun87]

I'd love to give one of these a try.

[ihavenoname93]

this pedal doesnt switch between 2 muffs, it switches between just one and both muffs at the same time. tele echoes is wrong

[Duv]

To be honest it's such a cheap pedal that are these 'reliability' issues really much of a problem? I know these kind of products aren't supposed to have a shelf life, but it's a competitively priced pedal so i would probably expect some cheap equipment/minor quibbles...

It is annoying but understandable.