by benjuro » Sat Aug 24, 2013 8:41 am
Both are great pedals...Hoof is closer to a Russian Muff sound if you're trying to get back to that, although it's going to add a clarity and snarl that Muffs won't have. The "fog" most of those Muffs ooze just isn't there...which is a good or bad thing, depending on what you want. I have an early 3 knob Hoof that is my go-to when I want massive walls of devastating mid-scooped evil. If you go Hoof, transistor selection can be important, as reportedly some recent models don't sound nearly as good.
If nice and smooth distortion is truly what you're after, a Pharaoh might be better suited to you. The fact that it stacks brilliantly with almost everything is a huge bonus. Be prepared to use it with gobs of volume, understand there's a learning curve to the controls, and remember versatility just means more of a range to dial in your sound...
Special low-frequency version.