EHX English Muffin

[misc1600]

Think about getting one. What are your experiences?

[Psyre]

I know pumpkin pieces has been using one since I joined ILF.

Other than wanting to try one, that's all I really have.

[skullservant]

Yeah. He uses it as a preamp into his SS combo I think

[shitbiscuit]

would like to hear some firsthand comments on this pedal.

[the_carl]

I had kind of a love/hate relationship with mine. It could get kinda too harsh, but otherwise it does the tube distortion thing well and lends a nice character to cleans. I didn't think it really took being boosted by other pedals very well (got mushy and overblown, particularly with 12ax7's in there, which I think are not stock anyway? I don't remember. I liked it best with 12ay7's or one of each) but I'm pretty sure PP would disagree with me since he runs it all the way at the end of his chain IIRC. Not worth the new price, but for $100 or less, worth a shot. Note that it needs the included massive power supply, which connects to a dumb place on the pedal for pedalboard spacing, and that you cannot run it off of any of the aftermarket power supplies including the Voodoo Labs AC since it has a weird end connector. Also it is a physically very large pedal. It was super inconvenient to have on a board, actually.

[misc1600]

Funky power supply and the size of Texas. The charm of EHX pedals.

[bigchiefbc]

I was honestly not that impressed with the English, and I readily admit to being the EHX White Knight around here. I just found it too buzzy and not warm enough. I guess it really comes down to the fact that a couple preamp tubes in a box is never going to give you that nice saggy compressed power amp dirt that a real non-master-volume tube amp does so well. IMEHO most preamp tubes are either perfectly clean or buzzy as a beehive. I've just resigned myself to using an all-tube amp, using a power soak for dirties and using it straight for cleans.

[hbombgraphics]

I had one for a bit
I wanted to use it as a slightly dirty preamp at the end of my chain into a clean amp but it caused me tons of noise problems, I think there are much better pedals to use for this function.
As an overdrive front of chain it was pretty cool, but not as cool as most of my other overdrives.
cleaned up OK with guitar volume but didn't stack well enough for me to justify keeping it around.

I tested it in a bunch of spots and what I noticed was that it couldn't handle buffered pedals in front of it, they created a high pitched squeal through it when turned on
and that power supply is stupid

i was hoping you could get something to run it with a pedal power AC but it just doesn't exist

Hatshirt has mine now and loves it, says it is a huge part of his sound

[sonidero]

It's supposed to be a Marshall right??? I never go for anything "British Voiced"...

I have the LP 2ube and after changing the tubes a couple of times I found some that sound great... I usually gang the sides and use it at the front or the end of my chain and never have a problem... It's also cool to put a pedal between the tubes and boost in front or after...

[Ghost Hip]

Yeah. He uses it as a preamp into his SS combo I think

Haha, into my Peavey Classic 50. I haven't had a solid state combo in years... kind of miss it actually. Anywho, I guess it comes down to what you want it to do?

I use mine with 12AY7s, gain rolled back all the way. It tightens my tone up for the most part, gives more low end, a bit of grit and bite. I love the way it acts when I push it with high volume fuzzes. Real compressed and Muffy. If you want to simulate a tube amp... it might be disappointing. I use it as a pedal board moderator. Keeps everything together, making quieter pedals louder and louder pedals more controllable so there aren't any insane volume jumps but more dynamic ones. And overall it gives my rig it's own sound. It's not for everybody, and I've always wanted to try the LPB-2ube pedal to compare.

Like everything else, it may work for you or it may not, different pedals work with it better than others. It worked for me, and I can't imagine my rig without one.

And yeah, don't pay for one new, get it used.

[tim]

I have a buddy that swears by the English Muff'n. I always thought it was gimmicky, but he gets some killer sons out of it (of course, he runs it into a Sunn head). Ever since he told me about it, I've been keeping my eye out for a used one. I'll admit that I'd be really concerned about that power supply. If it dies, you will have one expensive paper weight.

[sonidero]

Come on it's 12v 1000mA and the end is funny... You could cut off the end or replace the input...

I like 'em as TUBE TAMERS like PP said...

[Ghost Hip]

TUBE TAMERS

[hatshirt]

i was hoping you could get something to run it with a pedal power AC but it just doesn't exist

Hatshirt has mine now and loves it, says it is a huge part of his sound

totally missed this thread until now! the power jack is the biggest letdown for me. i wish they would just hardwire a power cord with a ground! it is a big part of my sound for the same reasons pumpkinpieces describes here...

<
I use mine with 12AY7s, gain rolled back
all the way. It tightens my tone up for the most part, gives more low
end, a bit of grit and bite. I love the way it acts when I push it with
high volume fuzzes. Real compressed and Muffy. If you want to simulate
a tube amp... it might be disappointing. I use it as a pedal board
moderator. Keeps everything together, making quieter pedals louder and
louder pedals more controllable so there aren't any insane volume jumps
but more dynamic ones. And overall it gives my rig it's own sound. >

ive been lookin into a talons or elements to possibly replace it for power/size issues, but for what it is and being able to experiment with other tubes makes it pretty rad!
And like PP says, don't pay for one new, get it used!

[skullservant]

Yeah. He uses it as a preamp into his SS combo I think

Haha, into my Peavey Classic 50. I haven't had a solid state combo in years... quote]

Ah shit, sorry PP!