ilovefuzz.com

"The thing is, as much as guys like to split hairs between the different versions of Big Muff, it's still a Big Muff. The differences from version to version may be scrutinized until the end of time, but they are infinitesimal compared to the difference between any of them and any other type of fuzz. The most different one I ever heard was the IC Muff, which is probably why it's my favorite. But it's all an argument over retardedly similar shades of Muff".

I am not an expert and I play at bedroom levels, but I do not agree.
I currently own these muffs:

w&c caprid
ehx nyc reissue
ehx green russian reissue
ic 78 clone

I also own a macari's tc tonebender IV reissue (jumbo circuit), which is a modified muff.

They sound pretty different to me. For example, the caprid has nothing to do with the green. The tonebender is a different animal.

Maxxed out or hit hard with hot pickups or whatever, they're all pretty similar imo. And when you back them off, they're sometimes just chunky OD/distortions.

I ended up picking one up today after trying it at Sam Ash I had to. I went straight to my practice space to a/b it with my original Black Russian. With high output bass humbuckers the pedals sounded pretty damn close. There were some slight differences with the sensitivity of knobs in certain spots but overall I’d say it lives up to its purpose. They even matched the feedback with the volume dimed when not playing. Volume is not an issue. It added a volume boost to my already quite loud amp

MechaGodzilla wrote:Maxxed out or hit hard with hot pickups or whatever, they're all pretty similar imo. And when you back them off, they're sometimes just chunky OD/distortions.

Half agree with this. All in all what muff you prefer probably is a result of how well it suits your playing and your place in the mix. Some have more sustain, scooped, chord clarity, low end passing through, etc. There is more to a fuzz pedal than its overall texture. In the end it is a big muff as far as the "sound". But as a tool the differences matter in how you are playing and interacting with those you are playing with. I don't think its ridiculous to try a few different ones to figure out what is best for you. Keeping a collection of all the different ones seems overkill for me though.

Tone bullshit aside I think most people would be happy with a green russian big muff. I don't know why it always seems easiest to use.