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I currently have the equivalent of Civil War, Ram's Head, and Vintage Maxon D&S-style muffs on hand. The differences between the aforementioned muff iterations are noticeable enough to justify keeping all three. Is there something else an IC/Op Amp Muff can offer that the aforementioned versions can't with guitar? Thanks in advance for your input.

I like IC Muffs.

I've been meanin' to try one of those small foot Wren & Cuff Eye See Pis.

TWSS, and what specific qualities of the IC muff are appealing, e.g., attack, gain character, etc?

I like how "full" sounding they are?

The only "IC Muffs" I've got now are a Frantone Cream Puff and an Electric Heat Cream Puff clone. They're pretty huge sounding. So, yeah, if you wanna hear a big, pillowy cushion of fuzz, they're definitely worth a try.

Hmm. If they're mellow and smooth, I probably have that covered with the Civil War clone.

If you want *that sound*, then get one. Otherwise, I feel the fredric muff covers all muff bases enough for me right now.

The Fredric Effects ICBM 78 has been in my Reverb watchlist for a while. After listening to more clips today, it seems the IC Muff circuit may have "pillowy" qualities, but that there is also plenty of underlying static for drones and, perhaps, even tight bass when muting. It almost seems like a compromise between the most desirable qualities of the Ram's Head and Civil War versions.

Other than what has been mentioned, are there other IC Muff variants and/or clones ILFers would recommend for guitar in various (de)tunings?

BAT Crown Of Horns.

Does the Crown of Horns need post gain to sound full, or is it a standalone fuzz machine?

Haven't messed with it, but the Mojo Hand FX 1979 seems like it does would do the trick :idk;

But unless it's about collecting/hoarding, I wouldn't say you really "miss" this particular shade of muff, what with the already super nice collection you've got there

At one point I had a V4 IC Muff, v6 "reverse" and 1 each of Tall Font & Bubble Font v7 in my stash, to compare. [Plus a SUF 1975 v3]
IC Muff seems to mesh with non-guitar/bass instruments better than the transistorized versions. [for electric piano, organ, samplers, loops etc]
Of those 5 the only 1 I kept is the v6, and not just because of its visual aesthetic [I'll swap in whichever guts I favor if that was the case]
The v6 I have blends several of my favorite characteristics from the other Muffs in 1 box, and TONE BYPASS is icing on the cake.
The bass isn't quite as massive as the green v7s, but it's close.
There isn't quite as much gain as the v3, but it's not far off.
Not quite as sweet as RAOD/Civil Wars, but still capable of the same buttery response w/lead play.
There IS the same grittiness of a violet-era Ram's Head

It's so enjoyable to play with either guitar or bass that I cant pick a favorite...and yet, I do still think about the other Muffs [like any other vintage pedals I use for a while and then fickly move along to a new home]. However I would NOT trade my v6 to get any of them back...tho IC is the first I'd try to track down.

I'm not much into IC Muffs myself, but I've been thinking that the Caroline Shigeharu is pretty cool, though the way I understand it it's more inspired by rather than a direct clone

ck3 wrote:The Fredric Effects ICBM 78 has been in my Reverb watchlist for a while.

I forgot that they introduced that one, I was talking about their Green Russian. I've been one of those that has a lot of different muff variations in their pedal stable but I've sold all of them off except that Fredric Green because it was so cheap and can cop all the muff character I need really. I don't think the different breeds of muff actually sound that different. The main differences are how "smooth"[compressed] they sound and particular EQ voicings.

frigid midget wrote:But unless it's about collecting/hoarding, I wouldn't say you really "miss" this particular shade of muff, what with the already super nice collection you've got there

The rear right corner of my high gain fuzz drawer is currently occupied by the aforementioned muff variants. A few more would probably begin to qualify as hoarding. It's a slippery slope, but likely a fun ride.

rustywire wrote:At one point I had a V4 IC Muff, v6 "reverse" and 1 each of Tall Font & Bubble Font v7 in my stash, to compare. [Plus a SUF 1975 v3]
IC Muff seems to mesh with non-guitar/bass instruments better than the transistorized versions. [for electric piano, organ, samplers, loops etc]
Of those 5 the only 1 I kept is the v6, and not just because of its visual aesthetic [I'll swap in whichever guts I favor if that was the case]
The v6 I have blends several of my favorite characteristics from the other Muffs in 1 box, and TONE BYPASS is icing on the cake.
The bass isn't quite as massive as the green v7s, but it's close.
There isn't quite as much gain as the v3, but it's not far off.
Not quite as sweet as RAOD/Civil Wars, but still capable of the same buttery response w/lead play.
There IS the same grittiness of a violet-era Ram's Head

It's so enjoyable to play with either guitar or bass that I cant pick a favorite...and yet, I do still think about the other Muffs [like any other vintage pedals I use for a while and then fickly move along to a new home]. However I would NOT trade my v6 to get any of them back...tho IC is the first I'd try to track down.

Thanks for the comprehensive comparison. I wasn't previously aware of the v6 and just did some relevant reading on the Kitrae site. Muff hoarders unite!

TraceItalian wrote:I'm not much into IC Muffs myself, but I've been thinking that the Caroline Shigeharu is pretty cool, though the way I understand it it's more inspired by rather than a direct clone

I was eyeing that variant a month or so ago and decided the octave up wasn't necessary ... before later becoming IC Muff curious. If one turns up used/cheap, I may give it a go.

MechaGodzilla wrote: I forgot that they introduced that one, I was talking about their Green Russian. I've been one of those that has a lot of different muff variations in their pedal stable but I've sold all of them off except that Fredric Green because it was so cheap and can cop all the muff character I need really. I don't think the different breeds of muff actually sound that different. The main differences are how "smooth"[compressed] they sound and particular EQ voicings.

Muff and Bee Baa clones are my current high gain fuzzes of choice, and I usually have one of each on my board. The nuances separating them may be subtle, but I definitely hear them ... or have convinced myself to believe they exist.

A Fredric Effects ICBM 78 arrived earlier today. It seems different enough from the abovementioned Muff variants to keep. I definitely hear and feel the "pillowy" quality that Chankgeez referenced.

With the tone bypass engaged, there's a delightful smoothness perfect for medium gain legato leads. An ideal amount of edge and crackle is possible with the tone control active and sustain around 2:45.

Overall, though a Maxon Water and Vick Audio 1861 are still my favorites, the ICBM 78 is a solid additional to the Muff arsenal.