Big muff won't cut through the mix HELP

[Mattbass97]

Hello! Everytime I kick on my bass big muff with my band it absolutely disappears!! It's soo frustrating I was wondering if the bass fuzz deluxe by mxr sounds similar to the big muff and if it cuts through better?

[lxxwj]

Mids. That's what you need.
I personally like the Iron Ether Oxide for fuzz, but experiment.
Edit: Did I just shamelessly plug the Oxide? I think I did..

Edited August 3, 2012 by lxxwj

[chrismuzz]

Big Muffs do cut out your mids sadly Try using Dry mode to keep some of your clean tone in there... Either that or just turn up the volume

[dudewheresmybass]

I always had the same problem. As mentioned above the dry mode is the way forward.
The bfd I find to be more versatile. With the separate controls for dry and fuzz give some really thick sounds in the mix

[thisnameistaken]

Are you in a band with a guitarist who is also using heavy dirt? If so, either turn up louder than him or turn your fuzz off - it won't work.

[Sibob]

Go look at the Fuzzrocious Grey Stache, it's based on the GGG Big Muff, but with a Mid control and diode options.
I had the same issue when I had a standard Big Muff, great sound but not giggable. My Grey Stache changed all that

Si

[Mattbass97]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1343980016' post='1758003']
Are you in a band with a guitarist who is also using heavy dirt? If so, either turn up louder than him or turn your fuzz off - it won't work.
[/quote]

Not at all he uses a PowerStack and big muff tone wicker most the time on moderate settings, I just get lost in cymbals and guitar it's frustratin because I still feel and hear the bass just the fuzz in near non existent

[lettsguitars]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1343980016' post='1758003']
Are you in a band with a guitarist who is also using heavy dirt? If so, either turn up louder than him or turn your fuzz off - it won't work.
[/quote]
Bass should be cleeeaaan. IMO
Fuzzy guitar+fuzzy bass=overfuzz.

[dannybuoy]

Are you using it in dry mode? In stock form, dry mode isn't very useable as it produces a large volume boost but this mod can change that: [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/112212-bass-big-muff-volume-and-feedback-mods/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/112212-bass-big-muff-volume-and-feedback-mods/[/url]

I use it in dry mode with the aforementioned mod, but also run a mild mid-boosting overdrive in front of it and have no problems cutting through. I use the Catalinbread SFT for this at the moment, but I've also had good results with a modded Bad Monkey and Xotic BB Preamp.

This way you can layer your dirt - clean, mild OD, and OD + Fuzz!

[woodyratm]

+1 to everything above.

Including the Oxide love

[Mattbass97]

I run the big muff on normal then infront of it I have an mxr di+ with a bass mid and treble boost and it still stays hidden

[EskimoBassist]

If you boost your Bass, Mids and Treble then it's just like raising your overall signal and won't address the mid cut. If you're not wanting to shift your Big Muff you could always buy a cheap EQ pedal and set it with a sizeable mid hump, thus every time you engage the fuzz with it you'll be able to punch through. That's what the bassist from ASIWYFA does, seems to work a treat!

Edited August 3, 2012 by EskimoBassist

[Gust0o]

Do you get any difference if you swap the pedals round in the chain?

I'll second the above - my Big Muff struggled to cut when the guitarist swapped to fuzz. It was go loud or go home for a while; Dry mode does offer some respite, but you need a more fundamental thought about what sound you - as a band - want, and who'll do what to get it.

[Sibob]

The Big Muff is quite a soft sounding Fuzz as it is, it's not running something like LEDs for clipping etc.
For a company best known for their Muff, they've never quite got it right for Bass IMO

Si

[Mattbass97]

Think I might try out the mxr BFD

[thisnameistaken]

Incidentally this is why some companies make bass distortion pedals with lots of EQ controls on-board. Like the MXR Blowtorch. It doesn't sound so great on its own but use it in a band context and it suddenly makes sense. Shame it's 18v or they would sell loads of them.

[Gust0o]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1343990341' post='1758230']
Incidentally this is why some companies make bass distortion pedals with lots of EQ controls on-board. Like the MXR Blowtorch. It doesn't sound so great on its own but use it in a band context and it suddenly makes sense. Shame it's 18v or they would sell loads of them.
[/quote]

The 18V issue is the only reason I avoided buying one - which prompted much heckling from Rich, for being wet

Opted for the Zvex Mastotron for my fuzz needs, which has the added bonus of allowing some alteration to impedence to cater for active basses.

[Gust0o]

[quote name='EskimoBassist' timestamp='1343987051' post='1758166']
If you boost your Bass, Mids and Treble then it's just like raising your overall signal and won't address the mid cut. If you're not wanting to shift your Big Muff you could always buy a cheap EQ pedal and set it with a sizeable mid hump, thus every time you engage the fuzz with it you'll be able to punch through. That's what the bassist from ASIWYFA does, seems to work a treat!
[/quote]

Ah, there you go - I should really read some more posts before commenting! Eskimo nailed what I was thinking.

[Chest Rockwell]

I've never really had a problem with it dropping out. My issue seems to be when i switch it off, there's too much treble/clank in the 'naked' bass sound...?! I use a Geddy Jazz, C# standard with drop B tuning.

i usually dial about 1 o'clock on the volume and distortion, bass boost on and tone just off full, depending on whatever bass cab's on stage.

[Mattbass97]

My bad monkey as your aware is modded to reduce mids so ba news for me haha and I cba modding it again for more mids I'll just try it on dry with my band and see how that goes