EHX Rams Head Muff reissue

Everyone needs a stompbox.
User avatar
tune_link
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 503
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2017 7:24 am
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Contact:

EHX Rams Head Muff reissue

Post by tune_link » Thu Oct 17, 2019 3:38 am

I can't be the only one that saw that EHX dropped a reissue of the Rams Head muff this week right?

As a long time fan of many big muff models I've always wanted one but could never decide on either paying for an OG or finding the right reissue clone. Wondering if anyone has thoughts on this or has seen the demo EHX did with it. Seems most of the reissues they've done of other muff models have been well received. I owned one of the Green Russian reissues briefly but did end up selling it and buying an EQD Hoof because it had more tone control and (heh heh) a lot more volume output. I also owned the Op Amp one and really loved its sound, sold it and already kind of regret that.

I heard a lot of good things about the SUF Rams Head clones - in particular that the main one they sell with the white enclosure and purple writing has massive volume output (something I'm looking for anytime I look at fuzzes).

Anyway, hoping to get some input here. Do you have a Rams Head clone? Which one? Do you have an OG model? Do you like it? How loud is whichever version or clone you have compared to your other fuzzes or other muffs?

All input appreciated. Thanks!

User avatar
Jazzmastervsjaguar
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 780
Joined: Mon May 28, 2012 7:37 am
Location: Silver Spring, MD (Burbs of DC)
Contact:

Re: EHX Rams Head Muff reissue

Post by Jazzmastervsjaguar » Thu Oct 17, 2019 6:09 am

I will forever be in the Big Muff Pi is the best sounding Distortion/Fuzz camp. To me there really is nothing else that gets the muff range of sound. They all have their limitations and all are a bit different but the heart and soul of a muff is the sound for me. Now with that disclaimer out of the way... I have owned many variants over the years (OG Muffs, Clones, Re-issues, etc.). The only one I have held onto over the years and will never sell is my Sanford & Sonny Blue Beard. To the best of my knowledge this is a Rams head Clone. It is the sound I know and it just sounds "right" to me.

I've never owned or played an OG rams head but I really like the way my Blue Beard sounds in compared to the other variants. The BB has a lot of low end but doesn't sound too muddy. I place an OD-1 in front of it and this solves the lost in the band mix that most Muffs suffer from.

I would say if you already know you like the Big Muff sound but didn't fall in love with the Russian variants or OP amp variants then the Rams Head might fill the Muff ticket.

User avatar
gypsyseven
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 320
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2013 10:35 am
Location: Rheinfelden,Germany

Re: EHX Rams Head Muff reissue

Post by gypsyseven » Thu Oct 17, 2019 8:21 am

Can’t wait to test the reissue!!!! So far I’m pretty happy with my Way Huge Russian Muff, but there’s always some space on my pedalboard for another pedal:)

User avatar
Maggieo
Expat
Expat
Posts: 13446
Joined: Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:36 am
Location: Nebraska, USA
Contact:

Re: EHX Rams Head Muff reissue

Post by Maggieo » Thu Oct 17, 2019 8:45 am

I've got the Triangle Muff reissue, love it, and can't quite justify getting a Ram's Head. They seem really close to me.

I did plotz when they did some perfect Frippertronics in the RH's demo, tho'.
“Now I am quietly waiting for/ the catastrophe of my personality/ to seem beautiful again.”- Frank O'Hara
I am not an attorney and this post is for entertainment purposes only. Please consult a licensed attorney in your state for legal advice.

User avatar
tune_link
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 503
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2017 7:24 am
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Contact:

Re: EHX Rams Head Muff reissue

Post by tune_link » Fri Oct 18, 2019 7:53 am

Jazzmastervsjaguar wrote:
Thu Oct 17, 2019 6:09 am
I will forever be in the Big Muff Pi is the best sounding Distortion/Fuzz camp. To me there really is nothing else that gets the muff range of sound. They all have their limitations and all are a bit different but the heart and soul of a muff is the sound for me. Now with that disclaimer out of the way... I have owned many variants over the years (OG Muffs, Clones, Re-issues, etc.). The only one I have held onto over the years and will never sell is my Sanford & Sonny Blue Beard. To the best of my knowledge this is a Rams head Clone. It is the sound I know and it just sounds "right" to me.

I've never owned or played an OG rams head but I really like the way my Blue Beard sounds in compared to the other variants. The BB has a lot of low end but doesn't sound too muddy. I place an OD-1 in front of it and this solves the lost in the band mix that most Muffs suffer from.

I would say if you already know you like the Big Muff sound but didn't fall in love with the Russian variants or OP amp variants then the Rams Head might fill the Muff ticket.
Talk about weird coincidences......

So I look up the Sanford & Sonny Blue Beard and what do I discover? The maker of this pedal - one Sonny Simpson, is a friend of mine from Knoxville from when I was a teenager and I haven't seen him in about 20 years or more. We were both involved in the Knoxville DIY/house show/hardcore scene back in the late 90s. It's cool to see he's making these pedals. Definitely makes me want to reach out about getting one now!

User avatar
Jaguar018
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 8045
Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:48 am
Location: Burbs of Washington DC

Re: EHX Rams Head Muff reissue

Post by Jaguar018 » Fri Oct 18, 2019 11:01 am

tune_link wrote:
Fri Oct 18, 2019 7:53 am
Talk about weird coincidences......

So I look up the Sanford & Sonny Blue Beard and what do I discover? The maker of this pedal - one Sonny Simpson, is a friend of mine from Knoxville from when I was a teenager and I haven't seen him in about 20 years or more. We were both involved in the Knoxville DIY/house show/hardcore scene back in the late 90s. It's cool to see he's making these pedals. Definitely makes me want to reach out about getting one now!
I would go this route 100% over random EHX stuff. I know a lot of people love this brand, but I find it to be pretty hit or miss.

User avatar
higgsblossom
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1066
Joined: Thu Jan 09, 2014 2:55 am
Location: Mannheim, Germany

Re: EHX Rams Head Muff reissue

Post by higgsblossom » Fri Oct 18, 2019 12:03 pm

What is the actual difference between the triangular and that model? The circuit is not that different, right?
"500€? That's the price of a J Mascis Jazzmaster!"

User avatar
tune_link
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 503
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2017 7:24 am
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Contact:

Re: EHX Rams Head Muff reissue

Post by tune_link » Fri Oct 18, 2019 2:25 pm

There’s some differences but they’re subtle. To my ears the Rams Head seems to break up a little better and yet retain more clarity by a slight shade than the triangle muff. But that’s just from me watching YouTube A/B videos. I often feel like EHX stuff is really hard to gauge without being in the room with it.

User avatar
somanytoys
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3325
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2017 1:59 pm
Location: Baton Rouge, LA

Re: EHX Rams Head Muff reissue

Post by somanytoys » Fri Oct 18, 2019 6:38 pm

Interesting, I play with a friend’s S&S BB on bass, and it sounds really good.

He had me try it one day when we were playing, and we both liked the way the breakup sounded, so I’ve used it on that board ever since. I’ve never really looked into them, and didn’t realize that it was a muff clone.

The pedal seems to me to be capable of very high output. It cuts the lows on bass, but I use 2 separate amps and that pedal is purposely only on one of them, so that’s not an issue for me.
-David

It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.

User avatar
RuffiansFC
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2980
Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2012 1:12 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Contact:

Re: EHX Rams Head Muff reissue

Post by RuffiansFC » Wed Oct 30, 2019 6:15 am

Maggieo wrote:
Thu Oct 17, 2019 8:45 am
I've got the Triangle Muff reissue, love it, and can't quite justify getting a Ram's Head. They seem really close to me.

I did plotz when they did some perfect Frippertronics in the RH's demo, tho'.
i noticed the fripp thing, too. he wasn't a RH user, but the demo was really close to the violin tone. he used a guild foxey lady from Islands into the 90s, which is a triangle muff variant. i have a foxey lady clone which does the 70s sound perfectly (clearer string separation) but doesn't quite sing on the violin lines like other muffs i have. i believe the FL has a different type of tone stack than the v1 muff the triangle reissue is based on. i wonder if anyone has figured out a mod for the triangle reissue to make it a foxey lady.

User avatar
Mike S
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 324
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2017 12:01 pm

Re: EHX Rams Head Muff reissue

Post by Mike S » Sat Nov 02, 2019 7:13 am

I'm trying to keep score on these mini reissues. Tell me if I'm right:
Triangle=V1 Triangle Big Muff
Ram's Head=V2 Violet Ram's Head
Nano Big Muff=V3 and V6, but glassier
OpAmp=V4 and V5
Green Russian=V7 Red Army Overdrive/Civil War/Tall Font Green Russian
Nano Bass Big Muff=V8 Green Russian/Black Russian

User avatar
SonicC
PAT PEND
PAT PEND
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Jul 30, 2019 9:46 am
Location: Glasgow

Re: EHX Rams Head Muff reissue

Post by SonicC » Sun Nov 03, 2019 6:04 am

I think this is version of the pedal J Mascis used (except his was original and a large one) so I may have to look into one of them as I don’t have a pedalboard friendly fuzz (I have a JDF2 Fuzz Face) but only when people start selling them used.

User avatar
grindliner
PAT PEND
PAT PEND
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Feb 17, 2019 7:25 am

Re: EHX Rams Head Muff reissue

Post by grindliner » Thu Dec 05, 2019 5:04 pm

more than you could ever comprehend about big muffs, and their modern day clones,
http://www.bigmuffpage.com/

click this link if you cant figure out how to get inhttp://www.kitrae.net/music/music_big_muff.html

User avatar
BlixaFan
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2757
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:37 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: EHX Rams Head Muff reissue

Post by BlixaFan » Fri Dec 13, 2019 5:01 pm

i'm intrigued enough that i may go to my local music store that has the green russian, ram's head, and triangle in stock, and do side by side comparisons...

User avatar
somanytoys
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 3325
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2017 1:59 pm
Location: Baton Rouge, LA

Re: EHX Rams Head Muff reissue

Post by somanytoys » Sat Dec 14, 2019 10:34 am

I've read here that the differences are kind of subtle, but sometimes matter a lot. Please post your opinions if you do that.

Just out of curiosity, anyone happen to know what "type"of Muff Keeley used in the Loomer? I didn't find it to be very flattering for my setup, but I'm curious which one it might be based on or most similar to.

I also have a Frantone The Sweet (that I'm selling), which is supposed to be a Muff on steroids, and it seems to be to me. I think Fran designed the NYC muff for EHX, so I'm guessing it's a variation on that one.
-David

It's a boost booster, to boost your boost - it makes your tone much muchier.

Post Reply