Everybody loves a Big Muff. That huge wall of fuzz they produce is well known and well used by
nearly every guitarist at one point or another. There's good reason for that, it sounds freaking
awesome!!
But as most are aware, there is a dark side to the that sweet singing box of tone. A annoying
little gremlin that has plagued many an axe slinger since the days of it's inception. In fact I'd bet
4 Small Stones and a Deluxe Memory Man you already know what I'm talking about.
Stomp on a Muff in a live band situation and your tone is likely to vanish faster than a guy on
Maury who is proclaimed "NOT the father!" That scooped sound just gets ate up in the mix and
you end up sounding like you came unplugged.
Fortunately, the good dudes over at McCaffery Audio have a solution for you. Yes, you can now
have your fuzz covered cake and eat it too. Sounds kind of gross, but I think you get what I
mean. I introduce to you, the Green Vodka.
The first thing i noticed was the attention to detail of the packaging. When you slide the box
open, you can tell a TON of care was put into the presentation of the pedal. It's something you
truly want to open and just look at. Everything from the box printing, to the cool wax seal on the
back of the box shows a super high level of attention to detail.
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This also translates into the design of the pedal itself. The jacks are high quality, and solidly
installed, as well as the foot switch. Most importantly both are mounted to the pedal enclosure
and not the circuit board. Always a nice touch when it's possible.
In addition, the circuit board is quite robust looking, and all the components are cleanly installed
and laid out. The graphics look great, and clearly tell of this pedal's intention of nailing some
tones from Mother Russia.
And nail them it does. This stompbox definitely has that classic early 90s Green Box sound and
feel. I shot it out with an original Russian Bubble Font. With the "Beef" switch in stock mode, it's
very close. Definite audible boost to the mids, but that's what this pedal is for. Muff tone that
cuts. Flicking that switch to the left hits you with even more mids for those situations when you
really need to punch through.
The main controls are self explanatory. They are the same as any Muff, however it should be
noted that there is much more range to the tone control giving you added versatility. The "Pass"
switch is where it gets extra tasty.
This switch is based on the many modifications that Ryan McCaffery developed over the years.
In the center position it's the stock mode. Flick it to the left, and you get a nice little boost to the
low end, a beefier slightly creamy tone. To the right, you get a BIG boost to the lows and added
bass response. Sounds straight up wicked on bass.
The overall sound is very tight and focused. More compression and sustain than you can shake
a Strat at. Everything from that classic "wall of fuzz" sound to a compressed overdrive tone is
available with a twist of the sustain knob. It also has the somewhat oxymoronical sounding
"smooth fuzz" game on lockdown. This by far the most controlled sounding Muff I've ever
played. And did I mention it's ridiculously quite? Almost zero noise. I've never played a Big Muff
or any other fuzz this silent.
The Green Vodka is a great pedal. In my opinion, it's just what the doctor ordered for Big Muff
fans who are tired of being buried. It sounds awesome, has a ton of versatility, and is well made.
It has officially booted my original Muff off my board, and I do not see it leaving anytime soon.
Well done guys. Well done. Interested? Buy One
Blake Wyland