Looking to replace my Big Muff; Fuzzhugger Algal Bloom?

[ArpeggioDream77]

Newbie here! I used to really dig my Big Muff, but now I regret it every time I stomp on the beast. It's way too harsh to my ears, the mids drop, and is almost non existent in a band mix. I've read that this is common with silicone fuzz boxes and have looked into replacing my Muff with some sort of germanium fuzz. I really don't want to invest in an EQ pedal to make my Muff sound better, so I'd like to replace it.

 

Doing some research I've narrowed my choices to either the Catalinbread Karma Suture (I have the Octapu**y, which is awesome!) or the Fuzzhugger Algal Bloom. The Algal Bloom sounds, and looks, absolutely amazing and is quite a unique pedal. I haven't heard anything negative about it, either. However, my concern is that I'll be back in the same boat with the Muff, as the Bloom is also a silicone fuzz.

 

Does anyone have any experience with the Algal Bloom? How does it fare in a band setting; does it cut through the mix? How is the Karma Suture in comparison?

[t_e_l_e]

sorry no experience with it, but have you tried to change the knobs on your muff the complete opposite way?

 

e.g. for myself was playing it with volume between 12 and 3 o'clock and so i could not turn the gain past 8-9 o'clock without earbleeding shrill feedbacking sound. i liked the sound and kept it that way.

 

but than i turned the volume down to 9 o'clock and could turn the gain way up higher and wow, i found a complete different pedal with complete different sound. in that setting the tone knob did also different things to the overall sound as in the opposite.

 

if you got lost in the mix, the first setting might suite you more, if you want singing sustain without being louder than everybody else the second would be the way to go.

 

overcoming ones habits is often very difficult, as is changing a pedal setting you had for ever

 

and here a recommendation for a different muff.

EQD Hoof Fuzz

http://www.earthquakerdevices.com/shop/Hoof/cat/13096

 

you can get what the muff does, but with the additional knob you can get much more different sounds out of it. i like it very much and i use both muff and hoof for different sounds

[ArpeggioDream77]

Yeah, I've messed with the Muff in every which way possible and still can't dial in a good sound. I've also tried every possible placement before and after everything. Power supply and patch cables are brand new. I mean, it sounds great when I'm by myself, but like I said when I'm playing with others I get lost in the mix... I've considered taking into a tech and having it looked at, as I bought it back in 2002 or so.