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ICBM vs. Black Sovtek Big Muff (Clips included!)


papamaverick

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I've been on a quest for a while to nail that elusive Gilmour tone form "Comfortably Numb". I've had a Black Sovtek Big Muff for a while and just picked up the ICBM Fuzz from MusicToyz. I played around with it a bit yesterday, but had a chance to record some stuff tonight (my car's brakes are shot, so I'm grounded this saturday night...)

 

I posted in an earlier thread that I was a bit disappointed with the ICBM when I first plugged it in, but was going to give it a second shot. This is that second shot.

 

I've posted three clips on my filebox:

 

Mystery Pedal 1

Mystery Pedal 2

Mystery Pedal 3

 

The tracks are me soloing on top of backing tracks to comfortably numb. I'm not trying to play 100% accurate, so don't get onto me about that ;) At the end of each file is a clip of the pedal by itself with no backing track.

 

These are gonna posted for a day or so for you guys to guess which is which. Now here's my setup.

 

I have three mics setup: an e609 Silver jammed into the grillcloth centered on the speaker; a Marshall V67G large diaphram condensor 12 inches out and slightly off center, and a Nady RSM-2 ribbon directly below the V67. The tracks are all mixed with no effects, the e609 wide left, the V67 wide right, and the ribbon straight down the center.

 

I'm playing a SRV strat with Bill Lawrence pickups, .012-.056 strings, and in the treble position. My amp is a Fender Deluxe Reverb reissue with gain = 5, treble = 9.5, bass = 5.5, reverb and vibrato off. I have a Keeley compressor on for all three tracks set at sustain = 2:30 and level = 12:00.

 

(not necessarily in order of clips above)

Option #1 is the Sovtek muff with tone = 8:00, sustain = max.

Option #2 is the Sovtek muff with tone = min, sustain = max, and an EQ pedal boosting +6 @ 800Hz, +10 @ 1.6kHz.

Option #3 is the ICBM with tone = 8:00, sustain = 12:00, and EQ pedal with same settings as option #2.

 

I'd love to hear your guesses as to which is which and also which you prefer.

 

Please don't mind my crappy playing.

 

P.S. A few other notes: the ICBM absolutely needs an indicator light. There is simply no justification to be making boutique pedals without that necessary of a component. Also, the ICBM has a good deal more gain than the sovtek; that's why it was only set to 12:00 above.

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They sound good. But the Gilmour tone lives in here.................. ;)

 

topfuel.JPG

 

I will get some clips up soon as well as a review. I am still digesting how great Skreddy captured Gilmour in this little box!

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Okay, time for results.

 

The first clip was the Sovtek with tone control at minimum.

The second clip was the ICBM.

The third clip was the Sovtek with tone control a bit higher.

 

Interesting, huh? Keep in mind the Sovtek has no mods; it's straight stock. [Well actually due to its crappy construction I had to resolder one of the leads, and I used some high end solder to get that tone. Cheap solder might have messed with the low end some ;)]

 

The biggest difference is that there's a very pronounced midrange bump in the Sovtek. I go back and forth on whether I prefer the Sovtek or the ICBM, but probably 75% of the time I prefer the Sovtek. I'm probably gonna return my ICBM to MusicToyz.

 

I'd love to try a Top Fuel once I get my money back from the ICBM.

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Just to add my input - I recently purchased a USA Big Muff reissue (true bypass) and was not satisfied at all with it. The pedal was very noisy and muddy in my opinion. Not very articulate. I'm looking forward to trying my ICBM when I receive it.

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I have a black russian big muff and I love it. I have several other various types of muffs too that I love. I am also going to order another newer black one that is true bypass. I got one for the hell of it one day and I was surprised how good it sounded. These clips should be a testament to that. :cool:

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Sustain on the ICBM at noon, sustain on the others maxed?

 

Well, I do like a pedal that can make a proper racket. :-)

 

The "Comfortably Numb" solo seems to be the benchmark of Muffazoids....if anyone wants to lay down some Smashing Pumpkins, I'd love to hear that.

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