kerble wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2026 3:39 pm My shame is I keep coming up with new tunings for my guitars and now I lug around like four-five to play a set. I blame myself, but it all sounds so good.

the robot tuners use case (unless you also rely on specific string gauges per tuning)

jirbling rake wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2026 4:20 pm

kerble wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2026 3:39 pm My shame is I keep coming up with new tunings for my guitars and now I lug around like four-five to play a set. I blame myself, but it all sounds so good.

the robot tuners use case (unless you also rely on specific string gauges per tuning)

oh man, a couple are four stringers in tenor and contrabass uke tuning, one is a five stringer with a skipped string in the middle. They're all kinda goofy, so sadly, no robo-guitar for me.

Here's something embarrassing and gear related . . .

When I first started playing in bands, in the mid nineties, I didn't have loads of pedals. Certainly nothing to write home about. I didn't know much about them and couldn't afford a lot anyway.

But while in my second band, circa 1995 to 1996 (or something), for whatever reason, I bought a new "Green Russian" Sovtek/Electro-Harmonix Big Muff. It came in a wooden box. I remember bringing it to practice one day and the two other people in the band making fun of it for looking like a weapon/bomb detonator, or something.

It was cool, I liked it enough, but it never got used live and after a while it just sort of faded to the background.

Eventually, in the late nineties or something, I sold it on eBay. Can't remember what I got for it, but it couldn't have been more than $200 including shipping.


After that, I'd forgotten about it for a while; mostly, I didn't have anything to do with making music and accruing gear from about 2003 to 2015.

Fast forward to a few years back from today . . . Was on Reverb.com, idly looking at the prices of various things. Punched this "Green Russian" thing into the search field and was genuinely shocked at how much they go for now. Had I held onto it, it likely would be my most "collectible"/coveted-by-others pedal.

Kinda crazy.

DaveA wrote: Mon Mar 16, 2026 6:38 pm Fast forward to a few years back from today . . . Was on Reverb.com, idly looking at the prices of various things. Punched this "Green Russian" thing into the search field and was genuinely shocked at how much they go for now. Had I held onto it, it likely would be my most "collectible"/coveted-by-others pedal.

Kinda crazy.

They are worth a lot more now, its true, but TBH anyone that knows what's what is selling them while they still work. I did this a few years ago with mine which I bought new at the same time as you did. They used odd parts that existed in Russia at the time and not so much now. The big one being the on/off switch. Once that thing fails, which it certainly will, you're fucked for finding a proper replacement to keep the thing kind of original.

Kinda figured something in there must be hard to come by. A weird switch doesn't surprise me, but maybe someone could replicate it.

Anyway, I know there a tons of Muff clones/variants/etc., but how do those mini Green Russian reissue things compare?

They're very reasonably priced if they can get over 85% there.

DaveA wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2026 8:48 am Kinda figured something in there must be hard to come by. A weird switch doesn't surprise me, but maybe someone could replicate it.

Anyway, I know there a tons of Muff clones/variants/etc., but how do those mini Green Russian reissue things compare?

They're very reasonably priced if they can get over 85% there.

They *should* be identical. If they arent, a lot of other people make ones that are.

Then it's a no brainer: sell the original, buy the clone, and pocket the difference.

I never owned an original Sovtek Green Muff, but have had a bunch of clones, and I think the EHX one sounds just as good as the Wren and Cuff or Stomp Under Foot boutique ones. I’d honestly just start there and that should get you more than 85% of the way to what you’re missing.

Dr Tony Balls wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2026 8:40 amThe big one being the on/off switch.

I had the Muff and the Small Stone and bot the switches broke. It is a total piece of shit plastic thing and the hole is huge so if you can find a replacement you have to do what I did and drill a second hole in the case for a regular footswitch. Those green EH pedals are total crap.

Dr Tony Balls wrote: Tue Mar 17, 2026 8:40 amOnce that thing fails, which it certainly will, you're fucked for finding a proper replacement to keep the thing kind of original.

Oh, thread idea - maybe a list of vintage gear that is too risky or best avoided because of obsolete or too expensive parts? It’s one thing to pay $250 for something might not be cost effective to fix (like all my digital rack reverbs and such - I just buy a new one for about the same price) and another thing to spend $1k on the same situation.

We all know how this goes, stuff gets released, maybe flops, goes for cheap, gets picked up by thrifty weirdos, and then all the sudden those Jazzmasters Tom Verlaine bought for peanuts go for $10k. But there’s a whole industry dedicated to keeping those things in good repair w/ available parts. Not sure if thing applies to like, an semi-expensive Sony microphone that I use every day. I hope it can be repaired w/o issue but people talk!