The Big Muff has long been a weapon of choice for bassists chasing seismic sustain and snarling saturation. Now, that legacy gets a fresh jolt of voltage with the Bass Big Muff Pi 2 – a pedal that fuses the storied history of the classic Muff with a long-lost Op-Amp circuit that never officially saw the light of day.
The resurrection of this forgotten 1970s design came through a collaboration with Josh Scott of JHS Pedals, whose passion for vintage circuitry helped bring this alternate Muff vision roaring back to life. The result is a fuzz machine that honors its roots while speaking directly to the needs of today’s bass players.
At its core, the Bass Big Muff Pi 2 delivers the unmistakable midrange grind and near-infinite sustain that define the Muff lineage. Its unique circuit employs 2 Dual Op-Amps, producing a focused, punchy character that stands apart from transistor-based variants. The attack is tight, the sustain blooms effortlessly, and the harmonic texture slices through dense mixes without turning to mush.
Where this version truly earns its stripes is in its bass-specific enhancements. Alongside the familiar VOL, SUSTAIN, and TONE controls sits a powerful BLEND knob and a BASS BOOST switch – two features that fundamentally change how fuzz interacts with low frequencies.
The BLEND knob lets players mix dry and fuzz signals to dial in the perfect ratio of grit to clarity. Want full-on fuzz carnage with just enough articulation to keep your note definition intact? Done. Prefer a subtle layer of hair that preserves the foundational thump of your instrument? Easy. This control ensures that low-end integrity never gets sacrificed at the altar of distortion.
Engage the BASS BOOST switch and the pedal flexes even harder, reinforcing the low frequencies for an even bigger footprint. This becomes especially potent when running the TONE control higher for added treble bite. Instead of thinning out, the signal retains its mass and authority, letting you cut through without losing the physical impact that makes bass felt as much as heard.
Flexibility extends beyond tone shaping. The Bass Big Muff Pi 2 features a mechanical relay True Bypass system paired with a soft footswitch offering Latching and Momentary action. Click it for standard on/off operation, or press and hold for a momentary blast of fuzz-fueled mayhem – perfect for explosive accents and dynamic live performance tricks.
Get the Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff Pi 2 here for $122 and keep up with all our Electro-Harmonix coverage right here.
