The Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Big Muff Pi 2 is an old pedal that nobody’s ever heard. So it might as well be new, right?
The Deluxe Big Muff Pi 2 (this time a guitar version instead of bass) revives a long-lost dual op-amp fuzz circuit designed by company founder Mike Matthews and circuit designer Bob Myer originally created in the 1970s.
Decades later during an interview inside Myer’s workshop, Josh Scott of JHS Pedals and artist Daniel Danger uncovered the original handwritten schematic hidden among Myer’s archived notes. Scott painstakingly decoded the circuit, allowing Electro-Harmonix to finally bring the design to life as the Big Muff Pi 2.
At its core, the Deluxe Big Muff Pi 2 remains a Big Muff. Traditional Level, Tone, and Sustain controls deliver everything from smooth vintage fuzz to the aggressive, singing sustain that has made the pedal a staple across rock, alternative, shoegaze, and experimental music for decades. From there, however, Electro-Harmonix expands the formula.
A dedicated Gate control reduces unwanted hiss and background noise when operating at higher gain settings, while a Blend knob mixes the clean guitar signal back into the fuzz, preserving articulation and low-end clarity without sacrificing saturation. Players can also choose between Latching and Momentary footswitch operation, opening the door to expressive bursts of fuzz during live performances.
Where the Deluxe Big Muff Pi 2 truly separates itself is in its extensive EQ section. The familiar Wicker switch returns with three selectable voicings, introducing progressively brighter, more open high-end response that helps the fuzz cut through dense mixes.
Meanwhile, the pedal’s dedicated midrange circuit offers footswitchable boost or cut functionality, with independent Mid Level and Frequency controls allowing users to precisely target the frequencies they want to emphasize or remove.
A selectable Hi/Lo Q switch further refines the shape of the midrange response, making the pedal equally capable of vintage-style scooped tones and focused modern lead sounds.
Perhaps most intriguing is the onboard Expression Pedal Input, which allows players to sweep the mid-frequency control in real time, creating wah-like tonal shifts that add another layer of expression to the already expansive fuzz palette.
Get the Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Big Muff Pi 2 for $188.20 here at Sweetwater, here at Guitar Center, and here at Musician’s Friend.
