Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi 2 revives a rejected fuzz circuit

A hand-drawn schematic labeled “BIG MUFF USING (2 DUAL OP AMPS)” sat in Bob Myer’s notes for years before Electro-Harmonix turned it into the Big Muff Pi 2. Built around Myer’s dual op-amp circuit, it delivers the kind of harder-edged fuzz that can stay thick in a loud band without softening into a blur.

A forgotten schematic, pulled from the files

The design sat in Bob Myer’s notes for years after it was set aside. Josh Scott of JHS Pedals and Daniel Danger uncovered the circuit in Bob’s old workshop while digging through his material, and that discovery became the basis for the Big Muff Pi 2. The discovery came during a 2021 research trip connected to *Made On Earth For Rising Stars: The Electro-Harmonix Story*, which gives the pedal a very different backstory from a normal reissue.

The Big Muff Pi 2 is not a retread of the familiar late-1970s op-amp Muff that most players already know. The version that actually made it to market back then was a different design by Michael Abrams and Howard Davis, while Myer’s dual op-amp take was shelved because Mike Matthews felt it strayed too far from the classic Big Muff voice. EHX and JHS Pedals then rebuilt the Myer circuit together, turning what was once a rejected branch into a finished production pedal.

What it sounds like in the real world

The headline tonal difference is simple: this is a lower-gain, less refined Big Muff with more bite. It has strong low end, pronounced midrange presence, high output volume, and singing sustain, which means the pedal leans into impact rather than soft bloom. It still lives in fuzz territory, but it comes across as grittier and more textured than the smoother, more polished Muff flavors many players associate with the family.

If you already know the classic Big Muff as a big, saturated wall of sound, this one feels a little more direct and a little less polite, which helps when you need the fuzz to stay readable in dense arrangements. The result is well suited to loud bands, gain-stacked rigs, and players who want a fuzz that can cut with extra edge instead of melting into the backline.

This is not the bloomiest option in the lineup. It reaches for heavier riffs, more aggression, and more obvious midrange push.

Who this pedal is actually for

The Big Muff Pi 2 makes the most sense if your idea of fuzz is tied to weight, sustain, and a little violence. Smashing Pumpkins chasers will hear the attraction immediately, but it is not only for nostalgia. Fuzz-curious players who want to step beyond a first basic fuzz box will also find an easy entry point here, because the control set is familiar and the tonal target is broad enough to cover real-world use.

It is also a strong fit for players who keep running into the same problem with softer fuzzes: they sound huge at home and vanish once the drums and bass come in. The dual op-amp circuit’s stronger low end, midrange presence, and output volume solve that better than many bloomier vintage-style fuzzes, especially when you want a thicker wall that still keeps its outline.

What you get on the pedalboard

Electro-Harmonix houses the Big Muff Pi 2 in its Nano-sized enclosure, so it keeps the compact footprint many players expect from the brand’s modern pedals. The control layout is the standard SUSTAIN, TONE, and VOL trio, which keeps the learning curve low and makes it easy to drop into an existing board without relearning how to dial a Muff.

The pedal is listed at $249.00 USD, which puts it in the territory where players will want more than novelty before buying. It revives a forgotten circuit and gives you a usable, distinct voice inside a format that already has a lot of competition. It is a compact pedal with a focused job: deliver a heavier, more aggressive Muff sound without asking you to fight the controls.