01—JHS Pedals
Smiley
The Comfortably Numb solo lead tone, packaged as a stompbox.
If you want one specific Big Muff — Gilmour's — buy this. If you want flexibility, buy something else.
02—On the bench
JHS's tribute to David Gilmour's 1970s Big Muff sound — specifically, the smiley-face V2 Ram's Head Muff he used on Animals and The Wall. Two knobs (volume and sustain) plus an internal trim pot for tone. Tonally it's a darker, more saturated fuzz than a modern Muff: less buzz, more low-mid bloom, and a controlled high end that doesn't get harsh into a clean amp. The whole point is that it does one thing — long-sustain, violin-like lead fuzz — and does it definitively. Best with the volume rolled back on the guitar for cleaner rhythm parts, then opened up for the solo. Not a versatile fuzz. A specific fuzz.
- 01long, violin-like sustain on bent notes
- 02darker than a stock Big Muff
- 03stacks well after a clean boost
- 04controlled top end — no fizz
- 05two knobs is the right number of knobs
03—In the room
Where else this pedal lives.
- David Gilmour
- Pete Cornish
- Tim Pierce
Electro-Harmonix Op-Amp Big Muff reissue if you want the Smashing Pumpkins side of the Muff family instead.