Electro-Harmonix releases limited-edition Double Anniversary Big Muff Pi
January 1, 2024 · 3 sources
Electro-Harmonix released the Double Anniversary Big Muff Pi in January 2024, a limited edition of 555 pedals in a full-size "Big Box" chassis with the Violet Ram's Head circuit123. The maker's product page lists the pedal as sold out1, and Guitar World reported it sold out within hours of going on sale at $250 direct from EHX3.
The pedal is a fuzz with the standard Big Muff controls: volume sets output level, tone runs from high treble to deep bass as it turns clockwise, and sustain adjusts the amount of sustain and distortion1. EHX describes the circuit as a Violet Ram's Head that "re-creates most coveted 1970s fuzz tones" and says this is the first time since the 1970s that the Ram's Head circuit has appeared in a full-sized Big Muff Pi chassis1. The unit is analog, true bypass, and runs on a 9V battery, which is included; an optional 9.6VDC-200mA power adapter is not included1. EHX lists current draw at 12mA, input impedance at 117kΩ and output impedance at 25kΩ, and dimensions of 5.5 x 2.95 x 6.88 inches1.
The enclosure is a laser-etched gold chassis with a laser-etched serial number, and each pedal ships with a certificate of authenticity, a holographic sticker, a velvet bag and a wooden box that EHX says honors Sovtek pedals of the 1990s1. Guitar World reported a purple indicator LED and a purple velvet bag3.
"For the first time since the 1970s, the Double Anniversary Big Muff Pi will feature the Ram's Head circuit in a 'Big Box' full-sized Big Muff Pi chassis for all of the original mojo and magic craved by the true believers."
The two anniversary figures rest on different spans. EHX frames the release as 55 years of the Big Muff Pi and 50 years of the Ram's Head circuit1; the Big Muff history site Kit Rae's Big Muff Page dates those anniversaries as 1969-2024 and 1973-2023 respectively, and dates the release to January 20242. EHX's page gives the year released as 20241. Kit Rae describes the 2019 Ram's Head reissue, on which this circuit is based, as a reproduction of the 1973 Violet Ram's Head, a version he writes was used by David Gilmour2; Guitar World likewise ties the Violet Ram's Head to Gilmour's "Comfortably Numb" solo3.
Sources (3)
- Double Anniversary Big Muff Pi | Limited Edition | SOLD OUT - Electro-Harmonix, ehx.com
- The Big Muff History of All Versions Part 1, kitrae.net
- NAMM 2024: “For all of the original mojo and magic craved by the true believers”: EHX's Double Anniversary Big Muff Pi delivers its first 'big box' Ramshead circuit since the 1970s – and sells-out in hours. Will there be more big boxes on the way? | Guitar World, guitarworld.com