The Pocket Metal Muff was a compact distortion pedal from Electro-Harmonix, described by the maker as "the little brother of the Metal Muff family," taking what it called the most powerful features of the Metal Muff with Top Boost and packing them into a small die-cast box1. Electro-Harmonix discontinued it in 20201.
The Pocket Metal Muff was discontinued in 2020. It is covered here as a reference for players comparing used units or the wider Metal Muff line1.
What it was and where it came from
The pedal was part of Electro-Harmonix's scaled-down editions of the Metal Muff. MusicRadar's Rob Laing noted that when Electro-Harmonix "scaled it down before for the Nano range for the 'Pocket' edition, it lost a lot of big bro's controls"2. The full-size Metal Muff carried more controls; the Pocket version kept the core heavy distortion sound in a smaller, simpler package. Electro-Harmonix marketed it with the line "Heavy Metal fire power with slag simplicity"1.
The controls
The Pocket Metal Muff kept its control set minimal:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Master Volume | Sets the overall output level1 |
| Switch selectable EQ range | Selects the EQ range for midrange scoop control1 |
The midrange scoop is the feature most associated with metal tones: cutting the midrange frequencies leaves the scooped, heavy sound the style is known for. Here the scoop was handled by a switch rather than a knob, which is where the pedal lost controls compared with the larger Metal Muff versions2.
Power and build
The pedal ran on a 9-volt battery, included in the box, with Electro-Harmonix's 96DC-200BI power supply available as an option1. It used true bypass switching1. The enclosure was a tough and compact die-cast chassis measuring 2.75 inches wide, 4.5 inches long and 2.1 inches high1.
Videos
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Questions
Is the Pocket Metal Muff discontinued?
Yes. Electro-Harmonix discontinued the Pocket Metal Muff in 2020, and the maker's product page now marks it as discontinued. It remains covered here as a reference for players comparing used units or the wider Metal Muff family.
Is the Pocket Metal Muff true bypass?
Yes. Electro-Harmonix lists the Pocket Metal Muff as true bypass, so with the pedal off the signal passes through without buffering or coloration.
What power supply does the Pocket Metal Muff use?
It runs on a 9-volt battery, which was included, and Electro-Harmonix offered the 96DC-200BI power supply as an optional extra. No other power figures are given for this pedal.
Sources (2)
- Pocket Metal Muff, Electro-Harmonix (ehx.com), 2020
- Electro-Harmonix scales down with the new Metal Muff Nano, MusicRadar, 2021-01-04
