Evil Eye FX Warg

The Evil Eye FX Warg is a fuzz pedal that revives a lost, semi-unknown circuit: the Ace Tone "Fuzz Master" FM-3, a Japanese fuzz from the early 1970s that was itself a derivative of the version 1 Big Muff. Premier Guitar describes the Warg as "a modern revamp of the Ace Tone 'Fuzz Master' FM-3, designed to offer uniquely aggressive high-gain options"¹. It is the second pedal in the Evil Eye FX lineup, hand-built one at a time in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and carries a lifetime warranty like all of the company's pedals¹².

For a player, the appeal is a fuzz voice that sits outside the usual Big Muff clones. Pedal of the Day calls the result "a more articulate, aggressive, high gain fuzz, perfect for down-tuning (if that's your thing)"², and Guitar.com's buying guide describes it as having "a mean snarl" suited to "downtuned sludgy dirges"³.

A high-gain fuzz built on the Ace Tone FM-3

The Warg takes the FM-3 circuit and brings it into the 21st century, in the words of Pedal of the Day². The FM-3 is one of the earliest Big Muff derivatives: its circuit topology is similar to that of a version 1 Muff, but with different components and a change in where the volume control sits². The independent technical analysis site Guitar FX Layouts calls it "another Japanese Big Muff variant" with "some substantial modifications," and notes that on the unit examined, all the 250p caps were 270p⁶.

Evil Eye FX's execution adds modern build standards to the old circuit: top-mounted jacks, high-end German-made hardware, and premium internal components². Premier Guitar's review notes that the input and output jacks and the footswitch are mounted to the chassis rather than the circuit board, with a tidy board arranged along four rows of components⁵.

History: from the Fuzz Master FM-3 and the Triangle Big Muff

The lineage runs back to the very first Big Muff. In 1969, Electro Harmonix released the first "Triangle" version of the Big Muff distortion fuzz, followed by the V2 "Rams Head" in 1973, the V3 "Pi" in 1977, and the V4 "Op Amp" in 1978; production stopped in 1984 after Electro Harmonix's second bankruptcy and was revived in Russia in the early 90s⁷. Kit Rae's Big Muff history documents the details of the early V1 units, including the first edition's on/off pot and the second edition's panel marking change from FUZZ to TONE⁸.

The FM-3 sits on that family tree as an early Japanese branch, and the Warg sits on the FM-3. Premier Guitar's review places it precisely: "It's most overtly a buzzier, less bass-hefty take on the V1 'Triangle' Big Muff, which serves as the FM-3 design's launch pad"⁵. Guitar.com's buying guide sums up the Warg simply as based on "an old Ace Tone Big Muff clone"³.

How the Warg differs from a Big Muff

Two things separate the Warg from a stock Big Muff, one inherited and one added⁵²¹.

Inherited from the FM-3: the volume pot is positioned before the output gain stage rather than after it, as it is on a Big Muff⁵. This is part of what gives the FM-3 family its own character within the Muff lineage.

Added by Evil Eye FX: an EQ profile switch. The original circuit has the scooped midrange familiar from Big Muff-style fuzzes; the Warg's toggle lets you flatten it out. Premier Guitar's news piece describes it as "toggling between the scooped wall of fuzz tones of the original circuit, and a flat profile with a fuller and punchier midrange"¹. Pedal of the Day characterizes the two positions this way:

Guitar.com's buying guide frames the switch practically: it tempers "the circuit's propensity for getting lost in a mix"³. Premier Guitar's reviewer calls it "a midrange boost switch that makes the pedal better suited to mixes"⁵.

Drop tuning and the flat EQ position

The Warg has drawn repeated praise for downtuned and sludgy playing. Pedal of the Day calls it perfect for down-tuning², and Guitar.com's buying guide, which names it the best muff-style fuzz, describes it as "a slighty lower-gain variant of the pedal, but rather than being underpowered this instead means it has a mean snarl" for downtuned sludgy dirges³. The flat EQ position is the tool that keeps a downtuned guitar present, since the scooped setting is where the circuit tends to disappear into a mix³.

Build, bypass, and price

The Warg uses true bypass with silent soft touch switching via an internal relay, which the company calls its NoClick system²; Premier Guitar describes the footswitch as a soft-relay unit⁵. The pedal is available now through www.evileyefx.com or through retailers¹.

The list price is $149 USD, as listed by Guitar.com in July 2025³⁵. Premier Guitar's reviewer weighed the price against the build quality:

Pedal of the Day's overall verdict: "the Warg Fuzz is an excellent example of this being brought to fruition," meaning old, forgotten circuits getting a rebirth in the modern era².

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