The Fredric Effects ICBM 78 is a distortion and fuzz pedal built on the IC (integrated circuit) version of the Big Muff circuit. According to the maker, the IC muff "is based on an entirely different circuit from any of the transistor muffs", so this is not a clone of the transistor-era pedals but a take on the later integrated circuit design1. It sits among the maker's fuzz and distortion offerings alongside pedals like the Silicon Harmonic Percolator and the Verzerrer.
What it does to your sound
Fredric Effects describes the ICBM 78 as "not as scooped (fewer of the mid frequencies cut) and the sustain even more violin-like than transistor-based versions". In practical terms, scooped means the midrange is dipped, which is a known trait of some Big Muff style fuzzes; the ICBM 78 keeps more of those mids in place while pushing sustain further1.
Controls and modern updates
The pedal carries a sustain control, and the maker has changed how it behaves: there is "an improved taper for the sustain control (so it's not all-or-nothing like the originals)". On the originals, much of the control's travel did little until a sudden jump; the improved taper spreads the response more evenly across the knob1.
Two updates distinguish the ICBM 78 from the vintage circuit it draws on1:
- Modern bypass switching, in place of the original's switching arrangement1
- Power filtering, for cleaner operation on a shared supply1
Enclosure and demo
An early version of the ICBM 78 was built in a Green Russian style enclosure, the enclosure style associated with the Russian-made Big Muffs. The maker credits that build to Zaphod1989, whose demo shows the pedal in action1.
Price and availability
Fredric Effects lists the ICBM 78 at £125 on its product page (as of October 2026). The price is stated in pounds sterling by the UK maker1.
Sources (1)
- ICBM distortion and fuzz, Fredric Effects
