The JAM Pedals "Relic" Red Muck Bass is a bass fuzz/distortion pedal: a Big Muff-inspired fuzz voiced for bass, with a clean blend that keeps your dry signal underneath the fuzz. JAM Pedals describes it as "a full-bodied fuzz-distortion that brings Triangle and Red Army/Civil War Muff-inspired weight" to bass, with a smoother top end, pronounced midrange, an expanded Tone range and a naturally fat low end, covering everything from vintage wool to what the maker calls "controlled, high-impact mayhem"1.
The "Relic" part of the name is the artwork. Every limited artwork pedal from JAM Pedals is a one-of-a-kind hand-painted piece, and the pedal you receive will differ in detail from the photos on the product page. The circuit inside is the same as the standard JAM Pedals Red Muck Bass1.
A Muff-style bass fuzz with a clean blend
The circuit draws on the Triangle Big Muff and the later Red Army/Civil War Muff designs, the same influences behind the guitar-oriented Red Muck line. JAM Pedals says the bass version adds a smoother top end, a more pronounced midrange, an expanded Tone range and a naturally fat low end compared with those vintage circuits1. Delicious Audio likewise groups the Red Muck MK2 among Muff-style fuzzes2.
What separates the Bass version from a straight Muff copy for a bassist is the Mix control. A vintage Big Muff runs your whole signal through the fuzz, which can thin out the low end. Here, Mix sets the ratio between dry bass and fuzz-distortion, preserving attack and low-end definition while the fuzz sits on top1.
The control set:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Sets output level1 |
| Tone | Shapes the response1 |
| Gain | Controls fuzz intensity1 |
| Mix | Sets the ratio between dry bass and fuzz-distortion, preserving attack and low-end definition1 |
There are two footswitches. The right one engages the main effect; the left engages a high-gain stage for instant additional saturation, so you can step up to a heavier sound mid-song without touching the knobs1. On the guitar-oriented "Relic" Red Muck, JAM Pedals describes the left footswitch as engaging a separately tuned section before the fuzz3.
Circuit and artwork versions
The Red Muck family comes in two layers. The circuit exists as the standard Red Muck and Red Muck mk.2 for guitar, and the Red Muck Bass for bass; all are listed as true bypass13. On top of that, JAM Pedals sells custom artwork versions of each, which the maker says share the same sound with different artwork13.
For the Red Muck Bass specifically, the custom artwork versions are the "Achenbach" Red Muck Bass and the "Brown" Red Muck Bass, alongside this "Relic" version, all sharing the same sound with different artwork1. The guitar-oriented Red Muck mk.2 has its own artwork variants, including "Feline", "Lunar Muck", "Noufaro" and "White Mountaintops"3.
Every "Relic" Red Muck Bass is a one-of-a-kind hand-painted piece. The pedal you receive will differ in detail from the photos shown, though the sound is the same1.
Power, size and buying
The pedal runs on 9V DC from a center-negative supply and draws only 12 mA, so it is easy to accommodate on a shared pedalboard supply1. At 7.5 x 12 x 5.6 cm and 300 g, it is a standard-size enclosure rather than a mini pedal1.
JAM Pedals lists the "Relic" Red Muck Bass at a regular price of £294.00, tax included1. The maker ships with a 30-day money-back guarantee, refunding no questions asked within 30 days of receiving the product1.
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Questions
Is the JAM Pedals Red Muck Bass true bypass?
Yes. JAM Pedals lists the "Relic" Red Muck Bass as true bypass, so your clean signal passes through the pedal untouched when the effect is off. The standard Red Muck and Red Muck mk.2 guitar versions are also listed as true bypass.
What does the Mix control do on the Red Muck Bass?
Mix is a clean-blend control. It sets the ratio between your dry bass signal and the fuzz-distortion, so you can keep the attack and low-end definition of your clean tone underneath the fuzz rather than losing your fundamental to a wall of saturation.
What does the left footswitch do on the Red Muck Bass?
The right footswitch engages the main fuzz effect. The left footswitch engages a high-gain stage for instant additional saturation, letting you jump from your base fuzz setting to a heavier sound without re-dialing the knobs.
What power does the Red Muck Bass need?
It runs on 9V DC from a center-negative power supply and draws 12 mA. That low current draw makes it easy to run alongside other pedals on a typical isolated or daisy-chain supply.
Is every "Relic" Red Muck Bass painted the same?
No. JAM Pedals says every limited artwork pedal is a one-of-a-kind hand-painted piece, and the pedal you receive will differ in detail from the photos shown. The sound is the same across the artwork versions.
Which Big Muff is the Red Muck Bass based on?
JAM Pedals says the circuit draws on the 1971 Triangle Big Muff and the later Red Army/Civil War Muff designs, adding a smoother response, stronger mids and a naturally fat low end for bass.
Sources (3)
- “Relic” Red Muck Bass, JAM Pedals (jampedals.com)
- JAM Pedals Red Muck MK2 Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2026-06-19
- “Relic” Red Muck, JAM Pedals (www.jampedals.com)
