The KMA Dead Stag is a fuzz/distortion pedal from Berlin-based KMA Machines, built on the Big Muff family of circuitry but with far more tone shaping than a stock Muff offers12. Where the classic Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi is famous for a mid scoop that can make a guitar disappear in a mix3, the Dead Stag answers that with an active three-band EQ: bass and treble bands with 15dB of cut and boost, plus a parametric mid band for scooping or pushing through14.
The Dead Stag is discontinued. KMA Machines lists it as a legacy product and marks it "DISCONTINUED" on its product page1. Players who want a current KMA take on the Big Muff formula can look at the Chief Disruptor.
A Big Muff with an active EQ
The Dead Stag keeps the Muff's fuzz/distortion character but replaces the passive tone stack with active EQ. Delicious Audio's Griffin Jennings summarized the appeal in a 2025 roundup of Big Muff-style pedals: "Berlin-based KMA's Dead Stag lets you tailor your fuzz sound to any situation," with "an active bass and treble eq with 15db of cut and boost... paired with a parametric mid eq for scooping or pushing throu[gh]"4. That means you can dial in the classic scooped Muff sound, or boost the mids to sit in the mix, or push the bass for a thicker wall.
Pedal of the Day's 2020 review framed the hybrid character simply: "The Dead Stag is a Distortion, yes, but it's also a Fuzz, so you get the best of those two worlds in one slick enclosure"2.
The controls
KMA puts every EQ control on top of the pedal, with one exception: the Q Bandwidth control lives inside the enclosure1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| MUD | Sets the grade of distortion1 |
| GROWL | Controls the overall volume1 |
| Bass | Active bass EQ, +/-15dB boost/cut12 |
| Treble | Active treble EQ, +/-15dB boost/cut12 |
| C/B | Sets the mid frequencies, +/-12dB cut/boost2 |
| High/Low switch | Chooses between two gain levels1 |
| Smooth/Sharp switch | Boosts the high mids at the end of the circuit1 |
| Q Bandwidth (internal) | Sets the mid-band EQ bandwidth: Narrow, Medium or Wide12 |
The two toggle switches do a lot of the voicing work. The high/low gain switch, as Pedal of the Day put it, "lets you choose either a low gain or a thick, high gain type of distortion," while the shape toggle "switches between a smooth or an edgy sound"2. The internal Q Bandwidth control is the deep-cut option: a trimmer inside the pedal that narrows or widens the parametric mid band, so the C/B knob can act as a surgical notch or a broad mid push2.
On output, Pedal of the Day found no shortage of level: "The Growl knob controls the overall output volume, of which there's ZERO shortage on the Dead Stag"2.
Power
The Dead Stag runs on a standard 9V DC power supply (9V maximum), with a 2.1mm barrel connector, negative center polarity, and an approximate 12mA current draw1. At that draw it is easy to run from a shared pedalboard supply. The power supply is optional and not included1.
Where it sits among Big Muff-style pedals
The Dead Stag is one of several pedals that take the Big Muff formula and add EQ flexibility. Electro-Harmonix itself makes the Deluxe Big Muff Pi, a fuzz with a Bass Boost, Noise Gate and adjustable Mids section, and the Sovtek Deluxe Big Muff Pi in the same family. The Dead Stag's distinguishing feature is the fully parametric mid band with the switchable Q bandwidth, which the EHX Deluxe's fixed mids section does not offer124.
Within KMA's own range, the Dead Stag has since been followed by the Chief Disruptor. For players tracking the used market, the Dead Stag remains the earlier, simpler take on the same idea: a Muff circuit with the mids problem solved2.
Videos
KMA Machines
MrExcane
MrExcane
Questions
Is the KMA Dead Stag discontinued?
Yes. KMA Machines lists the Dead Stag as a legacy product and marks it as discontinued on its product page. The pedal is no longer in production, so finding one means the second-hand market. KMA continues to make other fuzz and distortion pedals, including the Chief Disruptor.
What circuit is the KMA Dead Stag based on?
The Dead Stag is built on the Big Muff family of circuitry. In a 2019 guitar.com interview, KMA's Enrico Preuss described it as a fuzz/distortion hybrid featuring a Red Army Overdrive-based circuit with an active three-band EQ, which is what separates it from a stock Big Muff.
Where is the Q Bandwidth control on the Dead Stag?
It is inside the pedal, not on the front panel. KMA says that apart from the internal Q Bandwidth control, every EQ control sits on top of the pedal. The internal trimmer sets the bandwidth of the mid-band EQ, with Narrow, Medium and Wide settings.
What power supply does the KMA Dead Stag need?
A standard 9V DC power supply, maximum, with a 2.1mm barrel connector and negative center polarity. Current draw is approximately 12mA, so it is easy on a pedalboard power supply. The supply is optional and sold separately.
What do the high/low and smooth/sharp switches do on the Dead Stag?
The high/low switch selects between two gain levels, letting you choose a low gain or a thick, high gain distortion. The smooth/sharp switch boosts the high mids at the end of the circuit, switching between a smoother or an edgier sound.
Sources (4)
- Dead Stag, KMA Machines
- KMA Machines Dead Stag Fuzz Distortion, Pedal of the Day, 2020-03-31
- Coda Effects, Coda Effects, 2015-08
- Best Big Muff Pedals In 2025: Reissues, Clones & Evolutions, Delicious Audio, 2025-04-07
