The Lovetone Big Cheese is an analog fuzz pedal produced in England in the mid 1990s. It is built around a multi-stage transistor fuzz circuit with a wide gain range, and it stands out from most fuzzes of its era with a rotary mode selector that switches between several tone stack settings plus a gated "Cheese" mode1. Aion FX calls it perhaps Lovetone's most famous pedal2.
The pedal was only available for a handful of years before being discontinued, and it later became very sought-after on the second-hand market3. It has since been recreated by JHS Pedals as the Cheese Ball4.
A multi-stage silicon fuzz with a rotary mode selector
Inside, the Big Cheese is a silicon transistor fuzz resembling a Fuzz Face or Tone Bender, followed by diode clipping, with a Big Muff-style tone control. Aion FX notes that its fourth mode uses intentional misbiasing, similar in spirit to the Zvex Fuzz Factory or Cornish NG-32.
The rotary selector offers four positions:
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Tone bypass | Removes the tone stack from the signal path2 |
| Scooped mids | Big Muff-style tone stack with scooped midrange2 |
| Flat mids | Tone stack engaged with flat midrange2 |
| Cheese | Changes the bias on the transistor fuzz, delivering gated "amp death" tones2 |
RockBoard describes the available modes as ranging from tighter distortion sounds to heavily gated and spluttering fuzz textures, with the design allowing both smooth sustain and aggressive, compressed tones depending on the selected setting1. The original can also get well above unity gain at max volume2.
The controls and the Cheese mode
The pedal provides controls for volume, sustain, tone, and the rotary mode selector1. On the original pedals these carried cheese-themed labels: a "curds" knob, a "whey" knob, and a "hog" and "bee" knob6. Pedal of the Day confirms that Whey, Hog/Bee and Curds were the labels on the original pedals7.
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Curds | Sustain16 |
| Whey | Tone16 |
| Hog/Bee | Volume16 |
| Rotary selector | Fuzz mode: tone bypass, scooped mids, flat mids, Cheese12 |
The Cheese mode is the pedal's signature setting. Rather than simply clipping harder, it changes the bias on the transistor fuzz stage, which starves the circuit and produces gated, spluttering "amp death" tones2. For players chasing broken-amp sounds or stuttering textures, this is the mode the Big Cheese is remembered for.
Circuit details: transistors and topology
The Big Cheese is a multi-stage transistor fuzz circuit with a wide gain range1. Guitar Pedal X reports that the fuzzes variously used either 3 x BC549 or 3 x 2N3904 transistors, so the transistors vary between units3. Aion FX characterizes the core as a silicon transistor fuzz resembling a Fuzz Face or Tone Bender, sandwiched between input and output stages, with diode clipping after it and a Big Muff-style tone control2.
Who designed it, and who used it
The Big Cheese was designed by Dan Coggins6. A rare Blackout version also existed: JHS Pedals' history article reports that Coggins said two of these were ever made, for a dealer in England6.
The pedal appears on a lot of famous records, and JHS Pedals names Radiohead, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, Pavement, and U2 among the guitarists who have used it6.
"This is hands down the most widely-known pedal that Lovetone ever put out."
The same writer called it a possible favorite for being accessible and usable6. Dan Coggins designed the original Big Cheese3.
How much is a Lovetone Big Cheese worth?
Originals command high prices on the used market, and the figures vary by source and date839:
| Source | Price | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Guitar World | $649 or so, used market | September 20199 |
| MusicRadar | Around £649, used market | September 201910 |
| Guitar Pedal X | In the region of £600+, second-hand | June 20203 |
| Guitar Pedal X | £580, one eBay example | June 20203 |
| JHS Pedals | About a grand for a vintage unit | October 20268 |
The JHS Cheese Ball recreation
The Big Cheese is perhaps Lovetone's most famous pedal2. The original can get well above unity gain at max volume2, and an OLC Chunky Cheese mod exists to increase the output volume2.
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Questions
Who designed the Lovetone Big Cheese?
Dan Coggins designed the Big Cheese for Lovetone. In a JHS Pedals history article, writer Josh Scott described speaking with Coggins, who also confirmed that a rare Blackout version of the pedal existed, with only two ever made for a dealer in England.
How much is a Lovetone Big Cheese worth?
Originals are expensive on the used market. In 2019 Guitar World reported originals commanding around $649, and MusicRadar cited around £649 in the UK used market. By June 2020, Guitar Pedal X reported second-hand examples fetching in the region of £600 or more, with one eBay listing at £580.
Is the JHS Cheese Ball a clone of the Big Cheese?
Yes, it is a recreation. JHS Pedals unveiled the Cheese Ball in September 2019 as a clone of the Big Cheese, and Guitar.com described it as a faithful and extremely accurate recreation. It listed at $179 in the US and £179 in the UK, against roughly a grand for a vintage Big Cheese.
What transistors are in the Lovetone Big Cheese?
The circuit is a multi-stage transistor fuzz. Guitar Pedal X reports that units variously used either three BC549 transistors or three 2N3904 transistors, so the transistors vary from pedal to pedal.
What do Whey, Hog/Bee and Curds mean on the Big Cheese?
They are the control labels on the original pedals, part of the cheese-themed naming. Curds, Whey, and Hog/Bee are the knobs; Pedal of the Day confirms these were the labels on the originals. They correspond to the pedal's sustain, tone and volume controls.
Sources (10)
- Big Cheese by Lovetone, RockBoard (www.rockboard.de), 2026
- Monolith Silicon Fuzz / Lovetone Big Cheese, Aion FX, 2021-07-02
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2020
- Review: ThorpyFX Field Marshal & The Bunker, Guitar.com, 2020-08-10
- Head Honcho, Jed's Pedals (jedspeds.co.uk)
- THE LEGEND OF LOVETONE, JHS Pedals
- JHS Pedals Cheese Ball Distortion Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2019-10-19
- WORST JHS PEDALS EVER MADE, JHS Pedals
- JHS just recreated the legendary Lovetone Big Cheese, Guitar World, 2019-09-27
- JHS Pedals has a tasty treat for your pedalboard with its Big Cheese clone, MusicRadar, 2019-09-30
J Mascis
