The Malekko Plus Ultra 213 is a fuzz pedal with a twist: alongside the usual sustain, tone and volume controls of a Big Muff-style fuzz, it adds an all-pass filter that can be swept by hand or by expression pedal. Premier Guitar describes it as using "a combination of an all-pass filter and wide-ranging tone and sustain controls" to cover everything from burly overdrive to searing fuzz1. The pedal lists at a street price of $195 in US dollars, as of the review's September 2026 date1.
Controls and how they work
The three rightmost knobs, sustain, tone and volume, will be familiar to anyone who has ever used a Big Muff or similar fuzz1. The knob on the left is where the Plus Ultra 213 departs from that template: it controls the resonant frequency of the filter and, in Premier Guitar's words, "unlocks the more mind-expanding tones within"1.
With the filter engaged, moving the knob clockwise emphasizes treblier points on the harmonic spectrum, creating an effect akin to parking a wah in a given position with a subtle phasing effect1. A second footswitch activates the filter circuit independently of bypass1.
The filter is at its most fun and expressive with an expression pedal attached, sweeping it through its range. Premier Guitar's reviewer found this "opens the door to heavily lysergic mutations of phase, fuzz, and wah sounds that are typically hard to deliver and control," and listed the expression pedal as crucial to accessing the pedal's full potential1.
What it sounds like
What follows is Premier Guitar's reviewer's account, not a verdict from Tonebox.
- At fairly neutral settings: naturally geared toward the boxy-but-harmonically-rich and wooly tones that define a lot of late-'60s and early-'70s riffing, with definition and harmonic content retained1
- Tone cranked clockwise: sizzles and buzzes more like a Maestro FZ-1, Tonebender Mk 1, or Fuzzrite, but with more body1
- Tone up, sustain rolled all the way back: a sweet high-gain overdrive that works beautifully with single-coils1
- With expression pedal: sweeping mutations of phase, fuzz and wah sounds1
"players who’ve tossed their Muffs across the room in frustration over losing picking nuance and midrange in these furrier fuzz zones"
The reviewer noted that even without the sweepable filter, the Malekko can do the work of multiple fuzzes, which makes the expense considerably more palatable1.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's review (September 2026) weighed it like this1:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Killer range of character-rich fuzz tones | Expression pedal crucial to accessing full potential |
| Supreme desert-rock tone machine | Decal graphics dull the sparkle of the metal flake paint |
| Looks freaking awesome |
The reviewer also judged that were the Plus Ultra 213 a simple fuzz alone, it would stoke any rocker obsessed with the sounds of Iommi or Randy California1.
Build
The enclosure is resplendent in orange metallic flake with a washed-out image of a Mustang Cobra II. Premier Guitar noted the excellent graphics are a decal rather than screen printed, which dulls the sparkle of the metal flake paint and diminishes the air of top-shelf quality1.
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Questions
Does the Malekko Plus Ultra 213 take an expression pedal?
Yes. The filter function is at its most expressive when you add an expression pedal, which moves the filter through its range. Premier Guitar's reviewer found that sweeping the filter this way opens the door to heavily lysergic mutations of phase, fuzz, and wah sounds, and listed the expression pedal as crucial to accessing the pedal's full potential.
What does the filter knob do on the Plus Ultra 213?
The knob on the left controls the resonant frequency of the filter and unlocks the more mind-expanding tones within. As you move it clockwise it emphasizes treblier points on the harmonic spectrum, creating an effect akin to parking a wah in a given position with a subtle phasing effect.
Does the Plus Ultra 213 sound like a Big Muff?
Its sustain, tone and volume controls will be familiar to anyone who has used a Big Muff or similar fuzz, and at fairly neutral settings it is geared toward the boxy-but-harmonically-rich and wooly tones of late-'60s and early-'70s riffs. Premier Guitar found it retains picking nuance and midrange where other Muffs lose them, and with the tone cranked it sizzles more like a Maestro FZ-1, Tonebender Mk 1, or Fuzzrite.
How much does the Malekko Plus Ultra 213 cost?
Premier Guitar's review lists a street price of $195 in US dollars, as of the review's September 2026 date.
Can the Plus Ultra 213 work as an overdrive?
Yes. Premier Guitar found that keeping the tone up and rolling the sustain all the way back turns the Plus Ultra into a sweet high-gain overdrive that works beautifully with single-coils.
Sources (1)
- Malekko Plus Ultra 213 Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2012-10-08
