The Minotaur Sonic Terrors Swamp Lord is a fuzz pedal that can deliver a wide variety of dirty tones beyond fuzz: Delicious Audio notes you can make it sound as a fuzz, or tighten it up and make it sound more like a distortion or even an overdrive1. Pedal of the Day reviewed it under its full name, the Swamp Lord Cyclopean Tone Wizard, and called it a fuzz/drive/distortion that "can easily cover all of your dirty needs"2.
The circuit is a redesigned version of the very sought after first version Electro-Harmonix V2 Big Muff Pi "Ram's Head" (1973-1977)1, a variant Pedal of the Day describes as highly sought after2. Minotaur Sonic Terrors built it with carbon composition resistors and four gain selected NOS BC239C transistors, the same parts found in the original1. Delicious Audio reports the builder updated the original design to provide a clear tone with less hiss and high articulation for a high gain pedal1, and Pedal of the Day's reviewer found the Swamp Lord provides "clear tone, no hiss and high articulation"2.
The controls and the Grit switch
The Swamp Lord keeps the classic Big Muff control set and adds two things the original never had: a Mids knob and a three-position Grit switch1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Controls the volume of the effect1 |
| Sustain | Controls the gain1 |
| Tone | The classic Big Muff tone control: increases low frequencies counter-clockwise, treble response clockwise1 |
| Mids | Increases or scoops the midrange according to your liking or recording needs1 |
| Grit switch | Three-position switch that alters the clipping method of the effect1 |
The Mids control is a deliberate departure from the original. Big Muff circuits are known for their scooped midrange, and Minotaur Sonic Terrors overcame this by adding a Mids control where you can increase or scoop the midrange according to your liking or recording needs1. Pedal of the Day's reviewer confirmed the same: "you can increase or scoop the midrange according to your liking or recording needs"2. Of the standard knobs, the reviewer wrote that "Volume, Tone and Sustain are standard fare, and do exactly what you'd expect them to do"2.
The Grit switch is where the Swamp Lord sets itself apart from a straight Ram's Head reproduction. Each position changes how the circuit clips1:
- Bottom position: silicon clipping like in the original, giving the original Ram's Head tones1
- Middle position: the bassier of the three settings and also the one with more sustain; Delicious Audio describes the tone and bass response as becoming huge, with "a no tricks massive and endless sustain that will satisfy even the most demanding" player1
- Upper position: asymmetrical clipping using both silicon and germanium diodes, for a more "open" tone with a bit less gain and compression1
Delicious Audio calls the upper grit position perfect for vintage rock, with an overall character and gain that has a more 70s feel to it1.
Standard and small versions
The Swamp Lord comes in two sizes. The standard version uses a bigger enclosure that Minotaur Sonic Terrors says is meant to remind the player of the luxurious pedals of old1. Alongside it, the builder also offers a smaller, more pedalboard friendly version housed in a 120mm x 95mm enclosure1.
The two versions sound the same. All materials and tone are the same in the smaller version; the only thing different is the size of the pedal1.
| Version | Enclosure | Tone |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Bigger enclosure, recalling the luxurious pedals of old1 | Same circuit and parts1 |
| Small | 120mm x 95mm, more pedalboard friendly1 | Same circuit and parts1 |
Where it sits in the Minotaur Sonic Terrors range
The Swamp Lord is one of several fuzzes from the maker covered by the same press outlets. Pedal of the Day has also reviewed the Saturnine Fuzz, an FZ-2-inspired fuzz with three modes and a heavy doom character, and the Evil Eye MKIII Tone Aggravator, a silicon-transistor fuzz based on the Sola Sound Professional MKII Tone Bender with modern tweaks. Where those pedals take their circuits from other fuzz families, the Swamp Lord is the maker's take on the Ram's Head Big Muff.
Videos
Minotaur Sonic Terrors
Minotaur Sonic Terrors
Eric Merrow
Questions
What Big Muff is the Swamp Lord based on?
The Swamp Lord is a redesigned version of the first version of the Electro-Harmonix V2 Big Muff Pi Ram's Head, the 1973 to 1977 variant. It keeps the same circuit layout in mind but adds a Mids control and a three-position Grit clipping switch that the original never had.
What does the Grit switch do on the Swamp Lord?
The Grit switch is a three-position switch that alters the clipping method of the circuit. The bottom position gives silicon clipping like the original Ram's Head, the middle position is the bassier setting with more sustain, and the upper position uses asymmetrical silicon and germanium diodes for a more open tone with less gain and compression.
How big is the small version of the Swamp Lord?
The smaller, more pedalboard friendly version of the Swamp Lord is housed in a 120mm x 95mm enclosure. The standard version uses a bigger enclosure that Minotaur Sonic Terrors says recalls the luxurious pedals of old.
Does the small Swamp Lord sound different from the standard one?
No. According to Delicious Audio, all materials and tone are the same in the smaller version, and the only thing different is the size of the pedal. Both versions use the same carbon composition resistors and four gain selected NOS BC239C transistors.
What transistors does the Swamp Lord use?
The Swamp Lord uses four gain selected NOS BC239C transistors, along with carbon composition resistors, matching the parts found in the original Ram's Head Big Muff it is based on. NOS means new old stock: unused parts from the era the original pedal was built.
Sources (2)
- Minotaur Sonic Terrors Swamp Lord Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2022-03-28
- Minotaur Sonic Terrors Swamp Lord Cyclopean Tone Wizard, Pedal of the Day, 2022-02-23
