Mojo Hand FX 1979

The Mojo Hand FX 1979 is an op-amp fuzz pedal from Mojo Hand FX, built as an evolution of the company's discontinued 1978. It is based on the notoriously high gain Big Muffs manufactured in the late 1970s, the versions that used op-amp integrated circuits instead of the transistors found in every other Big Muff variant¹. Mojo Hand FX describes it as a fuzz with outrageous grungy distortion, a sound the maker says many players have favored, most notably Billy Corgan¹.

What sets the 1979 apart from a typical Big Muff clone is its second footswitch. The left stomp switch bypasses or engages the tone circuit, so with the tone knob out of the signal path you get, in the maker's words, all the bass, all the treble, and a huge helping of extra mids and volume¹.

An op-amp Big Muff with a raw, aggressive voice

Most Big Muff variants use transistors for their gain stages. The late-70s Big Muffs that the 1979 is modeled on instead used op-amps, the integrated circuit version of the circuit that Gearnews' reviewer called "the classic Integrated Circuit or IC Big Muff circuit, which I love"²³. Kit Rae's Big Muff timeline dates the Electro-Harmonix op-amp version to circa 1979, which is where the pedal takes its name⁴.

The maker is direct about what to expect from the sound:

Gearnews' 2017 review put the voice in context, writing that "a good late '70s Big Muff has a certain quality to its tone that could be described as almost buzzsaw-like, smashing through even the heaviest hard hitting drummer"². That is the character the 1979 aims for: a cutting, high gain fuzz rather than a smooth, forgiving one. Players who like to roll back their guitar's volume knob for cleaner tones should look elsewhere, since the maker says the pedal does not clean up well that way³.

One change Mojo Hand FX made to the original circuit: the taper of the gain pot was adjusted for a more usable sweep, so the Gain control responds more evenly across its range than the original late-70s pot did¹.

The controls and the tone bypass footswitch

The 1979 has two footswitches and four knobs. The right stomp switch engages or bypasses the fuzz circuit, as on a normal pedal. The left stomp switch bypasses or engages the tone circuit, which is the pedal's distinguishing feature¹.

Because the tone bypass has its own volume knob, you can set it to unity gain or use it as a boost, giving you two distinct fuzz voices from one pedal¹⁵. With the tone circuit bypassed, the maker says you get all the bass, all the treble, and a huge helping of extra mids and volume¹. Guitar Interactive Magazine highlighted this when the pedal was announced, noting the tone bypass volume knob "so you can set it to unity or boost!"⁵

Power and build

The 1979 runs on a standard 9V DC center negative power supply, which is not included, and draws about 8mA¹. When the pedal was announced in 2017, Guitar Interactive Magazine reported it could also run on a 9V battery⁵, but the maker's current product page makes no mention of one, so treat battery power as uncertain.

The pedal is housed in a sturdy die-cast aluminum enclosure with professional powder coating and printing, measuring 4.7" L x 3.69" W x 1.37" H¹. Gearnews' reviewer liked the solid casing and clear layout, calling it "pretty bomb proof" and noting it takes a regular 9V supply².

Where it came from

The 1979 was announced in February 2017 as an evolution of the Mojo Hand FX 1978, which was discontinued before the 1979 arrived²⁵. Gearnews reported a release date of February 22, 2017 at an RRP of $179.00²; the maker's current list price is $169.00¹.

The 1978's discontinuation was, in Gearnews' words, "now unfortunately discontinued"². The 1979 carries the same op-amp fuzz concept forward, and Mojo Hand FX has since released a further variant, the 1979 Baja, described by the maker as "the same great op amp fuzz with a great new finish"³.

Mojo Hand FX also makes other Big Muff derived fuzzes: the Colossus, which Premier Guitar noted is based on the Sovtek Big Muffs of the early '90s rather than the op-amp era⁶, plus the Iron Bell and Crosstown lines.

What reviewers said

Gearnews' 2017 review was positive on both sound and build. On the circuit: "The 1979 is based on the classic Integrated Circuit or IC Big Muff circuit, which I love"². On the pedal itself:

The reviewer also noted the 1979 improves on the original concept with "true-bypass switching and modern components"².

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