Monger Pedals The Little Guy is a two-in-one pedal that combines a fuzz and a phaser in a single hand-built enclosure. Inside what Premier Guitar called "a beastly mash-up of op-amp fuzz and operational transducer amp (OTA)-based phaser," the fuzz side is an op-amp design with hard clipping, and the phaser side is a 2-stage OTA circuit with selectable LFO waveforms12. The internal signal chain runs from fuzz to phaser, and an effect send and return lets you insert other pedals between the two stages3.
It was the maker's first effects unit, and Pedal of the Day called it "a sign of amazing things to come" from the builder2. It is available from the Monger Pedals online store3.
What the fuzz side does
The fuzz is an op-amp design with hard clipping character, and Monger describes it as "lo-fi"12. Pedal of the Day found it "cleans up beautifully with your guitar's volume knob but still packs enough headroom to shift from gritty drive, to r"2. Its single fuzz knob sweeps a wide range, from gritty drive to thick saturated fuzz2.
Among op-amp fuzz archetypes, Premier Guitar's reviewer found the circuit aligns most closely with the Big Muff, and the tone control has enough range to get close to a Sovtek Big Muff1:
"the tone control in the Little Guy's fuzz has enough range that I could dial in sounds nearly equivalent to those from a"1
Premier Guitar also noted that settings in the upper third of the pedal's gain and tone control range are "searing but still massive"1. The fuzz keeps clarity and is extremely responsive to guitar input, per Premier Guitar's news coverage3.
What the phaser side does
The phaser is a 2-stage OTA circuit with waveform shaping2. Pedal of the Day described it as "a phaser built for sculpting motion, not just adding swirl"2. It can shift frequencies and waveform shapes3.
The LFO offers three selectable waveforms: triangle, upward sawtooth, and downward sawtooth2.
The controls
The pedal splits its controls between the two effects3.
| Control | Section | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | Fuzz | Output level of the fuzz3 |
| Tone | Fuzz | Tone shaping, with enough range to approximate a Sovtek Big Muff13 |
| Fuzz | Fuzz | Gain, sweeping from gritty drive to thick saturated fuzz23 |
| Width | Phaser | LFO width, excellent for subtly backgrounding modulations13 |
| Speed | Phaser | Modulation speed2 |
| Shape | Phaser | LFO waveform selection2 |
| Range | Phaser | Narrows the frequency range of the modulation13 |
| Regen | Phaser | Feedback that emphasizes peaks in the modulation cycles13 |
Premier Guitar's reviewer found the range control useful for narrowing the frequency range of the modulation, and the regen control useful for emphasizing peaks in slow modulation cycles through feedback. The LFO's width control was called "excellent for subtly backgrounding modulations"1.
The send and return between fuzz and phaser
The internal signal chain runs from fuzz to phaser, but the Little Guy includes an effect send and return that lets you situate other pedals between the two stages13. Pedal of the Day noted that "thanks to a built-in Send & Return loop, The Little Guy drops into your rig seamlessly, letting you place other pedals b"2. That means a delay, boost, or any other effect can be inserted between the fuzz and the phaser rather than only before or after the whole pedal.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's reviewer found the price especially favorable given the build quality and design1:
"That's a great price for almost any pedal that combines two wide-ranging effects. But it strikes me as an especially goo"1
Pedal of the Day called it "this big beast of a pedal" and, as the maker's first effects unit, "a sign of amazing things to come"2.
Videos
Pedal of the Day
Boring Gear Reviews
David Greer
Questions
Does the Monger Little Guy fuzz sound like a Big Muff?
It is close. The fuzz is an op-amp design that Premier Guitar's reviewer found aligns most closely with the Big Muff among op-amp fuzz archetypes, and its tone control has enough range to dial in sounds nearly equivalent to a Sovtek Big Muff. Monger itself describes the fuzz as lo-fi.
Does the Little Guy clean up with the guitar volume knob?
Yes. Pedal of the Day found the fuzz cleans up beautifully with the guitar's volume knob while still packing enough headroom to shift from gritty drive to thick saturated fuzz. Premier Guitar noted that settings in the upper third of the gain and tone range are searing but still massive.
What LFO waveforms does the Little Guy phaser have?
The phaser offers selectable LFO waveforms: triangle, upward sawtooth, and downward sawtooth. A Shape control selects between them, and the phaser can shift both frequencies and waveform shapes.
How much does the Monger Little Guy cost?
It sells for just less than $225, which Premier Guitar's reviewer called a great price for almost any pedal combining two wide-ranging effects, and an especially good deal given the build quality and thoughtful design.
Can I put a delay between the fuzz and phaser on the Little Guy?
Yes. The pedal has an effect send and return that lets you situate other pedals between the fuzz and phase stages, so a delay or any other effect can be inserted into the internal signal chain, which otherwise runs from fuzz to phaser.
Sources (3)
- Monger Pedals The Little Guy Review, Premier Guitar, 2026-02-28
- Monger Pedals The Little Guy Fuzz-Phaser, Pedal of the Day, 2025-10-07
- Monger Pedals Unveils Boiling Honey Optical Tremolo and Little Guy Fuzz/Phaser, Premier Guitar, 2025-10-13