The Moskyaudio BIG FUZZ is a hand-built fuzz pedal in the maker's M-SERIES range, and Moskyaudio states plainly what it is: "Based on Electro-Harmonix Big Muff PI circuit"1. That puts it in a long line of pedals built on the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi, the circuit that, along with the Tone Bender and Fuzz Face, Daniel Steinhardt and Mick Taylor of That Pedal Show call one of "the cornerstones" of classic fuzz2. What separates the BIG FUZZ from a straight clone is its 4-mode selection knob, which adds Tone Bender and boost voices alongside the Big Muff sound.
A Big Muff PI-based fuzz with four modes
The Big Muff Pi itself is a distortion/fuzz design, and the BIG FUZZ is based on the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff PI circuit31.
The four modes are where the BIG FUZZ does something a plain clone does not. Where a pedal like the Dazatronyx Big Fuzz stays a Muff circuit and offers internal switches to move "from Russian style lower gain to modern NYC high gain"4, the BIG FUZZ changes voice at the turn of a knob on the top of the pedal.
| Mode position | What it points to |
|---|---|
| π | The Big Muff PI circuit the pedal is based on1 |
| ToneBender | The Tone Bender, one of the other cornerstone classic fuzzes12 |
| M | Third voice, labeled M on the knob1 |
| Booster | A boost setting1 |
The controls
The three knobs follow the classic Big Muff layout that most Muff-based pedals share. The Mythos Big Puft Fuzz Device uses the same Volume, Tone, Sustain arrangement5, and the Dazatronyx Big Fuzz Console likewise has global controls for Sustain, Tone and Volume6.
- VOLUME: sets the output level1
- TONE: shapes the frequency balance1
- SUSTAIN: sets the amount of gain and sustain, the equivalent of the gain control on a Big Muff1
- One toggle: selects between two voices1
- 4-mode selection knob: π, ToneBender, M, Booster1
Between the mode knob and the two-voice toggle, a player gets several distinct settings from one small box without touching a screwdriver, which is the practical difference between this and pedals that hide their voicing switches inside the enclosure14.
Power: 9V, 100mA
The BIG FUZZ runs on a 9V DC supply with center negative polarity, drawing 100mA1.
At 100mA the BIG FUZZ draws noticeably more current than many analog fuzzes. The Mythos Big Puft draws less than 10mA51 and the Dazatronyx Big Fuzz Console draws 50mA6, so if you are powering a full board, budget a full 100mA output for this pedal rather than assuming fuzz-pedal trickle current.
Size and weight
Moskyaudio lists the enclosure at 11.5 x 6.5 x 5 cm (L x W x H) and 350g1. That is a mini-pedal footprint, smaller than full-size Muff-style pedals like the Big Fuzz Console, and easy to fit on a crowded board.
Is it a clone?
By the maker's own description, yes: the circuit is based on the Big Muff PI1. Cloning the Big Muff is a well-established practice rather than an exception. Reviewers describe other modern pedals the same way: Pedal of the Day called the Pepers' Pedals Big Hefe Custom Fuzz "a clone of a Big Muff" at its core7, and Delicious Audio described the Dazatronyx Big Fuzz as "a muff circuit, which has been made to factor all of my favourite elements from the many various models"4. The BIG FUZZ takes the same starting point and adds the mode knob and voice toggle on top of it.
Videos
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Questions
What polarity does the Moskyaudio BIG FUZZ use?
It uses a 9V DC power supply with center negative polarity, as stated on Moskyaudio's product page. That matches the standard used by most modern pedals and pedalboard power supplies, so it will run from a typical 9V daisy chain or isolated supply without an adapter ring.
How much current does the BIG FUZZ draw?
Moskyaudio lists the BIG FUZZ at 100mA. That is higher than many analog fuzz pedals, some of which draw under 10mA, so it is worth checking that your power supply has enough spare current on the output you plan to use.
What are the four modes on the BIG FUZZ?
The 4-mode selection knob offers four positions: pi, ToneBender, M and Booster. The pi position corresponds to the Big Muff PI circuit the pedal is based on, ToneBender points to another classic fuzz voice, and Booster is a clean boost style setting.
How big is the Moskyaudio BIG FUZZ?
Moskyaudio lists the enclosure at 11.5 by 6.5 by 5 centimeters (length by width by height) with a weight of 350g. That is a compact mini-pedal footprint that fits easily on a small board.
Is the BIG FUZZ a Big Muff clone?
Yes, in the sense that Moskyaudio states it is based on the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff PI circuit. The Big Muff has been widely cloned since the 1970s by makers large and small, and the BIG FUZZ is one of many modern pedals built on that circuit.
Sources (7)
- BIG FUZZ_M-SERIES_Products_mosky pedal, moskyaudio.com
- That Pedal Show, That Pedal Show, 2016-11-11
- The Big Muff Pi Home Page, Kit Rae (kitrae.net)
- Dazatronyx Big Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2022-11-11
- Big Puft Fuzz Device, Mythos Pedals
- Big Fuzz Console by Dazatronyx, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Guest Review: Pepers' Pedals Big Hefe Custom Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2018-03-24
