The Mythos Pedals Positron Collider is a limited-edition fuzz pedal built around a modified Ram's Head Muff circuit and themed on the paranormal catching equipment from the 1984 film Ghostbusters12. Mythos describes it as a versatile dirt box, with controls that take you from low-gain fuzzy tones to huge high-gain fuzz sounds1. It was first announced in October 2018 as a hand-assembled limited edition priced at $27932, and it has since returned as a limited-time reissue1.
A Ram's Head Muff fuzz with a Ghostbusters theme
The Positron Collider first appeared in late October 2018, when Mythos Pedals announced it as a limited-edition stompbox inspired by the paranormal catching equipment from Ghostbusters32. Gearnews reported the launch on 29 October 2018, noting the "I ain't afraid of no fuzz" theme carried through to a footswitch labeled Total Protonic Reversal5.
The circuit underneath the theme is a Ram's Head Muff, one of the classic Big Muff voicings, but not a stock copy. Mythos describes the pedal as housing "his tweaked version of the iconic Ram's Head Muff circuit"1, while the 2018 launch coverage called it "a highly modified Ram's Head Muff circuit"3 and a modified "Ram's Head" fuzz-style circuit2. Guitar World summed it up as a stompbox offering "a unique take on classic 'Ram's Head'-style circuit"2.
The pedal was hand-assembled and offered for $279 at launch32. In 2022, Delicious Audio reported the Positron moving from a Halloween-exclusive circuit to a full production version1, and the current model is a limited-time reissue with a Glow in the Dark slimed finish1.
The controls: Focus, Intensity, Treble, Bass and Clipping
The control set maps familiar fuzz functions onto Ghostbusters-flavored names1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Focus | Volume, sets the output level13 |
| Intensity | Fuzz, adjusts the gain13 |
| Treble and Bass | Independent tone controls, from classic muff sounds to less mid-scooped, fuller tones1 |
| Clipping switch | Chooses between silicon and LED clipping diodes14 |
Mythos says the wide range of controls lets you go from versatile low-gain fuzzy tones to huge high-gain fuzz sounds, and that the Treble and Bass knobs run from classic muff sounds to less mid-scooped, fuller tones1. Guitar World highlighted the interactive treble and bass knobs as the feature that lets you fine-tune voicings for both guitar and bass2.
The clipping switch is worth paying attention to when you set up. Delicious Audio's write-up offers a practical warning142:
"Fair warning, the LED clipping mode is incredibly loud!"
Paolo De Gregorio, Delicious Audio4
The Total Protonic Reversal footswitch
Alongside the main bypass footswitch, the pedal carries a second footswitch labeled Total Protonic Reversal, a name drawn straight from the film5. It bypasses the tone circuit1, which Delicious Audio describes in practical terms: the footswitch "lets you lift the tone stack for extra volume"4. For a player, that means a second voicing available mid-song, with the tone controls taken out of the signal path.
The LEDs
The Ghostbusters theme extends to the pedal's indicator lights, which do more than show on and off413:
- The "Active" LED blinks like the classic Ghost Trap when the pedal is engaged4.
- A small white LED next to the Intensity knob dynamically pulses as you play, with its brightness connected to the amount of gain you are using43. Mythos notes that the brightness of that LED is set by the Intensity control, with the circuit designed by Lawrence Petross1.
- When Total Protonic Reversal mode is engaged, the "BYPASS" LED begins to flash1.
Gearnews reported at launch that Mythos enlisted designer Lawrence Petross to create and refine the pedal's interactive Intensity LED5, and Delicious Audio credits Petross with that feature and other refinements to the pedal4.
Versions and what changed
The Positron Collider has appeared in several runs, and the differences are mostly cosmetic rather than sonic1:
| Version | What changed |
|---|---|
| 2018 original | Hand-assembled limited edition, $279, announced October 201832 |
| 2022 production version | Released from a Halloween-exclusive circuit to a standard full production version with Treble and Bass controls and a LOUD switch1 |
| Current reissue | Limited-time reissue with a Glow in the Dark slimed finish; sonically the same as the earlier version1 |
Mythos states plainly that "Sonically the newest version is the same"1. One small hardware note: the knobs shown in the maker's photo are incredibly hard to source, so current models use knobs of the same shape without the silver cap1.
The Positron Collider is a limited-time reissue rather than a permanent catalog item1. If you want one, it is worth knowing the pedal has historically appeared in limited runs.
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Questions
Does the Mythos Positron Collider work on bass?
Yes. When the pedal launched in 2018, MusicRadar and Guitar World both described it as offering a wide variety of tones for both guitar and bass, with interactive treble and bass knobs that let you fine-tune the voicing for either instrument.
Is the Positron Collider true bypass?
Yes. Both Guitar World's launch coverage and Delicious Audio's write-up list true bypass switching among the pedal's features.
What does the pulsing LED on the Positron Collider do?
The small white LED next to the Intensity knob pulses as you play, and its brightness tracks the amount of gain you are using. The circuit behind it was designed by Lawrence Petross. When Total Protonic Reversal mode is engaged, the BYPASS LED flashes as well.
Is the Positron Collider a Big Muff clone?
It is based on the Ram's Head Muff circuit, but a modified one. Mythos describes it as their tweaked version of that circuit, and 2018 press coverage called it a highly modified Ram's Head design rather than a straight copy.
Does the reissue Positron Collider sound the same as the original?
According to Mythos Pedals, the newest version is sonically the same as the earlier version. The current reissue differs mainly in cosmetics, with a Glow in the Dark slimed finish and knobs of the same shape without the silver cap.
Sources (5)
- Positron Collider Fuzz, Mythos Pedals
- Mythos Pedals Unveils 'Ghostbusters'-Inspired Positron Collider Fuzz, Guitar World, 2018-10-31
- Mythos Pedals announces Positron Collider Fuzz, MusicRadar, 2018-10-31
- Pedal Update: Mythos Positron Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2022-10-31
- Mythos Pedals' Positron Collider: I ain't afraid of no fuzz, www.gearnews.com, 2018-10-29
