The Mike Matthews Red Army Overdrive is a fuzz pedal produced under the Sovtek name in Russia, circa 1990, and it was the first fuzz pedal to carry the Sovtek name1. It was made by New Sensor Corp, the company run by Electro-Harmonix president Mike Matthews, and produced circa 1991 to 1992234. Stomp Under Foot calls it simply "the rare Mike Matthews Red Army Overdrive"1.
A Big Muff made in St. Petersburg
By 1991, Mike Matthews had worked out a manufacturing agreement with an ex-Soviet manufacturing company in St. Petersburg4. The pedals were made in a former Russian military equipment factory2. Matthews gave the factory an original Big Muff circuit diagram, and they completely redesigned the circuit board and enclosure2. Kit Rae's history of the Big Muff notes that the Sovtek Big Muffs of this era were "the exact same pedal, just with different graphics"2.
JHS Pedals describes this new version as "technically the 7th version of the now famous Big Muff"4. Guitar World has called Matthews one of the effect innovators behind Electro-Harmonix5, and he is also known for co-authoring a July 1997 Scientific American article with Bob Myer6.
Why it says Sovtek, not Electro-Harmonix
The pedal does not carry the Electro-Harmonix name because Matthews no longer owned his old trademarks at the time. As Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio put it74:
"since Mike no longer owned his old trademarks, he labeled it the 'Mike Matthews Red Army Overdrive' by Sovtek"
Sovtek first made amplifiers that remain popular with vintage Marshall lovers, then moved into pedals with the Red Army Overdrive and its Muff versions3.
Relation to the Sovtek Civil War
The Red Army Overdrive shares characteristics with the famous Sovtek "Civil War" version from late 1992, but it stands on its own47. The Civil War came later in the same Soviet production run, so players comparing the two are looking at closely related circuits from the same factory rather than the same pedal.
How rare is it?
Very rare. It was only manufactured in small numbers from 1991 to 1992, and JHS Pedals notes that very few examples still exist, making one "almost impossible" to find4. Stomp Under Foot, a maker that builds its own takes on classic fuzz circuits, likewise bills it as rare1.
Questions
Is the Red Army Overdrive a Big Muff?
Technically yes. JHS Pedals describes it as the seventh version of the Big Muff, though it was not sold under that name. Matthews supplied an original Big Muff circuit diagram to the Russian factory, which redesigned the circuit board and enclosure, and Kit Rae notes the Sovtek Big Muffs of the era were the exact same pedal with different graphics.
Is the Mike Matthews Red Army Overdrive the same as the Sovtek Civil War?
No, though they are related. JHS Pedals and Delicious Audio both describe the Red Army Overdrive as sharing characteristics with the famous Sovtek Civil War version from late 1992, while standing on its own. The Red Army Overdrive came first, produced circa 1991 to 1992.
Why isn't it labeled Electro-Harmonix?
Because Mike Matthews no longer owned his old trademarks at the time. According to Delicious Audio, he labeled the pedal the Mike Matthews Red Army Overdrive by Sovtek instead. Sovtek was the name New Sensor used for products coming out of the St. Petersburg factory.
How rare is the Red Army Overdrive?
Very. Stomp Under Foot calls it rare, and JHS Pedals notes it was only manufactured in small numbers from 1991 to 1992, with very few examples still existing. JHS describes finding one today as almost impossible.
Sources (7)
- Red Army Overdrive, Stomp Under Foot, 1990
- The Big Muff History of All Versions 2, Kit Rae (kitrae.net), 2011-04
- The history of the big muff over time, anasounds.com, 2022-06-08
- CRIMSON - JHS Pedals, JHS Pedals
- Weird Science: The 10 Strangest Vintage Effects of All Time, Guitar World, 2018-01-12
- The Big Muff History of All Versions, Kit Rae (kitrae.net), 1997-07
- JHS Pedals Crimson Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2020-10-19
