The Pete Cornish Precision Fuzz P-2 is a fuzz pedal designed by Pete Cornish. It grew out of his work for David Gilmour: at some point after 1982, Cornish built what he considered an improved version of the original Precision Fuzz12. An updated version was offered for sale to the public around 2001, fitted with Pete's dual buffer system2.
What it does
The P-2 is a fuzz in the Big Muff family, but with a twist on the tone stage. Kit Rae's history of the pedal describes "an improved treble-cut tone control circuit, less mid range scoop, and thicker lows. It had a passive treble cut control"2. That passive top cut works much like the tone knob on an electric guitar, rolling off treble rather than shaping the mids the way a Big Muff's tone control does2.
The public sale versions also carry Pete Cornish's buffering. "The two P-2 versions on the right included a built in double buffer and a larger enclosure," Rae writes2. Cornish's own page for the related Deluxe P-2 explains the point of that fixed high impedance load: it "allows the pickups to operate at their optimum, even when several effects units are connected after the P-2"3. For a player, that means the fuzz keeps the guitar's natural response even in a long pedalboard chain, a job that would otherwise fall to a separate buffer pedal.
David Gilmour and the P-2
The P-2 is closely tied to David Gilmour's rig. At the 1990 Knebworth concert, "David blended the Precision Fuzz with the drive from a Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp, which was used as an overdrive in his signal chain," and Rae notes "it is documented that it was used for all the high gain solos in that concert"2.
On the 1994 Division Bell tour, the pedal was probably on the board as a backup for Gilmour's Sovtek Big Muff, "as signal chains indicate it was not used for the shows"2.
Versions
The P-2 exists in several forms, and the enclosures tell them apart2:
| Version | Enclosure | Buffer |
|---|---|---|
| Early version | Small gray hammerite enclosure | No |
| 1990 Knebworth version | Black enclosure | No |
| Public sale versions (from around 2001) | Larger enclosure | Built in double buffer2 |
The version offered to the public around 2001, with Pete Cornish's dual buffer system, "is now simply known as the P-2"2. Earlier one-off versions built for Gilmour differ in enclosure and buffering.
Related pedals
Cornish's fuzz line includes the original Pete Cornish P-1 and its Deluxe P-2 variant3, as well as the N.G. Fuzz, NG-2, NG-3 and Deluxe NG-3. For more on the effect type, see Fuzz Pedals.
Videos
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Questions
Did David Gilmour use the Pete Cornish P-2?
Yes. Kit Rae's history of the pedal documents that Gilmour used the P-2 for all the high gain solos at the 1990 Knebworth concert, blending it with a Mesa/Boogie Studio Preamp used as an overdrive. On the 1994 Division Bell tour the pedal was probably on his board as a backup for his Sovtek Big Muff, since signal chains indicate it was not used for the shows themselves.
How is the P-2 different from a Big Muff?
Aion FX, which traced the circuit in 2023, describes the P-2 as similar to a Ram's Head Muff, but Kit Rae notes it added an improved treble-cut tone control circuit with less mid range scoop and thicker lows, plus a passive treble cut control much like an electric guitar's tone knob. Later public versions also included Pete Cornish's dual buffer system.
Sources (3)
- Battery Free Effects Pedals, petecornish.co.uk, 2026-03-31
- The Big Muffs of David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, Kit Rae, 2024-07
- Pete Cornish Deluxe P-2, Pete Cornish (petecornish.co.uk), 2025
