The Skreddy Pedals General Pig is a fuzz pedal based on the circa 1976 "rams head" Big Muff Pi, voiced by the maker with slightly less gain than his P19 version. Skreddy describes it as "Articulate, balanced fuzz, just the right amount of gain", with "plenty of power and smoothness yet retains clarity and openness"1.
What it does to your sound
Skreddy Pedals, run by Marc, positions the General Pig as a Ram's Head-style fuzz with the gain trimmed back. The maker's product page states that "The gain is slightly lower than that of the P19, which not only permits it to have less filtering and thus render a clea[rer tone]", and that this lets the pedal work well with humbucker-equipped guitars without rolling back the guitar's volume1. The lower gain and reduced filtering are the whole point: a clearer, more open take on the Big Muff voice rather than a maximum-sustain one1.
The pedal's sound clips on the maker's page are by Ilya Lipkin and The Restoned1.
Where the circuit comes from
The Ram's Head is one of the best-known eras of the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi. The name comes from the small ram's head logo that appears on the bottom right of the original pedal2. GuitarPlayer describes the Ram's Head Big Muff Pi as featuring "red, purple, blue or black graphics", with the name drawn from "a so-called ram's head motif positioned in the bottom" right corner3.
Skreddy builds several pedals around Big Muff-era and other classic fuzz circuits; players comparing the General Pig may also want to look at the Skreddy Pedals Lunar Module Deluxe, the Skreddy Pedals 1966 Modernized, the Skreddy Pedals Angel Face and the Skreddy Pedals Perestroika.
Buying and waiting
The General Pig is sold directly by the maker as a built-to-order pedal, not a shelf stock item1.
- Stock status: Preorder1
- Delivery: Lead time of about 2 weeks; current wait time approximately 2 weeks to 1 month1
- Price: $259 + shipping1
Because the pedal is built to order, ordering means a wait of roughly two weeks to a month before it ships, per the maker's page1.
Power and battery
The General Pig runs on regular 9v negative ground power, and Skreddy states it has no special power requirements1. All Skreddy pedals accept the industry-standard 9v DC plug, 5.5mm barrel by 2.1mm center coax, negative tip1. A 9v battery can power the pedal but is not included; the battery is disconnected when a power supply is plugged in or when the input cable is unplugged1.
Videos
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Questions
Is the Skreddy Pedals General Pig based on a Big Muff?
Yes. Skreddy Pedals describes the General Pig as based on the circa 1976 "rams head" Big Muff Pi, the version of the Electro-Harmonix fuzz named for the small ram's head logo printed on the bottom right of the original pedal. The General Pig takes that circuit and voices it with slightly lower gain than Skreddy's P19 version, with less filtering for a clearer tone.
Is the General Pig made to order?
Yes. At the time of the maker's product page, the pedal was listed with a stock status of Preorder and a delivery status describing a lead time of about 2 weeks, with a current wait time of approximately 2 weeks to 1 month, built to order. The listed price was $259 plus shipping.
Does the General Pig work well with humbuckers?
According to Skreddy Pedals, yes. The maker says the gain is slightly lower than that of the P19, which permits less filtering and a clearer tone, and that the pedal works well with humbucker-equipped guitars without needing to roll back the guitar's volume control.
What power supply does the General Pig need?
Skreddy Pedals specifies regular 9v negative ground power with no special power requirements. All Skreddy pedals accept the industry-standard 9v DC plug, 5.5mm barrel by 2.1mm center coax, negative tip. A 9v battery can be used but is not included, and the battery is disconnected when a power supply is plugged in or the input cable is unplugged.
Sources (3)
- Big Muff variants, Skreddy Pedals
- The history of the big muff over time, anasounds.com, 2022-06-08
- J Mascis Is Honored by Electro-Harmonix With Signature Ram's Head Big Muff Pi, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2022-08-17
