The Tomkat Pedals Violet Fuzz is a fuzz pedal built as a recreation of the Violet Ram's Head Big Muff, the version of the classic Electro-Harmonix fuzz produced around 19731. Tomkat keeps the familiar three-knob Muff layout of Level, Sustain and Tone, and adds one extra control: a Lift toggle that pulls the first pair of clipping diodes out of the circuit for more gain and a beefier low end1.
Tomkat describes the pedal's character as mid-forward rather than scooped: "It has a lot of mids and really cuts through at all tone settings. It's crunchy but smooth crunchy."1
The Violet Fuzz was sold as a new-old-stock pedal, described by the seller as played but showing little to no sign of wear, with the box included, and it is now sold out1. The listed price was £169.00 GBP1.
A Violet Ram's Head Big Muff recreation
The pedal Tomkat copied is one of the most sought-after versions of the Big Muff. The Violet Ram's Head was produced around 1973 and, as Guitar World notes, "remains one of the most popular editions of the pedal"2. Its name comes from the ram's head logo and the violet powder coat screen printing on the original enclosure3. When Electro-Harmonix reissued the circuit in 2019, the company called it "a faithful reproduction of the highly coveted 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff"4, which gives a sense of why small builders like Tomkat have taken it on as a project.
The Violet Fuzz is not the only modern take on this circuit. Players comparing options can also look at the Electro-Harmonix Ram's Head Big Muff Pi '73 reissue, the official remake, or the Stomp Under Foot Violet Menace Ram's Head, another builder's version of the same vintage circuit456.
The controls: Level, Sustain, Tone and Lift
The control set follows the classic Big Muff formula, with the Lift toggle as the addition17.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| LEVEL | Overall volume of the pedal1 |
| SUSTAIN | Amount of fuzz, going from dirty to distortion1 |
| TONE | Classic Muff tone knob: lows left, highs right1 |
| LIFT | Down is the normal circuit; up removes the first pair of clipping diodes, adding gain and a beefier low end1 |
The Sustain and Tone controls behave the way Muff players expect. Pedal of the Day's reviewer, writing about the closely related Tomkat Violet Muffer Fuzz, found that Sustain set low gives "slightly dirty, chunkier sounds" while turning it right produces "distorted, buzz walls of fuzz," and that the Tone knob sweeps "from dirty low-end sounds, high-pitched fuzz squeals and everything in between"7.
The Lift toggle is the pedal's own trick. A Big Muff clips the signal in stages using pairs of diodes, and lifting the first pair out of the circuit changes how the fuzz is shaped before it ever reaches the tone stage. Tomkat's guidance is simple: "in the down position the circuit is normal. start here." Flip it up when you want the pedal to open up with extra bass and thump17.
The Violet Muffer connection
Before the Violet Fuzz, Tomkat built the Violet Muffer Fuzz, reviewed by Pedal of the Day in February 20167. The two pedals share the same family resemblance: the Muffer is a Big Muff-style fuzz with Level, Tone and Sustain controls and the same Lift toggle that removes the first pair of clipping diodes in the up position7. The reviewer called it "a brilliant take on a brilliant original" and praised its artwork7. The Violet Fuzz is the refined version of that idea, aimed specifically at the 1973 Violet Ram's Head circuit2.
Power and bypass
The Violet Fuzz is true bypass and runs on a standard Boss-style 9V DC power supply with a negative center1. There is no battery option, so it needs a pedalboard power supply or a dedicated adapter1.
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Questions
What does the Lift switch do on the Tomkat Violet Fuzz?
In the down position the circuit runs as a normal Violet Ram's Head Big Muff recreation. Flip it up and the first pair of clipping diodes come out of the circuit, which Tomkat describes as giving the pedal more gain and a beefier low end. It is the one control that sets the pedal apart from a stock Big Muff layout.
Is the Tomkat Violet Fuzz true bypass?
Yes. The maker's product page states the pedal is true bypass, so with the effect off your signal passes through without buffering or coloration. It runs on a standard Boss-style 9V DC power supply with a negative center, and there is no battery option.
Can the Tomkat Violet Fuzz run on a battery?
No. The maker lists no battery option, so the pedal needs a 9V DC power supply, Boss style with a negative center. Plan on a pedalboard power supply or a dedicated adapter rather than a daisy chain with mismatched polarity.
What is the Tomkat Violet Fuzz based on?
It is a recreation of the Violet Ram's Head Big Muff, the version of the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff produced around 1973 and known for its violet powder coat and ram's head artwork. Tomkat's version keeps the classic three-knob Muff control set and adds a Lift toggle.
Is the Tomkat Violet Muffer the same pedal as the Violet Fuzz?
The Violet Muffer Fuzz is the earlier Tomkat take on the Big Muff, reviewed by Pedal of the Day in February 2016 with the same Level, Tone and Sustain controls and the same Lift toggle that removes the first pair of clipping diodes. The Violet Fuzz is the recreation of the Violet Ram's Head circuit sold through Godlyke.
Sources (7)
- Tomkat Pedals Violet Fuzz, Godlyke Distributing, Inc.
- NAMM 2024: “For all of the original mojo and magic craved by the true believers”: EHX's Double Anniversary Big Muff Pi delivers its first 'big box' Ramshead circuit since the 1970s, Guitar World, 2024-01-24
- Big Muff Pi™ Clone Kit: Triangle, Ram's Head & Russian Fuzz, General Guitar Gadgets, 2014-05-12
- Electro Harmonix reissues Ram’s Head Big Muff Pi '73, gearnews.com, 2019-10-16
- Best guitar effect pedals 2019: Our Top 6 by Strymon, ThorpyFX, EHX, Boss, Origin, Wampler, gearnews.com, 2019-12-27
- Violet Menace – Stomp Under Foot, Stomp Under Foot
- Tomkat Pedals Violet Muffer Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2016-02-18
