The Way Huge Doom Hammer is a fuzz pedal from Way Huge, the brand founded by Jeorge Tripps and now made under Jim Dunlop. It is built on an op-amp-powered fuzz circuit from 1978 that Tripps modified in 1998, and it sits in the compact Smalls enclosure that Way Huge uses for miniaturized versions of its pedals123. Where many vintage fuzzes scoop the midrange hard and let the low end sprawl, the Doom Hammer does the opposite: Way Huge says Tripps refined the design for a tighter low end and a less pronounced scoop, with velvety harmonics4.
Premier Guitar's reviewer put the character plainly: the pedal's "combination of taut lows and the pronounced midrange one associates with op-amp Big Muffs is nasty, buzzy, punky, and brash" rather than big and sprawling5. For a player, that means a fuzz that cuts through a mix and holds together under fast, low riffs instead of flubbing out.
A tight low end with a pronounced midrange
The Doom Hammer's identity is its EQ shape. Way Huge describes the sound as thick saturation with a less pronounced scoop, a tighter low end, and velvety harmonics, with the design refined for reliable performance when played live on stage4. Delicious Audio frames it the same way: the circuit was prized for its less pronounced mid-scoop compared to many vintage fuzzes and for its tighter low-end response2.
Guitar Pedal X adds that the production pedal offers "less pronounced scoop, thicker yet tighter low end, and more playback uniformity and reliability than the unruly original mod"10. That last point matters for gigging players: the 1998 mod was a one-off, and the Smalls version is described as more consistent from unit to unit.
The gain range is wide. Delicious Audio says the three-knob layout runs "from a delightful low-gain crunch to a" dense saturation2, and Way Huge itself suggests trying a low Fuzz setting for the most delightful crunch2111. Bass Magazine echoed that, noting the delightful crunch available at low Fuzz settings11. At higher fuzz values, the pedal produces the dense sound carpet expected of it, as Gearnews put it12.
"the Doom Hammer's combination of taut lows and the pronounced midrange one associates with op-amp Big Muffs is nasty, buzzy, punky, and brash."
The controls: Output, Tone and Fuzz
The pedal keeps the classic three-knob Big Muff layout. Guitar Pedal X describes it as "the very standard 3-knob topology of Output, Tone, and Fuzz - very much Big Muff style territory"10. Way Huge says the three dials let you tailor the pedal's velvety harmonics to your rig1.
Because the Fuzz knob sweeps from slight crunch at moderate settings to that dense saturation at higher values12, the pedal can work as a low-gain dirt box at one end of its range and a full fuzz at the other. Gearnotes notes the controls let you adapt the sound to different setups and playing styles12.
From a 1978 op-amp fuzz to the Smalls range
The circuit's story starts in the original Way Huge garage lab in 1998, when Jeorge Tripps modified an op-amp-powered fuzz circuit from 1978 for the band Oranger, primarily to tighten the low end6. Premier Guitar's review identifies the donor circuit as an op-amp Big Muff that Tripps modified for a client in the 1990s5, and Guitar Pedal X calls it a mod of a presumably 1978 op-amp Big Muff10.
Many years later, Tripps crafted a handful of prototypes based on that modded original, and those prototypes became the basis for the Doom Hammer1. The pedal that shipped in September 2025 is housed in the compact Smalls enclosure, which Delicious Audio calls a road-ready tribute to a cult-classic circuit2.
The Smalls range itself is Way Huge's line of miniaturized versions of its pedals. Reviewing earlier Smalls pedals, Guitar World's Paul Riario noted that "these Way Huge Smalls stompboxes preserve the same features and sweet tones, but in a compact pedal footprint"3. Gearnews points out the practical benefit for Doom Hammer owners: the compact design saves space and fits easily into existing pedalboard setups12. Players comparing Way Huge fuzzes can also look at the Way Huge Smalls Russian-Pickle Fuzz or the Way Huge Smalls Swollen Pickle Jumbo Fuzz in the same enclosure format.
Price and availability
The Doom Hammer Fuzz launched in September 2025 at $169.99 street, with a $242.84 MSRP, and was available immediately6. MusicRadar listed it at £182/$1699, and Guitar Pedal X had it at $169 in the USA, with UK stock at Andertons priced at £182.99 and due October 3110. Gearnews reported it at $182.00 / £162.00 / 185.00€, with Thomann listing it at $156.00 / £141.00 / 166.00€12, so early retail figures varied by region and retailer. Jim Dunlop's product page carries the pedal at $169.9913.
The pedal is true bypass9, and it is available now from retailers6. UK stock was not expected at Andertons until October 31, 202510.
What reviewers said
Premier Guitar's October 2025 review is the fullest published verdict. The reviewer found the pedal's taut lows and pronounced, op-amp-Big-Muff-style midrange nasty, buzzy, punky, and brash, a character that suits players who want a fuzz that pushes forward rather than sitting back5. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson called the Pounding OpAmp Fuzz sound "pretty formidable," while noting the demos available at launch were single-pedal playthroughs, giving limited evidence of how it behaves in every rig10.
Videos
Premier Guitar
Way Huge Electronics
jimdunlopusa
Questions
Who designed the Way Huge Doom Hammer?
Jeorge Tripps, the designer behind Way Huge. In 1998, working in the original Way Huge garage lab, he modified an op-amp-powered fuzz circuit from 1978 for the band Oranger, aiming mainly to tighten the low end. Years later he built prototypes from that modded original, and those became the basis for the Doom Hammer.
Is the Doom Hammer based on a Big Muff?
Yes. Premier Guitar describes it as based on an op-amp Big Muff that Jeorge Tripps modified for a client in the 1990s, and Guitar Pedal X calls it a mod of a presumably 1978 op-amp Big Muff. Its three-knob Output, Tone and Fuzz layout is standard Big Muff style territory.
What size is the Way Huge Smalls Doom Hammer?
It comes in Way Huge's compact Smalls enclosure, the miniaturized format the brand uses to preserve the features and tones of its larger pedals in a smaller footprint. Gearnews notes the compact design saves space and fits easily into existing pedalboard setups.
How much does the Way Huge Doom Hammer cost?
At launch in September 2025 it sold for $169.99 street, with a $242.84 MSRP. MusicRadar and Guitar Pedal X both listed it at $169, and Jim Dunlop's product page carries it at $169.99. Gearnews reported it at $182.00, so early listings varied.
Is the Doom Hammer Fuzz the same as the Smalls Doom Hammer?
Yes. The Doom Hammer Fuzz and the Smalls Doom Hammer Fuzz are the same pedal: a fuzz in the compact Smalls enclosure, part of the Way Huge Smalls range. Press coverage used both names for the same September 2025 release.
Sources (13)
- WAY HUGE® SMALLS™ DOOM HAMMER™ FUZZ, Jim Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
- Way Huge Doom Hammer Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2026-06-25
- Review: Way Huge Smalls Aqua-Puss Delay, Smalls Blue Hippo Chorus and Smalls Russian Pickle Fuzz, Guitar World, 2018-07-02
- WM45.pdf, Jim Dunlop, 2025
- Pedalmania! Keeley, Mr. Black, Hotone, and NUX Demos, Premier Guitar, 2025-09-25
- The Way Huge Doom Hammer Fuzz Hits Hard & Heavy, Premier Guitar, 2025-09-23
- Review: Way Huge Smalls Supa-Lead, Guitar World, 2019-05-13
- From Way Huge Laboratory Comes the Saucy Box Overdrive, Guitar Interactive Magazine, 2014-10-21
- “Will pound your ears with thick saturation… dense walls of fuzz straight from a '90s fever dream”: Players who deal in big gnarly riffs might need to add the Way Huge Doom Hammer Fuzz to their 'board ASAP, MusicRadar, 2025-09-24
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-09-25
- Dunlop Unveils The Way Huge Doom Hammer Fuzz, Bass Magazine, 2025-09-23
- Dunlop Way Huge Smalls Doom Hammer Fuzz: A Vintage-Rooted Fuzz With No Compromises, gearnews.com, 2025-09-26
- WAY HUGE® SMALLS™ ATTACK VECTOR™ PHASER & ENVELOPE, Jim Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
