The Wren and Cuff Elephant Skin is a bass distortion and fuzz pedal: the Troy Sanders signature version of Wren and Cuff's Tall Font Russian, a recreation of the Sovtek Tall Font Russian Big Muff. Sanders, the bass player of Mastodon, has used the Tall Font Russian as his main fuzz since 2010, and the Elephant Skin packages that circuit with an added gain stage on a second footswitch12.
The right side of the pedal is the Tall Font Russian circuit itself, a straightforward fuzz distortion in the Russian Big Muff tradition. The left side is a boost: an extra gain stage that can run on its own as a slightly gritty clean boost, or be engaged on top of the fuzz side to push it harder, with the XT knob controlling how much extra grind comes in12.
Controls and the two sides
The pedal has two footswitches, one per side, and four knobs: volume, tone, distortion, and XT, which sets the amount of gain boost23.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Output level3 |
| Tone | Sets the frequency balance of the fuzz side3 |
| Distortion | Gain of the Tall Font fuzz circuit3 |
| XT | Amount of gain from the added boost stage13 |
| Footswitch 1 | Engages the Tall Font Russian fuzz side2 |
| Footswitch 2 | Engages the boost gain stage23 |
The boost side is the part that sets the Elephant Skin apart from the standard Tall Font Russian. Wren and Cuff describes it plainly: the added gain stage can be used independently for a slightly gritty clean boost, or switched in to smash the Tall Font side1. Premier Guitar's reviewer noted that the XT control only comes into play when its dedicated footswitch is activated3.
What it sounds like
Premier Guitar's reviewer found the pedal had excellent clarity with high gain, helped by what the review called a finely tuned midrange scoop, a subtle emphasis in the midrange that aided articulation3. Pedal of the Day's review described the low end as having tasty compression, the highs producing beautiful harmonics, and the mids dialed in just right2.
"The low end has some tasty compression, the highs produce beautiful harmonics and the mids are dialed in just right."
Although it is a bass signature pedal, Pedal of the Day demoed it with a guitar and reported that it beefed up the tone and made the low end sparkle through humbuckers2. Wren and Cuff itself says the underlying Tall Font circuit is particularly great on bass and fantastic for raunchy, less friendly guitar tones4.
The Tall Font Russian circuit
The Tall Font Russian is Wren and Cuff's recreation of the Sovtek Tall Font Big Muff, a transitional-model Russian Muff known, in the maker's words, for its comparatively low-gain grind, throaty growl, and boxy character5. It has been a mainstay in the Wren and Cuff line of Muff recreations since the late 2000s5.
Wren and Cuff's designer notes explain the choice of this version: the highs are more present and clear in the Tall Fonts than in Civil War Muffs, resulting in an openness in the highs unique to this pedal, with a slight gritty edge4. That boxy growl is part of what makes the circuit work so well for bass4.
Wren and Cuff also builds the Elephant Skin, a distortion pedal in a compact 3.7" x 4.7" x 1.6" enclosure weighing 14 oz, listing at $249.991. It carries controls for volume, tone, distortion and a gain boost labeled XT, with the boost engaged by a dedicated footswitch, and reviewers found it delivered excellent clarity with high gain3.
Power and practical details
The Elephant Skin runs on a 9V battery or a 2.1mm adapter, at 9VDC negative tip, drawing 8mA1. The battery option means it can go on a board without a power supply, and the low current draw is easy on a shared daisy chain. It is built in the USA and covered by Wren and Cuff's lifetime warranty1.
The pedal uses a 2.1mm center negative 9VDC input, the standard for most modern pedal power supplies, so it fits typical isolated supplies and daisy chains without an adapter cable1.
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Questions
Is the Wren and Cuff Elephant Skin true bypass?
Yes. Wren and Cuff lists the Elephant Skin with true hard-wire bypass, so with both sides off the signal passes through without buffering or coloration. The pedal also carries a lifetime warranty from the maker.
Does the Elephant Skin run on a battery?
Yes. It runs on a 9V battery or a 2.1mm adapter, with 9VDC center (negative tip) power and a current draw of 8mA. That low draw makes it easy to run alongside other pedals on a shared supply.
Can the Elephant Skin boost be used on its own?
Yes. The added gain stage, engaged by its own footswitch, works independently as a slightly gritty clean boost, or it can be switched on to push the Tall Font fuzz side harder. The XT knob sets how much extra grind the boost stage adds.
Who is the Elephant Skin signature pedal made for?
It is a signature pedal for Troy Sanders, bass player of Mastodon, whose fuzz sound has been built on the Tall Font Russian since 2010. It is aimed at bass players who want that Russian Big Muff grind, though reviewers also used it on guitar.
What is a Tall Font Russian Big Muff?
It is a Sovtek-era Russian Big Muff variant, a transitional model known for comparatively low-gain grind, a throaty growl, and a boxy character. Wren and Cuff describes its highs as more present and clear than Civil War Muffs, giving an open, slightly gritty edge that suits bass.
Does the Elephant Skin work on guitar as well as bass?
Yes. Pedal of the Day demoed it with a guitar and reported that it beefed up the tone and made the low end sparkle through humbuckers. Wren and Cuff also describes the underlying Tall Font circuit as great for raunchy, less friendly guitar tones.
Sources (5)
- Elephant Skin, Wren and Cuff
- Wren and Cuff Elephant Skin Distortion, Pedal of the Day, 2016-11-15
- Wren and Cuff Elephant Skin Review, Premier Guitar, 2016-09-09
- Tall Font Russian, Wren and Cuff
- MINI Tall Font Russian, Wren and Cuff
