The Wren and Cuff Garbage Face Jr is a fuzz pedal that recreates J Mascis's favorite Big Muff: an early 70s "Ram's Head" Big Muff the Dinosaur Jr guitarist bought on tour in 1987 and has used ever since. Wren and Cuff describes it as "J's #1 vintage muffer in a small pedalboard-friendly enclosure," a stripped-down, three-knob version of the distortion side of the full Garbage Face1.
The Jr arrived in May 2022, after the 2020 Garbage Face prompted requests for a simpler, smaller version of its fuzz side alone2. It carries a list price of $234.99 and is not discontinued13.
A Ram's Head Big Muff recreation in a smaller box
The circuit is a recreation of one specific pedal, not a generic Ram's Head clone. Wren and Cuff says the original was "an early 70's 'Ram's Head' Big Muff® purchased by J on tour in 1987," and that it was the model used to create the Garbage Face line1. Delicious Audio calls the full Garbage Face "a part-by-part recreation of J's number one Muff since 1987," noting that "this is not just any 70's EHX Ram's Head. J's pedal is an o[dd one]" with incorrect and drifted parts values5.
Matthew Holl of Wren and Cuff and J Mascis worked together on the recreation. Wren and Cuff says "Matthew and J worked together to ensure that the final unit was a dead on replica of his treasured pedal"1. Pedal of the Day reported that the recreation process for the Garbage Face's fuzz side "took almost TWO YEARS to come to fruition"6.
Delicious Audio describes the Jr as a "meticulous recreation of J's favorite vintage muffer" in "a small pedalboard-friendly enclosure, with artwork that captures J's love of bold colors and playful imagery"2. The artwork is by Thom Lessner1.
Volume, Gain and Tone
The Jr keeps the control set minimal: three knobs, Volume, Gain and Tone2.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the output level6 |
| Gain | Sets the amount of fuzz6 |
| Tone | Shapes the frequency balance6 |
That is the whole interface. Everything the full Garbage Face adds, the treble boost side, the second volume, the voicing switches, is left off the Jr. For players who want the full gain chain, the Garbage Face pairs the same Muff circuit with a Rangemaster-style treble boost that can also be set flat via toggle switch5.
From the Garbage Face to the Jr
The J Mascis Garbage Face was announced in April 2020278 and released that year as a dual pedal: a Ram's Head Muff fuzz side plus a vintage germanium transistor treble boost, with selectable output volumes and a treble booster voicing switch75. Pedal of the Day counted nine controls on it, including Volume, Tone, Gain, Volume 2, a Full/Treble switch, and three footswitches9.
Premier Guitar's reviewer found things to like and one thing not to: the review praised "a perceptible sense of space, air, and headroom in the Garbage Face's output," where "individual notes [get] more room to bloom," but listed a "cramped footswitch array" among its drawbacks10.
"We are pretty floored by what Matt & Wren and Cuff were able to create here (with J's assistance, of course)."
The Jr is the answer to that complexity. Delicious Audio reports that "following its release, there were requests for a stripped down three knob version of the distortion side of that pedal o[nly]," and the Jr is that pedal2. Wren and Cuff itself calls it "1/2 of the original Garbage Face"1.
The size difference is real. The Jr measures 4.8" x 2.6" x 1.6" and weighs 9 oz1, against the full Garbage Face's 4.7" x 3.6" x 1.7" and 14.5 oz7. The Jr also draws less current, 5mA against the Garbage Face's 8mA17.
| Garbage Face Jr | Garbage Face | |
|---|---|---|
| Controls | Volume, Gain, Tone2 | 9 controls including Volume 2, Full/Treble switch, boost29 |
| Boost side | None | Germanium treble boost7 |
| Dimensions | 4.8" x 2.6" x 1.6"1 | 4.7" x 3.6" x 1.7"7 |
| Weight | 9 oz1 | 14.5 oz7 |
| Current draw | 5mA1 | 8mA7 |
| Bypass | True hard-wire1 | True bypass7 |
| Warranty | Lifetime1 | Lifetime7 |
J Mascis and the original Ram's Head
The Ram's Head Big Muff is the version of the Electro-Harmonix fuzz that J Mascis made famous. Anasounds notes it "is the favourite version of Dinosaur Jr.'s J. Mascis"11. Kit Rae's Big Muff history records that "J's sound on the early Dinosaur albums came from a Deluxe Big Muff, but he later transitioned to using vintage version 1" and V2 Big Muffs, often one favorite Ram's Head12. In a 2011 Kit Rae interview, Mascis said of his Ram's Head collection: "I have purple, blue, red and black."13
Mascis has since put his name on more than one Ram's Head tribute. Guitar.com's reviewer notes he "has already collaborated with Wren And Cuff on the Garbage Face, a boutique take on his favourite Ram's Head Big Muff fr[om the mid-70s]," and that the Electro-Harmonix J Mascis signature Ram's Head "remains a much cheaper option than even the compact 'Jr' version of the Garbage Face"14.
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Questions
What is the difference between the Garbage Face and the Garbage Face Jr?
The Garbage Face, released in 2020, is a dual pedal with a Ram's Head Muff fuzz side and a germanium treble boost side, plus a second footswitchable volume. The Jr is half of that: just the fuzz side, with three knobs (Volume, Gain, Tone) in a smaller enclosure. It was released in 2022 after players asked for a stripped-down version.
Is the Wren and Cuff Garbage Face Jr true bypass?
Yes. Wren and Cuff lists the Garbage Face Jr with true hard-wire bypass, so your clean signal passes through untouched when the pedal is off.
How much current does the Garbage Face Jr draw?
The Garbage Face Jr draws 5mA, which Wren and Cuff lists on its product page. It runs on a 9V DC center-negative adapter or a 9V battery, so it is easy on a pedalboard power supply.
How big is the Garbage Face Jr?
The Garbage Face Jr measures 4.8 by 2.6 by 1.6 inches and weighs 9 oz, according to Wren and Cuff. That makes it smaller than the full Garbage Face, which measures 4.7 by 3.6 by 1.7 inches and weighs 14.5 oz.
Does the Garbage Face Jr have a warranty?
Yes. Wren and Cuff covers the Garbage Face Jr with a lifetime warranty, and the maker confirms the Garbage Face line has not been discontinued.
Sources (14)
- J Mascis Garbage Face Jr, Wren and Cuff
- New Pedal: Wren And Cuff Garbage Face Jr, Delicious Audio, 2022-05-24
- About the EHX J Mascis Big Muff, Wren and Cuff
- Pioneers of fuzz: 13 guitarists who defined the fuzz pedal, MusicRadar, 2020-07-23
- Wren And Cuff Garbage Face, Delicious Audio, 2020-08-03
- Wren and Cuff J Mascis Garbage Face Fuzz Boost, Pedal of the Day, 2021-01-29
- J Mascis Garbage Face, Wren and Cuff
- Dinosaur Jr tones on tap with the Wren and Cuff J Mascis Garbage Face, gearnews.com, 2020-04-10
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2020-12-18
- Melt Faces with a Muff-y Machine Made for Mascis, Premier Guitar, 2020-04-09
- The history of the big muff over time, anasounds.com, 2022-06-08
- The Big Muff History of All Versions Part 1, Kit Rae (www.kitrae.net), 2023-02
- J Mascis Big Muffs, Kit Rae (The Big Muff Page, kitrae.net), 2011-08-02
- Electro-Harmonix J Mascis Ram’s Head Big Muff Pi review, Guitar.com, 2022-10-19
J Mascis
