Wren and Cuff's The Good One is a Big Muff style fuzz pedal built around a very specific pedal: a 1972 "triangle knob" Big Muff owned by a customer named G. Smith. The pedal arrived at Wren and Cuff not working, and owner Matthew Holl repaired it, finding along the way what he describes as "one of the good ones" among triangle knob era Muffs. The Good One is Wren and Cuff's recreation of that restored pedal, which the company calls a 1972 Triangle Era "Dirty Guts" Muffer.1
Where the circuit came from
The pedal's origin lies in a restoration. Wren and Cuff's owner reports that, after working on a triangle knob era Big Muff, he was very pleased to find that he was "listening to what I consider to be one of the good ones." The Good One's transistors were chosen to nail the sound of the original half-spherical FS3700 black-top transistors.1
"I was very pleased to find out that in this case, I was listening to what I consider to be one of the good ones."
Triangle knob refers to the earliest era of the Big Muff circuit, identified by the triangle-shaped markers on the control knobs. Wren and Cuff has built several pedals around different eras of the Muff design, including the Tall Font Russian, the Eye See '78 op-amp version, and the Garbage Face built around J Mascis' Ram's Head. The Good One sits in that line as the company's take on the 1972 triangle era.1
Parts and construction
Wren and Cuff says two things about the parts matter most for the sound:
- Transistors: two transistors chosen to match the sound of the original half-spherical FS3700 black-top transistors in the restored pedal1
- Capacitors: vintage ceramic disc caps in the signal path1
The pedal is built in the USA. The heavy-duty folded steel enclosure is made, painted, and silkscreened in Los Angeles by what Holl describes as a multigenerational shop.1
Power, size and weight
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Power | 9VDC neg tip adapter or 9V battery1 |
| Current draw | 5mA1 |
| Dimensions | 5.7" x 3.6" x 1.7-1.2"1 |
| Weight | 1.34 lbs1 |
| Bypass | True hardwire bypass1 |
At 5mA, the current draw is light enough that the pedal is an easy addition to a shared power supply, and the battery option means it can run without a dedicated outlet1.
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Questions
Is Wren and Cuff The Good One true bypass?
Yes. Wren and Cuff lists The Good One as having true hardwire bypass, so when the pedal is off, your guitar's signal passes through the mechanical wiring without going through the fuzz circuit. That is the arrangement most players expect on a single-effect pedal, and it means the pedal does not act as a buffer when disengaged.
Where is The Good One made?
The Good One is made in the USA. Wren and Cuff says the heavy-duty folded steel enclosure is made, painted, and silkscreened in Los Angeles by a shop the company describes as multigenerational. The pedal is built by Wren and Cuff, whose owner Matthew Holl designed it around a restored 1972 triangle knob Big Muff.
What power does The Good One use?
The Good One runs on a 9VDC center negative adapter or a 9V battery. Its current draw is listed at 5mA, which is very light, so it will not strain a daisy-chain supply shared with other pedals. A battery option is built in, which is handy for a fuzz you drop onto a board without a dedicated power outlet.
Which Big Muff is The Good One based on?
The Good One is based on a 1972 triangle knob Big Muff, the early era of the circuit identified by the triangle-shaped knob markers on its control panel. The specific pedal was a rare example owned by a customer named G. Smith, which arrived at Wren and Cuff not working and was restored by owner Matthew Holl.
How much does The Good One cost?
Wren and Cuff lists The Good One at $309.99 USD as of October 2026 on the pedal's product page. That places it among the company's full-size USA-built fuzz pedals rather than its lower-priced mini editions.
Sources (1)
- The Good One, Wren and Cuff
