Stuart Braithwaite is the guitarist and vocalist for the Scottish guitar band Mogwai1. His playing is known for two dirt sounds in particular: op-amp-based Big Muff fuzz pedals, and the somewhat obscure 1990s Danelectro Fab Tone distortion pedal1. In 2021 those two loves came together in a signature pedal, the Reuss Effects Plasmatron, a fuzz and distortion hybrid built for him by the Danish boutique maker2.
Dirt: Big Muff fuzz and the Fab Tone
Braithwaite's fuzz sound comes from op-amp-based Big Muff circuits. Kit Rae's history of the Big Muff notes that Mogwai were big users of Electro-Harmonix pedals and that Braithwaite uses a V9 Big Muff3. MusicRadar reported that he favored a 70s-style op-amp Big Muff circuit, taking what the publication called a leaf out of Billy Corgan's playbook6.
Alongside the Muffs sits the Danelectro Fab Tone, a 1990s distortion pedal that Braithwaite has used extensively7. MusicRadar called it his go-to distortion pedal6, and RockBoard's PedalPedia entry for the Plasmatron describes him as well known for using the obscure 1990s F*b Tone as his main dirt pedal8.
The Fab Tone itself has a place in Danelectro's history. Delicious Audio, writing about the company's pedal lines, said of the original 1990s range: "Their original line of pedals from the '90s has some true classics (the Fab Tone distortion above all)"9. On the technical side, the builder behind the Guitar FX Layouts site, having checked the layout against a real pedal, noted that "The schematics for the Fabtone and Metal Zone are very close, other than the midrange"10. Reuss described the original pedal's distortion control as being "pretty much full-on all the way of the range of the distortion control"7.
The Plasmatron signature pedal
In August 2021, Reuss Effects teamed up with Braithwaite for the Plasmatron, a signature distortion and fuzz hybrid72. The pedal is a tonal amalgamation of the two units Braithwaite uses on his own rig: the Danelectro Fab Tone distortion circuit and op-amp-based Muff-style fuzz, blended into one unit2. Gearnews described it as combining his favorite Fab Tone distortion circuit with a Muff-style fuzz1, and MusicRadar reported that its distortion side is a clone of the 1990s Danelectro Fab Tone6.
A few details about the pedal:
- Maker: Reuss Effects, a Danish boutique effects pedal maker2
- Signature artist: Stuart Braithwaite of Mogwai7
- Chassis: designed by Aidan Moffat of Arab Strap2
- Name: taken from Braithwaite's Twitter handle1
- Power: can also run at 18V from a standard power supply1
The rest of the pedalboard
Mogwai's pedalboard, as described by the band's guitar tech Gavin Maxwell in a BOSS interview, features a Boss LS-2, TU-3, RV-5, TR-2 and DD-204. The delay spot has been constant: Maxwell says Braithwaite "has had the DD-20 Giga Delay on his board as his main delay for as long as I can remember, along with an old TR-2 Tremolo"4. So yes, there is a tremolo pedal on the board, in the form of that old TR-24.
| Pedal | Role on the board |
|---|---|
| Boss LS-2 | Line selector4 |
| Boss TU-3 | Tuner4 |
| Boss RV-5 | Reverb4 |
| Boss TR-2 | Tremolo4 |
| Boss DD-20 Giga Delay | Main delay4 |
Beyond the Boss pedals, Braithwaite is listed on the Rainger FX artists page as a user of the Drone Rainger pedal5.
The Plasmatron can run at 18V from a standard power supply as well as at its normal voltage, a point worth knowing if you are powering one from a supply with switchable outputs1.
Questions
What delay does Stuart Braithwaite use?
Stuart Braithwaite has kept a Boss DD-20 Giga Delay on his Mogwai pedalboard as his main delay for many years. Mogwai's guitar tech Gavin Maxwell says it has been there as long as he can remember, sitting alongside an old Boss TR-2 Tremolo on the same board.
What distortion pedal does Stuart Braithwaite use in Mogwai?
His best-known dirt pedal is the Danelectro Fab Tone, a 1990s distortion pedal that he has used extensively as his main dirt sound. He also favors op-amp-based Big Muff fuzzes, including a V9 Big Muff, and in 2021 he got his own signature fuzz and distortion pedal, the Reuss Effects Plasmatron.
Who makes the Plasmatron pedal?
The Plasmatron is made by Reuss Effects, a Danish boutique effects pedal maker. It is a signature pedal for Stuart Braithwaite of Mogwai, and its chassis was designed by Aidan Moffat of Arab Strap. The pedal takes its name from Braithwaite's Twitter handle.
What is a Danelectro Fab Tone?
The Fab Tone is a distortion pedal Danelectro released in the 1990s, and it is regarded as one of the true classics from the company's original line of pedals from that decade. Reuss described the original as being pretty much full-on across the whole range of its distortion control.
Does Stuart Braithwaite use a tremolo pedal?
Yes. His Mogwai pedalboard includes an old Boss TR-2 Tremolo, which sits alongside his Boss LS-2, TU-3, RV-5 and DD-20 Giga Delay. He is also listed on the Rainger FX artists page as a user of the Drone Rainger pedal.
Sources (10)
- Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite bags a signature Plasmatron fuzz monster, gearnews.com, 2021-08-03
- Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite teams up with Reuss Effects for signature Plasmatron pedal, Guitar World, 2021-08-04
- The Big Muff History, Kit Rae (kitrae.net), 2012-01
- Behind the Board: Gavin Maxwell with Mogwai and IDLES, BOSS (articles.boss.info), 2025-03-19
- Stuart Braithwaite, Rainger FX
- Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite and Reuss Effects join forces for dual-circuit fuzz/distortion pedal, MusicRadar, 2021-08-04
- Mogwai frontman Stuart Braithwaite gets a signature dirt pedal from Reuss Effects, guitar.com, 2021-08-03
- Plasmatron by Reuss Musical Instruments, RockBoard (PedalPedia), 2026
- Danelectro Unveils New Line Of Pedals Called BILLIONAIRE, Delicious Audio, 2017-10-10
- Guitar FX Layouts: Danelectro Fab Tone, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2013-03-26