little big muff pedal review EHX by JHS – BIG MUFF 2 – JHS Pedals

little big muff pedal review EHX by JHS – BIG MUFF 2 – JHS PedalsFor 50 years, a forgotten schematic sat buried in dust and time a concept waiting to be born. Now, its moment has come. The EHX Dual Op Amp Big Muff 2 is here, delivering a completely new Big Muff voice unlike anything youve heard before. THE PAST & PRESENT In 2021, while on a research trip that led to the creation of the book Made On Earth For Rising Stars: The Electro Harmonix Story, we had the privilege of digging through decades of materials,

For 50 years, a forgotten schematic sat buried in dust and time – a concept waiting to be born. Now, its moment has come. The EHX Dual Op-Amp Big Muff 2 is here, delivering a completely new Big Muff voice unlike anything you’ve heard before.

THE PAST & PRESENT

In 2021, while on a research trip that led to the creation of the book Made On Earth For Rising Stars: The Electro-Harmonix Story, we had the privilege of digging through decades of materials, memorabilia, devices, and prototypes in the workshop of Bob Myer, the inventor of the EHX Big Muff. It was there we discovered it: a loose sheet of paper with a hand-drawn schematic labeled “BIG MUFF USING (2 DUAL OP AMPS)”.

This wasn’t just another circuit. It was Bob Myer’s own attempt to reimagine the original transistorized Big Muff circuit using the new cutting-edge Op-Amp technology that had emerged later in the 1970s.

For nearly 50 years, this “Lost Big Muff” design sat forgotten in his notebooks — until now.  We found it. We built it. And have brought it to life.

WHAT MAKES THE BIG MUFF 2 DIFFERENT?

Once discovered, we breadboarded the circuit exactly as Bob drew it, and immediately knew we had something worth making.  We found that Bob’s design is unique when compared to the now famous late 70s Op-Amp Big Muff designed by Michael Abrams. Different clipping arrangement, an extra gain stage and various other elements that made this lost version extremely special. 

Where the original Big Muff delivers that iconic "sweet violin-like sustain," Bob's two dual Op-Amp approach pushes into more aggressive, cutting territory. It's the Big Muff DNA with a sharper edge, more volume, and the most pronounced low-end and midrange of any EHX Big Muff ever. It expresses Bob's vision of aggressive sustain and cutting presence, with the familiar Big Muff control layout you know and love.  It’s the sound of what almost was.

Mike Matthews himself, after hearing our prototype, admitted it had "something special" even though it strayed from the traditional Big Muff voicing he typically preferred. Sometimes the best creations are the ones that don't follow the rules.

VOLUME - Controls the output volume. Left is less, right is more.

SUSTAIN - Controls the amount of fuzz, which increases the sustain when turned up. Left is less, right is more.

TONE - Controls the overall tone. Left is darker, right is brighter.

POWER - 9VDC center negative, 18mA

AN ALTERNATE TIMELINE BIG MUFF

The collaborative result between JHS Pedals, Electro-Harmonix, and official EHX archivist Daniel Danger represents more than just a new pedal — it's a piece of lost music history resurrected for today.  

THE STORY CONTINUES

This pedal is directly connected to the book "Made On Earth For Rising Stars: The Electro-Harmonix Story,” the definitive visual history of Electro-Harmonix, spanning 1968 through the 2020s.  A historic collaboration between EHX, JHS Pedals, Third Man Books, and artist/archivist Daniel Danger.  This expansive book explores everything from Mike Matthews himself to the production floor — from circuit designers to the manic pursuit of curing death, from flying machines to disco towers.  Packed with never-before-seen prototypes, unreleased pedals, vintage documents, and rare photographs, this book captures the chaos, creativity, and genius that made EHX a legend — from the circuit bench to the world stage.  

From Bob Myer's original forgotten workshop to your pedalboard — the Big Muff 2 is the sound of history reborn.*