Tomkat Pedals
Violet Muffer
One of the most sought-after and valuable
of the vintage Big Muffs is the so-called
“violet” version of the seventies-era Ram’s
Head Muff. Many Muff nerds consider
this version, with its distinctive purple or
blue lettering, to be the ultimate in thick,
velvety sustain and overall clarity, with a
slightly attenuated bottom-end that helps
keep things from getting mushy, and
an effect that sounds almost like a clean
blend on the low frequencies. NYC’s own
Tomkat Pedals and Electronics builds a
highly regarded version of this legendary
Ram’s Head with its Violet Muffer. The
Violet Muffer is an idealized modern
reincarnation of its vintage muse, with a lot
less noise, a much more useful tone control,
and gain capabilities that will take it from
slightly hairy boost at one extreme, to an
eyebrow-singeing eruption of molten fuzz
at the other. Its lift switch removes the first
pair of diodes from the circuit, offering an
alternate sonic personality with massive
low-end and tons of grit. The Violet Muffer
is also built like a brick shithouse, and has
cool, sexy graphics. At 160 bucks, this
pedal is a tremendous bargain. Buy one
and never look back.
“an idealized modern
reincarnation of its
vintage muse, with
a lot less noise.”
ToneReport.com
37