The Ram's Head Big Muff Pi, aka the V2 Big Muff—as heard on the solo of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb," mid-'70s Isley Brothers hits, and Dinosaur Jr.'s wooly sound—is one of the more sought-after vintage variants.
Today, Electro-Harmonix has announced a reissue of the famed pedal, offering a "faithful reproduction of the highly coveted 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff"—so named because of the color of the graphics on that year's model. The color of the graphics changed throughout the original run from 1973 to 1977, with the reissue chassis featuring red graphics.
Unlike the large enclosure of the original, the Ram's Head Big Muff Pi Reissue is housed in EHX's Nano-sized chassis. The new model also includes a few modern conveniences, like an LED indicator light, the ability to connect to a 9-volt AC adapter, and true bypass switching.
While you can find vintage V2 Big Muffs for several hundred dollars, the reissue is retailing for $99 USD.
This latest reissue follows a string of revived Big Muff variants in recent years. In 2017, EHX released the Green Russian Big Muff Reissue, modeled after the Soviet-era '90s original. Later in 2017, the company released the Op-Amp Big Muff Pi Reissue, based on another '70s model known for its role on the Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream. And in 2018, EHX released the Triangle Big Muff, modeled after the company's very first version from 1969.
These pedals have been some of the most-popular releases, not just of EHX but of any pedal brand. The Green Russian Reissue was the third highest-selling new pedal on Reverb in 2017, and the Op-Amp Reissue was the highest-selling fuzz of 2018.
The Ram's Head Big Muff Reissue is available now on Reverb.