Electro-Harmonix Ram's Head Big Muff vs JHS Smiley
The Electro-Harmonix Ram's Head Big Muff and the JHS Smiley are both pedals sharing fuzzy, mid-forward, full. The Electro-Harmonix Ram's Head Big Muff leans smooth.
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Blended from circuit-archetype lineage, dynamic feel, tone-signal overlap and tone-vector distance — the tone vector itself is derived from editorial description text, not a measured acoustic signal, so this reflects how similarly the catalog copy describes the two, not a lab measurement. Shown only within a gear class, and only where there's enough evidence to be meaningful.43% — somewhat different
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Genres both listings are associated with.- Classic Rock
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Derived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.- fuzzy
- mid-forward
- full
- sustaining
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Citation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.$95.11via Reverb
The Electro-Harmonix Ram's Head Big Muff reissues the early-1970s Ram's Head Muff, known for a creamy, articulate fuzz with exceptional sustain, rich harmonics, and a distinct mid scoop suited to soaring leads and thick wall-of-sound rhythm. It is growlier in the midrange than Russian-style and triangle Muffs, with smoother, more sonorous sustained notes, splitting the difference between a triangle's silicon fizz and a Russian Muff's smooth contours. It has less low end than many Big Muffs, making it tighter, more controlled, and more articulate, with the mid scoop present but balanced enough to preserve string definition. Famous for screaming leads and long, violin-like sustained bends in the David Gilmour vein, it sits between classic fuzz and distortion. With Volume, Tone, and Sustain it suits psychedelic, classic rock, shoegaze, and lead-focused players.
The JHS Smiley is a Fuzz Face-style fuzz pedal from JHS's Legends of Fuzz series, paying tribute to the circuit famously used by Jimi Hendrix, with a minimal two-knob layout (Volume and Fuzz) delivering a clear, defined fuzz tone that straddles the line between distortion and searing, sustained fuzz. A side-mounted JHS Mode button unlocks an internal boost to gain, volume, and fuzz character beyond the standard circuit's range, adding extra versatility to the otherwise vintage-faithful two-knob design.
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Genres this gear is documented as being used in.- Shoegaze
- Blues Rock
- smooth