The Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2 is an Electro-Harmonix fuzz pedal, currently around $114.30. Close alternatives include the Walrus Audio Jupiter and the Wren and Cuff Ace. It pairs well with the Soldano SLO 100R and the Soldano SLO-30 Super Lead Overdrive.

Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2

Electro-Harmonix · pedal

The Electro-Harmonix Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2 is a germanium-topology fuzz variant from the early-to-mid 1970s, prized for a smoother, more articulate voice than other Big Muff versions. It has a throatier, midrange-sparkling character with less low-end weight but excellent note separation on chords, and effervescent, sustain-rich lead tone that sings on single-coil pickups and turns smoother and more vocal with humbuckers. It is closely associated with David Gilmour's Comfortably Numb solo tone, and also suits looser, grungier alt-rock fuzz textures. Its gain control set around noon produces some of the smoothest high-to-mid-gain fuzz in the Big Muff family.

What stands out

  • “The singing fuzz sustain and harmonic clarity at medium-to-high Sustain settings are genuine strengths that distinguish the Ram's Head from other Big Muff variations”

    — from the reviews

  • “s head big muff pi v2 is a germanium-topology fuzz variant from the early-to-mid 1970s”

    — from the listing

  • “Bright, singing fuzz with the distinctive harmonically complex character of the early 1970s Ram's Head Big Muff generation, associated with classic rock, psychedelic rock, and David Gilmour-era Pink Floyd fuzz tones”

    — from the community notes

  • “The 1973 Violet Ram's Head V2 delivers the distinctive bright, harmonically complex character of the Ram's Head vintage generation with EHX quality control, making it the most accessible entry point for the specific vintage circuit”

    — from the reviews

  • “sustain-rich lead tone that sings on single-coil pickups and turns smoother and more vocal with humbuckers”

    — from the listing

Trade-offs

  • “Players who want the warmer, bassier Sovtek-era character should consider the Green Russian Big Muff instead”

    — from the reviews

  • “players who prefer darker or more mid-scooped big muff variants may find the violet ram”

    — from the community notes

  • fuzz
  • big muff
  • classic rock
  • singing
  • rock
  • bright
  • mid
  • lead
$114.30View on Reverb

Price updated Oct 23, 2026

Genres the Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2 is commonly used in

Amps that pair well with the Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2

Soldano SLO 100R

Soldano

33% match
$4499.99via Reverb

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (transparent → mid-forward)

Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2 leans this transparent tone toward mid-forward, which it doesn't make on its own

Comes later in the signal chain

Soldano SLO-30 Super Lead Overdrive

Soldano

33% match
$3199.99via Reverb

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (transparent → mid-forward)

Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2 leans this transparent tone toward mid-forward, which it doesn't make on its own

Comes later in the signal chain

Friedman Dirty Shirley

Friedman

31% match

gain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (mid-forward → high gain)

Put Friedman Dirty Shirley in front and the mid-forward tone leans further toward high gain

Comes later in the signal chain

Soldano Astro-20 Head

Soldano

30% match
$1999.99via Reverb

gain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (mid-forward → high gain)

Put Soldano Astro-20 Head in front and the mid-forward tone leans further toward high gain

Comes later in the signal chain

Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ Head

Mesa Boogie

28% match
$3469via Reverb

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (scooped → mid-forward)

Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2 pushes a scooped tone toward mid-forward

Comes later in the signal chain

Fender Bassman AB165 Amp

amplifier

26% match

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (transparent → mid-forward)

Run Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2 into that transparent platform and it finally leans toward mid-forward

Comes later in the signal chain

Engl Tube 50 Combo E768

Engl

26% match
$1618.96via Reverb

Run Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2 into that high headroom platform and it finally leans toward mid-forward

Comes later in the signal chain

Victory Amplifiers V30 The Countess

Victory

25% match

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (transparent → mid-forward)

The transparent tone has headroom to spare — Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2 leans it toward mid-forward to fill it in

Comes later in the signal chain

See all 17 amps that pair with the Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2 →

Pedals that stack with the Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2

Boss BF-2 Flanger

Boss

34% match
$100via Reverb

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (transparent → mid-forward)

Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2's own fuzzy character is the real reason this is worth trying

Comes later in the signal chain

EarthQuaker Devices Dirt Transmitter

EarthQuaker Devices

29% match
$179via Reverb

gain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (mid-forward → fuzzy)

EarthQuaker Devices Dirt Transmitter layers fuzzy onto an already mid-forward signal

Comes earlier in the signal chain

Cusack Music Tap-A-Fuzz

Cusack Music

27% match
$249via Reverb

gain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (mid-forward → fuzzy)

Put Cusack Music Tap-A-Fuzz in front and the mid-forward tone leans further toward fuzzy

Heavy Metal FX HMFX Phase Riot Factory Second

Heavy Metal Fx

26% match

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Run the Phase Riot's aggressive, high-gain phase sweep after the Ram's Head's edgy Muff distortion and the modulation has serious weight to color.

Comes later in the signal chain

MXR MC-402

MXR

25% match

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (transparent → mid-forward)

Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2 leans this transparent tone toward mid-forward, which it doesn't make on its own

Comes earlier in the signal chain

Cusack Music Louder

Cusack Music

25% match
$95via Reverb

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (transparent → mid-forward)

Into a transparent tone, Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2 brings a pull toward mid-forward that's missing

Comes earlier in the signal chain

GFI System Jonassus Overdrive

Gfi System

25% match
$249via Reverb

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (transparent → mid-forward)

Into a transparent tone, Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2 brings a pull toward mid-forward that's missing

Comes earlier in the signal chain

Artec SE-NGT

Artec

25% match
$56.67via Reverb

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (transparent → mid-forward)

What Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2 brings here leans toward fuzzy — that's worth building a pairing around

Comes earlier in the signal chain

See all 137 pedals that pair with the Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2 →

Cheaper alternatives

Electro-Harmonix Russian Big Muff Pi Fuzz Distortion

Electro-Harmonix

58% similarity
$76.22via Reverb

Shared character: warm, big muff, dark

Electro-Harmonix Green Russian Big Muff

Electro-Harmonix

58% similarity
$76.22via Reverb

“Players who want the warmer, bassier Sovtek-era character should consider the Green Russian Big Muff instead”

Electro-Harmonix Triangle Big Muff Pi

Electro-Harmonix

55% similarity
$92.08via Reverb

Shared character: dark, big muff, bright

Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi

Electro-Harmonix

94% similarity
$75.05via Reverb

similar tone character

Electro-Harmonix Flatiron Fuzz

Electro-Harmonix

94% similarity
$70.36via Reverb

similar tone character

Electro-Harmonix Ram's Head Big Muff

Electro-Harmonix

94% similarity
$95.16via Reverb

similar tone character

Boutique & premium upgrades

EarthQuaker Devices Hoof Hybrid Fuzz

EarthQuaker Devices

61% similarity
$179via Reverb

Shared character: warm, big muff, bright

Wren and Cuff Elephant Skin

Wren And Cuff

60% similarity
$248.99via Reverb

Shared character: big muff, fuzz

Roger Mayer Axis Fuzz

Roger Mayer

57% similarity
$406.64via Reverb

Shared character: bright, fuzz

Mojo Hand FX Colossus Fuzz

Mojo Hand Fx

56% similarity
$159via Reverb

Shared character: big muff, singing, fuzz

Matthews Effects The Whaler

Matthews Effects

53% similarity
$189.99via Reverb

Shared character: fuzz, lead

Manson Supermassive Black Fuzz

Manson

52% similarity
$380.31via Reverb

Shared character: big muff, bright, fuzz

Similar charactersee all similar tone character →

Walrus Audio Jupiter

Walrus Audio

60% similarity

Shared character: big muff, fuzz

Wren and Cuff Ace

Wren And Cuff

54% similarity
$133.68via Reverb

Shared character: big muff, fuzz

EarthQuaker Devices Gary V1 Fuzz

EarthQuaker Devices

50% similarity

Shared character: single coils, big muff, middle

Orange Fur Coat

Orange

50% similarity
$121.13via Reverb

Shared character: fuzz, warm

Dophix Medici

Dophix

49% similarity

Shared character: warm, classic rock, lead

Dunlop JDF2 Fuzz Face

pedal

49% similarity

Shared character: two single coil pickups, singing, fuzz

See all alternatives to the Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2 (cheaper + boutique) →

Questions people ask

What are good alternatives to the Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2?+

The closest matches in character are the Walrus Audio Jupiter, the Wren and Cuff Ace, the EarthQuaker Devices Gary V1 Fuzz. Budget picks: Electro-Harmonix Russian Big Muff Pi Fuzz Distortion, Electro-Harmonix Green Russian Big Muff, Electro-Harmonix Triangle Big Muff Pi. Boutique upgrades: EarthQuaker Devices Hoof Hybrid Fuzz, Wren and Cuff Elephant Skin, Roger Mayer Axis Fuzz.

What pairs well with the Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2?+

Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Soldano SLO 100R, Soldano SLO-30 Super Lead Overdrive, Friedman Dirty Shirley — Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2 leans this transparent tone toward mid-forward, which it doesn't make on its own.

How much does the Electro-Harmonix 1973 Violet Ram's Head Big Muff Pi V2 cost?+

Around $114.30 (live listing price, updated Oct 23, 2026).

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