The Wren and Cuff Eye See ’70 is a big box version of the company’s well-received Eye See ’78 Muff variant, inspired by the 1978 short-lived version of the Muff adopting Op-Amps instead of transistors.
The crunchy yet wooly tone produced by these vintage fuzzes was made popular by Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins in the early ’90s on the record Siamese Dream. The ’78 is an authentic replica of the V4 circuit with the added bonus of the V5 tone bypass switch, which delivers a mid-bump, volume boost by removing the passive tone stack from the circuit.
Great attention to the details was given to the case, manufactured by a small LA company and featuring lacquer clear-coated for corrosion resistance, hand silk-screened graphics, and polished bakelite style knobs.
Wren and Cuff Eye See ’70, Builder’s Notes
In 2014, the Muff masters at Wren and Cuff crafted the definitive version of the non-transistorized fuzzbox: the Eye See ‘78. After many, many requests, they have finally decided to offer a big box version of this coveted pedal.
In 1978, the vintage Muff circuit design changed drastically. The transistors inside were scrapped in favor of operational amplifiers, otherwise known as op-amps (which are integrated circuits, or ICs, hence the name). This particular variant was only manufactured for around two years, and as such, only a few thousand ever made it out of NYC alive.
The Eye See ‘78 utilizes this drastically different design to produce the monstrous and wooly vintage sound, such as the one popularized by Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins on Siamese Dream. While most vintage Muffs are a little sweeter sounding, the Eye See ‘78 is crunchier and more ballsy.
Like the standard Eye See ‘78, the big box version is an authentic replication of the V4 circuit with the added bonus of the V5 tone bypass switch. Essentially, the tone bypass switch removes the passive tone stack from the circuit, resulting in a mid-bump, volume boost, and a significantly more raw and open sound. Of course, this switch renders the tone control useless, but we’re guessing that in this mode, you won’t miss it—this switch is just too cool.
This version features 100% through hole components on a vintage style circuit board and specially selected ICs for authentic vintage tone. Oh yeah: take a peek inside for a secret adjustment to fine tune your tone beyond the stock V4 circuit…
The attention to detail doesn’t stop with the circuit and components. As always, Wren and Cuff reached out to the two LA-based small businesses–they’ve used for years to create the heavy-duty folded steel enclosures used in many of their pedals. The top of the pedal is lacquer clear-coated for corrosion resistance, features old school hand silk screened graphics and polished bakelite style knobs. This durable tone workhorse is ready for any stage, studio, or rehearsal room.
If you’re looking for a largely-untamed IC-based fuzz and distortion machine, with the ability to adapt to most genres of music under the sun, look no further than the Eye See ‘78.
SPECS:
Power: 9VDC neg tip adapter or 9V batteryCurrent draw: 8mA
Dims: 6.8” x 5.5” x 2.2-1.4”
Weight: 2.3 lbs
