Electro-Harmonix have recently announced the Deluxe Bass Big Muff Pi to be launched in early January. It adds additions such as a -10dB Pad button to ensure the effectiveness of the pedal with both active or passive pickups. Also new, is a Blend knob to control the percentage of the mix that goes clean or distorted and a noise-gate with adjustable threshold. The foot-switchable crossover section has a variable low pass filter on the dry signal and a variable high pass filter on the distorted signal. This pedal goes for a list price of $154.
The key with bass fuzz/distortion is that it is really easy for the bass to start loosing its integrity in the mix. That’s why the inclusion of the Mix control is so crucial. The ability to dial in just the right amount of fuzz paired with an XLR D.I. allows the user to capture the perfect distorted bass tone – at least in theory.
The other feature that caught my eye was the inclusion of a foot-switchable crossover. The fact that the filters are variable really makes for a lot of creative control. – Gus Green
