Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff with Top Boost main image

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Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff with Top Boost

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$92.00 to $108.90 Price Tier: Standard

4.5 (112)

19 Reviews

Find out who is using Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff with Top Boost

8 community setups

20 wishlisted

187 saved

Page last updated Jul 04, 2026

Pricing and availability

We compare 600+ stores and found this item at 9 stores. Prices updated July 4, 2026.

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4.5 (33)

$108.90

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4.5 (28)

$108.90

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4.5 (267)

$105.00

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5.0 (45)

$100.34 55 available New

$40.00 40 available Used

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4.0 (194)

$108.90

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5.0 (14)

$108.90

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$108.90

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4.5 (342)

$92.00

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£95.00

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Average Price: $98

Standard/Professional

$80

$181+

Price Tier

In the Distortion Effects Pedals category, Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff with Top Boost is priced in the Standard/Professional range. This is quality gear at a fair price point, suitable for beginners, hobbyists, and pros alike.

Budget

Standard

High-end

Price History

Based on price data from 6 merchants for "Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff with Top Boost". Prices shown reflect NEW condition. Tracking began Apr 2, 2026.

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Description

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The Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff with Top Boost is a distortion pedal designed to fuel your guitar with a sound that's undeniably metal. It's more than just a distortion pedal; it's a gateway to a whole new world of sound, where you are the sculptor, and your guitar is the canvas. With its three-band EQ and Top Boost, this pedal gives you absolute control to shape your sound just as you want, whether you're playing rhythm or delivering a face-melting solo.

A standout feature is the Top Boost, which adds an extra edge to your solos and leads, ensuring they cut through even in the most chaotic sound storms. The Metal Muff doesn't just distort your sound; it does so with precision, delivering contoured results even at the highest distortion levels. It's this attention to detail that makes this pedal a must-have for any metal guitarist.

The Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff with Top Boost is a testament to the company's experience in crafting distortion effects. They've taken their legacy of the original Muff, known for its violin-like sustain, and tailored it to meet the needs of modern metal musicians. The result is a pedal that delivers the classic metal tones you love, with the power and versatility you need.

Key Features:

3-band EQ for complete sound shaping control
Top Boost for adding extra edge to solos and lead passages
Sculptable midrange for classic metal tones
Separate Bypass and Boost footswitches for easy operation
Compatible with US96DC-200BI power supply
Distortion/Sustainer for added versatility
Controls for Volume, Boost, Treble, Mid, Bass, and Distortion

Owner's manual

Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff with Top Boost User Manual

Product specs

Available since	April 2006
Overdrive	No
Distortion	Yes
Fuzz	No
Metal	Yes

FAQs

What type of distortion does the Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff with Top Boost provide?: The Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff with Top Boost delivers a high-gain distortion tailored for metal music, offering aggressive and powerful tones suitable for heavy riffs and solos.
How does the Top Boost feature enhance the Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff?: The Top Boost feature adds a piercing high-frequency boost, allowing for greater tonal clarity and definition, especially useful for cutting through dense mixes or emphasizing solos.
Can the Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff with Top Boost be powered by a standard 9V power supply?: Yes, the Metal Muff requires a standard 9V power supply, drawing a minimum of 100mA, and is compatible with power supplies from brands like Boss and Ibanez.
Is the Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff with Top Boost suitable for use with bass guitars?: While primarily designed for electric guitars, the Metal Muff can be used with bass guitars to achieve a heavy, distorted sound, though tonal results may vary based on personal preference.
Does the Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff with Top Boost have an integrated noise gate?: No, the Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff with Top Boost does not include an integrated noise gate, so users may consider pairing it with a separate noise gate pedal for managing unwanted noise.

Videos

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ProGuitarShopDemos

Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff

ProGuitarShopDemos

Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff Distortion with Top Boost (EHX Pedal Demo by Dan Miller)

EHX

Metal Muff Electro-Harmonix

Science of Loud

Electro Harmonix Metal Muff with Top Boost Review - BestGuitarEffects.com

Best Guitar Effects

Pedal Vault – Electro Harmonix EHX Metal Muff with Top Boost Distortion Pedal review

Dome

Electro Harmonix Metal Muff Distortion w/ Top Boost | Gear4music demo

Gear4music Guitars

Reviews

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PROS

Capable of brutal, tight distortion with extra controls for sound shaping
Preserves guitar and pickup character even at high distortion levels
Top Boost feature provides added edge for solos, cutting through mixes
Versatile EQ (Low, Mid, High) allows for a wide range of metal tones
Solid, rugged metal construction ensures durability for gigging musicians
Responds well to different guitars and amps, useful for gigging with various setups
Can dial in tones from classic rock to heavy metal by adjusting gain
No significant noise or hiss, even with high gain settings
Some users report it being the last distortion pedal they'll need
Capable of achieving specific metal tones like Black Sabbath or Dimebag Darrell

CONS

Eats batteries quickly, though this is mitigated with an external power supply
Not as versatile for non-metal genres, less suited for blues or classic rock
Top Boost may be too aggressive for some setups, potentially causing harshness
Requires time and patience to dial in specific tones due to sensitive controls
Can dominate over other pedals on a board, making placement and integration tricky
Changing batteries requires a screwdriver, inconvenient for some users
Some users find it less effective with high-gain amp heads, better with clean channels
May introduce hum when connected to a mixer with a cheap power supply

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff with Top Boost.

Features and functionality

1 0

The top boost feature is often criticized for producing a "nasally" sound reminiscent of the intro to "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath."
Source
0 0

The Metal Muff Nano version is noted for having a noise gate, although some find it challenging to balance between eliminating noise and maintaining sustain.
Source

User experience

1 0

Owners note that the Metal Muff works well for Sabbath/stoner tones and can be effectively stacked with other pedals like the Plume.
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0 0

Users report that the pedal's performance improves significantly when the top boost is disabled, providing a fuller sound.
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0 0

Several users mention that achieving a good tone requires significant tweaking, with some noting that the pedal can easily yield undesirable sounds if not dialed in carefully.
Source

Use cases and applications

0 0

The pedal is particularly praised for achieving Slayer-like tones when used with a clean tube amp.
Source
0 0

The pedal is noted to perform effectively for heavy drop tunings on baritone guitars.
Source

Mods and upgrades

0 0

Some users recommend using a boost pedal in front of the Metal Muff to enhance its distortion capabilities, particularly a tube screamer with gain down and volume up.
Source
0 0

Users consider modding the Metal Muff to include a clean boost, as the stock top boost feature is often seen as too shrill.
Source

Comparisons

0 0

It's reported that the Metal Muff has a similar tone to the Boss Metal Zone but with a fixed mid frequency and added top boost.
Source
0 0

Some owners highlight the Metal Muff's similarity to the Boss MT-2 but prefer the latter for its parametric mids control, which the Metal Muff lacks.
Source

Value and pricing

0 0

Owners often recommend buying the Metal Muff used, citing prices as low as $40-$50, making it a budget-friendly option for high-gain distortion.
Source

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4.5 out of 5

Based on 19 Reviews and 112 Ratings

5 star

4 star

3 star

2 star

1 star

emitremmus

249

over 10 years ago

a perfect pedal for a metal band.

I originally bought this pedal thinking it would give me a Jimi Hendrix kind of muff sound, but was very surprised when I went home and plugged it in. If you are in a metal band or enjoy metal music this is the perfect pedal for you. I suppose i should have copped onto it when i saw "METAL MUFF" written on it. Anyway I believe there are three versions of this pedal, the pocket size one, the normal size one and the large one. I have the normal size one (the one in the picture.) ON the pedal there is a switch that says "hi" "lo" and "off" this controls how insane the muff is. the "hi" setting allows you to sound very distorted and gives you a "metal" kind of sound. The "lo" setting gives you more of a cream/Jimi Hendrixy sound but still very distorted and a metal sound, and you can guess what the off setting does, it turns it off. there are three other settings which are Volume, Tone and distortion. The volume controls how loud the overall sound is. the tone controls how muffled the sound is and the distortion controls how insanely distorted the sound is. Overall though, I am not a big fan of this pedal, still a useful pedal though!

hamnotthefood

397

about 4 years ago

The first pedal I bought with my own money

It was so cool. It sounded a lot like Black Sabbath in a box. I highly reccommend it for stoner rock.

Roles:

Singer Guitarist Bassist

Genres:

Rock Funk / Soul Jazz

axeman

224

almost 11 years ago

Wrong picture......

I have the regular sized Metal Muff. Solid overall pedal. Brings the distortion, super aggressive and gives any metalhead what they will need. I've heard this one compared as a much more aggressive version of the Boss MT-2 (which is much more lofi than the metal muff). Basically compared to the Germanium Big Muff (which is more rock oriented) and the Big Muff Pi (Fuzz all day) this one is going to take you into a world or metal tones more than any other "Muff" on the market.

jimmarchi1

41029

11 years ago almost 11 years ago

more info please... can you compare to any of the current production EHX big muffs?

frankie_skipper43

over 5 years ago

They just sound perfect to me

I love this pedal for lots of different reasons it can go from full metal to light gain and can handle any genre of music in my opinion i have never had trouble finding a good sound out of this one!!!!!

Roles:

Guitarist

Genres:

Rock Alternative rock Hard rock

jmcosmicorion

232

about 5 years ago

Agressive pedal

This pedal it's the best for the price to play metal and subgenres. the top boost switch it's very agressive and trebbly the pedal itself makes a lot of noise but a noise reductor can help.

Roles:

Singer Guitarist Bassist

Genres:

Rock Jazz Jazz fusion

From Gear Setup

maximilian_juscisen

over 8 years ago

Good for 1 purpose only

This device is extremely good for metal tones, just like name says it, but this pedal is not suited for a chain. Once you plug this animal you can forget about delays, reverbs or wahs, because your sound will wash away and sound like extreme shoegaze. On the other you are capable to find dimebag-esque tones. Very good for metal, but absolutely not universal.

Roles:

Guitarist Bassist

Genres:

Electronic Rock Folk, World, & Country

nathan_grant

163

over 5 years ago

Great for Bass

Not my favorite pedal for guitar, but it sounds awesome when used with a bass guitar.

Roles:

Guitarist

Genres:

Rock Jazz Metal

jackao

165

over 7 years ago

Great guitar for all types of distortion

This pedal can get me some great fuzz/low gain sounds, but also can get pretty heavy if I dial it in just right. Very versatile, but sometimes it can sound too much like a fuzz pedal, when I don't want that sort of sound.

silvercult

168

almost 8 years ago

Not exactly subtle

Excellent for its purpose - a slightly trashy metal-in-a-box pedal. I have actually found that this is really good on bass as well, adding a clear distortion.