It's a muff pi with additional options

Great pedal and significantly smaller than the muff pi. I tend to think of it as a muff pi with a more modern edge and more tonal versatility. Only thing I wasn't 100% in favour of is there;s a significant volume boost compared to the muff. I actually demonstrated this in a demo that IO have coming out soon on my channel.

Billy Corgan in a box ... and so much more!

I was after Billy Corgan's guitar tone on Siamese Dreams. EHX had just reissued the op-amp Big Muff and that's what I wanted to buy in the first place. Then I thought it wouldn't cut in the mix in a band situation very well and thought I should try to find something with more tonal possibilities. So I've picked up a second-hand one (although in fact mine had been barely used by its previous owner). This is wonderful. I've heard of people who never managed to get a decent sound out of this. I think they may just be unhappy with the rest of their setup. I've found my sound in five minutes after plugging it. Scoop is in-between 2 and 3 o'clock, where the sound is less scooped (yes this is one of the tricky things on that pedal!), therefore with more mids, and Crunch is in-between 9 and 10 o'clock, where this sounds like a real fuzz. There are internal trim pots as well, that help expand the tonal possibilities of the Crunch and Scoop knobs, respectively. I've set them where I liked and did not think about them afterwards. With this settings, I get a very classic Big Muff sound that goes from the Black Keys, if I play something bluesy, to Dinosaur Jr or the Smashing Pumpkins if I try to play harder. This is beautiful and easily usable in a band setting, not unlike the excellent Hoof Fuzz by Earthquaker Devices and much better than the current US Big Muff, which I find too scooped for my tastes. The pedal is sturdy, the switch and knobs look solid. It is highly recommended for anyone who wants to get a serious fuzz tone that is reminiscent of late 80s-early 90s indie rock but also wanst more tonal possibilities. I might be using only a small part of what this pedal can deliver but that sound is what makes it a staple on my pedalboard.

Not your typical fuzz!

Comparing this to the big muff doesn't do it any justice. Sure, its based off the big muff and it can do the muff tone, but this beast is so versatile that it is more than just a muff knockoff/spinoff. Thanks to the 5 knobs on the front and the two inside the pedal, there are countless tones that can be achieved through this box! It is a guitar pedal (it sounds beautiful on guitar btw, every guitarist friend I've talked to who has had one of these has loved it) but it works really well on bass and I can't even count how many times I got recommended this pedal for bass before I went out and bought it!

I feel like the two inner knobs could have been placed on the front, as that would make on-the-fly adjustments easier (although I will admit that the inner knobs are pretty forgettable once you find the sound you want, so if you're like me you'll set em and forget about em.) If you're an individual who doesn't like spending time adjusting the sound to make it perfect, this isn't for you. If you don't like really extreme distortion tones, this DEFINITELY isn't for you. However, if you're willing to try it and play with all its sounds, then you really won't be disappointed.

It makes you awesome

It is important that you know that when you bought this, and you told your wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, other human companion, that you were "Going to go home to play with your Swollen Pickle" that you were being super funny and original. I love you for that joke. It makes you awesome!

Also this fuzz is pretty nice. It gives me a swoll... well you get the picture. It's like a Russian Big Muff had a green alien baby. And that little green alien baby has a little more soul and tone than dad.

Best fuzz for doom/drone metal

The best thing about MKII is internal switches, which make this pedal one of the most versatile fuzzes out there. Unfortunately, most of the settings I find really trashy, but I found one good, great one, which is almost unbearably scooped and greasy. Too much bass for me, but this pedal should be extreme and epic.

This pedal doesn't cover all my fuzz needs. Sometimes I get tired of it's flat, unnatural roar. But other times I feel like it's the only one I want, so I'll give it 5/5.

Preferred Settings + Usage:

Grab one whether you think you need one or not

A truly wonderful pedal. This is easily the most versatile pedal right nest to the Fuzz Factory. I'll let you all read the list and description of the controls off Way Huge Electronic's site, but a couple of points to mention. If you plan on having the crunch knob turned all the way counter-clockwise, know that you'll fall way back in the mix, even with the mid knob on full. perhaps this can be corrected by turning the internal voice knob clockwise. Other than that, this is probably the best fuzz pedal ever made. It's anything but a one trick pony.

Fiddly

Internal potentiometers must be trimmed for player and equipment. 5 knobs on the front continue to make it fiddly. Fuzz is T H I C C. Overdrive is there, and will go past driven. I knock it 1 star because of the extended learning curve. Casual players sell these things cheap for a reason.

From Gear Setup

Versatile fuzz, great on bass.

Before i had a parallel effects setup for my bass, I ran this fuzz on it because it was able to retain big low end. My biggest problem with fuzz on bass is usually sucking the life out of the low end. Play with the "Crunch" knob, and you can bring in really nice low end for some big fuzzy bass tones.

Savage, Savage Fuzz... Like a really angry Big Muff

One of the problems with the Big Muff is that it gets lost in the mix, the Swollen Pickle does not have this problem. Might be a bit of a challenge reigning the sound in, but that's half the fun in trying.

This pedal does scare me a bit, I have the Loudness at the 9 O'Clock position (1/4 on) and any more sounds like my Amp is going to blow. This could really break things if you're not careful.

Looking to use a Boss LS-2 to try and add a bit more dry into the signal, but it can do a subtle fuzz very well.

Great Soviet Muff Clone

I own a few muff clones and liked this one because when you crank the secondary faders you get a really powerful, bassy fuzz that's a bit different than the standard Big Muff tone.