Not Your Everyday Big Muff Pi: When Premier Guitar was brainstorming pedal manufacturers to approach about being part
of this special four-cover/collectible-custom-pedal issue, Electro-Harmonix was a no-brainer because of its place in stompbox
history and the quality of its products. Here, senior quality control technician Zaida Sojos tests one of the custom PG “Pedal
Issue” units seen on select November 2010 issues.
The Russian Connection
If you look back at EHX boxes over the
years, they’ve all got a pretty similar
look—brushed, folded-metal enclosures
with bright color schemes. That was until
Matthews ceased US production in the
mid ’80s and hooked up with Russian
producers to both export Russian-made
pedals and get into the tube trade. “In
1979, we were doing a lot of business
with Communist countries. I got a letter
inviting us to one of the first-ever trade
shows in Moscow open to consumer companies,”
Matthews remembers. “This was
a huge trade show with exhibitors from
the US, Germany, and Japan. I thought
‘I gotta go.’
“But, as it turned out, no one in Russia
had any money. In the end, we got no
orders. The show was a failure. Russia
wanted our stuff, but they had no money.
What could I buy from Russia? They needed
money. I decided to try to buy integrated
circuits, Russian integrated circuits—
these cheap, jellybean ICs that would
cost 15 to 20 cents apiece. When I went
over to visit, I had to go to the Ministry of
Electronics to talk business. There I saw,
hanging on the wall, vacuum tubes. I said
‘Send me some samples,’ which I got a
month later. I took them out to Jess Oliver,
who worked at Ampeg and designed most
of the great Ampeg amps. He said the
tubes were good, so I switched from wanting
to buy ICs to vacuum tubes.”
As luck would have it, this gambit paid
off pretty well. “I was able to grow a lot
faster. I was able to start a good business
with the ICs, but because I called on
people in the music industry—and because
they knew me—they would try the tubes.
Now I own the factory. So the ’79 trade
show was a failure, but it got me into vacuum
tubes and the tubes got me back into
Electro-Harmonix. And that got us back
into the pedals. I partnered with a military
company that repackaged the Big Muff
and Small Stone.”
If you’ve ever wondered what the deal is
with the austere-looking black versions of
the Big Muff Pi and Small Stone, they’re
the result of this Russian connection. They
bore the Sovtek brand name, and they had
yellow lettering (there were also green-and-black and black-and-red versions
at various times). However, by the mid
’90s, EHX had begun reissuing original
designs, and in 2002 they began adding
new designs to the lineup once again.
And as recent offerings like the Ring Thing
(reviewed July 2010), the Cathedral Stereo
Reverb (Feb. 2010), and POG prove, the
company is clearly in the midst of a second
golden age.
Carousing with the Competition: Friend and fellow effect pioneer
Bob Moog (left) stops by to say hello to Matthews circa 2003.
The Irony of Immortality
As far as the current boutique pedal boom,
Matthews says he welcomes the competition.
“We have the Electro-Harmonix name
and the history. And, instead of having one
or two of these companies to compete
with, we have one or two hundred—which
actually makes it easier. But most of these
guys, y’know, they’re into analog stuff only.
They’ll bring out their own versions of
various flangers or distortion pedals. They
come up with some good stuff, but it’s too
expensive. I’m happy for the competition—
they compete with each other.”
As for what’s ahead for Electro-Harmonix,
Matthews is blunt when asked if he’ll offer
up a peek. “No. But what’s really hot
right now—what we’ve sold out of—is the
Freeze (
reviewed this issue). If you hold
down the momentary switch, it’s constantly
taking a sample—so whatever you’ve
played is frozen and sustained. And you can
play on top of that and release that switch
and it dies out. It’s very musical.”
And then he launches back to the past,
back to his original goal of immortality. On
one hand, he seems to have given up the
goal. On the other, it seems he’s attained
it through the role he played—and continues
to play—in both the history of musical
instrument manufacturing and guitar music.
“In the late ’70s,” Matthews confides, “I
had too many problems all at once. It was
overwhelming. I was expanding into too
many things and I collapsed. Since we
reformed, I’ve become more conservative.
Now I’m much stronger financially
and more patient—and not trying to whip
death. I’m just trying to make money and
have fun and take things slower.”