It was only a matter of time before Big Muff wizard/scientist Matt Holl built a big-box version of his Eye See '78 V4/V5-style op-amp Big Muff. It is worth the wait. I’m not sure I even knew how much I loved this circuit. A good friend had one that he blasted through a Twin Reverb (yikes!) and it sounded memorably amazing. But I always stayed within my own Big Muff safe lane—sticking with familiar Sovtek tones and chasing canonical, definitive Ram’s Head sounds. The Eye See ’78 is most certainly different than those circuits. It’s aggressive, with a buzzy mid-forward voice that tops out with an acerbic, searing, almost giant Tone Bender-like character when you crank up the treble. It’s not a subtle pedal, and it is definitely most satisfying when it’s setting an amp on fire and exploding with jet roar and gritty harmonics.
Though the Eye See ’78 circuit is essentially based on Holl’s V4 specimen (V4s are the rarest and most coveted), it offers a tone bypass switch that is a feature of V5 versions. Though I loved the white-hot extremes of the fuzz fetched at the toppiest tone-dial settings, the full-frequency—and freaking loud—push from the tone bypass setting should probably be measured in seismic terms. Like all Wren & Cuff pedals, it’s a high-quality, beautiful piece. And though not inexpensive, its nearly $325 price will probably be more than covered by the fuzz pedals you ditch in the Eye See ’78’s wake.
