MXR El Grande Bass Fuzz

by Dave

I recently bought this pedal to try it out (and subsequently sold it). It’s not that I’m unhappy with the Little Big Muff; I just like to try new gear. MXR claims they based the circuit on a “classic 70’s fuzz circuit” and tweaked it for bass. Looking at the knob layout and considering various famous fuzz pedals, I guessed it would be very similar to a Big Muff. Overall, it was very similar.

The pedal had a wide variety of tones, including some fairly vintage-sounding Muff tones. One strength is it’s versatility; it can go from fairly smooth to buzzsaw, with the ability to land just about anywhere in the bassy/trebley spectrum that you might want. However, if you’re looking for that classic, creamy fuzz that the Big Muff is so famous for, this isn’t quite it.

All in all, it’s a very worthy pedal. I’m just too attached to the sound of the Big Muff to change.