From the maker:

The Ram Head is a sonic replica of the 2nd edition of the Electro Harmonix Big Muff Pi, more commonly referred to as the “Ram’s Head” or “Lamb’s Head” model. The Ram had more gain and tonal scope than the 1st edition “Triangle” Big Muff and was the first Muff to be housed in the larger enclosure.

The original EH Ram’s Head Big Muff is a really great fuzz box but is not with out its draw backs. It did not feature true bypass switching, a DC socket, status LED and had no internally shielded cable, which can lead to stray radio noise and interference. The D*A*M Ram Head captures all the sweet vintage tone of that original 70′s pedal but has all those modern features that are a must for any of guitar/bass player.

The Ram’s Head features include

• UK made OMEG Conductive plastic ECO potentiometers which have over twice the life span of carbon pots.
• True bypass switching so no sucking will occur when the unit is in bypass mode.
• NOS BC239C high gain silicon transistors as used in the original EH Ram’s Head Big Muffs.
• The correct mixture of ceramic and polyester capacitors that the original Ram’s used to ensure the correct tonal output.
• 1% metal film resistors which help to minimize background noise.
• High quality USA made Davies control knobs.
• Neutrik 1/4 inch long life audio jack sockets.
• Anodized brass LED bezel.
• 2% Silver content solder used through out.
• High quality die cast aluminium hand finished enclosure with hand applied screen printed artwork

Initial thoughts:

I bought this pedal because it had a certain elitist aura surrounding it, and when looking for a fuzz pedal the only thing as nice as it sounding good is making sure your friends have a hell of a time finding one. When I picked it up D*A*M was doing small batches on eBay for buy it now pricing, and I used my l33t H4x0r skills to procure one of these and a sonic titan. While titan has come and gone, this pedal has been hanging out at the homestead for long enough that I’ve grown quiet attached to it. When directly compared against EHX’s current Little Big Muff design, the two pedals barely belong on the table together, it’s that big of a difference.

Video Overview

Samples

Positions for Testing (in o’clocks):

1. Vol: Mid Tone: 5 (max lowend) Sustain: 7 (min)
2. Vol: Mid Tone: 5 Sustain: 5 (max) – light noise
3. Vol: Mid Tone: 10 Sustain 12 (mid) – near silent

Note: Headphones or good speakers required. Bass samples!

P Bass

Active J

Fretless

Short 5

Picture Gallery

Construction and cosmetic concerns:

Great looking pedal, with a design and name that makes no bones about it’s heritage. The paint looks good, but seems to be a bit brittle, as there was a couple of small chips when I first got it brand new and in the following months I’ve added a couple of more.

Looking inside this pedal redefined for me the idea of clean layout and design from a piece of handmade equipment. All the soldiering is PERFECT. Extra thick wire (that I’m guessing is used in the bypass) is perfectly routed and clipped cleanly to the insides of the case.

Battery access is the standard 4 screw system. The battery isn’t mounted but is placed between two pieces of foam, on the inside and outside of the case, so that when closed it doesn’t move. Giving the pedal the ‘shake test’ yields… nothing, things are not moving at all. Of all the pedals I currently own, this one is by far the most solid, and I imagine it will continue to function long after my death.

Conclusion:

This is an amazingly well built and sounding pedal, and had a price tag to match. Now that production has ceased I can only imagine what the market will bear in terms of used costs as they become collectable. If you are someone looking for a ‘top of the line’ classic muff experience with all of the modern trappings and a pedal that will still sound great 100 years after the oil wars are over, this is a pedal for you. Only those with deep pockets along with an obsession for the muff sound will really find a ton of ‘value’ here. Your can pick through dozens (hundreds?) of vintage muff pedals looking for the one that sounds good, or you can save yourself some time and energy and find one of these.

The definition of the sound, and the frequency range that will pass through is beyond that of any straight Big Muff clone that I’ve tried to date. This bad boy screams.

As always, if you have any questions, leave a comment or let me know

Author’s Note: David Main was kind enough to answer some interview questions for me after the review was posted.

Note: A rating of 5 = acceptable and should considered a ‘good’ basic score