(USED) Way Huge Swollen Pickle MKII Jumbo Fuzz Pedal
|
|
|
|
|
|
Way Huge Swollen Pickle MKII Jumbo Fuzz Pedal
A cult-status fuzz with a Big Muff-derived circuit, five external controls, and two internal trim pots that give it more tonal range than most players ever fully explore — the full-size MKII at a used price.
Who This Pedal Is For
The Way Huge Swollen Pickle has one of the most devoted followings in the fuzz world, and the MKII is the version that added external Scoop and Crunch controls to the original's already-impressive platform — which means this is a fuzz for players who want to explore. The Swollen Pickle's circuit is rooted in Big Muff DNA but takes it somewhere distinctly its own: the Scoop control carves midrange in and out, the bandpass-filtered Tone control shapes treble content across a wide and useful range, and the internal Voice and Clip trim pots let you fine-tune the pedal's midrange scoop intensity and toggle between two clipping diode characters. The result is a fuzz that rewards attention — every knob position interacts with the others, and the Crunch knob alone opens up territory that most fuzz pedals simply don't offer, effectively adjusting how hard your signal needs to push before the fuzz kicks in. This is equally the right pedal for a doom player looking for maximum wall-of-sound sustain, a classic rock player chasing vintage woolly fuzz character, and a shoegaze player who wants bright, laser-edged sizzle. Getting it used means paying a fair price for a pedal that was clearly well worth its retail value when new.
Key Highlights
- Five external controls: Loudness, Sustain, Filter, Scoop, and Crunch — each meaningfully shaping the fuzz character
- Two internal trim pots: Voice (Scoop intensity) and Clip (clipping diode selection) for advanced tailoring
- Sustain control covers a massive range — from mild, amp-like crunch to full-on Armageddon fuzz
- Filter (Tone) control operates as a bandpass-filtered EQ — from bright and fizzy to dark and woolly
- Scoop control carves midrange from flat to heavily scooped — classic Swollen Pickle signature sound territory
- Crunch knob adjusts compression intensity — effectively controls how hard the signal must push to engage full fuzz
- Internal Voice trim pot sets how aggressively the external Scoop control affects the midrange
- Internal Clip trim pot selects between two clipping diode sets — smooth/sustain-forward vs open/sputtery character
- True bypass switching — signal passes clean when the pedal is off
- Heavy-duty full-size metal enclosure — built for road use and regular gigging
- Bright blue status LED — visible on dark stages
- 9V battery or standard 9V DC center-negative adapter power (adapter not included)
Why You'll Love It
A Fuzz That Actually Responds
The Swollen Pickle MKII has more interactive controls than almost any other fuzz in its class. Loudness and Sustain are the foundation — Loudness sets output volume and Sustain dials in fuzz intensity from mild crunch to complete sonic obliteration. But the Scoop and Filter controls are where the character really lives. Filter sweeps through a bandpass range that moves the frequency emphasis from bright and cutting to dark and woolly — it's a far more expressive control than a standard treble knob. Scoop controls where the midrange sits in the mix, which dramatically changes how the pedal cuts through a band context. These aren't subtle tweaks — they're genuinely transformative adjustments.
The Crunch Knob Is Underrated
Most players overlook the Crunch control on first encounter, but it's one of the most useful things about the MKII. At minimum, full fuzz engages even at low playing levels. At maximum, it raises the threshold so that softer playing produces a cleaner sound and harder attack pushes into fuzz — giving you a dynamic response that makes the pedal feel alive rather than static. With Crunch up and a warm amp, you can use the Swollen Pickle as a heavy overdrive by playing technique alone, which opens up a range of expression that most fuzz pedals simply can't offer.
Internal Controls for Deep Dialing
Pop the back off the Swollen Pickle MKII and you find two trim pots that give players who want to go deep a significant additional layer of control. Voice adjusts how aggressively the external Scoop knob affects the midrange — set it light for subtle mid-cuts, set it heavy for the full scooped character the pedal is famous for. Clip toggles between two sets of clipping diodes, shifting the fuzz from a smoother, sustained character to a more open, sputtery quality. Players who find one ideal combination will mark those internal settings and leave them — players who like to experiment have even more to work with.
Great Fit For
- Classic rock, stoner rock, doom, and grunge players who want massive, sustain-rich fuzz with genuine tonal depth
- Shoegaze and experimental players who want bright, sizzling, bandpass-filtered fuzz textures
- Blues and blues-rock players who want a warm, woolly fuzz with dynamic response to picking intensity via the Crunch knob
- Tone chasers and tweakers who want to explore the full range of what a fuzz circuit can do with patient knob work
- Players who've outgrown simpler fuzz pedals and want something with genuinely more to explore
- Pedalboard builders looking for a legendary fuzz at a used price point that reflects real-world value
Sound and Use Case
The Swollen Pickle MKII's sonic range is wider than most players expect from a fuzz pedal. At the warmer, darker end — Filter rolled back, Scoop dialed back, Sustain at moderate levels — it produces a thick, sustaining fuzz with real body in the low mids and a smooth top end that works beautifully for lead tones, power chords, and anything that benefits from weight and warmth. Push the Filter up and the brightness increases dramatically, moving toward a cutting, upper-register presence that works for shoegaze-style walls of sound and single-note leads that need to cut over dense arrangements. The fully scooped Scoop setting carves out the midrange in a way that makes riffs sound huge in a room but can disappear in a dense band mix — dialing back the Scoop restores midrange presence and mix-cutting ability.
One thing players consistently note about the Swollen Pickle is that the Loudness control is capable of delivering an enormous output boost. Even at low Loudness settings the pedal is loud, and past a third of the way through its range it can push most clean amp inputs into natural breakup on its own — which is either a feature or something to manage depending on your rig. The Crunch knob is the solution: pulling Crunch up lets you use picking dynamics to control how much of the pedal's full fuzz character comes through, giving the instrument a more natural, responsive feel. Players who run this into a pushed amp rather than a clean one often find the headroom issue manages itself through natural amp compression, and the result is one of the more satisfying combinations in the fuzz world.
Specifications
The Swollen Pickle MKII has a reputation that's earned, not manufactured. Players who've spent time with one tend to keep it for a long time — and the ones who let go of theirs tend to come back around. If you've been watching for one at a fair price, this is a good moment to stop watching.
We're happy to tell you everything we know about its current condition, talk through how it fits into your pedalboard, or answer any question that's standing between you and a decision. Call or text us at 814-371-5666. Spotts Music Center — helping you make music.