I can afford anything. I have tried almost everything, since my first Big Muff in the early 70s.
Yes, I have to use an EQ behind it, after cutting all the bass, almost all the treble and a bit of mids on it, then turn distortion down to about 10 Oclock, and boost it with another pedal...but nothing at any price I can find can then do what it does. Awesome with an EHXtortion in front (which adds a ton of versatility also). I have a backup Metal Muff hanging around just in case. And glad I got an extra EHXtortion before they discontinued it too :O) The tones the Metal Muff with Top Boost gives me, and the gain possibilities, from low to high gain, in a warm sort of clean amp, are untouchable...even into my 1958 Tweed Bassman :O) The secret to the Top Boost, by the way, that people hint at, is to set it between where you hear the tone crossover...about 8 Oclock.

Amazing sound, amazing build, which is standard is EHX products. I own two Metal Muffs. My first one was the nano version which I love but I ended up buying the full size version too because of the full eq. Both pedals work perfectly. I switch between the two cuz I like both of them so much lol. I've heard demos on youtube of other distortion but I think the Metal Muff is the best. It just has such a unique distortion that makes it sound more brutal than other distortion pedals. And the price is amazing. I can't believe how low EHX pedals are priced when they have great build quality, design, and sound. It's been several years and both of my Metal Muff pedals still work perfectly. I tend to buy EHX when I'm in the market for pedals just because they gained my trust and they tend to be more affordable than other brands. And not because of that, EHX tends to make really cool looking pedals which is what attracted me to their products in the first place. EHX rules. I read another comment on a different EHX product that had a horrible review, don't believe him. EHX is made in the USA and I can tell you from my own positve experience that they made quality products. Even better than brands that twice the price. Where other brands focus on features but not build quality, EHX focuses on build quality and overall design while still giving you the featues you need, and I'll choose that any day.

I have been using this pedal for over 10 years, gigging regularly. The 3 band eq allows you to sculpt your tone, there is an additional top boost for searing solos. It is constructed solidly and has never failed me. It has allowed me to create a logical sized pedal board by decreasing the amount of pedals I need, therefor making load in/out and transportation that much easier. People come up frequently asking how I'm getting my tone and sustain time, this pedal is a major factor in that. For reference, I play an LTD TE-1000 and go in to a Hot Rod Deluxe IV.

I been playing for 40 years and I'm a metal head 200% it you want the sound of regular heavy metal or need the balls to the wall total distortion this is your pedal and it's perfect for a lead player also!

Great pedal, solid construction, beautiful sounds,very variable tone controls, with an overdrive before the pedal the sound is in another level. I bought the pedal from Ecuador and not problem at all. Love it.

I bought this to play hard rock and metal and it sounds awesome. I have more to learn about how to really control it, but it seems fairly easy to get a fun tone. The heaviest pedal I had prior was the boss overdrive 2.

It's a cool looking gimmicky pedal for having in the collection but other than that it sounds like mud. You can plug it right into the input jack of your amp, you can plug it into the effects loop of your amp, you can stack overdrive on top it still sounds like mud and the top boost is just as useless as the scoop on an mxr fullbore pedal. Seriously just why? There are way better pedals for less cash that sound way louder and way more clear.

I loved it until after only 2 weeks I had it, stopped working. Brand new...and then suddenly the effects started to feel weird...After one day I experienced the "weirdness" the device stopped working. So the product lasted barely 2 weeks. Everything looks the same, the LEDs work, the boost buttons work, but my amp doesn't sound. My Amp works perfectly well, I try other pedals and work, no pedals and work (guitar plugged directly). So, very disappointed. I hope you guys will bring a solution for me.

While I'm not a metalhead, I do appreciate a heavy dose of distortion from time to time. It comes in handy to get the Metallica/Pantera vibe and this unit delivers.

I used to use a metal zone. But after getting this beast I'll be using this till something better comes along which I doubt. Worth every penny.

Great sound for making solid Metal mayhem!

This pedal lives up to its name, it's certainly oriented toward the heavy players. You'd be hard-pressed to get something as subtle as crunch from this thing.

The EQ controls are very, very sensitive, anything off of 12 o'clock makes a big difference, especially the mid control.

It can do modded marshall, Djent and soaring lead work.

The top boost is way too trebly to use with my rigs I'm sure someone could find a use for it.

...this pedal punches way above its weight.

I bought this hoping for an "amp in a box" solution to cover high-gain sounds that my amp couldn't reach. I kept if for about a year, but ultimately was unable to get what I was looking for with it. The sound was very nasally in my opinion, and the top boost was a useless feature as it gave too much high end. I replaced it with an MXR 5150 overdrive, which suits my needs much better. Bottom line, watch plenty of review videos or, even better, play on one before deciding. I'm sure it's a great effect for others and the build quality was great, but the sound just wasn't for me.

An amazing addition to any Metal guitar player"s rig.

This pedal blew me away, literally. I play rock and metal, and let me tell you this pedal does it all. The EQ is amazing and the sound control is absolutely incredible.The top boost is a little tricky, but with some fiddling it's amazing for solo's. I run the pedal through my Fender Bassman 20 and my Gibson Les Paul Goldtop and it sounds glorious.I can get a GNR sounding lead and very quickly get a perfect Asking Alexandria (Stand Up and Scream era) tone. The limits of this pedal are infinite. If you're considering buying this pedal go for it. You won't find a better pedal for as cheap!

its a great pedal for metal tones very happy

I am completely blown away. For the money and the quantity that you get is the best. I'm so happy that I got one of these

I just got this pedal and its fantastic.Really has a great sound to it and very adjustable.I would definitely recommend this to someone looking for a high gain pedal.the tones are really just great i don't know what else to say .

Absolutely my fav Dist pedal ever. It has tha brootz. All day brootz. Like all da brootz
It's brootz~

Just starting to play again after 12 years, looked good but not the warm overdrive sound I'm looking for. Could be cuz I play through a vox tube head on a Gibson sg. Idk I'll stick to the soul food an full tone. I'm sure it sounds great through a more metal set up.

Needed a go to distortion pedal for a wide range of projects and the electro-harmonix Metal Muff has it covered. The EQ controls are excellent and allow you to easily dial up whatever metal or rock mayhem you want. The Top Boost is a bit shrill at higher levels but i think it can still be effective at A lower settings. Overall a great buy at A great price and as always, A++ service from Ryan Murphy and Sweetwater. Thanks!

I already had the Nano Metal Muff, which is an amazing bargain and great piece of gear, so I was pretty sure the MM w/ TB would be killer. I was not
disappointed. I wanted more EQ which isn't an option on the Nano, and
the Metal Muff delivers big time. Lots of range on all 3 EQ controls. Although they market this as a metal pedal, the Muff covers a lot of sonic ground. I'm more of a Classic Rock guy than a Metalhead, but I do like lots of gain on my lead parts. But most of the time, I've got the gain around 9 o'clock. And man, it just gets crazier from there. I can't imagine anyone needing more. My only gripe, and reason for deducting a half star is the Top Boost function. It's got a peculiar EQ curve built in, and I find it hard to hit the 'sweet spot' on it. If it was just a straightforward volume boost or even a more traditional gain boost, I would call this a perfect pedal. But don't let that stop you, by all means buy this pedal! Oh yeah, and 4 little words on the bottom of the pedal make it even greater: "Made in NYC USA." Great, great pedal, and thanks to Derek at Sweetwater for takin' care of business!
distortion than this pedal delivers.

Great tones on this box. Nice Eq options and boost options.

Pros:
-Very wide range of EQ settings, with distortion that performs evenly across all of them.
-Top Boost that cuts through the mix just enough to stand out, but not enough to drown out the rest of the instruments.
-Very sturdy construction: If I dropped this off my third floor apartment, I wouldn't even be worried about it being broken.
-Surprisingly modest price tag, considering the quality of it.

Cons: No modular battery replacement. A real downer that constitutes a fairly major flaw with an otherwise amazing pedal. If you're using a 9V power supply, then it's not an issue, but if you don't have one, or are often in a situation where you can't use it, it's a real pain to have to find a screw driver, take out the screws on the back and replace the battery. Which you'll be doing often: and that takes me to my only other problem with this pedal.
-Atrocious battery life. I've had this pedal for maybe 2 and a half weeks, and have gone through 4, 9V batteries, with a modest amount of playing, which ties into the other Con about how much of a pain it is to change the batteries. But again, not an issue if you're using a 9V supply.
Summary:
I would recommend this pedal to anyone in the market for a new pedal. Definitely worth the money. The only reason it's not a perfect 5 stars is the battery issue. Other than that, excellent product. Just another note, excellent hustle getting this pedal to me, I'm all the way in Japan, and this pedal was here in about 8 days. +1 for customer service.

Best pedal for the money, I own 3 electro-harmonix pedals.

I found this a very good pedal. Much like the Metalzone from Boss, but with a little bit more warmth to it. The top boost is not working for me at all, just too much highs. The pedal sounds better with my Ibanez RG than my Gibson Les Paul, but overall a good pedal with enough versatility.

Not an overall but what it does can't be beat! Super distortion via 4 distinct chapters of heavy Overdriven distortion in 4 ways to add and subtract while changing character from one to another with distinctions.
Add to that a boost in treble harder and louder as you go, comparable to loud 4 x EL-34 equipped amp tone supercharged and may I state very controlled just by backing off to an achieved position at no time was it too bassy, it's potentials are aimed the high midranged registers. Preferred to using tube amps mainly because of the tube amp's ability to compress and this pedal will automatically
compress. It would be great if there was an amp with 4 x EL34s,6550s,6L6s,5881s,KT88s with 5AR4s,5U4s,rectifier...other than Boogie's triple or Dual Rectifier amps as a norm just to get beefier and incredible sustain from this pedal in tow, I've had mine since it's inception awhile back and this my 3rd one,,ENJOY!

I never was a big fan of distortion pedal until my bass player introduced me to the Metal Muff . This pedal gives me all the distrotion I will ever need the top boost will blow your head off.

ok this thing is awesome,but don't let the name fool you.capable of LOTS of different tones.the best part of this pedal is the EQ section,versatile.you can get lots of gain but makes wonderful sounds w/gain rolled back.the top boost is crazy,use it when you want to cut 'em.can get pretty fuzzy(sizzlin') with top boost engaged.built like a brick, quiet switching too.ehx has another winner.i have used this for years and it rules.period....

this pedal is amazing...if you know what you are doing you can make this pedal sound like true tube amp...ehx made a great pedal the guys at ehx really know what they are doing i've owed probally 5 or 6 of these pedals and have never been disapointed...even though i dont use this pedal anymore cause i switched to the mesa mark 5 head its still a great pedal it can turn any bead amp into a metal monster.

this pedal will blow you away!!! I use mine to push the front of my amp to get that over the top high gain sound. the top boost works good for lead work.

I was searching for a pure-analog distortion pedal and came across this gem right after it was released. I've never had any experiences with EHX products until this point. I originally didn't want to try it or like it, since it wasn't true bypass, but sometimes you need buffered pedals in your chain to bring the signal back up. It's buffering is actually very clean and slightly fattens single coils after passing. I run this through a Mesa Express 5:50 with a strat mostly, and wanted something to give me an "urgent, hairy-on-the-brink-of-metal-distortion." Imagine a great metal band that does the rare classic rock cover (Opeth's Bridge of Sighs as an example). This fits the bill for anything Judas Priest, Maiden, up to Slayer and Entombed.

I glanced at the circuit and it looks like 3 Big Muff Pi's cascaded with a linked EQ. I do build pedals as a hobby and have of course tackled the muff clones in variations, and am VERY surprised that these 3 create such a believable 80's/90's metal sound.

The features in brief. There is a Top Boost footswitch for kicking in a mid-high EQ boost. You're control over it is just one knob for volume increase. It's usable but there are better things for that. The EQ will however blow you away. The 3 available pots control a WIDE decibel range, up as well as down. If you roll the mids all the way down and keep the rest at noon, you have that overly-abused Slipknot/Disturbed kind of nu-metal thing. If you put mids at half and roll bass down and treble at 10-o'clock with distortion at 2, you get that 80's hair metal thing. Very, very versatile. For analog, the price is damn good!

First off, this pedal has the best EQ section of ANY distortion pedal. It gives you a lot of flexibility in tone which makes it great for tracking guitars without becoming muddy.
There is a lot of gain, even on low settings but it isn't overpowering. You can get some great medium gain rock tones with this pedal (not classic rock, more modern rock)as well as a monstrous amount of ear piercing gain.
The top boost is great for solos. It allows your solos to really cut through.
I really love this pedal for lead guitar (without top boost on). It's got a lot more balls than most distortion pedals and the EQ can make it cut through without losing its' fullness.
It's built tough and feels like it'd take a lot of stage abuse. A great pedal.