Last month, we had our first taste of the power and presence of the pedals coming from Minotaur Sonic Terrors, in the form of the exquisite Saturnine Fuzz. We’re lucky enough to be able to check out a second effect from these guys today as well – the Swamp Lord Cyclopean Tone Wizard. This fuzz/drive/distortion can easily cover all of your dirt needs, from ’70s-inspired overdrive to ultra-heavy, and everything in between.
Based on the highly sought-after Big Muff Pi V2 “Ram’s Head” from Electro-Harmonix, the Swamp Lord provides clear tone, no hiss and high articulation. Staying true to the original, Minotaur Sonic Terrors used carbon composition resistors and four gain selected NOS BC239C transistors. As for the control section, Volume, Tone and Sustain are standard fare, and do exactly what you’d expect them to do. The lack of midrange the older pedals are known for has been addressed by adding a Mids control, where you can increase or scoop the midrange according to your liking or recording needs. This helps your tone breathe more and stand out in all studio or live situations.
In addition, there’s a Grit switch, which provides three positions that alter the clipping method of the circuit. In the bottom position, you have silicon clipping, with which you get the original “Ram’s Head” tones. The grit switch in the middle position will probably become a bass player’s favorite, as the tone and bass response become huge! Finally, having the grit switch in the upper position provides asymmetrical clipping using both silicon and germanium diodes. This combination produces a more open tone, with a bit less gain and compression, and a more overdrive-ish character. All Minotaur pedals are built using high-quality parts, including all switches and pots, carbon composition resistors and die-cast aluminum enclosures.
After having the Saturnine Fuzz in the shop, it was clear that the Minotaur crew knows what they’re doing, and the arrival of the Swamp Lord Cyclopean Tone Wizard confirms it ten-fold. Bold sounds, a wide sonic spectrum and countless sonic options make this lineup of effects a must-have for any players that like it nice and heavy, but with a versatile options package for tones of all flavors. Cheers to Minotaur Sonic Terrors on another beauty of of a pedal – we’ve got more still from these guys on the way, so be sure to stay tuned, check out their website and listen to the Swamp Lord crush in our demo video below!
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February 26, 2022
I’ve had this pedal for about a month and can’t say enough good things about it. Minotaur is a small builder, so wait time is a little long but we’ll worth it especially when you open it up and see how well it’s built. These guys are my go to for pedals from now on.
March 13, 2022
I have the Swamp Lord and can confirm its thick, fuzzy swamp goodness. It took three months for it to get from Greece, the point of manufacture, to the states, and there was a point where I was wondering if I was ever going to receive the pedal, but it finnaly arrived. It is a great weapon for sludge, doom, stoner, and the like. Quality build and heavy sound. I love this pedal (and so do my neighbors).