Electro Harmonix

Overview

Electro-Harmonix is an American effects pedal and vacuum tube manufacturer founded in 1968 that pioneered affordable, innovative audio signal processing for guitar, bass, keyboards, and other instruments. The company is best known for iconic pedals including the Big Muff Pi fuzz, Small Stone phaser, Memory Man delay, and Electric Mistress flanger, which became industry standards used by professional and amateur musicians across multiple genres. EHX maintains a primary product line of over 150 guitar effects pedals alongside vacuum tubes and other audio equipment, positioning itself as a leader in effects pedal design whose innovations have been widely imitated throughout the industry.

History

Mike Matthews founded Electro-Harmonix in 1968 at age 26 with $1,000, initially producing the LPB-1 Linear Power Booster boost pedal. The company achieved major success with the 1969 Big Muff Pi fuzz pedal and expanded throughout the 1970s with influential designs like the Small Stone, Electric Mistress, and Deluxe Memory Man. EHX closed in 1984 due to financial difficulties, after which Matthews founded New Sensor Corporation to produce Sovtek-branded vacuum tubes in Russia. In 2000, Matthews returned production of Electro-Harmonix pedals to New York City and resumed releasing both reissued classic designs and new products, establishing the company's continued presence in the modern effects market.

Product Lines

Manufacturing

Electro-Harmonix pedals are manufactured in New York City with approximately 125 employees. Vacuum tubes are produced by ExpoPul factory in Saratov, Russia, which employs over 300 individuals and continues to supply tubes for the Electro-Harmonix brand as of 2025. No guitar pedals are entirely made in the US, as components are sourced globally.

Notable Products

• Big Muff Pi - Iconic fuzz pedal released in 1969 that defined the EHX sound and became the fuzz of choice for Jimi Hendrix and David Gilmour
• Small Stone - Phaser pedal from the 1970s that remains a standard modulation effect
• Electric Mistress - Flanger pedal introduced in 1975 that made studio-quality flanging effects accessible to live performers
• Deluxe Memory Man - Analog delay pedal from the 1970s that became a foundational delay effect
• POG Polyphonic Octave Generator - Released in 2005, a polyphonic real-time processor enabling octave and harmony effects
• LPB-1 Linear Power Booster - The company's first pedal from 1968, a boost designed to push amplifiers into overdrive

Reputation

Electro-Harmonix is widely regarded as a pioneer and innovator in effects pedal design, with its products considered must-haves by many professional and amateur musicians. The brand's influence on the boutique stompbox market over the past two decades has been substantial, and its classic pedals remain industry standards that competitors continue to imitate. The company is respected for maintaining long-term product availability and reissuing classic designs alongside new innovations. Some users note that while EHX pedals offer strong value and proven designs, they face competition from boutique manufacturers offering specialized alternatives, and certain vintage models command premium prices in the secondary market.