To get to the Dire Wolf, I need to give a little background on how all of this came about.
My musical journey began with classic rock. There are far too many bands to name, but if you can think of one, chances are I listened to them. From there, I discovered the underground metal bands of the early to middle 1980s. Again, there are far too many to list.
Around 1987, a co-worker, who I often talked music with, introduced me to underground punk and hardcore bands I had never heard of. One of those bands was Hüsker Dü.
After listening to Zen Arcade, I was hooked. I immediately began visiting record stores in downtown Boston and Harvard Square, buying albums such as New Day Rising, Flip Your Wig, and Candy Apple Grey.
The thing that stood out most was Bob Mould’s guitar tone. It had a strong midrange, a biting edge, and an extremely saturated sound. I later discovered that he used an MXR Distortion+. Funny enough, it was the same pedal Randy Rhoads used to push his Marshall amps while playing with Ozzy.
The Distortion+ and Hüsker Dü helped lead me into the world of underground alternative music. That journey would eventually lead me to discover my first Big Muff.
In fact, the very first pedal I ever built was a Distortion+. I drew out the schematic, etched the circuit board, found all the parts, and assembled everything inside an enclosure that I painted with yellow automotive paint. I still have that pedal today.
All of this matters because, much like the Big Muff, the Distortion+ sent me down a crazy path of discovery and experimentation that eventually led to the Dire Wolf.