Handmade FX Pedals from Akron, OH
The legendary guitar sounds of yesteryear were created by artists and brands that pulled inspiration from every corner of the world. Pioneers like Les Paul weren’t afraid to try the weird and unexpected in search of new ways to play the guitar, and it is in that great tradition that EarthQuaker Devices works to push the guitar in new and incredible directions. Their pedals aren’t afraid to explore the stranger depths of audio and encourage players to add a bit of the unexpected to their rig. The world’s first guitar arpeggiator pedal? Done. A one-of-a-kind dirt machine based around hard-to-find germanium transistors? You got it. A pedal to transform a guitar into a pipe organ? Why not! The more time spent digging through their catalogue, the more one begins to believe that if a sound can be dreamed, EarthQuaker Devices can make it into a pedal. These devices transform the average pedalboard into a unique sounding rig that will turn heads and leave an impression. All EQD Pedals are true-bypass and handmade in Akron, OH.
For more, visit www.earthquakerdevices.com.
REVIEW
Bit Commander Guitar Synthesizer
$175
The Bit Commander’s four octaves of square waves transform a guitar signal into a fat mess of dirty, analog synth goodness. Its straightforward interface makes it easy to combine the sub, octave down, base tone, and transformer-based octave up tones into sounds ranging from sweet and playful to extreme distortion. Unlike most modern guitar synths, the Bit Commander is 100% analog, so it tracks most accurately above the 7th fret, but can yield unexpected and wild results back at the top of the neck. The individual octave control allows sound customization and, if just dialing in the base control, can be used as a harmonic rich fuzz pedal. The Bit Commander is perfect for the player looking to add a bit of the retro-future or intense synth noise to their set.
For more reviews of FX Pedals from Performer Mag, click here.