A simple request from Idles’ Lee Kiernan for a compact version of EarthQuaker Devices‘ now discontinued Gray Channel has turned into a fuzz-packed, overdrive-heavy, speaker-ripping (simulated), monster named Gary. Gary offers a vast range of dirty tones, and some that aren’t dirty at all. From ripping, phase-shifted fuzz to a clean boost with a little warmth, the EarthQuaker Devices Gary is the most versatile, yet chaotic pedal you’ll play this year!
Overdrive Side
The overdrive circuit, or as EQD engineers call it, the “left brain,” is a pretty simple, natural sounding drive. This circuit livens up your tone and can push your tube amplifier to new, grizzly heights. Originally based on the “Green Channel” from the aforementioned Gray Channel, Gary’s overdrive side is based on Kiernan’s own Gray Channel settings, where he sets the clipping switch to the middle position, removing all diodes from the circuit. What’s left is a full-bodied, op-amp (operational amplifier) distortion that’s able to deliver a ton of extra volume when needed.
The simple control scheme on Gary’s face starts with a big knob labeled “Go.” Go controls and sets the op-amp drive, this ranges from a full-range clean boost at the bottom, up to a smooth, natural distortion. The smaller knob underneath “Go” labeled “THAT’S IT” is the overdrive master volume, which in conjunction with “Go,” can be used to push your tube amplifier to the breaking point, or just to add more crushing volume to your distortion tone.
EarthQuaker Devices designed Gary’s signal path to be fuzz into overdrive, so let’s visit Gary’s more chaotic half.
Fuzz Side
A dynamic and destructive fuzz occupies Gary’s right brain. When engaged, the fuzz half rips through your speakers with nearly unlimited sustain and chaos, while featuring an envelope-controlled variable pulse width. This means you’ve got a square wave fuzz you can dynamically adjust with pick attack and get extra weird with.
The big knob on the right side is labeled “YES!” YES! controls envelope sensitivity. With the envelope control turned all the way down, you’ve got a thick, sustain-heavy square wave fuzz to contend with, but as you increase the envelope, your pulse width narrows, and the tone becomes more nasal. If you’ve trekked too far, your signal could disappear completely. This is where the interactive component of the envelope comes into play. EarthQuaker Devices engineers say when dealing with this envelope:
“As the pulse width narrows, the tone becomes more nasal and biting until it gets so narrow that Gary goes to his dark place and disappears completely. In other words, with higher sensitivity settings, the sound will disappear entirely and come cruising back to Gary’s big guy tone. With proper playing dynamics, this creates a very cool effect that can sound like an exploding amp coming in and out of life, blown through a phase shifter.”
Along with the two-knob control scheme for Gary’s fuzz side, you can also utilize an expression pedal for manual operation during play. The expression pedal controls “YES!” setting the peak of the envelope sweep, making this the most interactive way to play with pulse width! You could also defeat the envelope completely by plugging a dummy cable into the expression jack, thus hard-setting the duty cycle of your perfect fuzz tone.
Just like with the overdrive side of Gary’s brain, the fuzz side also gets a master volume with a ton of volume on tap labeled “OOSH.”
From the budding idea of a British punk rock guitarist, to a permanent place on your pedalboard, EarthQuaker Devices has truly created a monster named Gary.
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