Earthquaker GARY FUZZ

From the Gray Channel to the Gary: a collaboration made for chaos

Conceived with Lee Kiernan (IDLES), the Gary was born from a simple desire: to capture the spirit of the Gray Channel in a more compact, darker, and much more unpredictable format. The overdrive side carries the DNA of the "Green" channel (in its diode-free clipping configuration), for an open, rich, and very dynamic op-amp saturation. On the other side, EarthQuaker Devices added an envelope-controlled pulse width modulation fuzz, designed to shift from massive to broken with a single pick stroke.

Who is it for? From post-punk riffs to walls of fuzz noise

The Gary is aimed at guitarists (and bassists) who want an expressive, lively fuzz/overdrive pedal capable of stepping outside the box. It excels in post-punk, noise rock, grunge, stoner, garage, alternative rock, but is also formidable for creating texture beds in the studio. On a pedalboard, it's a characterful weapon: you can use it as an "always-on" boost/overdrive to push your amp, or trigger the fuzz to switch a verse into a chorus with an "amp collapsing then returning" vibe.

Controls and operation: simple on the surface, immense in nuance

The Gary is intentionally minimalist in controls, but each knob is highly musical. On the fuzz side, "Yes!" adjusts the envelope sensitivity (and thus the attack/pulse width interaction) while "Oosh" controls the output volume, with enough headroom to drive the next stage. On the overdrive side, "Go" sets the gain (from clean boost to thicker op-amp distortion) and "That's It" sets the volume. Each side has its own footswitch with silent Flexi-Switch switching (short press = on/off, long press = momentary). Note: the signal path is designed to stack the two sections with a fuzz into overdrive logic, to wrap and "glue" the fuzz into the mix when you activate the left side.

The sound

On the fuzz side, it's a thick, dense square wave with generous sustain that can become very "gated" and cut off cleanly as soon as you stop playing. Turning up "Yes!" makes the pedal breathe with your picking hand: the harder you attack, the tighter and more biting the tone becomes, with a nasal grain, choppiness, and very musical instabilities. On the overdrive side, the response is more natural and organic: dynamic, full, with that straightforward op-amp character that can serve as a clear boost, a snappy crunch, or a broader saturation to hold a riff. Designed with Lee Kiernan (IDLES), the Gary is clearly oriented towards modern, aggressive, and expressive textures, without losing the "amp under your fingers" feel.

Technical specifications

Effects	Fuzz	Type	sector
Technology	Analog	Use	electric guitar
Format	Pedal	Color	White
EQ	Tone

Signal path	analog	Dimensions (with potentiometers)	121 x 64 x 57 mm
Fuzz	Yes! (envelope sensitivity / pulse width), Oosh (fuzz volume)	Weight	313 g
Overdrive	Go (gain), That's It (volume)	Warranty	lifetime (limited)
Input	6.35mm mono jack	Power supply	not included
Output	6.35mm mono jack	Required power supply	9V DC center negative (2.1mm connector)
Expression pedal input (TRS)	6.35mm stereo jack (controls "Yes!")	Consumption	20 mA
Expression TRS wiring	Tip = wiper, Ring = +3.3V, Sleeve = ground	Battery operation	no