Earthquaker Zoar

A modern distortion inspired by the "ghosts" of old-school circuits

The Zoar was designed as a modern and versatile distortion, but with that immediately familiar character associated with vintage drive circuits. Here, there's no fixed recipe: EarthQuaker Devices relies on a transistor architecture and strong interaction between controls to achieve a tone that can evoke anything from a bright, defined overdrive to a thicker saturation, like a moderate-gain fuzz.

Its place on a pedalboard is clear: it can serve as a primary drive (from edge of breakup to a big wall of sound), a sculptable boost thanks to its EQ, or a character pedal to tune a drop-tuned guitar or bass without losing attack clarity.

For whom, which styles, and in what contexts?

The EarthQuaker Devices Zoar is aimed at guitarists (and bassists) seeking an expressive distortion that follows playing dynamics: pick attack, tight palm mutes, fingerstyle, volume variations... everything translates immediately into the saturation. It suits both intermediate players and demanding musicians, provided they enjoy tweaking knobs and exploiting the interactions.

In terms of styles, it excels in modern rock, metal, stoner, punk, noise, but it can also remain surprisingly elegant in blues rock and indie when set to low/medium gain. In the studio, its precise EQ facilitates layering tracks; live, its adjustable voicing helps maintain clarity in the mix, even with low tunings.

Controls and operation: a pedal to "play" as much as to set

The Zoar offers 6 controls: Level, Weight, Gain, Bass, Middle, and Treble. The Gain covers a wide range: from slight crunchy to heavy dense grind. A design peculiarity: it affects the transistor stage behavior, explaining the amp-like feel and very lively response under the fingers.

The Weight control is the pedal's fulcrum: it's an input control that lets more or fewer lows pass before saturation. Increasing it makes the distortion more massive, the lows "push" the clipping harder, and you can shift from a tight and precise distortion to a looser, fuzzier texture. With humbuckers, you quickly get impressive density; with single coils, you gain bite and definition.

The 3-band passive EQ (Bass, Middle, Treble) is calibrated for modern sounds while remaining very musical. It's intentionally interactive: each adjustment influences perceived gain and volume. The Level is therefore not just an output control: by compensating an EQ boost with a Level reduction, you can create radical curves and achieve a filtering-like sensation while maintaining coherent saturation.

Finally, the Zoar uses silent relay switching with Flexi-Switch technology: you can use it in classic (on/off) mode or momentary mode (effect active only while holding the footswitch). Handy for accents, breaks, or transitions without adding a second boost pedal.

The sound

The Zoar's sonic signature sits at the crossroads of hi-fi distortion and a more "old school" grain: a clear attack, detailed high end, and a touch-sensitive response reminiscent of a pushed amp. It can remain very defined for modern riffing, while thickening and fraying into fuzzier textures as you open the Weight and push the Gain more.

At 9V, it's already expressive and incisive; at 18V, you gain headroom and articulation, with tighter lows and higher output level: ideal if you want a "wider" distortion or if you stack multiple gain stages. It's found on pedalboards oriented toward modern rock and metal, notably with Frank Iero, Gina Gleason, and bassist Sarah Quintero, proof of its ease on both guitar and bass.

Technical specifications

Effects	Distortion / Overdrive / Fuzz, Distortion	Type	sector
Technology	Analog	Use	electric guitar
Format	Pedal	Color	Blue
EQ	3 channels

Effect	distortion	Output	6.35mm Jack (unbalanced)
Gain range	medium to high, from clear boost to massive saturation	Power supply	not included
Potentiometers	Level, Weight, Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble	Required power supply	9 to 18V DC
Weight	controls the amount of bass sent into the circuit (direct impact on character and saturation)	Consumption	10 mA
Input	6.35mm Jack (unbalanced)	Power connector	2.1 mm plug, center negative