The EarthQuaker Devices Barrows, sold as the Barrows Fuzz Attacker, is a mini fuzz pedal built around a Tone Bender MKII-style circuit with three matched germanium transistors. Released in September 2025, it packs a vintage three-transistor germanium fuzz design into a compact enclosure, with just two controls: Level and Attack12.
EarthQuaker Devices says the pedal produces everything from light, singing distortion to crushing fuzz tones with nearly infinite harmonic-rich sustain1. At its heart is a trio of carefully matched germanium transistors, and each Barrows is assembled in Akron, Ohio, where the company builds its guitar effects by hand1.
A germanium MKII-style fuzz in a mini pedal
The Barrows is a three-transistor fuzz based on the MKII Tone Bender circuit, using a trio of carefully matched germanium transistors15. Germanium transistors are the heart of the original 1960s British fuzz designs, and Guitar Pedal X described the Barrows on release as a two-knob, Tone Bender MKII-style germanium fuzz6.
EarthQuaker Devices frames the pedal as a modern take rather than a reproduction. As the company puts it on its product page1:
"Barrows pays homage to the iconic MKII circuit while adding modern refinements"1
The most significant of those refinements is the output stage. Where vintage germanium fuzzes are famously picky about where they sit in a signal chain, the Barrows is designed with a phase-corrected and buffered output so it plays nicely with the other pedals in your chain5. Delicious Audio, reviewing it in October 2025, summed up the appeal:
"Housed in a mini enclosure, the Barrows delivers the iconic, rebellious snarl of the past without the noise or fuss."4
Guitar.com's Richard Purvis noted that the two control names, Level and Attack, match what you would see on any original pre-MKIII Tone Bender7. The pedal's enclosure artwork is by Dave Neeson1.
The controls: Level and Attack
The Barrows has just two knobs, and EarthQuaker Devices says that simplicity is part of the point. As the company's own history of the pedal puts it543:
"It's amazing how a pedal with just two controls has so much sonic potential."5
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Controls the output volume. Unity gain sits around noon, with plenty of volume boost available to push an amplifier1. |
| Attack | Controls the amount of fuzz and gain in the signal. At lower settings it provides singing, amp-like distortion with touch sensitivity; rotating it clockwise builds to crushing, sustain-drenched fuzz1. |
MusicRadar's review describes the same split: Level controls the overall output of the pedal, while Attack controls the amount of fuzz and gain in the signal8. Delicious Audio found the two-knob layout gives a range of sounds from subtle singing overdrive to crushing fuzz with near-infinite sustain4, and Guitar Pedal X, naming it among 2025's best new fuzz pedals, called it "super easy to dial in too with just those 2 controls"3.
Guitar.com's reviewer found the Attack knob offers different shades of massive, giving the pedal usable range across its rotation rather than one good setting7.
Power and connections
The Barrows runs on a standard 9 volt DC power supply with a 2.1mm negative center barrel, drawing 10 mA1. MusicRadar's spec listing matches: 9VDC, 10 mA, center negative power input8.
EarthQuaker Devices' warning on the product page is blunt: "DO NOT RUN AT HIGHER VOLTAGES!"1
Connectivity is simple: two 1/4-inch jacks for input and output, plus the center negative power input8. The maker's current product page lists input impedance at 10 kΩ and output impedance at 100 Ω1; the launch press release listed 50 kΩ in and under 10 kΩ out2.
The pedal uses mechanical true bypass switching when disengaged1, a point MusicRadar's listing confirms8. When engaged, the signal passes through the phase-corrected and buffered output described above15.
What reviewers said
- EarthQuaker Devices describes the Attack control as where the magic happens: at lower settings it provides singing, amp-like distortion with superb touch sensitivity, and rotating it clockwise transforms the circuit into an increasingly aggressive fuzz monster1.
- Level controls the output volume, with unity gain sitting around noon and plenty of volume boost available for pushing an amplifier1.
- The maker sums up the pedal's range as "everything from light, singing distortion to crushing fuzz tones with nearly infinite harmonic-rich sustain"1.
EarthQuaker Devices' own history of the pedal records guitarist Emily Wolfe's view of it5:
"The Barrows is my favorite take on the Tone Bender MkII circuit. I love the sustain, the way it cleans up with the guitar's volume knob"5
Where it sits in the EQD fuzz lineup
The Barrows is a compact pedal, measuring 1.50 × 3.75 x 2.00 in. (38 × 95 × 51 mm) with knobs, with enclosure artwork by Dave Neeson1. Each unit is assembled in Akron, Ohio, and carries EarthQuaker Devices' limited lifetime warranty: if it breaks, the company will fix it1.
Each Barrows is assembled in Akron, Ohio, and carries EarthQuaker Devices' limited lifetime warranty: if it breaks, the company will fix it1.
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Questions
Is the EarthQuaker Barrows a Tone Bender clone?
It is based on the Tone Bender MKII circuit, built with three matched germanium transistors, but it is not a straight copy. EarthQuaker Devices describes it as paying homage to the MKII circuit while adding modern refinements, including a phase-corrected and buffered output that the original design did not have.
Does the Barrows have a buffered output?
Yes. The Barrows has a phase-corrected and buffered output, which EarthQuaker Devices says ensures it plays nicely with other pedals down the line. That is a deliberate departure from vintage germanium fuzz designs, which often need to be first in the chain.
Is the EarthQuaker Barrows true bypass?
Yes. The Barrows uses mechanical true bypass switching when the pedal is off, while the engaged signal passes through a phase-corrected and buffered output. MusicRadar's spec listing also lists its bypass as true.
How much current does the Barrows draw?
The Barrows draws 10 mA from a standard 9V DC power supply with a 2.1mm negative center barrel. EarthQuaker Devices warns not to run it at higher voltages.
Sources (8)
- Barrows Fuzz Attacker, EarthQuaker Devices
- EarthQuaker Devices Announces the Barrows Fuzz Attacker, Premier Guitar, 2025-09-25
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-12-08
- EarthQuaker Barrows Fuzz Attacker, Delicious Audio, 2025-10-30
- Boy Meets Barrows: A Fuzz Story, EarthQuaker Devices, 2026-02-11
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-09-26
- EarthQuaker Devices Barrows review, guitar.com, 2025-12-03
- “A feral supernova awaits if you dime those dials”: EarthQuaker Devices Barrows Fuzz Attacker review, MusicRadar, 2025-11-12
