EarthQuaker Devices Barrows Fuzz Attacker

The EarthQuaker Devices Barrows Fuzz Attacker is a compact fuzz pedal released by EarthQuaker Devices in September 2025¹. It is the company's homage to the MKII Tone Bender circuit, built around a trio of germanium transistors, and EarthQuaker Devices describes it as producing everything from light, singing distortion to crushing fuzz tones with nearly infinite harmonic-rich sustain¹.

The pedal keeps things simple: two controls, a compact footprint, and a phase-corrected and buffered output. Guitarist Emily Wolfe, quoted in EarthQuaker Devices' own history of the pedal, called it her favorite take on the Tone Bender MkII circuit, citing its sustain and the way it cleans up with the guitar volume knob¹.

What it does: a germanium Tone Bender MKII-style fuzz

EarthQuaker Devices calls the Barrows its "loving homage to the iconic MKII Tone Bender circuit," with a trio of germanium transistors as its beating heart¹. The Tone Bender MKII is a classic three-transistor germanium fuzz design from the 1960s, and the Barrows follows that same three-transistor topology³. Germanium transistors, an older type than the silicon transistors in most modern fuzzes, are part of what gives circuits of this family their character.

The pedal sits in EarthQuaker Devices' wider fuzz range, which includes the Hoof V2, the Fuzz Master General, the Hizumitas, and the Chelsea.

MusicRadar's review summed up the overall sound plainly:

The controls: Level and Attack

The Barrows has just two knobs, and EarthQuaker Devices notes that a pedal with only two controls can still have a lot of sonic potential¹.

Gearnews described the same pairing as letting you dial in everything from smooth, singing distortion to powerful fuzz sounds via the volume and attack controls⁴. Because Attack sets the gain, backing it off moves the pedal toward distortion territory, while pushing it up gets you into full fuzz.

The pedal also cleans up with your guitar's volume knob, something both Emily Wolfe and MusicRadar's reviewer highlighted¹². That behavior is characteristic of germanium fuzz circuits and makes the two knobs feel more flexible than their count suggests.

Power and connections

The Barrows runs on 9V DC from a center negative power supply input, drawing 10mA². There is no battery option: the enclosure is too small for one, so you will need a pedalboard power supply providing at least 10mA²⁴. Connectivity is simple, with two 1/4" jacks for input and output².

One design detail worth knowing: the output is phase-corrected and buffered¹. Because the signal leaving the Barrows stays in phase with the signal entering it, the pedal behaves predictably when stacked with other effects or run in parallel setups, where an out-of-phase signal can thin or cancel your sound¹.

Design, price, and where it is made

The circuit was designed by Jamie Stillman, who told MusicRadar he designed it around the transistors he had, "trying to stay true to the MkII tone that people are familiar with"². Artist Dave Neeson's artwork gives the small enclosure the brand's identity with three skulls, representing the three germanium transistors, sinking into sand².

Like all EarthQuaker Devices pedals, the Barrows is made in Akron, Ohio, and comes with a limited lifetime warranty².

On price, Gearnews reported the Barrows at $157.00 USD at announcement on 25 September 2025⁴, while GuitarPedalX and MusicRadar both list it at $129 in the USA, with MusicRadar giving launch pricing as $129/£139/€159³². Gearnews also cited a lower Thomann listing of $139.00 at the time⁴.

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