The EarthQuaker Devices Bellows is a two-knob fuzz driver that sits between overdrive and full fuzz. Pedal of the Day described it as "capable of producing both dirty, gritty drive textures and big, fat, fuzz-filled saturated tones," and EarthQuaker Devices' own product page calls it simply a Fuzz Driver12. It is a compact, mini-format pedal with just two controls, Drive and Level, and it works on both guitar and bass3.
The original Bellows was made by EarthQuaker Devices from 2016 to 2019 and is no longer in production42. In July 2026 the company revived it as the Bellows Legacy Reissue, a limited run of 1,000 units worldwide in a compact enclosure with new artwork by illustrator Geoff Crowe35.
What it does to your sound
The Bellows is not a clone. Pedal of the Day called it "a unique design not really based on a certain amp or pedal design," and Gearnews reports it uses "a precise mix of Silicon and JFET transistor clipping"13. Guitar Pedal X characterizes the pedal as a Fuzzy-Drive, Fuzz-Drive and Fuzzstortion pedal with overdrive characteristics, in a two-transistor design6.
How it responds depends on where the Drive control sits. EarthQuaker Devices describes the Legacy Reissue this way: at lower drive levels it is a little wider and grittier, and higher drive settings reach blown-out fuzz land through useful distorted places in between2. Pedal of the Day's reviewer heard the same spread on the original: "the sound is a bit cleaner and sharper when turned down, and increasingly thicker and heavier as you crank it up"1.
"A really neat Fuzzy Textures drive with significant range - easy to dial in and deploy with just those 2 controls."
The controls: Drive and Level
There are only two knobs, and each does more than its name suggests36.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Sets the input gain of the device for different levels of dirt. Counterclockwise the tone is thinner and cleaner; clockwise it thickens with more growl. Lower settings give a wider, grittier overdrive; dimed, it is full-on fuzz235 |
| Level | Adjusts the output level by changing the transistor's bias voltage. A little noise while turning it is perfectly normal31 |
Delicious Audio offers a useful way to picture the Drive control on the reissue: it works like a non-master amp's volume knob, where lower settings give wider, grittier breakup and cranking it delivers blown-out fuzz territory7. Premier Guitar describes the same behavior on the Legacy Reissue, with the Drive control determining how hard the signal hits the input5.
Does it work with bass?
Yes, and by design rather than accident. EarthQuaker Devices says its "simple, scorched-earth approach to design leaves the full frequency response of your instrument intact, which makes" the Bellows a great bass overdrive4. Gearnews likewise reports it works equally well on guitar and bass guitar3.
Pedal of the Day's reviewer put it to the test and found it held up on the low end: "Great for bass as well, it gives any tone you put through it classic low end tone, while remaining clear and present in" the mix1. Bass players comparing bass pedals can treat the Bellows as a drive option rather than a guitar-only fuzz.
Original run and Legacy Reissue
The Bellows Fuzz Driver first appeared at NAMM 2016 and was manufactured from 2016 to 2019 before EarthQuaker Devices dropped it from the lineup34. After demand from players, the company brought it back in July 20267.
The reissue comes in two related forms that the press covered under slightly different names:
- The Bellows Legacy Reissue, announced by Premier Guitar in August 2026 as a special Legacy Reissue of the original pedal, available now with a Lifetime Warranty5
- The Bellows Legacy Reissue Mini, the mini-format version Guitar Pedal X covered as a limited 1,000-run revival of the two-transistor circuit6
- Delicious Audio also covered the return under the name Bellows Jr., a mini two-knob enclosure issued after demand from players7
Inside, nothing changed: Gearnews reports the all-analog circuit remains identical to the original, and Premier Guitar confirms the limited-edition Bellows features the same circuit as the original35. The changes are cosmetic and practical: a compact, space-saving enclosure and brand-new artwork by illustrator Geoff Crowe3.
EarthQuaker Devices' Legacy Reissue page carries a blunt warning about power: "DO NOT RUN AT HIGHER VOLTAGES!"2 The pedal is built for its specified supply voltage, and running it higher is not supported by the maker.
Pricing as reported in July 2026: Gearnews listed the Legacy Reissue at $142, with Thomann showing $139.003. Both listings carry the same all-analog circuit, identical to the original, in a compact enclosure with brand-new artwork by illustrator Geoff Crowe3.
How it compares with the Barrows
Gearnews describes the Bellows as an all-analog pedal, its circuit identical to the original, priced at $142 with Thomann showing $139.003. The pedal's compact, space-saving enclosure carries brand-new artwork by illustrator Geoff Crowe, with Jamie Stillman the EQD head honcho behind the design3.
For players weighing the two, the practical difference is character and lineage: the Barrows traces back to a vintage germanium circuit, and the Bellows is an original EarthQuaker design that spans from gritty drive to blown-out fuzz on one knob31.
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Questions
Is the EarthQuaker Bellows still made?
The original Bellows Fuzz Driver is no longer in production; EarthQuaker Devices manufactured it from 2016 to 2019. In July 2026 the company brought the pedal back as the Bellows Legacy Reissue, a limited mini-format run of 1,000 units worldwide, so the circuit is available again but only in that limited edition.
Does the Bellows work with bass?
Yes. EarthQuaker Devices says its design leaves the full frequency response of the instrument intact, which makes it a great bass overdrive, and Gearnews notes it works equally well on guitar and bass guitar. Pedal of the Day's reviewer found it great for bass, giving classic low end tone while staying clear and present in the mix.
How many Bellows Legacy Reissue pedals were made?
The Legacy Reissue is limited to 1,000 units worldwide. Gearnews, Guitar Pedal X and Premier Guitar all report the same figure for the run, which EarthQuaker Devices released in July 2026 in a compact enclosure with new artwork by illustrator Geoff Crowe.
Is the Bellows reissue the same circuit as the original?
Yes. Premier Guitar reports that the limited-edition Bellows features the same circuit as the original, and Gearnews describes the reissue's circuit as all-analogue and identical to the original. The two-transistor design carries over; the changes are on the outside, in the compact enclosure and new artwork.
How does the Bellows compare with the Barrows?
Gearnews describes the Bellows as a two-knob mini-format pedal similar to the previous year's Barrows, the Barrows Fuzz Attacker. The Barrows Fuzz Attacker is a three-germanium-transistor fuzz based on the Tone Bender MKII circuit, while the Bellows uses a mix of Silicon and JFET transistor clipping and is its own design rather than a copy of an amp or pedal.
Sources (7)
- EarthQuaker Devices Bellows Fuzz Driver, Pedal of the Day, 2017-03-17
- Bellows Fuzz Driver, EarthQuaker Devices
- EQD Bellows Fuzz Driver: Raw Tweed Amp Tones, gearnews.com, 2026-07-06
- Bellows Fuzz Driver, EarthQuaker Devices
- EarthQuaker Announce a Limited Edition Legacy Reissue of the Bellows Fuzz Driver, Premier Guitar, 2026-07-02
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-07-06
- New Pedal: EarthQuaker Devices Bellows Jr., Delicious Audio, 2026-07-02
