The Dream Crusher is a germanium fuzz effect made by EarthQuaker Devices, designed, in the maker's words, "to make your guitar sound more awesome"1. It is a two-knob pedal: Fuzz sets the amount of fuzz and Level sets the output volume. The pedal is analog and runs on a standard 9V DC, center negative supply, drawing 25mA1.
The Dream Crusher is discontinued. EarthQuaker Devices refers to it as "our now discontinued Dream Crusher"2, and Delicious Audio reported it as out of production as early as January 20163.
The controls: Fuzz and Level
The Dream Crusher keeps things to two knobs1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Fuzz | "Controls how sweet you want to sound"1 |
| Level | "Controls how much you want other people to hear how sweet you sound"1 |
That is the whole interface: a Fuzz knob, which controls how sweet you want to sound, and a Level knob, which controls how much you want other people to hear how sweet you sound1.
Power and placement
The pedal takes 9V DC, center negative, at 25mA1, the common standard for effects pedals, so it fits a normal pedalboard power setup without special adapters.
Placement matters with germanium fuzz. EarthQuaker Devices recommends placing the Dream Crusher first in the signal chain and before any buffered pedals "for optimal awesomeness"1. Fuzz circuits like this one respond to the guitar's pickups directly, and a buffer ahead of them can alter that response, which is why the maker asks players to keep it at the front of the board.
Where it fits in EarthQuaker Devices' fuzz range
The Dream Crusher was one of EarthQuaker Devices' early fuzzes and is no longer in production23. The maker's current and recent fuzz lineup includes pedals such as the Spires, Hoof V2, Erupter, Tone Reaper and Barrows, and several other early fuzzes have returned as limited Legacy Reissues, including the Dirt Transmitter Legacy Reissue and the Bellows Legacy Reissue. The Dream Crusher itself has not been reissued.
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Questions
Is the EarthQuaker Devices Dream Crusher discontinued?
Yes. EarthQuaker Devices describes the Dream Crusher as its now discontinued Dream Crusher, and Delicious Audio reported it as out of production as early as January 2016, quoting Ryan Dembinski. It has not returned to the lineup since, though the maker has reissued other early fuzzes such as the Dirt Transmitter and Bellows in limited Legacy Reissue runs.
Is the Dream Crusher analog or digital?
The Dream Crusher is an analog pedal. RockBoard's PedalPedia entry for the pedal lists its circuit type as analog, and it is a germanium fuzz effect, a circuit family built around germanium transistors rather than digital processing.
What power supply does the Dream Crusher need?
The Dream Crusher runs on 9V DC, center negative, the same standard used by most modern pedals, so it works with a typical pedalboard power supply or daisy chain. No battery option is listed for the pedal.
Where should the Dream Crusher go in a pedalboard?
EarthQuaker Devices recommends placing the Dream Crusher first in the signal chain and before any buffered pedals. Fuzz circuits of this kind interact closely with the guitar's pickups, and a buffer ahead of them can change how they respond, so the maker's advice is to keep it at the front.
How much current does the Dream Crusher draw?
RockBoard's PedalPedia entry lists the Dream Crusher's current draw as 25mA, which is modest by pedal standards and well within what any standard 9V power supply output provides.
Sources (3)
- Dream Crusher by EarthQuaker Devices, RockBoard (rockboard.de PedalPedia), 2026
- Spires Fuzz Doubler, EarthQuaker Devices
- EQD Announces 8 New Pedals At NAMM 2016, Delicious Audio, 2016-01-18
