The EarthQuaker Devices Gary is a signature pedal built with Lee Kiernan, guitarist in the band IDLES, and it puts two effects in one box: a pulse width modulated fuzz and an op-amp overdrive. EarthQuaker describes the result as "a dynamic and destructive pulse width modulated fuzz paired with a natural-sounding op-amp overdrive"1. The overdrive side traces back to the company's discontinued Gray Channel, while the fuzz side is the part that gives the Gary its own character, modulating the width of a square wave in response to your picking.
A pulse width modulation fuzz paired with an overdrive
The Gary is a dual-footswitch pedal. The left footswitch engages the overdrive. Each side has its own controls, such as the Go control for the overdrive and the Oosh master volume for the fuzz side14.
Pulse width modulation is what sets the fuzz apart from a standard fuzz pedal. In Guitar World's review, Chris Gill explained that "pulse-width modulation is the secret sauce that makes this effect more dynamically touch responsive than the average fuzz box"3. The Yes! knob sets the sensitivity of the envelope that controls the LFO for the square wave fuzz, and that envelope interacts with the level of the incoming signal, the attack in particular4. Turn Yes! down and you get plain fuzz with no modulation; turn it up and your picking dynamics reshape the sound in real time. A side-mounted 1/4-inch jack accepts an optional expression pedal for manually sweeping the pulse width3.
Gill found the fuzz character "on the more extreme side of the genre, with glorious splatty textures that can be tweaked to horn-like envelopes and seemingly endless compressed sustain"3, and his overall verdict on the fuzz side was blunt:
"One of the most gloriously twisted and dynamically expressive fuzz effects known to mankind."
The overdrive side is an op-amp design based on the green channel of the Gray Channel, EarthQuaker's take on the classic little yellow overdrive1. Premier Guitar describes it as a hard clipping OD/distortion section2. Guitar World calls it "a robust op-amp overdrive based on the green channel of EarthQuaker's classic Gray Channel dual overdrive"3.
Controls
| Control | Side | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Go | Overdrive | Gain control. Turn up for thick, full op-amp distortion; turn down and raise That's It for a clean boost1 |
| That's It | Overdrive | Output level for the overdrive side1 |
| Yes! | Fuzz | Sensitivity of the envelope controlling the LFO for the square wave fuzz; reacts to incoming signal level, especially attack. Down means no modulation14 |
| Oosh | Fuzz | Master volume for the fuzz side4 |
The large knobs are designed to be easy to grab for quickly tweaking settings in the heat of performance3. Artwork on the enclosure is by Charlotte Gosch1.
The Gray Channel connection
The Gary started as a simple request to create a compact version of the Gray Channel, which EarthQuaker has since discontinued1. The Gray Channel was a dual overdrive with Green and Red channels, each with a Gain and Output Level knob, that retained the classic warm overdrive sound with several clipping options and bigger bass response56. The Gary keeps only the Green channel's circuit for its overdrive side13, and adds the pulse width modulated fuzz the Gray Channel never had. Delicious Audio describes the Gary as "a combo pulse-width modulated fuzz and overdrive circuit dreamt up by the British guitarist"4.
The Gray Channel is discontinued, so the Gary is the current way into this circuit. The Gray Channel drew 45 mA; the Gary draws 20 mA35.
A limited Red/Brown colourway of the Gary was produced in 500 units7.
Power and connections
The Gary takes a standard 9 volt DC power supply with a 2.1mm negative center barrel1, drawing 20 mA3. There is no battery option mentioned by the maker, and the Flexi-Switch relay-based true bypass requires power to pass signal, so the pedal cannot sit unpowered in a chain1. Flexi-Switch allows both momentary and latching switching: hold the footswitch for momentary engagement, press normally to latch1.
Because the relay switching needs power, make sure your 9V supply is connected before judging the pedal in a signal chain.
Input impedance on the fuzz side is 1 MΩ and output impedance is under 1 kΩ1. EarthQuaker covers the pedal with a limited lifetime warranty: "If it breaks, we will fix it"1.
What reviewers said
Guitar World's review focused on the fuzz side's dynamic response and extreme textures, rating the pulse width modulation as the effect's distinguishing feature3. The review also noted the overdrive section "can be dialed to clean boost to pump up the dBs or it can be pushed hard to pile on luscious dirt"3. Premier Guitar listed the pedal at $199.002; Guitar World gave the launch price as $199 in the USA, £209 in the UK and €249 in the EU3.
Videos
Premier Guitar
EarthQuakerDevices
Reverb
Questions
Who is the EarthQuaker Gary named after?
The Gary is a collaboration between EarthQuaker Devices and Lee Kiernan, guitarist in the band IDLES. It is his signature pedal, and the audio samples on the maker's product page were recorded by Kiernan himself, playing a Fender Player II Mustang through a Marshall JCM 800 4211 2x12 and a Peavey Deuce 2x12.
Is the Gary the same as the Gray Channel?
No, but they are related. The Gary began as a request to build a compact version of the Gray Channel, which EarthQuaker has since discontinued. The Gary's overdrive side is based on the Gray Channel's green channel, EarthQuaker's take on the classic little yellow overdrive, while adding a pulse width modulated fuzz the Gray Channel never had.
Can I use the Gary's overdrive as a clean boost?
Yes. Turn the Go (gain) control down and turn up That's It, the level control, and the overdrive side works as a clean boost to raise your volume. Turn Go up instead and the op-amp gain thickens into a full distortion.
What does the Yes! knob do on the EarthQuaker Gary?
Yes! sets the sensitivity of the envelope that controls the LFO for the square wave fuzz. It reacts to the level of your incoming signal, the attack in particular, so how hard you pick changes the pulse width modulation. With Yes! turned down you get fuzz with no modulation at all.
Is the EarthQuaker Gary true bypass?
Yes, with a catch. It uses EarthQuaker's Flexi-Switch relay-based true bypass switching, which allows both momentary and latching operation. Because the switching is relay-based, the pedal requires power to pass signal, so it cannot sit unpowered in your chain.
How many limited Red/Brown Gary pedals were made?
The limited Red/Brown colourway of the Gary was produced in 500 units, alongside the standard version. The standard pedal carries a list price of $199.00.
Sources (7)
- Gary Automatic Pulse Width Modulation Fuzz and Dynamic Natural Overdrive, EarthQuaker Devices
- EarthQuaker Devices Gary Overdrive/Distortion Pedal, Premier Guitar, 2025-03-11
- EarthQuaker Devices Gary review, Guitar World, 2025-03-31
- Earthquaker Devices Gary Modulated Fuzz + Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2024-11-14
- Gray Channel Dynamic Dirt Doubler, EarthQuaker Devices
- EarthQuaker Devices Gray Channel Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2017-03-01
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-11-14
Lee Kiernan
