The EarthQuaker Devices Hoof Reaper is a double fuzz pedal with an analog octave up: it puts the company's Hoof and Tone Reaper fuzz pedals in one enclosure with an octave-up effect alongside them1. Three separate footswitches let you run each effect on its own or stack them, which gives seven distinct combinations in a single box. The V2 version, introduced in 2018, upgraded the pedal with soft-touch relay switching and EarthQuaker's Flexi-Switch design23.
Two fuzzes and an octave up in one enclosure
The Hoof Reaper's core idea is simple: instead of choosing between two fuzz characters, you get both, plus an octave up to push either of them further. EarthQuaker describes it as "Our Hoof™ and Tone Reaper™ fuzz pedals in one enclosure with an analog octave up"1. The company also notes that octave effects are often paired with fuzz, and the Hoof Reaper's is built in5.
Bass Gear Magazine's review, written with input from EarthQuaker founder Jamie Stillman, characterized the two fuzz voices by feel: the Hoof is "the bear growl, a tad bit lower and more muffled-sounding," while the Reaper sits in a lower spectrum but with a higher bite, like a wolf growl4. For a player, that means the Hoof side leans thick and rounded and the Tone Reaper side leans sharper and more aggressive.
The V2 announcement framed the pedal the same way in circuit terms: "Dual Fuzz Octave, Hoof Fuzz, Tone Reaper and Tentacle Octave in one pedal"2. So the octave section in the V2 is the Tentacle octave circuit, the same standalone octave and pitch effect EarthQuaker sells on its own.
The controls and footswitches
Each of the three effects has its own footswitch. As the maker puts it, "Use the individual switches to activate the level of mayhem you wish to unleash"1. The fuzz sides each carry their own control set:
| Control | Side | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Level | Hoof | Controls the output volume1 |
| Shift | Hoof | Scoops mid frequencies turned right, adds them turned left4 |
| Level | Reaper | Adjusts the output, same function as the Hoof Level4 |
| Fuzz | Reaper | Less fuzz fully left, all the fuzz fully right; increases gradually until a little past the 3/4 mark, then more rapidly4 |
The octave side is different: it is on/off only. Bass Gear Magazine noted there are no controls to adjust its level or any other parameters, and that it does an octave up only4. If you want the octave quieter or louder relative to the fuzz, you shape that with the fuzz Level knobs, not with the octave itself.
The V2's switching upgrade matters here. EarthQuaker's Flexi-Switch Technology is a relay-based true bypass design that allows momentary and latching switching at the same time1. MusicRadar reported that the Hoof Reaper V2 was among the pedals upgraded with soft-touch relay switching in 20183, and Guitar.com specified that the octave footswitch uses the new V2 flexi-switch for both latch and momentary operation2. In practice, you can hold the octave switch down for a quick stab of octave-up fuzz and release it, or click it to leave it engaged.
The seven effect combinations
Because the three effects can each be switched independently, the pedal offers seven usable states, which EarthQuaker lists on its product page1:
- Hoof Alone
- Reaper Alone
- Octave Alone
- Reaper + Octave
- Hoof + Octave
- Hoof + Reaper
- Hoof + Reaper + Octave
Each effect can be used individually or in series, but the order of the effects is preset by the maker for what it calls optimum performance1. That is the trade-off of the one-box design: you cannot reorder the signal chain the way you could with three separate pedals, but you also do not have to find board space for them or work out the stacking order yourself.
Bass Gear Magazine found the stacking productive, particularly with everything engaged. The reviewer's view of the full combination4:
"when you throw the Octave in there, it helps to clean things up a bit and make the actual notes more distinguishable"
The same review concluded there was no end to the fuzz sounds the pedal could create4.
Where it came from
The combination itself was not the company's first experiment with putting two drives in one box. In EarthQuaker's own Fuzzcyclopedia, Jamie Stillman recalled earlier two-in-one prototypes, including one combining the Chrysalis and Monarch under the name Metamorphosis, and a tried combination of the Dirt Transmitter and the Hoof6. The Hoof Reaper is the version of that idea that stuck.
Power and connections
The Hoof Reaper takes a standard 9V DC power supply with a 2.1mm negative center barrel, and draws 18 mA1. Input impedance is 160 kΩ1. Bass Gear Magazine's spec listing for the pedal recorded outputs of 1/4" parallel, 1/4" out, and an XLR direct out4, a useful set for bass players and anyone feeding a desk.
The pedal is discontinued. EarthQuaker Devices states plainly on its product page that the device is no longer in production1, so V2 units are found on the used market. The company's limited lifetime warranty language, "If it breaks, we will fix it," applies to its devices1.
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Questions
Can the Hoof Reaper octave be used momentarily?
Yes. The V2 version uses EarthQuaker's Flexi-Switch technology on the octave side, a relay-based true bypass design that allows both latching and momentary switching. Hold the octave footswitch down to add the octave up only while pressed, or click it to latch it on.
Does the Hoof Reaper octave have a level control?
No. The octave effect is on/off only, with no controls for its level or any other parameters. It does an octave up and nothing else. The Hoof and Tone Reaper fuzz sides each have their own Level knob for setting output volume.
Is the Hoof Reaper still in production?
No. EarthQuaker Devices lists the Hoof Reaper as no longer in production. It was originally released as a special limited run in 2010, brought back by demand, and upgraded to V2 specs in 2018 before being discontinued.
What pedals are inside the Hoof Reaper?
The Hoof Reaper combines two EarthQuaker Devices fuzz pedals, the Hoof and the Tone Reaper, in one enclosure with an analog octave up. The V2 version pairs the Hoof Fuzz, Tone Reaper and Tentacle Octave circuits in a single pedal.
Sources (6)
- Hoof Reaper Double Fuzz with Octave Up, EarthQuaker Devices
- NAMM 2018: EarthQuaker Devices releases Westwood Drive Manipulator, Guitar.com, 2018-01-10
- NAMM 2018: EarthQuaker Devices introduces Westwood Translucent Drive Manipulator and 5 V2 pedals, MusicRadar, 2018-01-10
- Bassic Review, Bass Gear Magazine, 2019-08-27
- Octave And Pitch, EarthQuaker Devices, 2022-07-18
- FUZZCYCLOPEDIA : A Side-by-Side Comparison of EQD Fuzz Boxes, EarthQuaker Devices, 2021-08-10
