The EarthQuaker Devices Monarch is an overdrive pedal built as an FET, all discrete dirt machine, modeled on the input stage of a certain UK hard rock amp that shares the Monarch's color. Guitar FX Layouts, the technical analysis site, says the design provides high gains that are largely compression free, for a truly organic and natural sounding overdrive tone that really gets the sound of an overdriven vintage amp1. The pedal is discontinued: EarthQuaker Devices itself called it the now discontinued, sadly, Monarch overdrive in a 2017 rig rundown2.
Controls
The Monarch keeps a simple four-knob layout, but the tone controls work differently from most overdrives123.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Controls the amount of overdrive1 |
| Level | Controls level of output1 |
| Bass | Boosts lows1 |
| Treble | Boosts highs1 |
The Bass and Treble knobs are active controls, not the usual roll off filters. Guitar FX Layouts describes them as essentially frequency boosters centered in the preamp section1, and Pedal of the Day's review notes that the active Bass and Treble controls work together with the Gain knob to alter the character of the dirt, allowing sounds from classic rock and roll to modern medium-to-high-gain grind without a parallel dry signal3. EarthQuaker Devices made the same point from the player's side, describing Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age using its active Treble and Bass controls to cut and boost his way into the dense three-guitar conversation2.
Power and voltage
The Monarch runs on any regulated 9 to 18 volt DC power supply with a negative 2.1mm center barrel connector13. That means it works with standard pedalboard supplies at 9 volts, and it also accepts 18 volts where a supply offers it. Pedal of the Day's reviewer found that higher voltages will yield more headroom with a fatter and more focused tone and a wider gain range3.
The Monarch is discontinued, so used units are the way most players encounter it now. EarthQuaker Devices has described it as "the (now discontinued, sadly) Monarch overdrive"2.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day's 2014 review summed up the pedal's noise performance and how it sits alongside other drives: "It's quiet, (especially at 18 volts) and stacks well, too."3
For players comparing it with other EarthQuaker overdrives, the Monarch's active tone stack and FET design set it apart from op-amp based drives in the company's range, such as the Plumes, Westwood and Gray Channel. See the full range on the Overdrive Pedals page123.
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Questions
Is the EarthQuaker Devices Monarch discontinued?
Yes. EarthQuaker Devices itself described the Monarch as discontinued in a 2017 rig rundown of Queens of the Stone Age's Dean Fertita, referring to it as the now discontinued Monarch overdrive. It has not returned to the company's regular lineup since, though the circuit lives on in DIY form through projects such as the PedalPCB Monarch Distortion board.
What polarity does the Monarch power jack use?
The Monarch uses a negative 2.1mm center barrel jack. It takes any regulated 9 to 18 volt DC power supply with that connector, so it fits standard pedalboard power supplies and daisy chains, and it also accepts 18 volt supplies for more headroom.
Are the Monarch's Treble and Bass controls boost or cut?
Both. The Treble and Bass controls are active, meaning they can cut and boost frequencies rather than only rolling them off. Guitar FX Layouts describes them as frequency boosters centered in the preamp section, not the usual roll off filters, and EarthQuaker Devices notes Dean Fertita used them to cut and boost his way into a dense three-guitar mix.
Is the Monarch a transistor or op-amp pedal?
The Monarch is an FET, all discrete design, according to the technical analysis at Guitar FX Layouts. It is built around the input stage of a certain UK hard rock amp, and it contains no op-amps in the way conventional overdrives do.
How big is the EarthQuaker Monarch?
Pedal of the Day lists the Monarch at 4.37 inches by 2.37 inches by 1.75 inches with knobs, so it takes up a modest footprint on a pedalboard despite its standard enclosure depth.
Sources (3)
- Guitar FX Layouts: Earthquaker Devices Monarch Overdrive, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2014-07-04
- Board to Death Ep. 10: Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age), EarthQuaker Devices, 2017-11-30
- EarthQuaker Devices Monarch Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2014-03-01
