The EarthQuaker Devices Spires is a two-channel fuzz pedal that puts two complete circuits in one enclosure: a Green channel inspired by the vintage Rosac Electronic Nu-Fuzz, and a Red channel that is a silicon version of EarthQuaker's own discontinued Dream Crusher. EarthQuaker Devices describes it as a "Fuzz Doubler," and the maker says it came from a simple need: having the big old Rosac Nu Fuzz and the Dream Crusher on one pedalboard without taking up two spaces1.
The Spires is no longer in production. EarthQuaker Devices lists it among its discontinued Legacy products, so it is found secondhand12. When it launched at NAMM in January 2016, it was priced at 195 US dollars3.
The two channels: Nu-Fuzz and a silicon Dream Crusher
The Green channel is a cranked fuzz inspired by the Rosac Electronic Nu-Fuzz, a vintage unit. EarthQuaker describes it as "full-on fuzz all the time," with a wide-range Tone control that shifts the character from big and warm to sizzling and blown out, while retaining the original tone and offering plenty of output volume1. Pedal of the Day's reviewer found this side "sonically spot-on, created from an original pedal itself," while noting it is not an exact replica4.
The Red channel is a silicon version of the now-discontinued Dream Crusher. EarthQuaker says it delivers "walls of classic two transistor fuzz" with a very usable, dynamic Fuzz control and tons of output volume, and that the silicon build makes it more stable and less temperature sensitive than the original1. Pedal of the Day made the same point in its review, noting the silicon diodes make for a longer-lasting and more consistent fuzz4.
| Channel | Based on | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Green | Rosac Electronic Nu-Fuzz | Full-on fuzz all the time; Tone control moves from big and warm to sizzling and blown out1 |
| Red | Silicon version of the discontinued Dream Crusher | Classic two-transistor fuzz, dynamic Fuzz control, lots of output volume, more stable and less temperature sensitive1 |
The controls and footswitches
The Spires has two footswitches. The Activate switch turns the effect on and off, and the Channel switch selects between the Red (Dream Crusher) and Green (Nu-Fuzz) channels1. Pedal of the Day highlighted the practical benefit: the two channels are switchable on the fly, so you can set each for a different type of sound and access both without bending down4.
Each channel has its own controls:
| Control | Channel | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Tone | Green | Changes the tonal character of the fuzz; darker counterclockwise, brighter clockwise1 |
| Gain | Green | Sets the fuzz level4 |
| Fuzz | Red | Adjusts the fuzz amount; dirtier clockwise, cleaner counterclockwise1 |
| Red | Red | Sets the output level when the red LED is lit1 |
Gearnews described the distortion tweaking more simply at launch: the Fuzz and Tone dials shape the sound3.
Power and connections
The Spires runs on a standard 9-volt DC power supply with a 2.1mm negative center barrel, or on a 9V battery, drawing 44 mA1. Input impedance is listed as both 100 kΩ and 200 kΩ on the maker's page, and output impedance is under 10 kΩ1.
The Spires is true bypass but uses electronic relay-based switching, and EarthQuaker Devices states that audio will not pass without power. If the battery dies or the supply is unplugged, the pedal mutes your signal rather than passing it clean1.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day reviewed the Spires in July 2018 and summed it up as:
"Easy to use, fun to play and inspiring to hear"
Pedal of the Day, 20184
The reviewer's main reservation was accuracy rather than quality: the Green channel is not an exact replica of the Rosac original, though it is sonically close4. Gearnews covered the launch alongside seven other EarthQuaker pedals at NAMM 2016, confirming the two-circuit design and the 195-dollar price3.
Where it sits in the EarthQuaker fuzz lineup
The Spires was one of many fuzzes EarthQuaker Devices has built over the years, and its distinguishing feature was the two-circuit format: rather than one fuzz voice with knobs to shape it, the Spires offered two distinct fuzzes, each with its own control set, in a single box. The green channel runs full-on fuzz all the time, with a crude wide range Tone control that shifts the character from big and warm to sizzling and blown out, while the red channel's Fuzz knob goes from cleaner counterclockwise to dirtier clockwise1. The Spires itself is no longer in production and now sits on the maker's Legacy page2.
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Questions
Can you use both Spires channels at once?
No. The Spires holds two separate fuzz circuits, but the Channel footswitch selects one at a time: Red (the Dream Crusher channel) or Green (the Nu-Fuzz channel). You set each channel's knobs for a different sound and switch between them on the fly, but only one channel is heard at a time.
Is the Spires still made?
No. EarthQuaker Devices states the Spires is no longer in production, and it appears on the maker's Legacy page of discontinued products. It was priced at 195 US dollars when it launched in 2016, so secondhand units are the way to find one now.
Can the Spires run on a 9V battery?
Yes. EarthQuaker Devices says the Spires can be powered by a 9V battery or a standard 9-volt DC power supply with a 2.1mm negative center barrel. Note that the relay-based true bypass switching needs power to pass audio, so a dead battery means no signal.
What was the Dream Crusher?
The Dream Crusher was an earlier EarthQuaker Devices fuzz pedal, later discontinued. The Spires' Red channel is a silicon version of that circuit, which the maker describes as more stable and less temperature sensitive than the original, with a dynamic Fuzz control and plenty of output volume.
Sources (4)
- Spires Fuzz Doubler, EarthQuaker Devices
- Legacy Products, EarthQuaker Devices
- Earthquaker Devices launch eight new pedals at NAMM, gearnews.com, 2016-01-17
- EarthQuaker Devices Spires Nü-Face Fuzz Doubler, Pedal of the Day, 2018-07-13
