The EarthQuaker Devices Sunn O))) LifePedal 2019 Silver is a limited-edition distortion pedal with a blendable analog octave-up and a clean boost, built by EarthQuaker Devices in collaboration with the drone and noise band Sunn O))). The Silver edition, announced in December 2019, was a limited run of 250 units worldwide, described by EQD as a third and final limited edition of the pedal1. It was sold exclusively through the Official Sunn O))) Reverb Shop on Reverb.com2.
The pedal's distortion stage is based on the classic RAT LM308 "White Face" circuit, fed by an octave fuzz inspired by the Shin-Ei FY2 and FY6 units and followed by a clean boost stage13. Gearnews described both of its clipping options as fairly brutal, saying they "will pummel your amp hard"1.
What the LifePedal does and how it works
The Life Pedal is a three-stage effect in one box. The signal path runs octave, then distortion, then boost, and the octave distortion and booster can be used independently with their own footswitches5. The octave fuzz front end is inspired by the vintage Shin-Ei FY2 and FY6 units, and it leads into an LM308-chipped, RAT-style big box distortion whose Amplitude side is modeled after the classic "White Face" distortion unit, with an LM308 IC and tantalum capacitors5. A high-impedance clean boost stage follows the distortion6.
The distortion section carries a three-way clipping switch2:
| Clipping position | What it does |
|---|---|
| OpAmp (No Diodes) | No clipping diodes at all, so the distortion comes from the op amp alone: a full, grinding op amp assault at maximum volume15 |
| Asymm | Two silicon diodes and one LED, for a slightly compressed, smooth crunch EarthQuaker likens to a valve amplifier5 |
| Symm | The stock double silicon diode pair, for the classic RAT-style tone5 |
Gearnews noted of the Silver edition that both clipping options are fairly brutal and will pummel your amp hard1.
Black, gold and silver: the 2019 editions
The Life Pedal arrived in 2019 as possibly the most hyped pedal of that year7. The original black release sold out before most people had even heard of it1. EarthQuaker then made another 500 pedals available in a gold livery, released on Thursday, 22 August 20198. The Silver edition followed in December 2019, in a silver enclosure, as a second and reportedly final reissue4.
| Edition | When | How many | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black (original) | 2019 | Limited | $249 / £2053 |
| Gold reissue | 22 August 2019 | 500 units worldwide8 | TBC at announcement8 |
| Silver reissue | December 2019 | 250 units worldwide1 | $429.61 / £333.634 |
The Silver edition was announced on Reverb, and the limited run was expected to sell out quickly before a wider standard production1. A fourth version, the Life Pedal V2, was announced in January 20207, and the pedal later returned to permanent production as the V37.
The 2019 Silver edition was a limited run of 250 units and is no longer made. Players looking for the same circuit in current production can find it in the Life Pedal V3 and the compact Sunn O))) HalfLife.
Designed with Sunn O))) around Life Metal
The Life Pedal takes its name from Sunn O)))'s 2019 album Life Metal9. It was EarthQuaker Devices' first artist-focused pedal, designed to capture the sound of the front-end chain the band used on that album3. The band announced it in June 2019 as the Life Pedal distortion, devised in collaboration with EarthQuaker Devices of Akron, Ohio, and sold exclusively through the Official Sunn O))) Reverb Shop hosted by Reverb.com2.
The circuit was devised and honed in close collaboration with the band1011, and later versions received a thorough circuit tweak designed to capture the shattering, front-end saturation the band developed recording Life Metal with engineer Steve Albini1011.
Where the Life Pedal went next
The Life Pedal line continued past the Silver edition. A fourth version, the Life Pedal V2, was announced in January 2020, following the three limited editions of 20197. In November 2022 EarthQuaker Devices announced the third iteration, the Life Pedal V3, which returned the pedal to permanent production with a list price of $29910. The V3 kept the core recipe: a blendable vintage analog octave-up running into a RAT-inspired distortion, then a high-impedance clean boost, with the three-way clipping selector carried over6. A compact, pedalboard-friendly version, the Sunn O))) HalfLife, was later announced as a permanent fixture in the lineup12.
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Questions
How many silver Sunn O))) LifePedals were made?
The 2019 Silver edition was a limited run of 250 units worldwide. EarthQuaker Devices described it as a third and final limited edition of the pedal, following the original black release and a gold reissue of 500 units earlier in 2019. It was announced in December 2019 and sold through the Official Sunn O))) Reverb Shop.
What circuit is the Sunn O))) LifePedal based on?
The distortion stage is based on the classic RAT LM308 White Face distortion pedal circuit, loaded with an LM308 chip and tantalum capacitors. It is fed by an octave fuzz inspired by the Shin-Ei FY2 and FY6 units, and followed by a clean boost stage. The signal path runs octave, then distortion, then boost.
What does the No Diodes clipping option do?
The first position of the three-way clipping switch is No Diodes, which removes the clipping diodes entirely so the distortion comes from the op amp alone. EarthQuaker describes the result as a full, grinding op amp assault at maximum volume. The other two positions are asymmetric (two silicon diodes and one LED) and symmetric (two silicon diodes).
Why is it called the LifePedal?
The pedal takes its name from Sunn O)))'s 2019 album Life Metal. It was designed in close collaboration with the band to capture the front-end saturation and tones they developed recording that album with engineer Steve Albini, and it was EarthQuaker Devices' first artist-focused pedal.
What did the silver LifePedal cost?
The Silver Life Pedal reissue listed for $429.61 in the US and £333.63 in the UK when it was announced in December 2019. For comparison, the original black release in June 2019 sold for $249, and the later Life Pedal V3 listed for $299.
Sources (12)
- EarthQuaker Devices Sunn O))) LifePedal 2019 Silver: The final limited edition!, gearnews.com, 2019-12-02
- Sunn O))) and EarthQuaker Devices Present Chasm-Clearing, Mountain-Shearing, Glacier-Calving Novæ-Birthing Life Pedal, MusicPlayers.com, 2019-06-18
- Sunn O))) unleashes signature EarthQuaker Devices Life Pedal, MusicRadar, 2019-06-19
- Sunn O))) and EQD’s Life Pedal gets a limited silver reissue, Guitar.com, 2019-12-03
- Sunn O))) Life Pedal Octave Distortion + Booster, EarthQuaker Devices
- EarthQuaker updates the Sunn O))) Life Pedal to Volume III, Guitar.com, 2022-11-04
- NAMM 2020: Earthquaker Devices Sunn O))) Life Pedal gets (another) limited release, gearnews.com, 2020-01-09
- Earthquaker Devices Sunn O))) Life Pedal gold reissue, gearnews.com, 2019-08-22
- EarthQuaker Devices releases the Sunn O))) Life Pedal V3, MusicRadar, 2022-11-04
- EarthQuaker Devices and Sunn O))) debut V3 of their amp-stretching Life Pedal, Guitar World, 2022-11-04
- EarthQuaker Devices Sunn O))) Life Pedal V3 Demo, Premier Guitar, 2022-11-04
- EQD Sunn O))) HalfLife: Compact Doom!, gearnews.com, 2026-06-17
