The EarthQuaker Devices Talons is a high gain overdrive pedal that, in the maker's words, "serves up the full range of gain from transparent boost to heavy saturation, and all points in between"1. What sets it apart in the EarthQuaker lineup is its design brief: unlike every other overdrive the company has made, it was not built to copy a specific amp, pedal or era1. It is an all-analog, true bypass pedal that was handmade one at a time in Akron, Ohio1.
The Talons is no longer in production1. Premier Guitar reviewed it in 2023 at a $195 street price2, so it is now a secondhand find rather than a new purchase.
A high gain overdrive not modeled on any era
Most overdrives on the market are voiced to chase something: a Tube Screamer, a Bluesbreaker, a cranked British stack. EarthQuaker Devices took the opposite approach with the Talons. The maker states plainly that "Unlike all our other overdrives, the Talons was not designed to emulate any specific sound or era"1. In a Premier Guitar builder profile, EarthQuaker founder Jamie Stillman described it as "an overdrive that goes from totally clean to full-on distortion, with a fully active boost EQ and a presence knob"3.
The pedal earned its place in the lineup slowly. When EarthQuaker introduced it at Summer NAMM 2012, the company said that "After nearly a year of variations and fine tuning we have finally nailed it. It very well may be the best and most versatile" overdrive they had heard4. That is the maker's own enthusiasm, but it points to how much tuning went into the circuit before release.
The Talons arrived while EarthQuaker already had several overdrives in the catalog, including the Monarch, Speaker Cranker and White Light2, and it sits alongside later EQD drives like the Plumes and Westwood in covering the gain spectrum.
Controls and EQ
The Talons carries a powerful active three-band EQ plus a presence control for sculpting the top end5. The active EQ is the heart of the pedal: because the treble, middle and bass controls cut and boost rather than only cut, the maker says the EQ "allows you to sculpt your tone to perfection"6.
On the treble control, the maker's convention is straightforward1:
- Noon: flat
- Clockwise from noon: boost
- Counter-clockwise from noon: cut
Premier Guitar's reviewer found the EQ section rewards time spent learning it, writing that "spending some time getting to know the copper pedal's layout and functions will pay off in spades"2. The pedal ships in a copper enclosure, which is how owners usually spot one on a board2.
On the drive control, the same reviewer noted that the Talons, at just a few notches past noon on the drive knob, "can throw the fairly clean Fender into a level of saturation that usually requires twice the volume"2. The presence knob can be pushed to bring out more top-end shimmer in picking dynamics2.
Power: 9V to 18V, 5mA
The Talons runs on a standard 9 to 18 volt DC power supply intended for musical instruments, with a negative center 2.1mm barrel connector, and draws only 5 mA1. It will also run off a 9V battery, which the maker notes for players who prefer that arrangement1.
The two supply voltages give two different characters, according to the maker1:
| Voltage | Character |
|---|---|
| 9V | Warmer, amp-like tone |
| 18V | Greater headroom, more volume, a brighter and stiffer grind |
Premier Guitar's reviewer confirmed the practical difference, finding that 18V "gives the pedal a lot more headroom"2. For a player deciding between the two, the short version is that 9V leans warmer and more compressed, while 18V stays cleaner and louder before the drive kicks in.
The 5 mA current draw is low enough that the Talons is easy on a shared pedalboard power supply, and the 9V battery option means it can run with no supply at all1.
What reviewers and builders said
Published feedback on the Talons has been positive. Premier Guitar's review verdict called it "Extremely tweakable with a treasure trove of tones"2. Guitar World included it in a roundup of notable stompboxes, noting its true bypass switching and handmade Akron construction5.
The pedal also found a following among DIY builders. On the Guitar FX Layouts blog, which published a vero layout of the circuit, one builder who boxed it up reported "Sounds awesome! Great range of tones"6, and another builder called it "easily one of the more versatile overdrives out there"6.
"Extremely tweakable with a treasure trove of tones."
Videos
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Questions
Is the EarthQuaker Talons discontinued?
Yes. EarthQuaker Devices states on its product page that the Talons is no longer in production. It was reviewed by Premier Guitar in 2023 at a $195 street price, and it now turns up on the secondhand market rather than new from the maker.
Does the Talons run on a 9V battery?
Yes. The maker's page says the Talons will also run off a 9V battery, alongside its standard 9 to 18 volt DC power supply with a negative center 2.1mm barrel connector. Current draw is only 5 mA, so a battery lasts a long time.
Is the EarthQuaker Talons true bypass?
Yes. EarthQuaker Devices describes the Talons as all analog and true bypass, and Guitar World's review confirms the true bypass switching. It was handmade one at a time in Akron, Ohio.
What does the Talons sound like at 18V compared to 9V?
At the standard 9V the maker describes a warmer, amp-like tone. At 18V you get greater headroom, more volume and a brighter, stiffer grind. Premier Guitar's reviewer found that 18V gives the pedal a lot more headroom.
Where is the Talons made?
The Talons was handmade one at a time in Akron, Ohio, by EarthQuaker Devices. The maker describes it as all analog and true bypass, built one pedal at a time.
Sources (6)
- Talons - EarthQuaker Devices, EarthQuaker Devices
- EarthQuaker Devices Talons Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2012-10-03
- Builder Profile: EarthQuaker Devices, Premier Guitar, 2012-09-05
- Summer NAMM 2012: EarthQuaker Devices Introduce New Pedals, Guitar Interactive Magazine, 2012-07-13
- Stomping Ground: 30 of the Coolest New Stomp Boxes and Tried-and-True Favorites, Guitar World, 2013-07-23
- Guitar FX Layouts: EarthQuaker Devices Talons, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2015-10-13
