The EarthQuaker Devices Zoar, sold in full as the Zoar Dynamic Audio Grinder, is a medium-high gain distortion pedal with an unusual circuit: it is built using only transistors, with no opamps and no diodes anywhere in the signal path1. EarthQuaker says this discrete approach gives the pedal a touch-sensitive, amp-like quality, and the press agreed, with Guitar World describing it as a dynamic distortion with amp-like character2. It launched at EQD dealers worldwide on November 2, 2023, at a list price of $12934.
The Zoar is a six-knob pedal: Level, Gain, Weight, and a passive three-band EQ of Bass, Middle and Treble25. The Weight control is the heart of it, an input frequency control that decides how much low end reaches the circuit and in doing so shifts the pedal's whole character, from clean boost through overdrive and muscular distortion to hi-fi fuzz1.
A discrete transistor distortion with no opamps or diodes
Most distortion pedals get their clipping from diodes or their gain stages from opamps. The Zoar does neither. EarthQuaker describes it as a distortion "using only transistors; no opamps or diodes in here!"1, and Guitar World's news editor noted that this topology is aimed at "a greater amp-like touch sensitivity"6. MusicRadar summed it up as "a medium-high gain discrete transistor-based distortion pedal that offers touch-sensitive amp-like tone"7.
For a player, the practical difference is responsiveness: the circuit reacts to your pick attack and volume knob the way an amplifier does rather than gating or compressing the way some diode-clipped circuits can. EarthQuaker itself describes the result as "that touch sensitive amp-like quality to it that everyone craves," a "highly tweakable hi-fi and modern sounding distortion with ghosts of old school circuitry"1. Premier Guitar's video coverage likewise noted the pedal "has its roots in a very familiar past" while the EQ is tuned for modern tones8.
The Zoar sits in EarthQuaker's broader dirt lineup alongside fuzzes like the Acapulco Gold V2 and the doom-oriented Sunn O))) Life Pedal line, but it is squarely a distortion rather than a fuzz or overdrive, with a gain range EarthQuaker calls medium-high1.
The controls: Weight, Gain, Level and a passive 3-band EQ
The six knobs are highly interactive, and EarthQuaker warns that even a slight tweak to any of the three EQ bands can affect the other two, and how all of them interact with Level, Weight and Gain5.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Adjusts output volume. Hits unity gain around noon, depending on the other settings, and plays a small part in the pedal's voice1. |
| Gain | Turn clockwise to increase distortion. Adjusts the transistor bias; a little static while turning is normal1. |
| Weight | An input frequency control. Clockwise lets more low frequencies into the circuit, increasing gain and shifting from tight distortion to loose fuzz1. |
| Bass | Passive bass control, 0 to 800 Hz, plus or minus 15 dB1. |
| Middle | Passive middle control, 500 Hz to 3 kHz, plus or minus 10 dB1. |
| Treble | Passive treble control52. |
Weight deserves the most attention because it "dictates the amount of low end that is passed into the circuit, thus controlling the entire character of the pedal," from clean boost to high gain distortion, overdrive and hi-fi fuzz1. Premier Guitar's reviewer found the gain knob itself has "a gradual curve that yields many subtler drive colors," and that from around 3 o'clock to maximum it becomes very fuzz-like4. Guitar World's Paul Riario heard the same breadth, describing a range from fattened boost and crunchy speaker breakup through muscular distortion to "crumbly grind and hi-fi fuzz"2.
The passive EQ is simple on the surface but, in EarthQuaker's words, "deceptively complex and highly interactive," tuned for modern tones1. EarthQuaker's Dan Epstein adds that it "allows you to dial in all kinds of cool flavors and textures"5.
Switching: Flexi-Switch true bypass
The Zoar has one footswitch with silent relay-based switching and Flexi-Switch Technology6. A quick tap latches the distortion on or off; press and hold and the effect engages only while you hold, giving momentary swells and stabs of distortion1. The red LED indicates when the distortion is activated1.
The bypass is true bypass, but because the switching is relay-based the pedal requires power to pass signal1. With no battery option2, an unpowered Zoar will not pass your clean signal, so plan its power accordingly.
Power: 9 to 18V, and what 18V changes
The Zoar takes a 9 to 18 volt DC power supply with a standard 2.1mm center-negative barrel plug, drawing 10 mA, and EarthQuaker warns not to power it above 18V1. There is no battery operation2.
Running it at 18V is not just extra volume, it changes the pedal's behavior. EarthQuaker describes the 18V differences as1:
- The range of clean tones widens
- Dirty tones become punchier with better note articulation
- Low frequencies tighten
- Treble covers a broader spectrum
- Output volume nearly doubles
Guitar World's Paul Riario found in review that "running the Zoar at 18 volts yields crisper dynamics, enhanced clarity and quicker response"2, and Guitar Pedal X reported that 18V gives the pedal "more headroom, articulation and punch"9. At 10 mA the Zoar is an easy load for any isolated pedalboard supply.
Classic song settings from EarthQuaker
EarthQuaker's own blog, written by Dan Epstein, gives complete knob recipes for using the Zoar to emulate six classic songs5:
| Song | Level | Weight | Gain | Bass | Middle | Treble |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davie Allan & The Arrows, "Blue's Theme" | 3 o'clock | 3 o'clock | 5 o'clock | 10 o'clock | 10 o'clock | 5 |
| Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Commotion" | 2 o'clock | Noon | 2 o'clock | Noon | 10 o'clock | 5 |
| The Rolling Stones, "Happy" | 2 o'clock | Noon | Noon | Noon | Noon | 4 |
| The Ramones, "Blitzkrieg Bop" | 3 o'clock | 5 o'clock | 5 o'clock | 8:30 | 10 o'clock | 2 o'clock |
| Judas Priest, "Diamonds and Rust" (live) | 2 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 3 |
These recipes show the pedal's range in practice, from the rolled-back Weight and Gain of the Stones setting to everything cranked for the Ramones and Judas Priest5.
What reviewers said
Guitar World's review called the Zoar "a dynamic distortion with amp-like character and an interactive EQ and Weight control," noting it comes pedalboard-ready with top-mounted jacks, a red LED indicator, silent Flexi-Switch and 9 to 18 volt operation2. Premier Guitar's review listed it at $1294, and Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson was bluntly enthusiastic at launch:
"This is a really cool pedal - exactly to my liking, and very well priced - which means it's a shoe-in for me!"9
MusicRadar noted that EarthQuaker's official demo video includes bass demos as well as guitar, so bass players can hear how it handles low end before committing7.
Videos
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Questions
Is the EarthQuaker Zoar true bypass?
Yes. The Zoar uses relay-based true bypass switching with EarthQuaker's Flexi-Switch Technology, which allows both latching and momentary operation from the same footswitch. Because the switching is relay-based, the pedal requires power to pass signal, so it cannot sit unpowered in a chain.
How do you use the Zoar Flexi-Switch momentary mode?
Press and hold the footswitch to momentarily engage the distortion, and release it to drop back to your clean sound. A quick tap latches the effect on or off as normal. The red LED lights whenever the distortion is activated, in either mode.
Is the Zoar more distortion or fuzz?
It is a distortion pedal, but the Weight control blurs the line. EarthQuaker says turning Weight clockwise lets more low frequencies into the circuit, increasing gain and shifting the tone from tight distortion to loose fuzz. Premier Guitar's reviewer found the gain knob very fuzz-like at its highest settings.
What settings does EarthQuaker suggest for classic songs on the Zoar?
EarthQuaker's blog gives full knob settings for six songs, including Davie Allan and The Arrows' Blue's Theme, CCR's Commotion, the Rolling Stones' Happy, the Ramones' Blitzkrieg Bop, and Judas Priest's live Diamonds and Rust. Each recipe lists exact clock positions for all six controls.
Does the Zoar take a battery?
No. The Zoar runs on a 9 to 18 volt DC power supply with a standard 2.1mm center-negative barrel plug and draws 10 mA. There is no battery option, so it needs a pedalboard power supply or a wall adapter.
Sources (9)
- Zoar Dynamic Audio Grinder, EarthQuaker Devices
- EarthQuaker Devices Zoar Dynamic Audio Grinder review, Guitar World, 2024-04-25
- EarthQuaker Devices Unshackles Zoar Dynamic Audio Grinder, Premier Guitar, 2023-11-02
- EarthQuaker Devices Zoar Dynamic Audio Grinder Review, Premier Guitar, 2024-01-12
- Six Songs You Can Use Zoar to Emulate, EarthQuaker Devices, 2023-12-07
- EarthQuaker Devices' new Zoar Dynamic Audio Grinder is the brand's “most tweakable distortion device ever” and promises “dozens of mind-blowing sounds”, Guitar World, 2023-11-03
- Looking for a Dynamic Audio Grinder distortion pedal? Earthquaker Devices has good news for you with its Zoar, MusicRadar, 2023-11-02
- EarthQuaker Zoar: Ultimate Dynamic Distortion Pedal, Premier Guitar, 2023-11-10
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2023-11-03
