EarthQuaker Devices Gary Automatic Pulse Width Modulation Fuzz & Dynamic Natural Overdrive

The EarthQuaker Devices Gary is a dual fuzz and overdrive pedal created in collaboration with Lee Kiernan of IDLES, combining a responsive pulse-width modulation fuzz with a natural-sounding op-amp overdrive.

The fuzz side turns your signal into a square wave and uses an envelope to dynamically change its pulse width according to your picking attack. It can move from thick, sustaining fuzz to nasal, gated, glitchy and disappearing textures simply by changing how hard you play.

Alongside it is an independently switchable overdrive derived from the green channel of EarthQuaker Devices’ discontinued Gray Channel, covering everything from full-range clean boost to smooth, full-bodied distortion.

At A Glance

Feature	Details
Brand	EarthQuaker Devices
Model	Gary
Product Code	EQDGARYV1USA
Type	Dynamic Fuzz & Overdrive Pedal
Condition	New
Collaboration	Lee Kiernan of IDLES
Fuzz Type	Envelope-Controlled Pulse Width Square-Wave Fuzz
Overdrive Type	Natural Op-Amp Overdrive
Fuzz Controls	Yes!, Oosh
Overdrive Controls	Go, That's It
Independent Footswitches	Yes
Expression Control	Fuzz Envelope / Pulse Width Response
Bypass	Relay-Based True Bypass
Switching	Flexi-Switch®
Current Draw	20mA
Power	9V DC Centre Negative
Best For	Alternative, noise rock, punk, experimental, indie and aggressive guitar tones

What Makes The EarthQuaker Devices Gary Special?

Gary effectively puts two very different gain pedals into one enclosure.

The left side provides a straightforward but highly dynamic op-amp overdrive that can act as a clean boost, crunchy rhythm drive or smooth distortion. The right side is much less conventional, using an envelope-controlled square-wave fuzz whose pulse width reacts directly to your playing dynamics.

Both sides can be used independently or together, giving you everything from natural amp-pushing drive to heavily gated, sputtering and unpredictable fuzz textures.

Dynamic Pulse Width Modulation Fuzz

Gary's fuzz section converts your guitar signal into a square wave and allows your playing dynamics to alter its pulse width.

Yes!

The Yes! control sets the sensitivity of the envelope controlling the fuzz's duty cycle.

With Yes! turned down, Gary produces a thick and heavy square-wave fuzz with long sustain.

As you turn Yes! up, the effect becomes increasingly responsive to pick attack. Hitting the strings harder narrows the pulse width, creating a more nasal, biting and glitchy sound.

At more extreme settings, the signal can momentarily disappear before returning, creating unusual gated and broken-amplifier-style effects.

Oosh

Oosh controls the overall output level of the fuzz section.

Gary has plenty of available volume, making it easy to match your bypassed signal or drive the next pedal or amplifier harder.

Natural Op-Amp Overdrive

The overdrive side is based on the green channel of the discontinued EarthQuaker Devices Gray Channel.

Rather than using diode clipping, this circuit relies on op-amp drive to create an open, full-bodied and dynamic distortion character.

Go

Controls the amount of op-amp gain.

At lower settings, Gary can work as a broad clean boost. Increase Go for progressively more overdrive and smooth distortion.

That's It

Controls the overall output volume of the overdrive section.

Keeping Go low and increasing That's It gives you a useful clean boost for pushing an amplifier or another drive pedal harder.

Independent Fuzz & Overdrive

Gary provides separate footswitches for its two circuits.

This means you can use:

• Overdrive on its own
• Fuzz on its own
• Overdrive and fuzz together

Stacking both sections creates a more aggressive and harmonically complex sound, while independent switching makes Gary practical for moving between rhythm, lead and experimental textures during a performance.

Expression Control

Gary includes a TRS expression input that lets you manipulate the fuzz section dynamically while playing.

Expression control provides hands-free access to the unusual pulse-width behaviour of the fuzz, allowing you to move between thicker conventional square-wave fuzz and more unstable, narrow and gated textures in real time.

This makes Gary especially useful for players who treat effects as part of the performance rather than using a single static fuzz setting.

Highly Responsive To Playing Dynamics

The fuzz envelope responds strongly to the level of the incoming signal.

Its behaviour can therefore change depending on:

• Pick attack
• Guitar volume
• Pickup output
• Instrument type
• Gain pedals placed before Gary

This responsiveness is central to the pedal's character.

Play gently and the fuzz can remain comparatively full and sustained. Dig in harder with higher Yes! settings and the tone becomes progressively narrower, sharper and more unpredictable.

Who Is It For?

The EarthQuaker Devices Gary is particularly well suited to:

• Alternative rock
• Noise rock
• Punk
• Post-punk
• Indie
• Experimental guitar
• Garage rock
• Psychedelic music
• Aggressive rhythm guitar
• Gated fuzz sounds
• Dynamic fuzz textures
• Players stacking gain pedals
• IDLES-inspired guitar sounds

Why Choose A Dual Fuzz & Overdrive?

Using separate fuzz and overdrive circuits gives you much more flexibility than a conventional single-channel drive pedal.

Gary's op-amp side can cover cleaner and more conventional gain sounds, while the fuzz side provides the unusual textures.

This allows one pedal to cover several roles on a board while also giving you the option of combining both circuits for more extreme sounds.

How It Compares

Gary vs EarthQuaker Devices Hoof V2

The Hoof V2 is a more traditional Germanium/Silicon hybrid fuzz with Tone and Shift controls for shaping its EQ.

Gary is significantly more experimental, with its fuzz response changing dynamically according to your picking attack and envelope sensitivity.

Gary vs EarthQuaker Devices Plumes

The Plumes is focused on versatile high-headroom overdrive with three clipping modes.

Gary combines a more natural op-amp drive with an entirely separate pulse-width fuzz circuit, making it better suited to players who want conventional gain and experimental fuzz from the same pedal.

Gary vs Conventional Gated Fuzz

A normal gated fuzz generally uses a fixed control to determine how quickly the signal cuts out.

Gary's envelope-controlled pulse width reacts directly to playing dynamics, producing a much more interactive response.

What's Included?

• EarthQuaker Devices Gary Automatic Pulse Width Modulation Fuzz and Dynamic Natural Overdrive
• Product documentation

No power supply included.

Technical Specifications

Specification	Details
Brand	EarthQuaker Devices
Model	Gary
SKU / Product Code	EQDGARYV1USA
Product Type	Fuzz & Overdrive Pedal
Collaboration	Lee Kiernan / IDLES
Fuzz Circuit	Envelope-Controlled Variable Pulse Width Square-Wave Fuzz
Fuzz Controls	Yes!, Oosh
Fuzz Input Impedance	1MΩ
Fuzz Output Impedance	Less Than 1kΩ
Overdrive Circuit	Op-Amp Overdrive
Overdrive Controls	Go, That's It
Overdrive Input Impedance	500kΩ
Overdrive Output Impedance	Less Than 1kΩ
Expression Input	TRS
Expression Wiring	Tip: Wiper / Ring: +3.3V / Sleeve: Ground
Footswitches	Independent Overdrive and Fuzz
Bypass	Relay-Based True Bypass
Switching	Flexi-Switch® Momentary / Latching
Dimensions	121 × 64 × 57mm
Current Draw	20mA
Power Requirement	9V DC Centre Negative
Condition	New

Power Requirements

The EarthQuaker Devices Gary requires a regulated 9V DC centre-negative power supply with a standard 2.1mm barrel connector.

Current draw is approximately 20mA.

No power supply is included.

Do not operate the pedal at voltages higher than 9V.

FAQs

What does the EarthQuaker Devices Gary do?

Gary combines an envelope-controlled pulse-width fuzz with an independently switchable natural op-amp overdrive.

Who designed the Gary pedal?

Gary was created by EarthQuaker Devices in collaboration with Lee Kiernan of IDLES.

What is pulse width modulation fuzz?

Gary converts the signal into a square wave and dynamically changes the width of that waveform according to the envelope and your picking attack, creating everything from thick fuzz to narrow, gated and glitchy textures.

What does the Yes! control do?

Yes! adjusts how sensitive the fuzz envelope is to the incoming signal and playing dynamics.

What does Oosh control?

Oosh sets the overall output volume of the fuzz section.

What does the Go control do?

Go controls the amount of gain produced by the overdrive circuit, ranging from cleaner boosting to full-bodied distortion.

What does That's It control?

That's It is the master volume for the overdrive section.

Can I use the overdrive without the fuzz?

Yes. Both sections have independent footswitches and can be used separately.

Can I use the fuzz without the overdrive?

Yes. The fuzz section operates independently.

Can both sides be used at the same time?

Yes. Engaging both sections produces a more aggressive stacked gain sound.

Is the overdrive based on another EarthQuaker pedal?

Yes. It is based on the green channel of the discontinued Gray Channel, specifically the diode-free op-amp drive configuration used by Lee Kiernan.

Can I control Gary with an expression pedal?

Yes. Gary has a TRS expression input for manipulating the fuzz's dynamic pulse-width behaviour.

Does Gary react to picking dynamics?

Yes. The fuzz is highly sensitive to incoming signal level and can respond dramatically to pick attack, pickup output and guitar volume.

Does Gary have true bypass?

Yes. It uses relay-based true bypass with EarthQuaker Devices Flexi-Switch® technology.

What is Flexi-Switch®?

Flexi-Switch allows each effect to be used in conventional latching operation or temporarily in momentary mode by holding the footswitch.

What power supply does Gary require?

It requires a regulated 9V DC centre-negative power supply and draws approximately 20mA.

Is a power supply included?

No. A suitable power supply is not included.

Why Buy From Fair Deal Music?

When you buy from Fair Deal Music, you're choosing one of the UK's most established, independent family run music retailers since 1987.

• Expert advice from knowledgeable musicians
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Trade In. Trade Up. Save More.

Looking to change up your pedalboard? Fair Deal Music accepts part exchanges across a wide range of effects pedals, guitars, amplifiers and other musical equipment.

Contact our team for a no-obligation valuation and find out how the value of your existing gear could help towards your new EarthQuaker Devices Gary.