The idea of adding a pedal to our line of products was on our shop’s “to do” list for some time. The goal was to release a killer tone machine and stick to the quality, craftsmanship and distinguished tone of our brand. Fortunately for us one of the best pedal companies is just a stone’s throw away; so we enlisted the talents of Jamie Stillman and EarthQuaker Devices…and the Z-Drive was born.

The Z-Drive starts with an active global EQ and gives you a choice between two distinct sounding preamp channels (via the channel footswitch). The Z-Drive is intended to be a fully integrated preamp pedal capable of adding additional channels to a single channel amp or power amp.  The germanium channel uses NOS germanium diodes and can move from a sparkling clean boost to dynamic, open sounding overdrive. The mosfet channel is a more compressed, higher gain overdrive, from edge of breakup grit to blistering distortion. Both gain stages use hi-fi OPA 2134 op amps. Because the signal goes through the EQ first, turning the EQ controls clockwise can increase overall gain/distortion.

With the Z-Drive you essentially get two pedals in one. Between the two channels and the full EQ the Z-Drive will open up a world of possibilities while complementing the tone of your amp. Finally, the fine folks at Earthquaker Devices offer a full-transferable, lifetime warranty on defects and workmanship.