Ugly Guitar Truth: Earthquaker Devices Westwood Translucent Overdrive Manipulator

When I think of Earthquaker Devices effects I think about the weird stuff. The Rainbow Machine and Organizer come to mind. So when I saw that Earthquaker was releasing a "Translucent" overdrive I was kind of surprised. The first thing I thought was, "Klone". This is a light to medium transparent overdrive, but to think that this an ordinary Klon clone, you are way wrong.

This pedal boasts a lot of impressive features. The active EQ section on this pedal is a powerful feature. 20db boost/cut to 2kHz and 80Hz really let you take control of your tone. However, the addition of center detent pot easily let you find the perfect center letting your tone pass through unaffected. Relay switching and an all-analog path make sure that you don't hear any click when turning on the effect while leaving your tone alone. It is touch-sensitive and volume-responsive like an amp making it attractive for dynamic players.

Everything looks great, but the Klone wars were some time ago. There is a good chance that you already have a light overdrive that you favor. If not, this pedal already has some pretty tough competition out there already. We've seen light overdrives with Treble and Bass controls. The Wampler Deluxe Tumnus gives you a three-band EQ. So is the Westwood too late? Well, probably not. The market for these beefed light-duty overdrives isn't quite oversaturated yet, and the Westwood seems to add enough of its extra special flair to stand out from the rest.

Street Price: $180