Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII vs EarthQuaker Devices Zoar V1 Dynamic Audio Grinder
The Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII and the EarthQuaker Devices Zoar V1 Dynamic Audio Grinder are both pedals sharing compressed, harmonically rich, fuzzy. The Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII leans saturated and edge of breakup. The EarthQuaker Devices Zoar V1 Dynamic Audio Grinder leans high gain and aggressive. Current prices: $199 vs $172.29.
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Blended from circuit-archetype lineage, dynamic feel, tone-signal overlap and tone-vector distance — the tone vector itself is derived from editorial description text, not a measured acoustic signal, so this reflects how similarly the catalog copy describes the two, not a lab measurement. Shown only within a gear class, and only where there's enough evidence to be meaningful.46% — somewhat different
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Derived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.- compressed
- harmonically rich
- fuzzy
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Citation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.$199via Reverb
$172.29via Reverb
The Benson Amps 424 MKII is a preamp and distortion pedal designed to recreate the saturation and harmonic character of the input stage of the Tascam Portastudio 424 MkII cassette four-track recorder. The circuit captures the non-linear behavior of cassette-era input electronics, spanning from subtle coloration and clean boost through compressed broadband distortion and unstable breakup. A switchable front-end buffer fundamentally alters the gain structure: engaged, it presents a high-impedance guitar input with tighter low end and increased headroom; bypassed, the circuit returns to a darker, fuzzier low-impedance cassette response. Four controls -- gain, trim, bass, treble -- cover a wide EQ range. Internal 18V operation provides increased headroom. Made by Benson Amps in Portland, Oregon.
The EarthQuaker Devices Zoar is a high-gain distortion and fuzz pedal with independent Distortion, Fuzz, Tone, and Volume controls that allow the two gain stages to be blended and sculpted independently. It spans a wide range from tight, compressed distortion to chaotic, blooming fuzz by adjusting the balance of the two stages. The Zoar suits heavy psych, doom, stoner rock, and noise rock contexts where high gain, dense harmonic content, and extreme sustain are primary requirements.
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Genres this gear is documented as being used in.- Electronic
- Experimental
- Indie
- Indie Rock
- Stoner Rock
- Noise Rock
- Alternative Rock
- saturated
- edge of breakup
- bright
- transparent
- high gain
- aggressive