EarthQuaker Devices Barrows Fuzz Attacker vs Electro-Harmonix Ripped Speaker
The EarthQuaker Devices Barrows Fuzz Attacker and the Electro-Harmonix Ripped Speaker are both pedals sharing sustaining, smooth. The EarthQuaker Devices Barrows Fuzz Attacker leans full and transparent. The Electro-Harmonix Ripped Speaker leans fuzzy and harsh. Current prices: $119 vs $99.85.
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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.42% — somewhat different
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Genres both listings are associated with.- Rock
- Blues
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Derived from overlapping tonal signals across both listings.- sustaining
- smooth
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Citation/mention fame — how often this gear is cited across artist rigs and gear discussion.$119via Reverb
$99.85via Reverb
The EarthQuaker Devices Barrows Fuzz Attacker is a germanium-transistor fuzz pedal based on the classic Tone Bender MkII circuit, representing a modern 21st-century take on that foundational 1960s fuzz design. It delivers cutting mid-focused tones with brilliant top-end grind and low-end authority from vintage germanium transistors that are responsive to guitar volume attenuation. At lower gain settings the Barrows sings with amp-like distortion and superb touch sensitivity; at higher settings it builds to crushing, sustain-drenched fuzz. Associated with blues, classic rock, and psychedelic styles.
The Electro-Harmonix Ripped Speaker is a fuzz pedal from EHX designed to simulate the sound of a torn or ripped loudspeaker cone, capturing the distinctive buzzy, sputtery distortion character associated with early rock records where physical speaker damage produced novel tonal effects. The pedal references the sound of Link Wray punching holes in his speaker cones and the distorted texture of dying tubes and depleting batteries. Premier Guitar and Guitar Player reviewed it as delivering spiky Fuzzrite-style distortion at lower settings through to warm, bluesy tones at moderate settings, with a Bias control for the characteristic sputtery response.
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Genres this gear is documented as being used in.- Classic Rock
- Stoner Rock
- Shoegaze
- Alternative Rock
- Garage Rock
- Experimental
- full
- transparent
- saturated
- fuzzy
- harsh