The EarthQuaker Devices Blackout Gary is an EarthQuaker Devices overdrive pedal, currently around $199. Close alternatives include the Catalinbread Giygas Gold and the Footloose Effects Red Light. It pairs well with the Fender Vibrolux 6G11 and the Magnatone 280.

EarthQuaker Devices Blackout Gary

EarthQuaker Devices · pedal

The EarthQuaker Devices Blackout Gary is a limited all-black edition of the Akron, Ohio boutique builder's Gary pedal, combining an opamp overdrive circuit with a gated fuzz for a versatile two-character gain tool. Gary functions as an expressive opamp-driven overdrive at lower settings and engages a gated fuzz character at higher gain settings, producing two distinct tonal characters from a single circuit. The Blackout edition shares the identical circuit with the standard Gary, differing only in its all-black cosmetic finish. Suited for blues, fuzz, and experimental players.

What stands out

  • “The EarthQuaker Devices Blackout Gary is a , Ohio boutique builder's Gary pedal, combining an opamp overdrive circuit with a gated fuzz for a versatile two-character gain tool”

    — from the listing

  • “Gary functions as an expressive opamp-driven overdrive at lower settings and engages a gated fuzz character at higher gain settings, producing two distinct tonal characters from a single circuit”

    — from the listing

  • “The gated fuzz character engages naturally at higher settings, providing a distinct sonic shift”

    — from the community notes

  • “Players who want the full tonal range of the Gary circuit appreciate the opamp overdrive to gated fuzz transition as a defining feature”

    — from the community notes

  • “Opamp overdrive to gated fuzz transition provides a unique dual-character circuit that spans overdrive and fuzz territory in one compact enclosure”

    — from the reviews

Trade-offs

  • “The gated fuzz character may be too sputtery for players who want smooth, consistent fuzz”

    — from the reviews

  • fuzz
  • overdrive
  • experimental
  • two distinct tonal characters
  • expressive
  • driven
  • smooth
  • aggressive
$199View on Reverb

Price updated Oct 25, 2026

Genres the EarthQuaker Devices Blackout Gary is commonly used in

  • Rock
  • Blues
  • Experimental
  • Noise Rock
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
  • Stoner Rock
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
  • Alternative
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.

Amps that pair well with the EarthQuaker Devices Blackout Gary

Fender Vibrolux 6G11

amplifier

20% match

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (fuzzy → modulated)

Put Fender Vibrolux 6G11 in front and the fuzzy tone leans further toward modulated

Comes later in the signal chain

Magnatone 280

Magnatone

19% match

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (fuzzy → modulated)

Magnatone 280 stacks modulated on top of the fuzzy already here

Comes later in the signal chain

Gibson Les Paul LP-1 Preamp

Gibson

tonal match

Comes later in the signal chain

Gibson Les Paul LP-1 Preamp layers modulated onto an already fuzzy signal

Magnatone 510

Magnatone

tonal match

Comes later in the signal chain

Magnatone 510 layers modulated onto an already fuzzy signal

Pedals that stack with the EarthQuaker Devices Blackout Gary

Catalinbread Adineko

Catalinbread

21% match

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (fuzzy → modulated)

Run Catalinbread Adineko after EarthQuaker Devices Blackout Gary in the signal chain, clear of EarthQuaker Devices Blackout Gary's own gain stage

Comes later in the signal chain

Walrus Audio Ages

Walrus Audio

19% match
$199via Reverb

gain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (fuzzy → clean boost)

Put Walrus Audio Ages in front and the fuzzy tone leans further toward clean boost

Z.Vex Super Hard On

Zvex

19% match
$189via Reverb

gain stackingStacks two gain stages for more saturation than either produces alone. (fuzzy → clean boost)

Z.Vex Super Hard On layers clean boost onto an already fuzzy signal

Comes earlier in the signal chain

Acoustic Strymon Compadre Dual Voice Compressor

Acoustic

13% match

shapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.

What Acoustic Strymon Compadre Dual Voice Compressor brings here leans toward compressed — that's worth building a pairing around

Comes earlier in the signal chain

Walrus Audio Melee Wall of Noise Black

Walrus Audio

13% match
$290.88via Reverb

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (fuzzy → octave)

Walrus Audio Melee Wall of Noise Black's ambient voice goes after EarthQuaker Devices Blackout Gary in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with EarthQuaker Devices Blackout Gary's own fuzzy character — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Comes later in the signal chain

Hungry Robot The Borderland

Hungry Robot

12% match

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (fuzzy → modulated)

Hungry Robot The Borderland's modulated voice goes after EarthQuaker Devices Blackout Gary in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with EarthQuaker Devices Blackout Gary's own fuzzy character — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Comes later in the signal chain

Subdecay Octave Theory Octave Modulator Synthesizer

Subdecay

tonal match
$199via Reverb

Comes earlier in the signal chain

Subdecay Octave Theory Octave Modulator Synthesizer goes in front of EarthQuaker Devices Blackout Gary — pitch tracking is cleanest before anything colours the note

EarthQuaker Devices Swiss Things

EarthQuaker Devices

$291.55via Reverb

Cheaper alternatives

IdiotBox Effects Lost Ark

Idiotbox Effects

58% similarity
$129via Reverb

Shared character: fuzz, aggressive playing

Source Audio Soundblox Multiwave Distortion

pedal

56% similarity
$101via Reverb

Shared character: fuzz, smooth, aggressive playing

Electro-Harmonix Big Muff PI- Made

Electro-Harmonix

53% similarity
$74.89via Reverb

Shared character: fuzz, smooth

Mooer Green Mile Mini Overdrive

Mooer

50% similarity
$52.21via Reverb

Shared character: smooth, overdrive

Warm Audio ODD Box V1

Warm Audio

50% similarity
$89.99via Reverb

Shared character: high gain settings, aggressive playing, overdrive

Audiocade Royal British Velvet AC30 Overdrive/Preamp Clone

Audiocade

49% similarity
$149via Reverb

Shared character: high gain settings, extreme settings, overdrive

Similar character

Catalinbread Giygas Gold

Catalinbread

60% similarity
$185.11via Reverb

Shared character: extreme settings, fuzz, aggressive playing

Footloose Effects Red Light

Footloose Effects

54% similarity

Shared character: high gain settings, fuzz, aggressive playing

Mythos Golden Fleece

Mythos

51% similarity

Shared character: high gain settings, fuzz, smooth

Electronic Audio Experiments Longsword

Electronic Audio Experiments

49% similarity

Shared character: overdrive

Dr. Scientist Elements

Dr Scientist

49% similarity
$199via Reverb

Shared character: fuzz, aggressive playing

Sonicake Rude Mouse Distortion

Sonicake

49% similarity

Shared character: high gain settings, fuzz, smooth

See all alternatives to the EarthQuaker Devices Blackout Gary (cheaper + boutique) →

Questions people ask

What are good alternatives to the EarthQuaker Devices Blackout Gary?+

The closest matches in character are the Catalinbread Giygas Gold, the Footloose Effects Red Light, the Mythos Golden Fleece. Budget picks: IdiotBox Effects Lost Ark, Source Audio Soundblox Multiwave Distortion, Electro-Harmonix Big Muff PI- Made.

What pairs well with the EarthQuaker Devices Blackout Gary?+

Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Fender Vibrolux 6G11, Magnatone 280, Gibson Les Paul LP-1 Preamp — Put Fender Vibrolux 6G11 in front and the fuzzy tone leans further toward modulated.

How much does the EarthQuaker Devices Blackout Gary cost?+

Around $199 (live listing price, updated Oct 25, 2026).

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