The EarthQuaker Devices Zoar is an EarthQuaker Devices distortion pedal, currently around $129. Close alternatives include the K Pedals Variac Overdrive and the Benson Amps Chimera Preamp Pedal. It pairs well with the Marshall Bluesbreaker and the Laney RB3 Richter Bass Amp.
EarthQuaker Devices Zoar
EarthQuaker Devices · pedal
The EarthQuaker Devices Zoar Dynamic Audio Grinder is a medium-to-high-gain discrete distortion built entirely from transistors with no op-amps or clipping diodes, giving it a touch-sensitive, amp-like character. It spans fattened clean boost, crunchy speaker breakup, muscular distortion, and stabs of hi-fi fuzz, with a dynamic response reminiscent of cranking the master volume on a Marshall or Orange. A three-band active EQ plus a distinctive Weight control sets how much low end feeds the circuit, dramatically reshaping the voice from tight and crumbly to thick and blown out. It is highly tweakable and reactive to picking and guitar volume, suiting rock and heavier styles that want amp-like grind from a pedal.
What stands out
“Its main strength is versatility and amp-like response”
— from the community notes
“It spans fattened clean boost, crunchy speaker breakup, muscular distortion, and stabs of hi-fi fuzz, with a dynamic response reminiscent of cranking the master volume on a Marshall or Orange”
— from the listing
“A three-band active EQ plus a distinctive Weight control sets how much low end feeds the circuit, dramatically reshaping the voice from tight and crumbly to thick and blown out”
— from the listing
“It is used for rock and heavier rhythm and lead where an amp-like grind is wanted, and many dial it to sound like a cranked Marshall or Orange by cutting treble and pushing bass, middle, weight, and gain”
— from the community notes
“suiting rock and heavier styles that want amp-like grind from a pedal”
— from the listing
Trade-offs
“the breadth of controls can overwhelm players wanting a simple set-and-go distortion”
— from the reviews
- amp like
- distortion
- breakup
- eq
- grind
- rock
- transistor
- gain
Price updated Oct 22, 2026
Genres the EarthQuaker Devices Zoar is commonly used in
- Blues
- Rock
- Hard Rock
- Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Indie Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Classic Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the EarthQuaker Devices Zoar
Marshall Bluesbreaker
Marshall
21% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → warm)
Marshall Bluesbreaker's warm balances out the bright tone
Comes later in the signal chain
Laney RB3 Richter Bass Amp
Laney
19% matchFeed a edge of breakup signal into Laney RB3 Richter Bass Amp and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Comes later in the signal chain
Ceriatone HRM 50
Ceriatone
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Feed a edge of breakup signal into Ceriatone HRM 50 and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Ceriatone Overtone Special HRM Bluesmaster 50
Ceriatone
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Ceriatone Overtone Special HRM Bluesmaster 50 takes that edge of breakup character and pushes it toward mid-forward
Ampeg V-4
Ampeg
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Stack Ampeg V-4 on top and a edge of breakup tone tightens toward mid-forward
Roland Cube Street EX
Roland
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Roland Cube Street EX pushes a edge of breakup tone toward mid-forward
Ampeg BA 108
Ampeg
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Ampeg BA 108 pushes a edge of breakup tone toward mid-forward
Gallien-Krueger GK Legacy 4x10 Bass Combo Amp
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Gallien-Krueger GK Legacy 4x10 Bass Combo Amp takes that edge of breakup character and pushes it toward mid-forward
Pedals that stack with the EarthQuaker Devices Zoar
Z.Vex Super Hard On
Zvex
21% matchZ.Vex Super Hard On takes that edge of breakup character and pushes it toward clean boost
Comes earlier in the signal chain
MXR Micro Amp
MXR
20% matchMXR Micro Amp takes that edge of breakup character and pushes it toward clean boost
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Caroline Guitar Company Parabola State Tremolo
Caroline Guitar Company
16% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Put Caroline Guitar Company Parabola State Tremolo after EarthQuaker Devices Zoar in the signal chain, clear of EarthQuaker Devices Zoar's own gain stage
Comes later in the signal chain
Acoustic Strymon Compadre Dual Voice Compressor
Acoustic
14% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain. (dynamic → compressed)
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
Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
Boss
9% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Put Boss DD-3 Digital Delay after EarthQuaker Devices Zoar in the signal chain, clear of EarthQuaker Devices Zoar's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Electro-Harmonix Canyon
Electro-Harmonix
9% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → ambient)
Keep EarthQuaker Devices Zoar's edge of breakup voice out front: Electro-Harmonix Canyon goes after EarthQuaker Devices Zoar in the signal chain so its modulated voice doesn't muddy it — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
MXR CAE Wah
MXR
tonal matchComes earlier in the signal chain
MXR CAE Wah belongs in front of EarthQuaker Devices Zoar, since a wah tracks picking dynamics best on the raw signal
Matthews Effects The Pocket Drive Overdrive Boost
Matthews Effects
tonal matchComes earlier in the signal chain
Matthews Effects The Pocket Drive Overdrive Boost takes that edge of breakup character and pushes it toward clean boost
Cheaper alternatives
MXR Super Badass Distortion
MXR
58% similarityShared character: boost, treble, thickness
Donner Big Mouth Distortion
Donner
54% similarityShared character: high gain settings, distortion, lead
Electro-Harmonix Nano Operation Overlord
Electro-Harmonix
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Fulltone Fulldrive 2 MOSFET
Fulltone
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Fender Hammertone Metal
Fender
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Boutique & premium upgrades
Xotic BB Preamp V1.5
Xotic
60% similarityShared character: circuit, boost, treble
Mad Professor Supreme Matt Schofield Overdrive
Mad Professor
57% similarityShared character: high gain settings, fat, pick attack
Lovepedal Hi Volt
Lovepedal
57% similarityShared character: high gain settings, circuit, pick attack
Origin Effects Deluxe55 Tweed Recreation
Origin Effects
56% similarityShared character: pick attack, touch, gain
Walrus Audio 385 MkII Overdrive
Walrus Audio
55% similarityShared character: high gain settings, circuit, treble
Truetone VS-XO
Truetone
55% similarityShared character: fat, boost, bass
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
K Pedals Variac Overdrive
K Pedals
57% similarityShared character: pick attack, touch, boost
Benson Amps Chimera Preamp Pedal
Benson Amps
56% similarityShared character: pick attack, treble, touch
Silktone Overdrive Plus
Silktone
56% similarityShared character: touch, fuzz, response
JHS Charlie Brown
JHS Pedals
55% similarityShared character: touch, thickness, boost
Warm Audio Warmdrive
Warm Audio
55% similarityShared character: pick attack, touch, thickness
JHS AT Mini Distortion
JHS Pedals
55% similarityShared character: pick attack, thickness, gain
See all alternatives to the EarthQuaker Devices Zoar (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the EarthQuaker Devices Zoar?+
The closest matches in character are the K Pedals Variac Overdrive, the Benson Amps Chimera Preamp Pedal, the Silktone Overdrive Plus. Budget picks: MXR Super Badass Distortion, Donner Big Mouth Distortion, Electro-Harmonix Nano Operation Overlord. Boutique upgrades: Xotic BB Preamp V1.5, Mad Professor Supreme Matt Schofield Overdrive, Lovepedal Hi Volt.
What pairs well with the EarthQuaker Devices Zoar?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Marshall Bluesbreaker, Laney RB3 Richter Bass Amp, Ceriatone HRM 50 — Marshall Bluesbreaker's warm balances out the bright tone.
How much does the EarthQuaker Devices Zoar cost?+
Around $129 (live listing price, updated Oct 22, 2026).