The Z.Vex Super Hard On is a Zvex boost pedal, currently around $189. Close alternatives include the Xotic BB Preamp Andy Timmons Limited Edition Pedal and the Strymon Riverside. It pairs well with the Friedman BE-Mini Head and the Synergy SL2 Module.

Z.Vex Super Hard On

Zvex · pedal

The Z.Vex Super Hard On is one of the most influential boutique clean boost pedals ever released, built around a JFET-based circuit that adds significant clean gain and a subtle, musical harmonic push without introducing audible distortion at moderate settings. Zachary Vex hand-painted the earliest units himself, cementing the pedal's status as a cornerstone of the boutique effects movement that emerged in the 1990s, when small builders began challenging mass-produced pedals with hand-built, character-driven circuits. Its deceptively simple single-knob design belies a circuit that's been widely studied, cloned, and referenced by countless other boost and overdrive pedals in the decades since its release.

  • boost
  • clean boost
  • gain
  • jfet
  • boutique
  • subtle
  • release
  • harmonic

Price updated Aug 26, 2026

Genres the Z.Vex Super Hard On is commonly used in

  • Alternative
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
  • Indie Rock
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
  • Country
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
  • Blues
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
  • Rock
    citedInferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.

Amps that pair well with the Z.Vex Super Hard On

Pedals that stack with the Z.Vex Super Hard On

See all 154 pedals that pair with the Z.Vex Super Hard On

Cheaper alternatives

Boutique & premium upgrades

Similar charactersee all similar tone character →

See all alternatives to the Z.Vex Super Hard On (cheaper + boutique) →

Questions people ask

What are good alternatives to the Z.Vex Super Hard On?+

The closest matches in character are the Xotic BB Preamp Andy Timmons Limited Edition Pedal, the Strymon Riverside, the JHS Clover. Budget picks: Fender Engager Boost, Empress buffer+ Buffer/Booster, Keeley Katana Clean Boost V2. Boutique upgrades: ZVEX Double Rock Vexter, Zvex Super Duper 2 in 1, Boss FA-1 FET Amp.

What pairs well with the Z.Vex Super Hard On?+

Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Friedman BE-Mini Head, Synergy SL2 Module, Hughes & Kettner Warp 7 — Friedman BE-Mini Head's high gain fills in what this low gain tone doesn't make on its own.

How much does the Z.Vex Super Hard On cost?+

Around $189 (live listing price, updated Aug 26, 2026).

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Z.Vex Super Hard On — NodeTone