EarthQuaker Devices Bows - Germanium Preamp Overdrive Effects Pedal

The Bows is a Germanium preamp designed around a rare NOS OC139 black glass transistor.

For being a little one-knobber, the Bows wears many hats. Right out of the box it's got several tone shaping abilities spread between two modes: Full and Treble. Full mode is warm with a lot of body and low end. Treble mode is a resonant, treble booster with a “cocked wah” tone that can drive any tube amp into harmonic rich distortion territory.

Each mode has a little bit of grit to start with, but as you get passed 12 o'clock, on either setting, their subtleties are accented. The vowel-like sound out of the Treble side will be more prevalent as you bring the Level up. Doing the same on Full mode will get you a nice, full bodied crunch tone that retains clarity.

Place any drive pedal before the Bows and it's another story. Full mode turns a dirt signal into a crumbling wall of sonic chaos, while Treble mode becomes an ultimate lead tone.

Each and every Bows is built one at a time by real life human beings in the temperature controlled bubble of Akron, Ohio.