EarthQuaker Devices Westwood Translucent Overdrive Pedal

It doesn't get much wilder than the Westwood, the latest offering from Ohio-based EarthQuaker Devices!

Now when we say wild, we don't mean full-tilt, borderline-fuzz distortion. We mean dusty, gritty, gutsy overdrive that'll add a salty edge to the front of your amp that you never thought possible - the tone really is greener on the other side!

Organic Sizzle

This is a drive that's designed to compliment your valve amp sound. Whether you're rocking a tame, low-volume combo that needs a bit of life, or a cranked stack that you want to push over the edge, the Westwood packs the punch that you're after. Rather than being a drive that sits on top of your chain, the clever folks at EarthQuaker like to think of this pedal as an 'overdrive manipulator' - a term only they could coin! This means it gets under the skin of your tone, shaping it from the inside out and delivering a beautifully rich result. 

It'll add the perfect amount of crisp to any tone, tightening low-gain rhythm parts and adding soaring harmonics to your leads. Its true bypass, all-analog signal path ensures a wholly organic, earthy sound- no harshness to be found here, just good ol' fashioned warmth.

Colour Your Tone

A simple interface conceals a broader tonal palette than you might expect. You've got a two-band active EQ at your disposal, offering 20dB of treble and bass boost or cut. Tweak these in alteration to find a multitude of sweet spots - you're bound to find one that suits your rig.

The output has some serious leeway too - dial it low to subtly add colour, or crank it up to push your sound to new levels of awesome. Plug in and let the Westwood transport you to the greener side!

Here's what EarthQuaker Devices have to say about the Westwood:

Hey there Desperado, welcome to Westwood! We hope you’ll enjoy your stay. 

Westwood is a touch-sensitive translucent overdrive manipulator as clean and pure as the breeze which blows through a grove of Douglas Fir trees, and as hot as a damn fine cup of coffee.

Key features:

• Translucent Overdrive Manipulator - From clean boost to soaring leads
• Two-band active EQ - 20dB of Bass and Treble cut/boost
• Super touch responsive - Get 50 shades of gain simply by altering your attack
• True bypass
• Silent soft-touch switching
• All-analog signal pathTop-mounted jacks - for effortless pedalboard implementation

This mild-mannered light- to medium-gain overdrive will still knock the socks right off your trusty low-wattage combo amp, pushing it into anything from cutting, edge-of-breakup rhythm tones, all the way to articulate, singing lead tones stacked high with pleasing even-order harmonics and sweet, sweet sustain. And if you pair it up with your favourite head and cab, you should probably call the neighbours first, because the Westwood’s Level control has enough output on tap to alert the proper authorities. Even the FBI. The Westwood’s Drive control sets the level of gain for a near-clean boost at lower settings, to rich, bell-like jangle and chime, all the way to soaring lead tones that are cutting and distinct, but never harsh. The Westwood responds to changes in guitar volume at any setting, and varying the intensity of your pick attack reveals the subtle nuances of your technique and tone. Your choir director will love it.  

The powerful active EQ section has controls for Treble and Bass with up to 20 dB of cut and/or boost. Center-detent pots indicate the ͞flat͟ setting. When you feel a click, there is neither cut nor boost, and your tone remains unaltered, but with extra gain.

Treble affects the area around 2kHz and is handy for taming icepick-y single coils, or giving humbuckers a lift to add an open and airy top end sparkle as free and clear and uncompressed as the air all the way up in the lovely mountains of Tibet. The Westwood’s Bass control operates around 80Hz and can be used to tighten up the low end of an already dark sounding guitar, or if turned up, will soften your attack, and introduce tube-like sag for a ͞browned out͟ sound with plenty of woody, organic bottom end thump that’ll make chords think and chunky, while single notes bloom like the flowers of the majestic Dogwood. 

On the bass guitar, the Westwood provides warm low-mids and a smooth top end with enough vintage grit to make your next gig at the Roadhouse both wonderful and strange. Let’s rock. 

Each and every Westwood is a real Blue Rose case, hand built by a team of special agents in the Black Lodge of Akron, Ohio, USA, where the owls are not what they seem, there’s always music in the air, and the birds sing a pretty song.