Attention all Z-natics that are interested in one of Doc's new "Z-DRIVE PEDALS"!
I just got off the phone with Doc and he shared a very informative and exciting
update on the "Z-DRIVE" pedal! There has been a bit of delay on the end of
Earthquaker pedals but its nothing to really fret over at all! The pedal design/circuit
is complete and only the graphics and color of the pedal are left to be completed!
For everyone or anyone going to Summer NAMM this week Jamie/Earthquaker
Pedals will not have a prototype "Z-DRIVE" to show! Since the graphics and
colors weren't available on the prototype its staying in Cleveland with Dr. Z!
Anyway "Doc" told me to share this info with everyone at Z-Talk! He said that
he was shooting for a great overdrive pedal that wouldn't change or alter the
base tone of your amp but sound like an extension of it! He said that he wasn't
completely happy with just the pedal being an overdrive and decided to shoot
for a boost pedal that would basically be like adding a second channel to a single
ended amp (Especially with all the Z's being single-ended)! Jamie at Earthquaker
was able to come up with a boost circuit that uses a "Germanium Transistor" and
Doc told me that it was absolutely the very best boost pedal that he has ever
heard! So the "Z-Drive" evolved from just an overdrive pedal to a "Clean Boost/
Overdrive" pedal! Doc said they did tweak the overdrive some more to get it as
close as possible to being like a second channel of your amp to the point that he
was happy with it! The overdrive section is based off of a "Mosfet Transistor" and
Doc said it was very "amplike" and not overly compressed!
The tentative date for the pedals to be available will be August 12th! Doc said he
has put in an order with Jamie/Earthquaker for 250 pedals to kick things off! I
wish everyone could have heard the excitement in Doc's voice talking over the
phone about the "Z-DRIVE" pedal! He was let down that things out of his control
did delay getting the pedal out by 2-3 weeks from what he was originally shooting
for! Price will be $200 for the "Z-DRIVE"! Considering that your getting a dual
pedal with the germanium/boost and mosfet/overdrive in it and it was designed
by "DOC" I for one feel that the price is very fair!
I have to say that the call/conversation with DOC was such a pleasure and really
made me appreciate just how fortunate I am to have one of the "Z-THERAPY" amps
as well as all the other Z's I bought years ago! Doc's amps are built with a passion
for excellence and awesome tone that to my ears sets them apart from a large
number of the other great boutique amp builders!
Mac Baker