| Build Quality: |  |
| Hardware: |  |
| Electronics: | |
| Sound: | |
| Value: | |
| Average: | |
Pros:
- Great quality
- Durable
- New and interesting features
Cons:
- Can be a bit noisy
It’s all about fuzz baby! It is hard to imagine a musician who has not either played with this effect or has listened to countless pieces with it and is dying to try it out. There is something about its nature that forces you to spend your coin on every new release. Though that is exciting, it can hurt your financial stability in a hard way. To avoid spending so much money, you should do a decent research each time you decide to purchase a new pedal. You have to consider value for money, different features and sound, usability, ease of utilization and most importantly, your needs and preferences. You have to know exactly what you are looking for before you go for something, since you might end up with a stompbox that is completely wrong for you. The purpose of this article is to show you one of the examples, discuss it in great detail and provide you with essential information that you will need to make up your mind. Our star of the show is EarthQuaker Devices and their renowned Hoof. This compact fella has countless perks that might force you to lean towards its purchase. Without further ado, let’s begin our journey and find out if it is worth your time and money or not!
Features
EarthQuaker Devices Hoof is based on old Russian Sovtek pedals. It manages to capture the same character, sound and vibe, yet it is comprised with more modern touches in order to deliver maximum quality. This baby is equipped with a hybrid of germanium and silicon transistors, which means that it is basically the best of both worlds. It solves the famous dilemma simply by combining these two and accentuating the vibes of both. This sets this pedal apart from its rivals and provides you with unique sounds to play around with.
What is more, the team in EarthQuaker Devices hand matches the NOS transistors in order to guarantee consistency from unit to unit. That is why their name is associated with high quality, no matter what effect we are talking about. Hoof is also hand-built with high-grade components that are tested numerous times and always prove to be on top of the list. Its chassis is durable as well and will deliver years of utilization without any woes. This fella can be powered with a single 9V battery or an adapter. The choice is yours and you can easily turn to one or the other depending on the scenario. The fuzz range here is extremely wide, giving you anything you would require from a badass fuzz pedal. And I cannot help mentioning the design of the stompbox. Just like other pedals from EarhQuaker Devices Hoof has a unique painting on dark brown enclosure and will catch your attention even from far away. It will breathe a new life into your pedalboard and even accentuate the best qualities of others. As you can see, this pedal is definitely among the coolest units out there and is well worth the money. Once again, the brand has not let us down!
Controls
The control section is comprised of all the essentials that you would need to move between different shades of fuzz. Each of them has a wide array of sounds to choose from and provides you with adjustability and convenience. What can be better than a pedal that changes drastically even with a slight turn of a knob? Nothing much, really. You just have to plug this baby in, emit a couple of tones, see what you get and start from there. Or if you are a beginner, you could always use the sample settings provided by the brand.
The first star of the panel is Shift. This is something you will rarely see on the pedals of the same ilk. It is in charge of your mids and depending on which direction you rotate it in, it boosts or scoops these frequencies. Next comes Tone, which accentuates the low-end in one direction and emphasizes the high-end in the other. It is followed by a Level that alters the volume of the output and keeps everything in sync. Finally, we have Fuzz which adjusts the amount of the effect and intensifies it as you turn the knob clockwise. Of course, there is a footswitch with a complimentary LED that displays the unit’s operation state.
EarthQuaker Hoof Sound
Hoof is an all-analog pedal that has a hybrid of silicon and germanium transistors. This means that it has the tightness of the former and the warmth of the latter. It delivers spectacular performance no matter what settings you choose and gives you versatility with its ample choices. Shift is probably the most distinctive control as it works in conjunction with Tone and nails the full spectrum of the frequency range. By playing around with these two, you can achieve very interesting results. And when you add the Fuzz knob on top, you are surrounded with different shades of distortion. On one side of the spectrum you can emit subtle, yet defined sounds, in the middle you get mid-gain madness, while on the other you are completely engulfed with extreme fuzz that still retains its dimension and clarity. If you choose the wrong settings, this fella might develop some noise, but it is not something that you cannot solve with easy modifications. Hoof is definitely something that will change your rig to the better and allow you to create magnificent sounds.
Conclusion
On the whole, Hoof from EarthQuaker Devices is one of the best fuzz pedals on the market. It has everything one could ask for: character, definition, girth, simplicity and convenient operation. It can be utilized in its smooth and subtle essence, but it performs even better at higher settings. The ability to experiment with different amounts of mid-range gives you a lot to work with and exposes you to traditional or modern sounds. This is the pedal that you have to try out, trust me. Do not you want to fuzz around with such an amazing fuzz pedal? I am sure you do. Good luck!
Click here to view more from 10 Best Fuzz Pedals.
