EarthQuaker Devices Special Cranker Overdrive Pedal

£129.00

On the menu for January 2026 are the EarthQuaker Devices Guitar Pedals, freshly added and carefully selected. These New units are available to order online with fast, secure delivery from trusted UK retailers. Read on for full details, specifications, demos, videos, reviews, and the best places to buy the EarthQuaker Devices Guitar Pedals today.


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Description

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On the menu for January 2026 are the EarthQuaker Devices Guitar Pedals, freshly added and carefully selected. These New units are available to order online with fast, secure delivery from trusted UK retailers. Read on for full details, specifications, demos, videos, reviews, and the best places to buy the EarthQuaker Devices Guitar Pedals today.

The EarthQuaker Devices Special Cranker is a discrete, all-analogue overdrive that adds extra grit to your signal without drastically altering your tone. In doing so, your guitar's natural nuances are kept in tact and your amp's characteristics can shine through. Picking up where EarthQuaker's Speaker Cranker left off, the Special Cranker has the same spongy, dynamic, and touch-sensitive character but with more gain. Think of it like an extra tube in your amp's preamp section!

The Special Cranker works equally well through a clean amp as it does an overdriven amp. Plug it into a clean channel and it can be used to push your amp into a satisfying edge-of-breakup sound for low-gain, bluesy tones. Alternatively, plug the Special Cranker into an already overdriven amp to push it further into overdrive, preserving your tone’s integrity without muddying up the low-end or smearing the midrange. Power chords will sound thicker and crunchier, single notes with ring out with singing sustain and complex chords will remain complex! 

The Special Cranker features two distinct clipping modes, Germanium and Silicon. Germanium mode produces a softer, more rounded tone with a lower output and Silicon mode delivers a brighter, more modern sound with a higher output. Rich in harmonics, the Special Cranker adds character to both single coil and humbucker equipped guitars and features a flexible tone control for complete tone shaping. With true-bypass switching, the Special Cranker will not colour or degrade your tone when it is disengaged.

Key Features

  • Gives your signal extra grit and boost without drastically altering your tone and retains all of the natural nuances and character of your amplifier.
  • Two distinct clipping modes that are both exceptionally responsive to playing dynamics: Germanium and Silicon
  • Germanium mode delivers a softer, more rounded response with tamed highs and lower output.
  • Silicon mode delivers a brighter, more modern response with higher output.
  • At maximum gain, the Special Cranker can achieve explosive overbiased tones depending on the output of your pickups.
  • Flexible Tone control to give the user full command over the treble frequencies for excellent tone shaping and clarity.
  • All-analogue signal path
  • True bypass
  • Silent relay-based switching with Flexi-Switch® Technology
  • Powered by regular 9 V DC PSU (centre -, 2,1 mm, ~15 mA current draw)

Additional information

Weight 0.6 kg

Brand

EarthQuaker Devices

EarthQuaker Devices is renowned for its innovative and high-quality guitar effects pedals. Some of their most popular products include the Avalanche Run, a versatile stereo reverb and delay pedal, and the Afterneath, known for its unique and atmospheric reverb sounds. The Hoof Fuzz is another favorite, offering rich, creamy fuzz tones, while the Plumes delivers a fresh take on the classic overdrive pedal. Each pedal is handcrafted with meticulous attention to detail in Akron, Ohio, and is celebrated for both its robust build and distinctive sound-shaping capabilities.

We are pleased to offer a wide selection of EarthQuaker Devices products for sale online in the UK, with efficient postage options available. Whether you’re looking for the lush modulations of the Sea Machine chorus or the dynamic range of the Dispatch Master delay and reverb, our inventory is well-stocked to meet your needs. Browse our extensive catalog to find the perfect addition to your pedalboard, and enjoy the convenience of having these exceptional pedals delivered straight to your door.

Category

Guitar Pedals

Tags

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New

This is brand new, fresh in, and a UK warranty is included. New Gear always comes from trusted UK music retailers.

Overdrive

Like a golden layer of melted cheese — warm, gooey, and just put it all over. It adds just the right amount of richness and grit, turning a clean signal into something smooth and savoury. Designed to mimic the natural breakup of a tube amp pushed to its sweet spot, overdrive delivers the flavour of classic rock and blues in every bite. From creamy mid-gain warmth to crisp edge-of-breakup sparkle, it’s the comfort food of guitar tone — simple, satisfying, and endlessly versatile. Whether it’s a mild crunch or a full-bodied roar, overdrive is where good taste begins.

Preamp

A preamp pedal shapes and boosts your guitar’s signal before it reaches your amp or recording interface, giving you control over tone, gain, and headroom. It acts as the first stage of amplification, adding warmth, clarity, and character while preparing your signal for the next part of the chain. Some preamps emulate the response of classic valve circuits, while others offer clean, transparent tone shaping ideal for acoustic instruments or direct recording setups.

Used on its own, a preamp pedal can serve as the foundation of your tone, providing a consistent core sound wherever you play. When combined with other effects, it enhances dynamics and helps each pedal sound more defined and natural. Whether you’re looking to push your amp harder, bring life to a dull signal, or refine your sound for the studio, a good preamp pedal adds presence, punch, and musicality to any rig.

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