EarthQuaker Devices Barrows Fuzz Attacker

Vintage Tone Bender chaos, shrunk for the modern pedalboard

If you love fuzz, you know it’s never just about more gain. It’s about attitude, history, and that dangerous feeling that your amp might actually explode if you hit one more power chord.

The EarthQuaker Devices Barrows Fuzz Attacker has just landed at Colemans Music, and it’s exactly that kind of pedal – a tiny box with big late-’60s Tone Bender MkII energy, rebuilt to behave on modern rigs without losing the wildness that made the original legendary. 

What is the Barrows Fuzz Attacker?

Barrows is EarthQuaker’s compact, two-knob tribute to the classic Tone Bender MkII fuzz circuit – the sound behind some of the fiercest riffs of the late ’60s and early ’70s. 

Under the hood you get:

• Three carefully matched germanium transistors – just like the original MKII layout, tuned for saturation, sustain and touch sensitivity. 

• Two simple controls – Level and Attack – that take you from edgy boost to full “amp-about-to-detonate” fuzz. 

• Phase-corrected, buffered output – so it plays nicely with long pedal chains, pedals after it, and modern switching systems, instead of acting like a grumpy vintage diva. 

• True bypass, 9V DC, tiny enclosure – proper modern pedalboard specs in terms of power draw and footprint. 

In short: it’s an MKII-style fuzz that doesn’t need to be babied.

A quick trip back: the Tone Bender MkII legacy

The circuit Barrows is based on – the Tone Bender MkII – is one of the fuzz sounds of classic rock. Think Jimmy Page fuzzing his way through late-’60s sessions and early Led Zeppelin, or Jeff Beck pushing early British amps into uncharted territory.

Those pedals were mid-forward, aggressive and raw, with a kind of snarling sustain that sat perfectly in a loud band mix. The downside?

• They were temperamental with temperature,

• picky about where they sat in the signal chain, and

• not exactly consistent from unit to unit.

Barrows keeps the feel and voice of that circuit, but adds modern engineering so you get the magic without the mood swings. 

Controls: simple on the surface, sneaky versatile

Part of the charm of Barrows is how simple it looks – just two knobs:

• Level – There is a lot of volume on tap. Past noon you’re not just making things louder; you’re slamming the front of your amp in a very deliberate way. 

• Attack – This is your gain/sustain control. Lower settings get you gritty, amp-like overdrive and edgy boost. Turn it up and you’re in full fuzz territory with long, harmonically rich sustain. 

Because of the way the germanium transistors are tuned, your guitar’s volume knob becomes part of the circuit. Roll back the volume and the pedal cleans up into a wiry, vintage-style crunch instead of just getting quieter – exactly what fuzz fanatics love about classic MKII tones. 

How does it actually sound?

Think mid-forward, detailed, and a little bit dangerous.

Reviews and demos all point to the same thing: Barrows is not a polite “warm blanket of fuzz” pedal. It’s punchy, articulate and can be downright feral when you dime both knobs. 

Depending on how you set it:

• With Attack low and Level up, it behaves like a nasty boost or gritty overdrive – great for pushing a clean amp into classic rock breakup. 

• Around mid settings, you get chewy, singing sustain that’s perfect for big classic rock leads, blues-rock and heavier indie stuff.

• With Attack maxed, it turns into a wall of fuzz – ideal for stoner/doom riffs, shoegaze textures and huge power-chord moments.

Because it’s mid-focused, it cuts through a mix instead of disappearing under cymbals and bass – very handy in real-world gig situations. 

And for bass players: EarthQuaker specifically highlight that Barrows works great on bass too, adding grind and sustain without turning everything into flub. 

Vintage soul, modern brain: why it works on today’s boards

Most vintage-style fuzzes can be a pain on modern pedalboards. Put them after a buffer? They freak out. Stack them with modern drives? The feel changes. Move from single-coils to humbuckers? Goodbye, sweet spot.

Barrows tackles that with:

• Phase-corrected, buffered output – keeps your level and tone consistent further down the chain, even into long cable runs or switchers. 

• Standard 9V power and low current draw – no weird power requirements or massive current hits. 

• Compact enclosure – easy to squeeze into a crowded board, so it can be your “fuzz-on-tap” pedal instead of a luxury space hog. 

So you’re getting the unruly charm of a Tone Bender MkII, but in a pedal that actually behaves when you need it to.

Who is the Barrows Fuzz Attacker for?

Barrows is a bit of a sweet spot for a lot of players:

• Classic rock and blues-rock players chasing Page/Beck-style fuzz that still cuts live.

• Stoner, doom and heavy bands wanting thick, sustaining riffs with note definition, not mush. 

• Indie/shoegaze guitarists building walls of sound but still needing a pedalboard-friendly footprint. 

• Fuzz collectors and tone nerds who want an MKII-flavoured pedal that’s actually reliable on modern rigs.

If you’ve ever thought, “I’d love a real MKII, but I don’t want the hassle or the price tag,” Barrows is very much aimed at you.

Try the Barrows Fuzz Attacker at Colemans Music

If you’re ready to rewild your guitar tone, come in and plug the EarthQuaker Devices Barrows Fuzz Attacker into an amp at Colemans Music.

Bring your main guitar – Strat, Tele, Les Paul, baritone, even bass – and see how it reacts to your volume knob, your picking, and your rig.

Whether you’re building your first serious pedalboard or adding yet another fuzz to an already dangerous collection, Barrows is one of those small pedals that can totally change how you feel about your sound.