EarthQuaker Devices Palisades

The EarthQuaker Devices Palisades is a deep, deliberately over-engineered take on the Tube Screamer circuit — a single pedal that explores nearly every meaningful variation of the 808-style overdrive that has come out of the boutique world over the past two decades. Six clipping options, five bandwidth settings, two independent gain channels, a normal/bright voicing toggle, and a switchable boost stage make the Palisades arguably the most flexible Tube Screamer-style pedal ever made. EQD have officially discontinued it, which has driven significant aftermarket demand and turned the Palisades into a sought-after used-market item.

The core circuit is built around the classic 808 op-amp gain stage with soft-clipping diodes in the feedback loop — the same architecture as the original Ibanez Tube Screamer. What sets the Palisades apart is that the clipping diodes are selectable: a six-position rotary switch lets you choose between no diodes (a clean, more transparent boost-style overdrive), LED clipping (open, less compressed, louder), MOSFET clipping (soft amp-like clipping with extended dynamic range), asymmetrical silicon clipping (the original Tube Screamer voicing), symmetrical silicon clipping (more compressed and aggressive than asymmetrical), and Schottky diode clipping (sharper, more aggressive break-up). Each voice produces a meaningfully different overdrive character, and the Tone control responds differently in each mode.

The five-position Bandwidth switch shapes the EQ ahead of the gain stage, narrowing or widening the frequency content that enters the clipping circuit. Position 1 is the thinnest with the least bass and the least apparent gain — useful for tightening up muddy amps. Position 5 is the fattest with extended low end and the most apparent gain — useful for thickening thin amps or producing more saturated lead tones. The Normal / Bright toggle adds a treble emphasis switch on top of the Bandwidth control for additional EQ shaping.

The pedal has two gain channels — Gain A (the always-on lower gain channel) and Gain B (a higher-gain alternative engaged via dedicated footswitch). Each channel has its own gain control. There is also a switchable Boost stage with its own Volume knob and footswitch, which can be placed before the gain section to push it harder or used as a dedicated clean boost on its own. Three footswitches handle Boost, Gain B, and main Activate.

Other features include a switchable buffer (Buffer toggle ON/OFF — useful when running long cable runs), Flexi-Switch relay-based bypass that supports both momentary and latching footswitch operation, 9V centre-negative power at just 25mA, and dimensions of 4.75" × 5.65" × 2.25". The pedal was hand-built in Akron, Ohio.

Who Is This For? The Palisades suits guitarists who use a Tube Screamer or 808-style overdrive heavily and want to dial in different variants for different songs without buying multiple pedals. It is particularly well-suited to gigging professionals who need preset-able versatility from a single overdrive (Gain A for rhythm, Gain B for solo, Boost for the chorus), studio musicians who want every flavour of 808 character available, and pedalboard tinkerers who enjoy exploring the subtle differences between clipping diode types. The discontinued status means clean used examples are increasingly hard to find, and prices on the used market reflect that. Players who only need one Tube Screamer voice and don't care about the variations will be happier with a regular TS9 or TS808 reissue.