EarthQuaker Devices Plumes

The EarthQuaker Devices Plumes is the modern flagship of EQD's overdrive line — a 808-style pedal released in 2019 that captures most of what the discontinued Palisades did at a fraction of the cost and in a much more compact enclosure. Three clipping modes, a centred Tone control, and EQD's Flexi-Switch true bypass make it one of the most versatile and well-regarded sub-£120 overdrives currently available.

The Plumes uses the same fundamental 808 op-amp gain stage as a Tube Screamer, but offers three selectable clipping voices via a top-mounted three-position toggle switch. Mode 1 — symmetrical LED clipping — produces more crunch and compression, the most distorted of the three voices. Mode 2 — no clipping — opens the op-amp completely for a cleaner, louder boost-style tone with very little break-up; useful as a clean boost in front of a driven amp. Mode 3 — asymmetrical silicon diode clipping — is the most transparent setting, looser feel and closest to the classic 808 voicing. Each mode produces a meaningfully different overdrive character, and the Tone control responds slightly differently in each.

Three knobs handle the rest: Level for output volume (the Plumes has substantial output gain — unity is around 9 o'clock), Gain for the amount of drive, and Tone with a centre-detent (the centre position is flat, with bass to the left and treble to the right). The centre-detent is a useful detail — it lets you reset to neutral by feel alone during a gig.

EQD's Flexi-Switch relay-based true bypass supports both momentary engagement (hold for a quick boost, release to turn off) and standard latching operation, all from the same footswitch. Power is 9V centre-negative at 25mA — modest enough to share an isolated supply output with another low-draw pedal. The pedal uses EQD's standard compact chassis at 4.75" × 2.50" × 2.25" and is hand-built in Akron, Ohio.

Who Is This For?

The Plumes suits guitarists who want a high-quality 808-style overdrive at a sensible price — particularly players who use Tube Screamer voicings as a primary drive or as a boost into an already-overdriven amp. The three clipping modes mean it can cover most TS use cases (transparent boost, mid-pushed drive, more aggressive distortion) from a single pedal, making it a strong first overdrive purchase or a pedalboard staple. Players wanting deeper switching options and the Palisades' bandwidth shaping should hunt the discontinued Palisades on the used market; players who want the Plumes' three voices in a smaller, cheaper package will be happy here.