EarthQuaker Devices and Dr. Z launch a tube-loaded preamp pedal
EarthQuaker Devices and Dr. Z launch a tube-loaded preamp pedal
“It bothers me that there is a generation that has never plugged into a tube amp because they have a free one on their laptop”: EarthQuaker Devices and Dr. Z launch a tube-loaded preamp pedal – and it could be the missing piece of your digital rig puzzle
The ZEQD-Pre pedal has been described as the ultimate end-of-signal-chain tonal tool, giving authentic tube warmth to any setup

EarthQuaker Devices has partnered with guitar amp expert Dr. Z for the ZEQD-Pre – a tube-loaded preamp that might just be the pedal that digital modeler users have been dreaming of.
It’s a pretty big collaboration. On the one hand, you have one of the gear world’s pre-eminent effects pedal makers. On the other, you have a boutique amp manufacturer whose builds have been championed by the likes of Joe Walsh.
The ZEQD-Pre Tube Pre Amp, then, is enticing indeed. Effectively, it aims to replicate the sound, feel, and response of an all-analog tube amplifier. Simple on paper, but there’s more to it than that.