The EarthQuaker Devices Special Cranker is a dynamic, all-analogue overdrive designed for players who want more grit, harmonics and saturation without losing the natural character of their guitar and amplifier.

Developed from EQD's popular Speaker Cranker concept, the Special Cranker expands the formula with more gain, increased output, dedicated Level and Tone controls, plus switchable Germanium and Silicon clipping.

The result is a wonderfully responsive drive that moves from subtle edge-of-breakup texture through crunchy rhythm sounds to rich medium-gain overdrive. It responds particularly well to picking dynamics and your guitar's volume control, making it an excellent choice for players who want their drive pedal to feel expressive rather than overly compressed.

Why Choose the Special Cranker? Touch-Sensitive, Amp-Like Overdrive

The Special Cranker is designed to complement the sound already coming from your guitar and amplifier.

Rather than imposing an overly strong tonal character, it adds:

• Harmonic richness
• Natural breakup
• Additional sustain
• Grit and texture
• Dynamic response
• Extra output for pushing an amp

Play lightly and it stays relatively restrained. Dig in and you'll hear additional breakup and harmonic content.

That's a big part of the Special Cranker's appeal.

Germanium vs Silicon Clipping

The clipping selector gives you two genuinely useful responses.

Germanium

Select Germanium for a softer, rounder drive character with less output.

It's particularly good for:

• Blues
• Edge-of-breakup sounds
• Vintage-style drive
• Lower-gain rhythm
• Softer lead tones

Silicon

Switch to Silicon for greater output and a brighter, more aggressive response.

This works especially well for:

• Rock
• Alternative
• Indie
• Garage rock
• Punk
• More aggressive lead sounds

Changing between the two can also help you match the Special Cranker to different guitars, pickups and amplifiers.

More – From Subtle Grit to Crunch

The More control determines how much gain and harmonic character the circuit produces.

Keep it low when you want to add just a little texture to a clean or slightly breaking-up amplifier.

Turn it higher for progressively stronger:

• Breakup
• Crunch
• Saturation
• Sustain
• Harmonic complexity

At extreme settings, the circuit can move into deliberately over-biased, more unruly territory.

EQD notes that some noise while physically turning the More control is normal because the control is adjusting transistor bias rather than functioning as a conventional gain pot.

Level – Push Your Amp

The Level control determines overall output.

This gives the Special Cranker enough flexibility to work as anything from a subtle always-on drive to a pedal for hitting the front of a valve amplifier significantly harder.

Try:

Lower More + Higher Level

for an amp-pushing boost with additional character.

Or:

Higher More + Level to taste

when you want more of the drive to come directly from the Special Cranker.

Tone Control

The dedicated Tone control makes the Special Cranker considerably easier to integrate with different rigs.

Turn it anticlockwise to reduce high-frequency content.

Turn it clockwise for additional brightness and presence.

This is particularly useful when moving between bright single-coil guitars, darker humbuckers and amplifiers with very different EQ characteristics.

Excellent for Gain Stacking

The Special Cranker is an especially good candidate for gain stacking because it retains plenty of note definition.

Try:

Guitar → Special Cranker → Overdrive / Distortion → Amp

to push another drive pedal harder.

Alternatively:

Guitar → Boost / Overdrive → Special Cranker → Amp

can push the Special Cranker's transistor circuit into additional saturation.

It also pairs particularly well with fuzz when you want to build a more complex gain structure.

Single Coils vs Humbuckers

With single coils, the Special Cranker can deliver an open, articulate response with plenty of attack and definition.

With humbuckers, the additional pickup output pushes the circuit harder for thicker saturation and increased sustain.

That responsiveness makes it useful for players who regularly switch guitars but don't want their overdrive to make every instrument sound the same.

Special Cranker vs Speaker Cranker

The Special Cranker takes the basic idea behind EQD's Speaker Cranker and turns it into a considerably more flexible standalone overdrive.

It adds:

• More gain
• Greater output
• Dedicated Level control
• Dedicated Tone control
• Germanium clipping
• Silicon clipping
• Wider overall tonal range

If you liked the Speaker Cranker's dynamic, uncomplicated character but wanted more control over how it interacts with your rig, the Special Cranker is the natural progression.

Flexi-Switch Technology

The Special Cranker uses EarthQuaker Devices Flexi-Switch technology, giving the footswitch both standard latching and momentary operation.

Tap once: The pedal switches on normally. Tap again to bypass.

Press and hold: The effect remains active only while you hold the switch. Release it and the pedal returns to bypass.

Momentary operation is useful for bringing additional drive into individual notes, riffs or short sections without permanently switching the effect on.

Who Is the Special Cranker For?

A strong choice for:

• Blues
• Classic rock
• Indie
• Alternative
• Garage rock
• Punk
• Country
• Roots
• Dynamic rhythm playing
• Lead guitar
• Valve-amp users
• Gain stacking
• Players who use their guitar's volume control

It's particularly appealing if you prefer responsive, relatively open overdrive rather than heavily compressed distortion.

Power Requirements

The EarthQuaker Devices Special Cranker requires a standard 2.1mm centre-negative DC pedal power supply.

It can operate from 9V to 18V DC, with a current draw of approximately 15mA.

What's Included?

• EarthQuaker Devices Special Cranker Analog Overdrive Pedal

Fair Deal Music Verdict

The Special Cranker is a brilliant option for players who want an overdrive that responds to them rather than flattening everything into one drive sound.

Best suited for: Blues, rock, indie, alternative and players who control gain through picking dynamics and guitar volume.

Main benefit: Adds grit and harmonic complexity while retaining the identity and dynamics of your existing guitar and amplifier.

Standout feature: The Germanium/Silicon clipping switch provides two meaningfully different responses from the same core circuit.

Customers usually upgrade from: Basic single-mode overdrives when looking for something more dynamic and responsive.

Most commonly paired with: Valve amplifiers, fuzz, additional overdrive, boost and delay.

Our tip: Don't immediately turn More all the way up. Start low, set Level to push your amplifier appropriately, then gradually increase More until you find the point where your guitar, pedal and amp begin working together.

Showroom feedback: This is particularly appealing for players who don't want an overdrive pedal to erase the differences between their guitars. Pickup choice, playing dynamics and guitar volume remain important parts of the sound.

Why Buy From Fair Deal Music?

When you buy from Fair Deal Music, you're choosing one of the UK's most established, independent family run music retailers since 1987.

Our Birmingham showroom is backed by a knowledgeable musician-led team with experience across guitars, effects, amplification and complete pedalboard setups.

Whether you're choosing your first dedicated overdrive, looking for a dynamic amp-pushing pedal or building a multi-stage gain setup, our team can offer friendly, knowledgeable advice.