4 of a Kind - 3-Band EQ Boosts
So I’m trying out a new 4-way format where I feature / compare seemingly very similar pedals. They need to be almost identical in general scope and control topologies to be eligible for inclusion. So these 4 are the first for this format :
- EarthQuaker Devices Tone Job - $159
- Carl Martin Tone Tweaker - $159
- Fender Engager Boost - $119
- Kuro Custom Audio Hand-Made Bakeneko EQ Boost - $179
That’s not to say Looks-Like is necessarily Like-for-Like. All 4 of these have slightly different centre frequencies / target frequency clusters, and different degrees of shaping potential and boost potency. Some of these brands share exactly what values their EQ’s and outputs are targeting, while others barely hint at those values!
There is quite a difference between the first 3 listed, in those being largely mass-manufactured nowadays - to differing degrees, where the last listed brand is still properly boutique and wholly hand-made by one individual - and that’s reflected in the relevant price tags.
All 4 will do a largely similar job overall, but some with more precision and potency. They range in price from circa $119 to $179. If you’re looking for a compact 3-Band EQ Boost, chances are it will be one of these 4!
I will share what details are available, and for full disclosure - for the 4 listed I only own the Bakeneko. It also has to be said that the EQD Tone Job is very much the forerunner for all of these - and the one that has the greatest legacy as such (since 2012) - some of these owe a lot to that format in the very least.
They will have different degrees of hi-fidelity audio paths, and some of these will likely feature higher quality components. And finally, it’s obviously more costly to hand-make these pedals versus mass-manufacture them - so there should be some benefit in the more hands-on care of attention for the last listed one, where that is quite evidently very slightly dearer than the rest, but not really by much.
I’m not going to pick a winner, hopefully you can deduce your own favourite here by reading between the lines.
The choice is yours in any case.
Note that both the EQD and Kuro devices offer more headroom - where both have 9-18V inputs, where the other 2 are 9V only!
I’ve seen some weird comments about my previous Capo article - including "Why should I buy a capo for 99 dollars when I can get a capo for 20 dollars?" - no one is forcing anyone to do anything, and you decided where and how to spend your money. While automatically buying the cheapest is not always the safe choice you think it is. I’m of the kind who buys things to last - whether it’s clothing, tools or household objects - just like with pedals - I put a lot of thought and due diligence into each acquisition decision. And once I make a decision and part with my money - that decision is intended to be for life!
I rarely make mistakes, in fact out of the 1300+ pedals I have in my reference collection - only 2 are below par - and I keep those as object lessons of my rare follies - to remind me never to make the same mistake again!
In any case - enjoy this head-to-head and may the most worthy win!
There are a few gaps in the details for these pedals - as those brands don’t share most of the target frequency values - if you have any further insights or details on an of these - do let me know, and I can update the record!
Here follow the individual details.
EarthQuaker Devices Tone Job EQ & Boost - $159
www.earthquakerdevices.com/tone-job
Controls - Level (upto 5x), Treble (>2kHz ±20dB), Bass (<500Hz ±20dB), Mid (Variable)
I've included this one first as it's very much the forerunner for all of these, and has been around since 2012. Quite a simple concept really - variable / active 3-Band EQ's with potent boost. Weirdly EQD refers to the boost level being 5x the input rather than the degree of incremental gain in dB - so it's a touch difficult to compare like-for-like.
Generally the boost is at 5x, and each of the EQ's is ±20dB. This pedal obviously set the pace for this format early on, and remains a classic to this day.
Carl Martin Tone Tweaker EQ & Boost - $159
www.carlmartin.com/tone-tweaker
Controls - Mid, Treble, Bass, Level (+12dB).
Beyond the value for +12dB on the Level - Carl Martin does not allude to the core centre frequencies / clusters for each of the 3 EQ Bands. Price wise it's the same as the Tone Job, while at least superficially it doesn't seem to be quite as potent, at least not on the boost side. It does though benefit from a very elegant and ergonomic custom enclosure.
Fender Engager Boost - $119
www.fender.com/en-GB/effects-pedals/boost-gain/engager-boost/0234536000.html
Controls - Bass (±12db), Treble (±12dB), Level (+20dB), Freq : 800Hz / 400Hz, Middle (+12dB).
Fender's Engager Boost delivers ±12dB on each frequency band versus the ±20dB of the Tone Job and Bakeneko, and its overall output profile is seemingly somewhat lower at +20dB. The Fender though is the most aggressively priced here, and has some added smarts to its enclosure - light-up LED's on the individual knobs - with a top-mounted switch to dim those if needed, next to a True / Buffered Bypass switch. It also has an incredibly neat magnetically sealed battery compartment. It also has a changeable centre frequency - where the up value for that switch is 800Hz, and the down value is 400Hz. It certainly seems to have a lot going for it - with no less than 3 extra switches! And as mentioned, the lowest price
Kuro Custom Audio Hand-Made Bakeneko EQ Boost - $179
www.kurocustomaudio.com/pedals/bakeneko/
Controls - Bass (120Hz ±20dB), Mid (350Hz - 650Hz), (1-3kHz ±20dB), Vol (+40dB).
And finally we go from lowest cost to dearest - where Giulio of Kuro Custom Audio worked on perfecting the circuit for a number of years - refining and calibrating the circuit until he was 100% happy with it, and making it with prime quality components - entirely hand-made throughout, and meticulously individually tested. You get a proper frequency chart that fully explains the nature of the different EQ's and how and why they target those specific frequencies. Of course you be the judge if that has been time well spent - that justifies better results. Again the key criteria and questions for each of these would need to be about the degrees of fidelity, precision, and potency of each device. On paper this would seem to be the most potent one here - but not all of these pedals reveal all of their their key values!
Your Decision!
In any case it's your decision to pick a winner - you can each personally and mentally debate the merits of each of these from different standpoints - and depending on those particular criteria, you might have a different winner each time. In terms of the overall price of admission - the Fender is obviously the most accessible - which is understandable for the way largest brand in this listing and therefore the most mass-manufacted as such. While there really is not that much significance in the c$20 premium for the Bakeneko vs the EQD or Carl Martin ones.
Each of these does though target different frequencies overall, and the range and tapers, and feel, and precision in dialling those in will vary from pedal to pedal. It's not just about the most precise predictable dial-in - it's about the whole ownership and deployment experience - how the knobs and potentiometers feel, and how smooth the footswitch!
Would be great to hear your own insights here, and if we could have some suggestions too for the next round of 4 - that would be much appreciated, not that I'm ever short of an idea or two myself!
