EarthQuaker Devices Acapulco Gold V2

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Effects pedal

Power amp style distortion pedal
Based on the output distortion of the Sunn Model T vintage amp
Severe distortion, up to and including fuzz
Reacts very dynamically
1 unlabeled output volume control
Bypass footswitch
Noiseless relay-based soft-touch circuit
Status LED
Front-side 6.3 mm mono-jack inputs / outputs
Metal housing
Power supply via 9 V battery or 9 V power supply (2.1 mm x 5.5 mm hollow plug, polarity (-) inside, not included)
Dimensions (L x W x H): 128 x 66 x 57 mm
Power consumption 30 mA
Handmade in USA

Note Register your purchase at shop.warwick.de/en/warranty-registration for an extended warranty of 4 years.

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

3-Year Thomann Warranty

Available since January 2017
Item number 406047
Sales Unit 1 piece(s)
Overdrive No
Distortion Yes
Fuzz No
Metal No

£149

All prices incl. VAT

336

Sales Rank

in Distortion Pedals

A vintage distortion fiesta

The EarthQuaker Devices Acapulco Gold V2 is easy to describe: It's a straight-up riff machine. More specifically, it's an homage to the legendary power amp distortion of the Sunn Model T amp. With only a single rotary control, this pedal has the power to get even the cleanest amp to unleash waves of vintage distortion, capable of everything from a gentle boost to an earsplitting Doom sound. The sound itself is rich with harmonic distortion, even when using low-output pickups, so any guitarist looking to make their riffs unforgettable can take this one-knob wonder and add some real colour to their pedalboard.

EarthQuaker Devices Acapulco Gold V2, distortion pedal

Less is definitely more!

The search for the perfect gain structure is sometimes like an expedition to find El Dorado: There are so many factors to consider, from playing feel and attack dynamics to the way a pedal compresses the signal – working together with the guitar's pickups and pots in just the right way and interacting with the amp. In light of all that, EarthQuaker Devices decided to really lean into the idea that less is more when building the Acapulco Gold. Because it has no master volume, it reacts like a tube amp from way back when; the dynamics, and the interaction with the guitar's controls, are instantly recognisable as such, delivering power amp distortion just the way they used to make it. One quick turn of the guitar's volume knob is enough to move from fuzzy distortion to an almost jazzy sound. And that's just the start of it.

A fiesta for stoners and doomheads

Guitarists who ply their trade in Stoner Rock or Doom will have heard – or at least heard tell of – the legendary dynamic sound that a classic tube amp can produce when the volume is turned all the way up. To get a sound like this at levels that can actually be used on stage, not to mention at home, the EarthQuaker Acapulco Gold is the perfect tool. Even if the actual amp isn't at full volume, this pedal will have it sounding like a fully-cranked vintage stack. It's also great for gain stacking, be it on top of an already distorted sound, or combined with a fuzz. Ultimately, this boutique pedal – handmade in Ohio, like all EarthQuakers – is ideal for anyone looking for a deceptively simple and devastatingly loud distortion pedal with a sound that's all its own.

About EarthQuaker

EarthQuaker Devices was founded in 2004 by the musician Jamie Stillman, who had previously gathered years of experience in the world of music and sounds as the manager of a record label for Metal, Punk, and Shoegaze bands. Today, his innovative pedal designs are among the most in-demand and desirable devices in the boutique segment, attracting interest from a huge community of musicians. Stillman is now in charge of a sizeable team of developers and technicians, who are continuously working from their base in Akron, Ohio to expand their catalogue of hand-made effects pedals. EarthQuaker Devices are used by renowned artists like Paul Simon, Coldplay, Tom Bukovac, Idles, and The Black Keys.

Perfect for a pedalboard

As well as being capable of a phenomenal sound, the EarthQuaker Devices Acapulco Gold V2 is also attuned to the needs of modern musicians: The circuitry is entirely noiseless, with relay-based switching and true bypass, so the original sound is left untouched if the pedal's not switched on. A distortion pedal should be inserted into a pedalboard's signal chain before any reverbs or delays, with modulation effects added to taste. The Acapulco Gold can be used both with a 9V battery or any standard pedalboard power supply (not included). However it's used, this dynamic little amp-in-a-box overdrive pedal is unlikely to disappoint even the most gain-hungry guitarists.

36 Customer ratings

5 25 Customers 4 8 Customers 3 2 Customers 2 1 Customer 1 0 Customers

4.6 / 5

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25 Reviews

The tone of the Sunn O

Joaomva0 06.12.2021

If you're looking to emerge yourself in that dirty fuzzy tone of doom rock this is a pedal you should definitely consider.
Stacking it with a rat for example will get you that dirty heavy tone of the legendary sun o amp.

But be aware, this pedal is super responsive to you guitar so it can get easily too much to handle for a lot of players.

I got mine a month ago and so far the sheer power of this distortion/fuzz pedal makes me very happy.
Amazing service from Thomman once again, this bloody Germans will get all money but they keep having the best deals.
Gear for life

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Amazing Sound - If You've Got The Rig For It

bepsi 14.06.2021

Bought this fuzz box and had a blast trying it on a friend's valve amp - But on my own, much smaller amp, it doesn't sound so great, so I'll be returning this one for no other reason than that it doesn't quite work for my setup.
Using this in conjunction with a volume pedal made it far easier to handle, allowing me to adjust the input volume without needing to fiddle with the volume knob. These pedals could totally benefit from an input gain knob, but that sort of nuance seems out of character for this device. (And if you're feeling up for it, it's probably not a hard mod to do).
This pedal is very, very loud. The master volume only needs to be at 9oclock to reach unity, so everything on top of that is just pure volume boost. I found that turning it up too much caused the amp I was using to struggle to keep up, but it's great to have that gain on tap - and the huge knob makes it easy to adjust while playing.

All in all a great sound which benefits a lot from having the correct amplifier to get the most out of it. A little bit of a one-trick pony, but with smart gain staging and using it in conjunction with other pedals it can be surprisingly versatile.

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A one trick pony, but a damn cool one

dheim 25.03.2023

The Sunn model T amplifier has gained a cult status among doom enthusiasts, thanks to its peculiarly filthy, fuzzy and sinister distortion.
This pedal conveys THAT tone (or tries to, at least) in a more practical (and from what I can judge - having listened to the amp but having never played it - quite convincing) form - that doesn’t need an underground bunker to be enjoyed to the full.
Don’t be fooled by the giant knob, the only control is off (bypass) or on (pure hate). The knob is a volume potentiometer, that ranges from various degrees of useful to RIDICULOUSLY LOUD.
If you want to tame the distortion level the only way is through the guitar’s volume.
Is it versatile? Of course not. Is it able to create a unique kind of distortion that can’t really be replicated with other means? Absolutely yes.
So, if you know and like THAT sound (even if you don’t really need it) this is for you.

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Devastating. Mix of fuzz and distortion

Dynok 11.06.2019

I would describe the sound as something between a fuzz and a distortion. It's insanely loud, has a ton of low end, huge wall of distortion, but it's somehow still tight enough so that you can do palm-muted stuff with it. This is where most fuzz pedals fall short IMO.

I use this in my doom/stoner metal project, and IMHO it fits there just perfectly! I would imagine that for less extreme styles this pedal is too much.

I like how well the pedal responds to my amps EQ settings and the guitar's volume control or a volume pedal. The pedal only has one knob, but it works so well with amp and guitar controls that you can color the character of the drive really using those. Dial back the volume using your guitar's controls or a volume pedal, and you get a more mellow overdrive. Change the tone using the EQ on the amp etc.

Only con I can find is that there is generally a really narrow area in the one control knob, where the sound is usable. The minimum setting sounds garbage and maxed out it's just fart sounds.

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EarthQuaker Devices Acapulco Gold V2

Effects pedal