01—EarthQuaker Devices
Westwood
The transparent overdrive with the three-band EQ — the pedal you reach for when a Tube Screamer is too mid-heavy.
If a Morning Glory feels too narrow on tone shaping, this is the answer. The EQ alone makes it more useful than most drives in this tier.
02—On the bench
EarthQuaker's transparent overdrive — a low-to-medium gain drive with a full three-band EQ (bass, mid, treble) instead of the usual single tone knob. Westwood is voiced more like a cranked Marshall plexi than a Tube Screamer: there's no mid-hump, the gain is open and slightly compressed, and the EQ section gives you actual shaping power instead of one limited tone control. Sits between Klon territory (clean boost with a slight midrange push) and Bluesbreaker territory (dynamic mid-gain). Pairs especially well with Fender-style amps that need a slight midrange lift, since you can dial it in with the EQ instead of relying on the pedal's voicing.
- 01three-band EQ is the actual selling point
- 02more open than a Tube Screamer, less polite than a Klon
- 03stays clear at high gain levels
- 04stacks well in front of another drive
- 05the bass knob fixes Fender-amp thinness
03—In the room
Where else this pedal lives.
- Joey Landreth
- Andy Wood
- Cory Wong
JHS Morning Glory V4 if you don't need the EQ; Westwood if you do.