At $159, the new-and-improved White Light is cheaper than the remaining original units, which can only be found on the used market
(Image credit: EarthQuaker Devices)
EarthQuaker Devices has announced its new Legacy Reissue Series – a family of effects pedals that will revive and reboot some of the brand's classic stompboxes in a range of limited-edition runs.
Leading the way is an updated version of its White Light overdrive pedal, which seeks to bring back the now-elusive, discontinued pedal to a select number of gain fans via a 2,000-unit run.
For a while now, EarthQuaker Devices hasn’t offered the original White Light Overdrive on its website, with those looking to add the popular pedal to their pedalboard forced to scour the second-hand market for remaining units.
The White Light Legacy Reissue, at least to an extent, hopes to rectify this problem by putting the new-look powerhouse back on its virtual shelves with some freshly tweaked specs to boot.
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(Image credit: EarthQuaker Devices)
(Image credit: EarthQuaker Devices)
(Image credit: EarthQuaker Devices)
A quick glance at the reissue will reveal a fairly faithful recreation of the flagship White Light, save some resizing of the control knobs and a very subtle artwork update. Some more apparent alterations, though, can be found with the now-top-mounted jacks.
Most of the updates have happened under the hood. Described as a hard-clipping, vintage-voiced dirt pedal that takes inspiration from those pedalboard mainstays that “defined the sounds of heavy rock”, the White Light Legacy Reissue boasts the brand’s proprietary Flexi-Switch Technology, which opens up two different switching options.
In practice, this means the pedal can be engaged with a simple stomp of the switch for standard latching operation, or held and pressed for a momentary operation mode that engages only for as long as the pedal is pressed.
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(Image credit: EarthQuaker Devices)
(Image credit: EarthQuaker Devices)
As for its tones, the pedal features knobs for Gain, Level and Weight in its quest to harness OD250 and Distortion+ sounds. Gain and Level are fairly self-explanatory, but Weight is dubbed a “multi-functional tool” that alters the saturation level, low-end response and “overall feel of the device”.
There’s also a toggle switch that lets guitarists flick between two different compression modes: Minus, which is said to tap into more high-mids and a pronounced bite, and Plus, which unleashes “crunchy and compressed” gains with a flatter mid response.
Price-wise, it rings in at $159, making it a lot cheaper than the second-hand White Light pedals currently making the round.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
