9/9 EVR

9/9 EVR Gallery

The Leqtique 9/9, released in 2013, has been our brand's best-selling distortion model for many years. Even now, 12 years later, the only distortion pedals that use the four-stage depletion-type MOSFETs that make up the 9/9 solely as the distortion element are this pedal, the 10/10, and its variations (6/6, etc.).

The technique of using a type of transistor called a FET as a substitute for a vacuum tube within an amplifier circuit is now widely used because it produces a significantly different circuit and sound from those that use an op-amp, which is the most common method of creating distortion effects.

MOSFETs generally operate in what is known as an enhancement type mode, which means that their behavior is fundamentally different from that of FETs, so the above method cannot be used. However, depletion type MOSFETs, although very rare, have become common in the electronic components industry since the 2010s, and they share many behaviors with FETs, making it possible to similarly configure a multi-stage distortion circuit by treating a single element like an ultra-small vacuum tube.

When using MOSFETs to create distortion effects, they don't have the ultra-low noise of FETs, but the biggest advantage I discovered was the balance of the second and third harmonics they produce (although this varies greatly depending on the operating point used). A multi-stage distortion circuit section made up of DMOSFETs produces more second harmonics than a similar FET-based construction, which greatly contributes to giving 9/9 a tight yet mellow distortion sound.

The 9/9 was born as this "Harmonic High Gain Distortion," and in fact, it was by far the longest-lasting circuit design of all Leqtique pedals. Even after 12 years, no fundamental changes have been made. Instead, the EVR update includes subtle adjustments to the operating points of each distortion section (though without any major sound changes), and the Treble control has been expanded to a much wider range, influenced by the subsequent 10/10 and 11/11. This is similar to the RED → RED EVR update, but it expands the range of more harmonic lead sounds, tight, sharp riffing, and chord work sounds.

As was the case during the Leqtique era, the 9/9 EVR is the flagship distortion model of the Leqtique EVR, and is especially recommended for users who like Leqtique - 10/10 & 11/11, as it helps them understand the brand concept.

*All controls are the same as the original Leqtique 9/9, including the Mid Control inside.

Shun Nokina

About the "EVR" concept

Since 2019, I have been based in Europe and have been involved in the design of several pedals, but the Leqtique pedal line has essentially been on hiatus without releasing any new products. However, by temporarily moving my base to Iceland in 2024, I was able to gain some wonderful inspiration, and have continued to design all of them as an updated package called "EVR."

"EVR" is the Icelandic word for Europe. The letters strongly evoke the idea that the pedals embody the inspiration and experiences gained over many years of traveling and living in various parts of Europe. The Leqtique pedals originally embodied a strong desire for Europe, with their vibrant paintwork and dark sound, but now they are more clearly embodied as a more real-world experience.

Leqtique pedals, which have not received an update in 15 years, have been completely redesigned from the ground up, including the housing, all components, and concept. For example, the housing, which was previously a one-piece machined aluminum body, has been redesigned from a standard "box" design with a wide tolerance range, but has been completely redesigned specifically for the Leqtique EVR pedal. By rethinking the advantages of a one-piece design, the previously aluminum-only construction has been divided and integrated into three sections: a functional aluminum base case, a non-magnetic stainless steel cosmetic layer, and individually machined parts. This paradoxically addresses the design diversity and consistency of a machined housing while addressing the limitations of material choices. As a result, most of the case, which was previously painted with acrylic paint, has been replaced with anodized aluminum, achieving unprecedented durability. The stainless steel top layer significantly improves the pedal's overall rigidity, and from a cosmetic perspective, the shine of the stainless steel adds a deep, three-dimensional feel to hand-painted pedals. In addition, for ideas that are difficult to produce even with a multi-axis CNC machine, the solution is to create individual parts and then integrate them. In particular, the internal parts, which the team calls the "slider," are deliberately produced in a different color from the pedal concept, and the Gavitt cross wires that have been used since the brand's early days are individually shielded, elevating Leqtique's characteristically neat wiring from two-dimensional to three-dimensional.

Meanwhile, the power section is undoubtedly the most important aspect of a pedal's core design. I'd been using battery snaps from Keystone, a leading brand, for many years, but the highest-quality version was discontinued, and this was the area I was most concerned about... However, when rebuilding everything from scratch with the EVR concept, I wanted to mount the battery itself as a section, rather than using snaps, which could break over time. This ideal was realized in this pedal. Keystone's "Model 91" has not changed much in materials or design from the vintage type, but in terms of firmly holding a 9V square battery and outputting a strong power signal, combined with the separately designed VPTP circuit board, it has evolved to a far higher level than the original Leqtique pedal format.

The majority of these updates are related to the "interior of the pedal," and while the aforementioned high-quality components are often ignored while playing and enjoying the pedal, the question "why?" was one of the driving themes behind this update package. My answer is that the poor accessibility from the back cover was a major factor, so I spent a considerable amount of time thinking about and designing the back cover and fixing mechanism. Ultimately, I evolved the traditional four-point Phillips head screw system into a fixing mechanism with two small carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide knobs manufactured in the UK. These small knobs have enough torque to tighten or loosen with your thumb, but for those with limited access to the interior, the slits are sized to fit coins or picks, so you can tighten them further.

This is the easiest design to open and close the inside of the pedal to date. This is my final answer, coming from someone who has been obsessed with the inside of the pedal. Future new Leqtique pedals and updates to previous models will include many internal trimmers, etc., so I believe this update will undoubtedly have great significance. It also sends a strong message: "Try opening the inside of the pedal from time to time. You will undoubtedly love this pedal even more." Each of the custom parts and secret parts collected from all over the world has its own story... (See blog for details later)

*Leqtique original 9/9 instructions