9/9 EVR

※Orders for the 4/11-4/15 lot will be shipped 4/23-25. Thank you for your understanding.

9/9 EVR Gallery

The Leqtique 9/9, released in 2013, has been manufactured and sold as our brand's best-selling distortion model for a long time. 12 years have passed since then, but the only distortion pedals that use the four-stage depletion type MOSFETs that make up the 9/9 as the sole 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 vacuum tubes in an amplifier circuit is now widely used because it produces a circuit and sound that is significantly different from those that use opamp elements, which is the most common method of making distortion effects.

MOSFETs generally operate in what is known as an enhancement type mode, which means that they behave fundamentally differently from FETs, so the technique described above cannot be used. However, Depletion type MOSFETs, although very few in number, are becoming more common in the electronic components industry in 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 do not 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 also varies greatly depending on the operating point at which the elements are used.) A multi-stage distortion circuit section made up of DMOSFETs has more second harmonics than a similarly constructed FET, which contributes greatly to making the 9/9 sound tight yet mellow.

The 9/9 was created as such a "Harmonic High Gain Distortion", but in fact it was by far the longest circuit design for Leqtique pedals, and even though 12 years have passed, there are no fundamental changes that could be made, and in this EVR update, the operating points of each distortion section have been exquisitely adjusted (no major sound changes at all), and the Treble control has been influenced by the subsequent 10/10 and 11/11, expanding it to a fairly wide range. This is similar to the RED → RED EVR update, but the range of more harmonic lead sounds, tight and sharp riffing, and chord work sounds has been expanded.

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

*All controls are the same as the original Leqtique 9/9, including a 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 Leqtique pedals have been essentially on hiatus without releasing any new products. However, by temporarily relocating to Iceland in 2024, I was able to get some great inspiration, and I have continued to design all of them as an update package called "EVR".

"EVR" means EVRU: Europe in Icelandic. The letters strongly express the idea of ​​feeding back and embodying the inspiration and experiences gained in various parts of Europe over the years as a base or commuter. Leqtique pedals originally embodied a strong longing for Europe, such as the color of the paint and the darkness of the sound, but now they are clearly embodied as a more realistic experience.

Leqtique pedals have not been updated for 15 years, but we have completely reconstructed the case, all components, concept, etc. from scratch. For example, the case, which was a one-piece machined aluminum case, was only designed as a general "box" with a wide tolerance, but it is a special design that can only be used with Leqtique EVR pedals. By reconsidering the advantages of being "one-piece", the material that was only aluminum has been divided and integrated into three sections: a functional aluminum base case, a cosmetic layer made of non-magnetic stainless steel, and individually machined parts, and constructed by integrating them, paradoxically making a big change to the diversity and consistency of the design of the "machined case" and the limitations of the material choice. As a result, most of the case that was painted with acrylic paint has been replaced with anodized aluminum, achieving durability that is incomparable to the past, and by making the upper layer out of stainless steel, the rigidity of the entire pedal has been significantly improved, and from a cosmetic point of view, the shine of the stainless steel gives the hand-painted parts a deep three-dimensional feel that has never been seen before. In addition, for ideas that are difficult to produce even with a multi-axis CNC machine, they solve the problem by creating parts individually and integrating them. In particular, the internal parts, which the team calls the "Slider," are deliberately made 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 characteristic neat wiring from two-dimensional to three-dimensional.

On the other hand, the power section is undoubtedly the most important point in the core design of the pedal, but I have been using battery snaps from Keystone, a leading brand, for many years, but the highest quality ones were discontinued, and this was the part that 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 a snap, which may break the wire over time. This ideal was embodied this time. Keystone's "Model 91" has not changed much in material or design from the vintage type, and in the sense of strongly holding a 9V square battery and outputting a strong power signal, combined with the separately designed VPTP board, it has evolved to a much higher level than the original Leqtique pedal format.

Most of these updates are related to the "inside of the pedal", and even though we've mentioned the high-quality parts, it's actually something that you don't really notice when you're playing and enjoying the pedal, but the question "why?" was one of the major themes that drove this update package. My answer is that the "poor access to the inside from the back cover" was one of the major factors, so I spent a long time thinking about and designing the back cover and fixing structure. In the end, I developed it from the traditional four-point plus screw structure to a structure that can be fixed with two small knobs made of polyamide reinforced with carbon fiber, manufactured in the UK. These small knobs have a torque that allows you to tighten and loosen them with your thumb, but if you don't have much opportunity to access the inside, the slits are sized to fit coins or picks from various countries, so I hope you can tighten them up with those.

This is the easiest design to open and close the inside of the pedal to date. This is my final answer, as I have been obsessed with the inside of the pedal. Future new Leqtique pedals and updates to previous models will include many features such as internal trimmers, so I believe this update will definitely have a big meaning. There is also a strong message: "Try opening the inside of the pedal from time to time. You will definitely love this pedal even more." Each of the custom items and secret parts collected from all over the world has a story... (more details in the blog below)

*Leqtique original 9/9 instructions