Did you know? “Analog Man” Mike Piera is one of the reasons the EHX East River Drive sounds so good!
Analog Man’s dedication to “do pedals right” and expertise in optimizing the legendary TS-style overdrive circuit made him an obvious collaborator when EHX decided to expand its line of overdrives in 2013. Piera being a long-time friend of the company and kindred spirit of EHX’s Mike Matthews, whom both love to keep things independent and for the working musician, helped guide development of the East River Drive to be not just another TS overdrive. With inspiration from AnalogMan’s famed Silver Mod TS-808, the ERD sought to possess both an incredible tone and an incredible price. With the aid of a curated parts list and schematic from AnalogMan himself, Electro-Harmonix succeeded in making one of the best and most affordable iterations of the TS circuit ever.
In a recent Instagram post, Analog Man’s Mike Piera talks about role in the development of the EHX East River Drive, “It’s not well known, but when EHX wanted to make a classic overdrive pedal, they asked Analog Man to help them out, as we have been working on Tube Screamers longer than anyone else,” Piera wrote.
“We worked with the EHX management and engineers, and they built this excellent pedal, to our exact specs, with the JRC4558D chip which we have used for so long. A winner at any price, it’s a no-brainer at (way!) under $100,” he concluded.
At a price point that still remains competitive after a decade and a tone that delivers punch and clarity, the East River Drive still stands the test of time as a testament to creative collaborations and kinship. Cheers to AnalogMan Mike Piera for all the help all those years ago!”
Read the full story at Guitar World and Guitar magazines.
