The Electronic Audio Experiments Longsword is yet another contender in the endless void of op-amp based drive pedals—familiar but with some novel twists. Cascaded gain stages allow for the full range from clean boost to massive distortion, all without sacrificing tonal flexibility. The equalizer combines bass and treble shelving filters with an active, frequency-selectable midrange boost/cut control. This lets the user sculpt a diverse array of tones and carve out a niche in even the most dense of mixes. The Longsword has a broad frequency response which makes it work equally well with guitar, baritone, and bass.

Controls

• Level: output volume

• Drive: go from light grit to heavy overdrive

• Low/High: James/Baxandall tone stack (shelving filters)

• Mid: active midrange boost/cut

• Shift: selects frequency controlled by Mid pot

• Diode: selects between clipping diodes, to alter dynamics and headroom

  • Up: MOSFET clipping, medium compression

  • Center: no diodes, minimal compression

  • Down: Silicon diode clipping, maximum compression

• Boost (Footswitch): engages a front end mid boost

• Boost (Knob): adds up to 20dB of gain when the Boost is engaged

Changelog

• V4.5 (current as of January 2021)
  - New mechanical format (changed enclosure shape, knob spacing, jacks, etc)
  - Added power supply over-voltage shutdown circuit and ESD protection
  - Increased Low/High control crossover frequency by approximately 500Hz to reduce interactivity of High and Mid controls

• V4
  - New 6-knob layout
  - Surface mount PCB
  - Boost knob moved to exterior
  - Soft-touch relay bypass switching

• V3
  - Added 9V to 18V (+/-9V bipolar) power supply for increased headroom
  - Gain 1/2 setting replaced with Boost mode

• V2.1
  - Eliminated Range toggle, fixed at optimal intermediate setting

• V2
  - Added diode clipping switch
  - Added “Gain 1/2” switch to access 2nd preset, accessible via internal trimpot

• V1
  - Initial release

Finish Variants

• Standard: black sparkle with white print

• Acid Etch: hand-finished using hydrochloric acid with a toner transfer mask. Application and technique vary between batches and individual units.

• Rose Gold: rose gold powder coat with white print and white knobs

• Purple: 2023 retail exclusive

Electrical Specifications

Bypass: Relay switching with true bypass

Input impedance @ 1 Khz: 500kΩ

Output impedance @ 1 Khz: 1kΩ

Power: 9V DC, 2.1 mm center negative barrel. The current draw is 75 mA.