Crowther Audio Hotcake Overdrive

The Hotcake is the handy work of Paul Crowther, and was first produced in 1976. It is regarded as one of the cleanest sounding overdrive pedals on the market. With the Drive and Presence controls set to their minimum and the Level to 2 o'clock, it would take a very good ear to tell the difference between when the pedal is switched on and off. This makes it perfect for a clean volume boost, with the Level control all that needs adjusting.

Engaging the Drive control introduces a thick distorted tone to the sound, whilst the Presence control helps manipulate the mid-range in the signal. The Hotcake is not a "quick fix" pedal. If you are unhappy with the tone you are getting from your current guitar and amp setup, then the Hotcake will not work miracles, as it retains the character of the signal it is fed. If you are happy with your setup, then the Hotcake will add a new dimension to your tone.

As of September 2007, the Hotcake was released in one version, with the ability to select between two presets internally, "Normal" and "Bluesberry". The "Bluesberry" voicing is said to produce a slightly less buzzy tone at the onset of distortion. This would be of use to guitarists using amplifiers with extreme treble boost, such as some of the Marshall models.