Crowther Hotcake

Rob Rhodes
March 13, 2006

Rating: 10/10

I Currently own the following Overdrive units;
Klon Centaur/ Keeley modified TS808/ Fulltone Fatboost/ Fulldrive II/ Boss Bluesdriver/ Original Marshall Guvnor and Now the Crowther Hotcake.... If you are not familiar with these units, they are mainly 'boutique' pedals (except from the BOSS/ Marshall).
The Hotcake is by far the most versatile and sweetest of the bunch.I have never before found a pedal that gives the immediate 'grin all over the face' that this unit does. The sweep of overdrive to (mid range) distortion is quite incredible. Having said that, the place that the hotcake excells (in my opinion) is in the 'just breaking up an already hot valve amp' arena. I am using an AC30 and a Telecaster fitted with Kinman pickups (Kinman are AMAZING). On the Neck pickup setting, with the Hotcake set with the drive at about 11 oclock- and the amp just before it starts to breakup (BEFORE you hit the pedal)the Telecaster ( I kid you not) sounds like Stevie RV's strat. I dont normally try and sound like ANYONE- but it is the only way to describe the sound.
Most expensive pedals revel in not altering the sound of your guitar/ amp set-up (what is the point of that?)- The hotcake add's quite a bit of bottom end to your overall sound- and thats a good thing, IF you like your single coils to sound full and meaty, as opposed to thin and brittle.
I am considering selling the fulldrive to buy another of these- they are that good. Haqving said that dont buy anything on the 'say-so' of a review (tone/ sound is a very personal thing)- try one with your own guitar and preferably a similar/same amp that you actually use. The hotcake will blow you away!