Crowther Audio Hotcake

I play a 78 Stratocaster to Wah to Hot cake to Analog delay Carl martin to Twin Amp.
This little baby gimme since a TS9 to Big Muff sounds...Fantastic.
Great as simply Clean Bosster too !

Mr. Paul Crowther is the guy, bro'
I needed help and imediately he solved my problem.

I play Old Rock'n'Roll and i've a Deep Purple Cover band too.
The Hot Cake is the THING man...

Easy as hell. Three knobs, great sounds! No extra tweak-pots or any of that silliness. Volume makes it louder. Presence adds some super-high mids/low highs that really pop it out in the mix. Gain is what it's all about.

Incredible gain effect! One of the best I've ever played. I use a Fernandes Decade Elite with DiMarzio pickups and a Les Paul Custom with Duncan pickups.

I originally bought the Hot Cake to serve as a medium-gain overdrive pedal, to replace my SD-1. If this is what you're after, you won't find it here. I found its gain sounds from 9:00 to 12:00 to be pretty useless. Kind of fizzy and buzzy, but very clear. Might be useful into an amp that's already in overdrive to really kick it over the edge into distortion.

The Hot Cake does three things really well. Thick, juicy distortion with lots of nice harmonics. Not as harmonically active as my original Rat Mk 1 or my older Rat II. This happens around 12:00-2:00, and the Presence knob set around 1:00.

Next is, surprisingly, clean boost. Between 7:00-9:00 you can get nice clean to dirty boosts, with the Presence knob set between 7:00 - 9:00 for a little bit of mid-boost.

Last is beastly thick fuzz. Max out the gain knob, and set the Presence anywhere. You can go from scooped-out, wooly tones (tend to get lost in the mix) or to punchy sounds that are paradoxically transparent. With the gain dimed, it sounds like a super-articulate Big Muff with a "punchiness" control. Perfect for that Dinosaur Jr. sound.

The pedal is super-transparent: it cleans up effortlessly and is very, very sensitive to different pickups. Super Distortion made it really fuzzy, JB made it really thick and clear, single coils make it clean up.

P.S. This pedal has MASSIVE bass response! It will really interact with some pedals like the Blackstone and Zakk Wylde overdrive when you put it up front!

Doesn't do everything, and doesn't do quite what I wanted it for, but it's become a mainstay on my pedal board, kicking off the Rat I (despite its sweeter mids and harmonics) because of its great tone! Neat distortion pedal that may not be everyone's optimum sound, but every player can find a use for it!

Reliable as all hell. I baby it and keep it in a Boss case to keep it from getting smashed while moving amps around. Definitely would gig without a backup, but I'm not sure what quality jacks he uses. The knobs seem a little weak, but the footswitch looks durable. Not a Boss, but definitely not a wimp.

Never dealt with it. But I hear Paul Crowther's a whiz at fixing them and he's a really reliable and understanding guy!

Great sound that runs the gamut from clean boost to breakup to kind of harsh O.D. to distortion, to thick-as-mud distortion to Big Muff-style fuzz.

Great sounds, all of them useable in a band -- the Presence control is the most useful knob on just about any pedal I've ever owned. A really unique feature that's great for a live situation where you can't cut through the mix.

Compared this with my Rat, and it just had better tone. It's different than my Emma Reezafratzitz, which sounds so tubey it could fool Jim Marshall. A great sound that I prefer live - single notes sound authoritative and thick, and chords are articulate but super-fat.

3 knobs, no worries here. No manual, but no manual required, or maybe I should've been given one, oh well, didnt need one.

Only hassle is changing battery requires a screwdriver.

The sound for me is simply unbeatable. I have been giggin with it for the last 2 years and everytime I stomp on it, it impresses me. Its just so warm and full. I also have a XXL by Tech 21 and a TS-9 Ibanez, and they're good pedals too, but they don't match up to the Hotcake in my eyes and I have found myself using the hotcake in place of them (especially the XXL) a lot! With the presence control it allows for a fair variety of sounds.

Simply the best, makes me proud to be a New Zealander (like Paul Crowther)*Tear comes to the eye*

I play in a covers band and I use the hotcake for songs by:
Green Day, Good Charlotte, Franz Ferdinand, Jet, Steve Vai and heaps more.

It can be a little bit noisy, nothing dramatic enough to change its rating to anything lower than a 10 though. If you dont GOT one.... GET ONE

Like I said earlier, 2 years giggin, 2-3 a week. No problems.

It is the best there is. A must have for any rocker.

Three knobs and no brain. I give it a nine because of the fact it actually has knobs, but really. . .

I use a jazzmaster through an Ampeg Reverbrocket reissue. The hotcake goes from lovely smooth overdrive to a nice distorted growl with a hint of fuzz. It's a little bit noisy on the higher gain settings but all great sounding overdrives are. I use a Bixonic Expandora over the top of the hotcake for the really maxed out bits, but for everything else the hotcake is king. With the drive control at a low setting it makes for lovely clipping on a clean guitar sound. No matter what you use, all you need is a guitar and an amp with a hotcake in between. It will make shitty amps and guitars sound good. Oh, and a good taste in music helps.

Built like a tank. I gig without a backup every time and it has never let me down.

Paul is a very reliable and polite fellow - and something of a legend! A pleasure to deal with.

I have tried and own far too many overdrive and distortion pedals to count and this is the one I keep coming back to. My only suggestion for improvement would be a bit of added range on the tone control, but I really do just love it the way it is. A true NZ classic!

This pedal requires a bit of tinkering with both your amp and the eq /drive on pedal.But there are many usable sounds to be got with a little patience.

My set up is as follows Fender voodoo strat with custom shop 69's- Vox Clyde McCoy reissue wah-Dunlop rotovibe-custom built fuzz face clone MXR micro amp-Crowther Hotcake-Arion delay- Marshall 1987x reissue throgh Marsahll 4x12" loaded with Celestion g/backs. The Hotcake is not as noisey as some overdrives out there, and what noise there is...is minimal.

I have not had the pedal long, but it is fixed to my pedalboard and I use a power adapter, so I cannot forsee any problems. However sods law dictates that something, somewhere, sometime, will let you down! so I carry a backup pedal/

When i purchased the pedal 2nd hand, I emailed Mr. Crowther to tell him how impressed i was, to my amazement he emailed me right back,and told me if I ever had any problems with the pedal, to get right back in touch with him. I am sure you would be hard pressed to find anyone else in the business of pedal making that would be so decent and accomodating.

I play in the UK's top Hendrix tribute, and this pedal helps me to get the sounds that I am after.I have used Ts9's Ts8's,Fulltone, Barber, Aramat,Keeley, the list is ensless. If you want a pedal that will do a nice boost through to thick overdriven fuzzy sounds that still responds to your picking and guitar vol dynamics, look no further. Every guitar player will find a use for this pedal.The one thing I dislike is the color!! But Hey ho!

Compared to the other overdrive pedals I have, an original 808 Tube Screamer and an 80's Marshall Bluesbraker, is not as instinctive to use. Like other reviewers have related, if I crank the drive control up too much the sound becomes way too muddy and farty, but after about half an hour my main concern was which of the many "sweet spots" to use!

I'm mainly a Les Paul user, a customized early 90's Classic and a late 70's Pro De Luxe, even though I'm looking forward to try this Hot Cake with my Strat.
On the floor I generally only have an overdrive and my Cry Baby, customized by Roger Mayer himself, after which I plug straight into the amp: so far since I've bought this little Kiwy beauty I've plugged into my usual Behringer Vintager as well as various Marshalls, combo's and half stacks, and this baby always sounded great!
What's interesting is that no matter what amp I use I never have to change the setting on the pedal, always a good sign, like I never have to change guitar!
I keep the Level almost all the way up, presence at 3 and Drive at 2 o'clock and the rest, dynamics, attack and all, I let my hands and volume knob on the guitar take care of.
Very rarely I use this pedal for rythm as the amp is set for a good crunchy tone and then I step on the pedal for the solo's.
Used this way I think it's very hard to beat!

I've only had it for 4 months so it's a little early, still it's built like a tank and if my 808 never had a problem, and it's 23 years old and looks extremely flimsy in comparison, this thing will probably outlast us all, says I!

Can't really say but I'm sure Paul is a top guy!

I play Classic Rock and this pedal is probably the most appropriate to this type of music, expressive and fun to use I've ever plugged into, so much that now I only carry the 808 as a spare, same as screwdrivers, batteries and fuses!
I'm a big fan of creamy overdrivers and if this were to be stolen I'd probably go around and try some more, Klon, Pete Cornish, HAO,...but I honestly think I'd end up buying another Hot Cake as I don't think anything can beat it plus, when I bought, it I did try other pedals and it won the first time around anyway!
I definitely think it's an inspiring little devil, freeing the user from UNWANTED feedback, at almost any volume, and letting the player concentrate on the most important thing; to let the music do the talking!
If Paul Crowther could find a way to retain the drive but get rid of the muddiness, specially on the lower registers, that comes into it once the drive is past 3 o'clock, that sounds intriguing but as I said before this pedal gives me everything I need as it is.
And it's not even expensive, go figure!

easy to use, since there's 3 knobs. oddly enough though, these knobs do more in comparison to other dirt units- especially the gain knob. it goes from slight overdrive to nasty, broken speaker gain.

i use this between my gibson non reverse firebird and my fender blues junior. i have a couple other gibsons that i use, but i use the bird the most. as said in some previous reviews, its almost as though this pedal has three distinct gain levels. when the gain is low, its a very transparent, light overdrive. when you get a bit past halfway (about noon - 2 o'clock) its more of a very musical overdrive crunch. when you get a bit past 2 oclock (especially after 3 oclock) it gets very distorted, fuzzy, and, disappointingly, muddy.

when used as a transparent overdrive, this thing is absolutely amazing. its very clear and very responsive to your picking. lovely boost as well. i dont use it as a light overdrive pedal (i use my maxon od808 for that), but this is amazing in this category.

when its at about 1 o'clock (which is where i use it), its a great rock crunch. it nails the current Oasis tone, spot on. this is my most natural sounding drive pedal i have. i love it. it responds like a tube amp's gain. it responds to your attack and cleans up nicely when you roll back on your guitar volume's knob.

when the gain level is quite high, it gets muddy and fuzzy. dont get me wrong, it can be used for some stuff. if you want your guitar to drop in the background a bit (which i do sometimes), its amazing. if you want your guitar to really stick out, just turn the gain level down a bit.

my only complaint is that i have to keep the presence knob on this maxed at all times, but in all reality, it doesnt matter cos i get great tone. i do wish the pedal didnt muddy up when the gain is high. that's my only complaint.

he's awesome. that's all i can say. he's been a great help. much better than mike fuller, who i find to be a hack.

I really like british music. Oasis and the Beatles are my favorite bands. This is my main drive box. Others i have are: hao rust driver, maxon od808, maxon d&s, and mjm london fuzz II. i use this for most of my rhythm tones. not much i can say except that i really dig this box.

its not for metal so if you're into that stuff, stay away. its great for 90s rock, blues rock, brit-rock, and indie rock.

Very simple to use

Very quiet,used with various Fender amps.At unity gain,it is so transparent you can't tell its there till you dig in.It retains your clean with a very sweet drive and increasing the drive gives a violin sustain.For me its the best drive tone,great with single coils and humbuckers.

I have two,the orignal from 1995 and the new Blueberry.The original is still as trouble free as the day I got it.

You cannot find a more helpful, friendlier person than Paul Crowther,No problem to have your Hotcake repaired.

Slight Jazz and Country,blues,rock,this pedal works great for all these styles that I play.I just recieved a backup,the Bluesberry from Paul,which is a slight variation from the original,its a little smoother on the release,but just as toneful and sweet as the original.

3 knobs, not so difficult, level, presence, drive.
I keep level around 1 o'clock, presence around 12 o'clock and gain around 11 o'clock for a little gain boost.


One thing I dislike is the position of the powercord....Why is it there next to the input on the lower right side? Just put it where most of them put it, and wouldn't it be a good time for all brands to start using the same powerconnectors?

I already had a really good sound, using a custombuilt Korina tele with 2 p-90's (seymour duncan) in either a Rivera Fandango 212 combo or a Rivera Knucklehead reverb.
I actually was blown away by a Klon Centaur (still a must have!!) wich I used in a studio that had one, and started looking for one on the internet. When looking for Klon, you always stumble over the Hot Cake, because everyone seems to comare them to each other.
I found a Hot Cake real soon so I tried it out. I loved it right from the start, just like the Klon.
The good thing about it is that you can also use it as a standalone unit on your clean channel, a thing not a lot of pedals pull off in my opinion.

I hope I can depend on it. Till now it seems okay, although the Klon made a far better impression on me, built-wise.
I would gig without backup.

Havent dealt with them..

I play rock with my band. Soundwise I like the Black Crows classic rock style, and for this style it is very good, I can keep the gain on my amp a little lower and boost it with the Hot Cake. It blends with the sound of my gear as if it was a part of the amp, just like the Klon.
I have been playing for 20 years now and have owned a lot of gear.
A have 2 tele's, both handbuilt by Sjak Zwier, a Patrick Eggle Berlin and a Music Man EVH signature. Amp-wise Rivera Fandango and Knucklehead.
Pedals I have are Ibanez TS-808, Visual Sound Jeckyll & Hide, wich are both very good in what they do.
I might replace it when it was stolen, altough my other pedals do a really good job and I still would like a Klon, but they're so dam'n expensive.

Still, 8 out of 10 is really, really good, but there is always room for improvement. Nobody takes al those 10's over here serious.

Very Easy to get a good sound with this thing. Level between 1-2 O clock presence at noon and drive at 11 O clock
The best thing about this is the harder you play the more drive the pedal gives. Its like some one tuning up the drive when you player harder. Love it

Now I got this one from the man himself. #85 with postage to London England.
I use a Laney VC30 class A and its very clean so I needed some dirt for it. The Crowther Hotcake gives me a nice crunchy tone, and more if I want, but I keep it on a very soft drive and use other pedals for harder sounds.
When I first got it I was not as impressed as I had hoped it would sound. Now 4 months later I realize this is the ONLY pedal I really need. Most pedals, in fact, all Pedals I have ever tried other than the hot cake seem to trim a little off the bottom end. But not the Hotcake, this little guy enhances the bottom end making the sound FULL and FAT and WIDE and sharp too with the presence knob All amps I have used with this sound better in every way!
A/B pedals will it will prove this to be far superior in every way with anything else.
If you want a clean boost this is it, and if you want BEEF this will do that too, I would love to hear this through a massive 4x12 Marshall cab, must sound like a monster. My Laney is now well in the VOX sounding ball park, totally Pro sound. Mr Crowther is a great guy too!

Im sure this will go on an and on and if if i was to brake Paul will happly sort it from what i know.

Seems like a great guy good advice and very friendly

I play British alt rock, verve U2 Coldplay, Travis.
I have been playing for over 10 years and I am a sound engineer too.
I would not let this get stolen. I would buy again for 2 in a row.
I like the look and feel and size, DC port is in the wrong place but no problem really. This pedal will improve you life as well as your playing. Get one if you can. Also its an investment too. Handmade one at a time and all!!!!