Crowther Audio Hotcake

Very easy to use. Set the level to 2:00 o'clock and the Presence and Drive knobs to "off". Bring up the Drive and Presence. I dig mine set to Drive: 9:00, Level: 3:00, Presence: 12:00.

Excellent sound from this pedal. It lets the guitar sound come through. It enhances your guitar's sound by making it fuller with more character. The Presence knob adds bite if you need it. It has a wide adjustment range and can get very distorted at high Drive settings (over 3:00 o'clock). But its strength is in its wide range of mild to medium overdrive settings.

Very well made. Metal housing and quality switch - should last.

Paul Crowther has a pristine reputation in the guitar effect field of customer service. I haven't had to speak to him but he has a reputation of standing behind his made-at-home pedals.

I play heavy blues, up to AC/DC style rock. I hate buzzy distorted crappy sounding guitar. I love full, open, and thick sounding power chords that can knock you down. I play Les Pauls through old Marshall four input non-master volume amps. The Hot Cake delivers this clean, powerful overdrive. It has nothing to do with the Tube Screamers and their clones. The Hot Cake is a pure, simple overdrive enhancer that is capable of a wide range of useable settings that don't get buzzy and retain the character of you setup.

Very easy to use and can be set up to boost a clean sound to thumping fuzz

I use a custom strat/80's mij strat/brandoni telecaster. Through a peavey classic 50 410 with a rocktron austin gold to boost my clean settings/jd wah/.This pedal is simply awesome at gig level volumes.I tend to use the Hotcake with more level than drive just to tip the amp into overdrive for solos and boy is it smooth!! I have noticed the more drive you use the more the tone fattens up, so making use of the presence is wise if you need to treble it up a bit. I play Blues/Rock/Funk and tend not to use to many effects but this is one that i shall definately be keeping,I might even buy another to take place of the Rocktron.This is a true bypass pedal so it doesnt steal away or effect your guitars tone when in the off position.Pure tone heaven at 3 0clock (drive)and 2 0clock (level)with my custom strat with the amp at half volume

To new to have an opnion yet but built solidly enough

emailed Paul to ask a few questions on this pedal and he answered same day....I would imagine if there was a problem and you need a quick solution he will be in touch quickly

I have been playing 24 years and have owned some nice pedals in my time: original ts9/ts10/jekyll and Hyde/boutique (to many to metion)and all the digital crazy stuff that floods the market and this is about the best overdrive/distortion tone i have ever had.....Thank you Paul you ended my search.

This box is so simple to use you'd have to be stupid not to b able to figure it out! its easy to get it to sound great too

3 knobs and a true bypass switch (on/off) level, drive, and presence. sound is like wow. can get nearly any distortion sound you want. very throaty distortion and sounds great when you crank it up loud.

i use 3 pedals. this is my main distortion due to its great tone and yeah. i use an ibanez DS-7 for sound boost when playing guitar solos.

i don't think i'll ever need to deal with paul crowther because this thing is just so great! thank you paul you're a legend!

compared to boss, ibanez and every other distortion pedal made since electricity was discovered this is the greatest sounding but its quite loose therefore i use this + an ibanez DS7 for guitar solos because it seems to make a nice medium gain medium distortion that makes even simple solos sound like they are played by jimi hendrix!!

How easy can you get. This thing is so versatile I can't fault it. You can get anything from Jazz to out and out filth. There is no manual cause we all have different amps and gats and styles.

I hate giving 10's but this little baby diserves it. My set up is strat/LPC - Zoom 707 II - Hotcake - Fender "The Twin" Red Knob. I dont need anything else. I dont use any distortion patches on the 707 and just add a bit more verb,chorus or compression when required.SRV<HENDRIX<CLAPTON<SANTANA<SATRIANI<GILMORE<MAYALL<PAGE<BECK<YOU NAME IT!!!! It will nail it!! I find the fuzz can be a bit harsh at times but its all easily adjustable man!! Its that fucking good!!

Its built man. Unlike the Zoom(although there are no problems except its plastic)I would gig it without back up. This thing is the bomb!

I haven't had to deal with the manufacturer but Guitar gallery in Wellington NZ were very helpful. I hear Paul who makes the things is very helpful so again I have no complaints!

I have 3 axes and three amps. Laney320 Tubefusion>The Twin>Ashton 40watt Solid state practice amp.I Play a Ibanez SG vintage,a Fender 62 reissue strat and a LPC Hondo deluxe 748. They all have different character but again all tweakable. I love the sounds it makes through The Twin (clean) and the strat.It smashes the DS1 - DS2 and to a less extent the Zoom distortions which I used up to getting the cake.Its got such versatility!Ive been playing on and off for years and if lost or stolen I would be very unforgiving lets put it that way!!!:>}

just three knobs, folks.. it's not a big deal
to tweak up multiple great overdriven tones..

there is definitely a "sweet spot" with any setup
one might be using.. very little effort is needed
to find it, either.

used with a variety of guitars (Fender/Gibson) and amps (Vox/Orange
Fender/Marshall/Magnatone) this sounds really nice with every single
combination that I've tried to date.. tried it out in varied spots
in the signal chain and as usual there are minute differences as to how the pedals all work together, depending on the order - I like to use the Hotcake as a mildly-crunchy boost and leave the extreme distorto/fuzz work to other pedals - but the Hotcake ~definitely~ plays well with the other kids!
really shines with P90s and single-coil pups IMHO.

backup, schmackup! I've been using this thing for 4 years now
with NOT ONE SINGLE PROBLEM! I can't give it a 10 'cuz "ya never
know" but I'm totally not even worried.. battery change is fairly
infrequent using a quality alkaline type, so that's nice as well.

Paul Crowther is without a doubt one of the nicest and truly helpful
people that I've ever had the pleasure to deal with.

I play blues & rock - and as such; this pedal is right up my alley.. I've been playing for 25 years and I'd replace this box in a second
without hesitation if it were lost or stolen.. as much as the eternal
quest for tone is entirely subjective, I'd reckon that - for me - this
pedal is entirely perfect.. doesn't really change the overall sound of
yer rig, merely adds the nice overdrive just as want it.

I've got the later Hotcake - the creamy one with the Presence control, which I've found to be good on some amps, more redundant on others. You know the other controls, Drive and Level. Single-switch with red LED indicator, one input, one output and AC-adator jack.

I got a really nice mix of overdrive/distortion out of this pedal in the store where I tried it on an Epiphone 335 copy running into a Peavey Classic 30 tube combo. I'm a fan of that half-half sound - smooth, but punchy and this pedal did the trick in store. However, it was a bit harder at home with my rather fussy old 50w tube amp which was made for a different age.

I found the Hotcake, for my needs, works much better run with other pedals as a booster - I have it running into a Boss BD-2 and DS-1, the first for a crunch tone, the second for hard-out distortion. It's pretty easy, like most distortion/overdrive pedals, to get a good sound out.

I have no gripes with the ease of use with this pedal, save one - the placement of the AC jack - it's right below the input socket and to me, looks obtrusive and in the way. Maybe it's just asthetics and I'm used to having it on top, like Boss and most other brands.

Overall, the Hotcake is amazingly simple to operate and comes with no manual, quite simply because it doesn't require one. I have had trouble getting the tone I liked out of it, it just can't seem to emulate that sound I got when I tried it, but I think it comes down to my amp.

I run a setup like this:

50w tube amp & 2x12" cab -> Ibanez Phase Tone -> Hotcake -> BD-2 -> DS-1 -> 335 Replica/Squire Bullet.

This pedal doesn't make any noise at all, I've found that overall, the Level knob is quiet quiet, but that's easily comensated - cranking the Drive tends to beef it up. As previously specified, I'm using it as booster/slight gain. I never play clean-clean, I just leave the Hotcake on to grain the sound out a bit, gives a nice blues tone, which can go into smooth crunch or nasty distortion by using either the BD-2 or DS-1.

I don't really use this to sound like anyone I listen to - I play a mix of rhythm and lead in an indie/alt-rock band and am influenced by artists like Interpol, At The Drive In, Incubus, Nirvana, QOTSA, Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead and The Strokes. I can kinda get a mixture of those tones, but I prefer to find my own.

Overall, I have to say the sound quality is very good, it's quite warm and smooth on lower settings and although it gets fuzzier on higher gain, the Hotcake manages to retain a tube-tone of sorts - it's a nice mixture of vintage tones and modern gain.

I've played a couple of better overdriving/distorting effects, but this one is by far one of the best in its class. There's no brittleness or flakey tones, just crisp and smooth gain the whole way through.

It's very solid looking and though I am not too hard on my gear, I can honestly say it'd take a thrashing - I tried a used one in a second-hand store a few months back that had obviously been very, very abused in a gigging situation (missing paint, scratches, general messy condition) and it sounded almost the same as my Hotcake. Definitely built to last.

I wouldn't gig without a backup, but that's what my other pedals are for anyway. Nothing is every deserving of a 10 because everything man-made is fallible, but this is up there with the stuff of excellence.

As I live in Auckland, New Zealand and Paul Crowther is located there, I don't foresee it being an issue to get hold of him considering there's a mailing address on the bottom of the Hotcake. I haven't had any issues that would require service and doubt I would but it's good to know that Mr Crowther is very thorough with his products - I have read glowing reviews below about him from others and know one person who has dealt with him personally and raves about how good he was.

Been playing about seven years, only seriously for the last two. I've had more pedals, amps and guitars in the last 12 months than I can shake a stick at. I'm one of those types who's always on the quest for the perfect tone.

The Hotcake is a very vintage, old-school sounding pedal and those who love that warm, tubish sound will enjoy it. Probably not for all the nu-metallers and thrasher pop-punks who are into the scooped mid and drop-D noise, which isn't me. I got it because I wanted to get rid of my DS-1 which I wasn't getting a nice sound out of and the Hotcake did the job in the shop.

However, I haven't been able to simulate the same tones I got before and that probably due to the fact my current amp, an old 50w all-vavle head was made over 30 years ago and not meant to be used a rock-guitar amp. I have recently bought a Marshall JCM900 and quad and I believe the Hotcake will shine through on this, but time will tell.

It stands out as quite a unique pedal pedal as it has a different sound to any other pedal of the overdrive/distortion variety I've ever tried. It's also solid, reliable and kitsch looking. If you're a New Zealand guitarist, I urge you to try this over other overseas pedals - it's a lot better than most of the ranger under $250 and on par with many other big-name famous effects like the Rat and Big Muff. I'm going to try the Prunes and Custard this weekend as well, I hear that is another gem from Crowther Audio.

Just dial in what you require.
Best settings for me are, drive at 11 to 12 oclock. Midrange 12 oclock
Level to suit.....usually around 1 oclock.
Mid dial make huge difference tone.

Of all the guitars i`ve tried with this pedal, i would have to say the p90 and p100 gibson style pick ups suit this pedal perfectly.
A marrige made in heaven!
Clarity,smooth, fat but not muddy, and driven tones are to die for.
Single lead lines sustain with clarity and are fat and chords sustain well without mushing out at all.
You can hear all the strings and notes in the chords, but the Drive level is crucial to find this sweet spot.
Seems to suit a fender tube amp with this set up.
Also seems to go well with an AC30 from what i read below.
A different animal to a ts9. this unit produces a clearer and cleaner tone even with the gain up. The ts9 and 808 are great for their own kinda thing.
It seems to have the singing quality of an early boogie, but with a more refined tone.
The p90 p/ups just seem to have the right output and tone character to
go with this pedal.
Try it yourself.....The p90`s really do amazing things.

so far....no worries

Well worth looking at.
I wonder if Eric Johnson has tried one out.Everyone knows Eric is
a man of good taste when it comes to tone.
It has always baffeled me that guitarists who use p90 equipped guitars are few.
Exellent tone results... and with this little pedal, sonic results are huge.
One writer on this pedal in this colum, states that he plugged a single p90 guitar into the H/cake then into a Super Reverb with amazing results.....Try for yourself!!

KISS principal used here. Mine has two knobs and a switch for mids or normal. Doesn't need clutter, all business.

I tried it with a strat, a tele, and a 52 Les Paul. It can sound good with all three depending on your ear, your fingers and your brain. I used it with an original 59 Bassman and a solid state Peavey. To my ear, it sounded best with the bassman, warmer and smoother. I like a nice violin-like sustaining overdrive, with little or no break-up. I could dial in this sound hands down. Too many guitarists think they can buy a little box and they should be able to sound like E.C. or EVH. There is just too many factors involved. Not just your equipment but, the acoustics of the place you're playing. How many have dialed in their sound one night and the next night without touching a knob, will sound completely different. The mood your in, the dryness of your hands, how many people are in the place etc. are some of the factors that will affect your sound.

A solid cast aluminum housing. Just like my old MXR dyna Comp. Seems very solid and reliable.

I've been playing for over 30 years, all kinds of music. For my style of playing, this is the best little overdrive pedal I've ever used, and I've tried most. I especially like it for blues and southern rock. It makes my guitar sing, which makes me smile and thats what its all about. I'd rate this a 10 but that leaves no room for improvement. I gotta say it, "I love this pedal."

Bonehead simple, a good thing.

After about a year, I thought it got noisy. See customer support below. I use it now with single coils through a Supro, Victoria, and a Hellhound.

Yes and I have.

I submitted an anonymous review on 11/21/02--about a year ago. Two weeks ago, I emailed Paul Crowther with questions about noise and he told me to send the pedal to him. As another reviewer here wrote, it cost me $8 to ship it to New Zealand where Paul checked it over, put some mojo on it (don't know but it works it works it works great), and sent it back all free of charge. Man, this guy lives on the other side of the world, and I got better support and service from him than my local Ford dealer.

This one I would replace ASAP. This thing puts some special sauce on overall tone that has to be heard. Transparent with full bass. All the drive you need if you want it, but it really excells at giving a clean boost that can take you right to the breakup point by driving the front end of your amp wherever you want to go. Forget the Klon and find one if you can.

piece of cake!

in my humble opinion this is the best tone pedal you can get. what i mean by this is it sounds awful when using it to make a clean sound distorted as it is too thick when you crank the drive, and i think as a solo boost its ok but does sap tone when disengaged as it isnt true bypass. now where this pedal comes into its own is when you use it with an already cranked amp not a modern hi gain amp but a cranked power tube amp tone. the hot cake in my opinion has one good setting, level 3o clock, mid to suit and drive at 9 o clock

ive read a few reports of broken switches but thats the same with any pedal my only critism is the foot switch! as i cant see why anyone would ever turn it off! tuck it in the back of your amp and always leave it on if you want a booster or a distortion add it as well.i think the hotcake should be thought of as an tone enhancer instead

i play all styles apart from metal, and ive been playing for 25 years im 31 now so started early! i use a fender pro reverb bf that i run flat out and the hot cake just drives it even harder yet it still cleans up enough for me when i back off on my volume control. to start off with i didnt like it as didnt give the distortion that i was after but after hours of messing around with amp settings this is my most important piece of outboard that i have ever owned bar none and would not be happy gigging without it