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James... « Improved classic »
Published on 12/19/11 at 08:08I was a huge fan of the Crunch Box V.2 pedal for years and I probably bought and sold 3 or 4 of them. It was an addicting pedal. A lot of overdrive pedals boast this kind of feature set. The traditional tone, volume, gain controls with the "marshall in a box" sound. In fact it's become such a popular theme in overdrive pedals that there's almost too many to count.
UTILIZATION
I am a big fan of marshall or "british" overdrive tone so I am always on the lookout for the best marshall flavor pedals. In the past my favorites have been the crunch box, the Catalinbread DLS, and the Radial hot british tube overdrive. A lot of people also like the Fulltone OCD but there are so many versions it can get confusing knowing which to get. The 3rd revision of the Crunch Box doesn't look too much different than 2. I've got to say it feels a little cheaper than the old ones. Time will tell how reliable it is. It seems solid enough. The jacks I'm afraid might go on me eventually.
SOUND QUALITY
The big problem with these marshall style overdrives is they generally fall into some flavor of either plexi or jcm territory. The plexi ones tending more more dynamic classic rock tones and the jcm style pedals going for the 80's thing. Some pedals like the DLS try to do both. I feel like the Crunch box is somewhere in between. Think hot-rodded plexi tone. It has a very pronounced upper midrange. Even more than the 2nd version. I haven't tried adjusting the internal trim because I think I'm pretty happy with where it is now.
OVERALL OPINION
These have gotten more expensive as they have gained popularity. I remember when it was a pretty under the radar pedal. I would say in the under $150 range it is one of the best marshall style overdrives you're going to find. Honestly there are so many flavors nowadays that you just have to choose one you like. I feel the crunch box is best for the heavier AC/DC Zeppelin tones. It's not quite modern enough for the high gain 80's stuff but it does have gain on tap..don't be mislead. Great pedal. Try it.
UTILIZATION
I am a big fan of marshall or "british" overdrive tone so I am always on the lookout for the best marshall flavor pedals. In the past my favorites have been the crunch box, the Catalinbread DLS, and the Radial hot british tube overdrive. A lot of people also like the Fulltone OCD but there are so many versions it can get confusing knowing which to get. The 3rd revision of the Crunch Box doesn't look too much different than 2. I've got to say it feels a little cheaper than the old ones. Time will tell how reliable it is. It seems solid enough. The jacks I'm afraid might go on me eventually.
SOUND QUALITY
The big problem with these marshall style overdrives is they generally fall into some flavor of either plexi or jcm territory. The plexi ones tending more more dynamic classic rock tones and the jcm style pedals going for the 80's thing. Some pedals like the DLS try to do both. I feel like the Crunch box is somewhere in between. Think hot-rodded plexi tone. It has a very pronounced upper midrange. Even more than the 2nd version. I haven't tried adjusting the internal trim because I think I'm pretty happy with where it is now.
OVERALL OPINION
These have gotten more expensive as they have gained popularity. I remember when it was a pretty under the radar pedal. I would say in the under $150 range it is one of the best marshall style overdrives you're going to find. Honestly there are so many flavors nowadays that you just have to choose one you like. I feel the crunch box is best for the heavier AC/DC Zeppelin tones. It's not quite modern enough for the high gain 80's stuff but it does have gain on tap..don't be mislead. Great pedal. Try it.