The Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker Pre-Amp is a Crazy Tube Circuits distortion pedal. Close alternatives include the Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII and the Carl Martin TOD High-Gain Overdrive. It pairs well with the Vox AC-50 and the Traynor SB106.
Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker Pre-Amp
Crazy Tube Circuits · pedal
The Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker is a high-gain preamp and overdrive from the Greek boutique manufacturer, providing the thick, sustained, high-gain distortion character of pushed vintage preamp stages in a boutique pedal format. Covers the gain range from warm crunch through high-gain saturation with the compression and harmonic density of a high-quality tube preamp at full gain. Designed for players seeking boutique-grade high-gain performance with the component quality and refined sound of CTC designs. Made in Greece by Crazy Tube Circuits.
- preamp
- high gain
- boutique
- compression
- thick
- heavy rock
- distortion
- refined sound
Genres the Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker Pre-Amp is commonly used in
- Hard Rock
- Metal
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Alternative
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Classic Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Blues
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker Pre-Amp
Vox AC-50
amplifier
29% matchVox AC-50 pushes a high gain tone toward tight
Traynor SB106
Traynor
28% matchFeed a high gain signal into Traynor SB106 and it comes out closer to mid-forward
Traynor BB115
Traynor
tonal matchTraynor BB115 takes that high gain character and pushes it toward tight
Gallien-Krueger Legacy 212
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchGallien-Krueger Legacy 212 pushes a high gain tone toward mid-forward
Phil Jones X4C NanoBass 35W 1x4 Combo
Phil Jones
tonal matchStack Phil Jones X4C NanoBass 35W 1x4 Combo on top and a high gain tone tightens toward mid-forward
Gallien-Krueger MB115MK2
Gallien Krueger
tonal matchStack Gallien-Krueger MB115MK2 on top and a high gain tone tightens toward tight
Egnater Renegade 65 4x10 Combo
Egnater
tonal matchEgnater Renegade 65 4x10 Combo pushes a high gain tone toward tight
Phil Jones BG-75 Double Four Bass Combo
Phil Jones
tonal matchPhil Jones BG-75 Double Four Bass Combo takes that high gain character and pushes it toward mid-forward
Pedals that stack with the Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker Pre-Amp
Colorsound Power Boost
Colorsound
19% matchRun Colorsound Power Boost after it and the warm edge settles into something more bright
Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive
Keeley
18% matchKeeley Red Dirt Overdrive pushes a high gain tone toward mid-forward
Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress
Electro-Harmonix
16% matchKeep Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker Pre-Amp's high gain voice out front: Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress goes after Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker Pre-Amp in the signal chain so its modulated voice doesn't muddy it
Wampler Ego Compressor
pedal
13% matchWampler Ego Compressor's own transparent character is the real reason this is worth trying
Walrus Audio Fathom
Walrus Audio
11% matchWalrus Audio Fathom's ambient voice goes after Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker Pre-Amp in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker Pre-Amp's own high gain character — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Hungry Robot The Borderland
Hungry Robot
11% matchRun Hungry Robot The Borderland after Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker Pre-Amp in the signal chain, clear of Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker Pre-Amp's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Wampler Cory Wong
Wampler
tonal matchFeed a high gain signal into Wampler Cory Wong and it comes out closer to clean boost
Electronic Audio Experiments Longsword Eastside Exclusive Mono Camo
Electronic Audio Experiments
tonal matchStack Electronic Audio Experiments Longsword Eastside Exclusive Mono Camo on top and a high gain tone tightens toward clean boost
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII
Benson Amps
73% similarityShared character: clean_amp, signal, circuit
Carl Martin TOD High-Gain Overdrive
Carl Martin
71% similarityShared character: dynamic_range, hard_rock, compression
Suhr Riot
Suhr
70% similarityShared character: clean_amp, hard_rock, crunch
Abasi Pathos Distortion
Abasi
69% similarityShared character: clean_amp, compression, subtle
Maxon OD808
Maxon
69% similarityShared character: hard_rock, crunch, stage
Black Country Customs Monolith
Black Country Customs
69% similarityShared character: hard_rock, full, crunch
Suhr Riot Mini Black Edition
Suhr
69% similarityShared character: hard_rock, crunch, high_gain_settings
Friedman BE-OD Deluxe
Friedman
69% similarityShared character: hard_rock, thickness, crunch
Death By Audio Supersonic Fu
Death By Audio
65% similarityShared character: dynamic_range, clean_amp, hard_rock
Carl Martin Crush Zone
Carl Martin
96% similaritysimilar tone character
Crazy Tube Circuits Motherload
Crazy Tube Circuits
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Dunlop Custom Badass
Dunlop
95% similaritysimilar tone character
See all alternatives to the Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker Pre-Amp (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker Pre-Amp?+
The closest matches in character are the Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII, the Carl Martin TOD High-Gain Overdrive, the Suhr Riot.
What pairs well with the Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker Pre-Amp?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Vox AC-50, Traynor SB106, Traynor BB115 — Vox AC-50 pushes a high gain tone toward tight.