The Electro-Harmonix Crayon is an Electro-Harmonix overdrive pedal. Close alternatives include the JHS Morning Glory and the Carl Martin DC Drive V3. It pairs well with the Mesa Boogie Mark Five:25 1x12 Combo and the Blackstar Marco Mendoza.
Electro-Harmonix Crayon
Electro-Harmonix · pedal
The Electro-Harmonix Crayon is a full-range overdrive pedal from EHX designed to preserve the complete frequency spectrum of the guitar signal including both the low-end bass and high-frequency treble that conventional Tube Screamer-style mid-boosting overdrives compress or remove. The Crayon uses a circuit that avoids the midrange hump and low-frequency rolloff of TS-style designs, delivering a more transparent, full-bandwidth overdrive saturation suited to players who want drive without the tonal narrowing effect of traditional mid-pushed OD pedals. It covers light crunch through medium saturation with controls for Gain and Treble.
What stands out
“The Crayon delivers a meaningfully differentiated overdrive character from the Tube Screamer tradition, with genuine full-frequency response that keeps low-end bass and treble clarity intact through the drive stage”
— from the reviews
“Full-range overdrive that preserves low-end bass and high-frequency treble response”
— from the community notes
“The Crayon uses a circuit that , delivering a more transparent, full-bandwidth overdrive saturation suited to players who want drive”
— from the listing
“The Electro-Harmonix Crayon is a full-range overdrive pedal from EHX designed to preserve the complete frequency spectrum of the guitar signal including both the low-end bass and high-frequency treble that conventional Tube Screamer-style m…”
— from the listing
“The mid-neutral character gives it a different feel than TS-style OD designs, making it a better pairing for bass-heavy guitar setups or players who want their amp's natural EQ preserved through the drive”
— from the reviews
- treble
- low end
- overdrive
- full
- frequency response
- frequency
- mid
- transparent
Genres the Electro-Harmonix Crayon is commonly used in
- Alternative Rock
- Blues
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Indie Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Country
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Blues Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Electro-Harmonix Crayon
Mesa Boogie Mark Five:25 1x12 Combo
Mesa Boogie
32% matchMesa Boogie Mark Five:25 1x12 Combo leans this transparent tone toward high gain, which it doesn't make on its own
Comes later in the signal chain
Blackstar Marco Mendoza
Blackstar
27% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (thin → full)
Where this leans thin, Electro-Harmonix Crayon answers back full
Comes later in the signal chain
Hiwatt Park P50B Super Bass Handwired 50W Bass Head
Hiwatt
14% matchElectro-Harmonix Crayon's own bright character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes later in the signal chain
Marshall 4140 Club & Country
amplifier
13% matchElectro-Harmonix Crayon's own bright character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes later in the signal chain
Port City Pearl/Merino Combo
Port City
11% matchWhat Electro-Harmonix Crayon brings here leans toward bright — that's worth building a pairing around
Comes later in the signal chain
Supro Delegate Custom 1x12 Combo
Supro
10% matchElectro-Harmonix Crayon's own bright character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes later in the signal chain
Synergy SL2 Module
Synergy
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Into a transparent tone, Synergy SL2 Module brings a pull toward high gain that's missing
Mesa/Boogie JP-2C John Petrucci Signature 60/100-Watt
Mesa Boogie
tonal matchComes later in the signal chain
Mesa/Boogie JP-2C John Petrucci Signature 60/100-Watt leans this transparent tone toward high gain, which it doesn't make on its own
Pedals that stack with the Electro-Harmonix Crayon
Ibanez Tube Screamer
Ibanez
31% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (transparent → mid-forward)
The Screamer's mid-forward boost stacks with the Crayon's own transparent, treble-forward drive.
Beetronics Overhive
Beetronics
31% matchInto a transparent tone, Beetronics Overhive brings a pull toward medium gain that's missing
MXR Phase 90
MXR
26% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
The Phase 90's classic-rock sweep follows the Crayon's transparent, treble-forward drive for a defined swirl.
Comes later in the signal chain
Vox Valvenergy Silk Drive
Vox
19% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.
Vox Valvenergy Silk Drive's own smooth character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes earlier in the signal chain
Alexander Pedals Now We Are Ghosts Reverb
Alexander Pedals
14% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Run Alexander Pedals Now We Are Ghosts Reverb after Electro-Harmonix Crayon in the signal chain, clear of Electro-Harmonix Crayon's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Eventide Modulated Delay
Eventide
13% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Eventide Modulated Delay's modulated voice goes after Electro-Harmonix Crayon in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with Electro-Harmonix Crayon's own bright character — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Comes later in the signal chain
Zvex Mastotron
Zvex
9% matchElectro-Harmonix Crayon's own bright character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes later in the signal chain
Custom Build 043 Jonathan N. Custom Build
Custom Build
9% matchElectro-Harmonix Crayon's own bright character is the real reason this is worth trying
Comes later in the signal chain
See all 34 pedals that pair with the Electro-Harmonix Crayon →
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
JHS Morning Glory
JHS Pedals
58% similarityShared character: treble, crunch, clarity
Carl Martin DC Drive V3
Carl Martin
56% similarityShared character: circuit, crunch, transparent
Dunlop MXR Timmy Overdrive, sold as Dunlop CSP027
Dunlop
55% similarityShared character: treble, natural, middle
Mad Professor Mad-Rbo
Mad Professor
55% similarityShared character: treble, transparent, gain
Wampler Plexi-Drive Deluxe
Wampler
55% similarityShared character: treble, middle, crunch
MXR Super Badass Distortion
MXR
54% similarityShared character: treble, middle, crunch
ThorpyFX Peacekeeper V2 Low-Gain Overdrive
ThorpyFX
54% similarityShared character: treble, natural, middle
Browne Amplification The Atom Nashville Overdrive
Browne Amplification
53% similarityShared character: middle, crunch, transparent
DOD YJM308 Preamp Overdrive
Dod
51% similarityShared character: circuit, middle, clarity
67Audio Harry Balz
67audio
51% similarityShared character: treble, middle, gain
Matthews Effects The Cartographer Parametric Overdrive
Matthews Effects
51% similarityShared character: overdrive
Benson Amps Portable Distortion 424 MKII
Benson Amps
51% similarityShared character: circuit, treble, bass
See all alternatives to the Electro-Harmonix Crayon (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Electro-Harmonix Crayon?+
The closest matches in character are the JHS Morning Glory, the Carl Martin DC Drive V3, the Dunlop MXR Timmy Overdrive, sold as Dunlop CSP027.
What pairs well with the Electro-Harmonix Crayon?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Mesa Boogie Mark Five:25 1x12 Combo, Blackstar Marco Mendoza, Hiwatt Park P50B Super Bass Handwired 50W Bass Head — Mesa Boogie Mark Five:25 1x12 Combo leans this transparent tone toward high gain, which it doesn't make on its own.
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