A less muddy sounding version of the Crowther Hotcake?

[frigid midget]

Not really interested in an actual clones, what I'm looking for should sound less muddy and dark when the gain control is passed noon

I bought and flipped countless dirt pedals over the years, I've got about ten of 'em in my arsenal right now...
But I haven't come across a compact straight forward (3 controls) kinda overdrive pedal that sounds as good on both bass and guitar, as the Hotcake

My only gripe, the reason I sold mine: it's useless with the gain dimed. I coulnd't care less about transparant boosters, which the Hotcake does in spades, but everything in the gain spectrum between crystal clean and low gain warm/gritty overdrive, sounded magical, no matter what amp or gtr/bass I used. Totally pisses on a Rat or any of the Boss overdrives...I so wish it could go dirtier though, without sounding that muddy

I tried using a trebly overdive in front/after it, I messed with an eq pedal...Never really delivered, plus the tap dancing thing is way too annoying.

Any suggestions? Preferably nothing too rare/pricey, and if possible nothing with more than three controls. EQD dirt has always been stayed under my radar for some reason, and I'm sure I'm overlooking a whole bunch of other stuff too...

[D.o.S.]

You're going to have a hard time finding an actual Hotcake that doesn't get muddy with the gain dimed.

[frigid midget]

You're going to have a hard time finding an actual Hotcake that doesn't get muddy with the gain dimed.

Yeah, I figured that much too

With a bazillion of dirt pedals on today's saturated market, and everyone and their mothers building clones and custom builds...Here I am looking for that one particular dirt pedal that doesn't exist

Don't suppose anyone can confirm what I read online about the old 2-knob version? More mid hump, better for dialing out whooly lows?
Or can't a stock hotcake be modded, like with a different value pot for the presence control or something?

[D.o.S.]

You could check out the Mtl Assembly positive. It's a two knob hotcake -- I have one and it rules.definitely a lot of mids, but it brings the wool.

I believe they were originally made for really bright amps (vox maybe?) So that's why they're quite bass heavy.

[frigid midget]

You could check out the Mtl Assembly positive. It's a two knob hotcake -- I have one and it rules.definitely a lot of mids, but it brings the wool.

I believe they were originally made for really bright amps (vox maybe?) So that's why they're quite bass heavy.

Yeah, I've had my eye on those. I guess the old vs new difference isn't gonna be huge, that extra bass is indeed probably what makes the hotcake so popular among vox users.

I've done threads similar to this one...."big muff that doesn't get lost in a mix", or "A rat without bass cut"...Only to conclude that those are the exact characteristics that make the pedal what it is :/

[rustywire]

Yeah, from everything I've read about the Hotcake, it's designed for use with the voicing of a Vox Top Boost/Brilliant channel.
Try a treble booster behind it, like a Rangemaster, opposed to a trebly overdrive. Basically I would try something that can be wayyyy harsh on its own and then tweak the gainstaging between pedals, probably "Hotcake set to sweetspot into a booster set for more-better-chime.

[Gigahearts_FX]

ez option = get an AC30

[frigid midget]

Tried both the treble booster and ac30 options.
AC30’s are great, but they’re no Marshalls

I might give the treble booster another try. What’s out there that’s more than a straight clone, i.e. what’s worth checking out that’s fun on its own, worth keeping even if it fails at its job of fixing my hotcake issue?

[rustywire]

A Rangemaster clone with 4-way input cap selection for varying degrees of bottom end passing through the circuit
Earlier this year I sold a Retroman Beano, can be found secondhand for about $130...and they sound GREAT with Marshalls alone or stacked.

[MechaGodzilla]

I found that a treble booster circuit with a "full range" setting was pretty muddy coz the low end tends to clip earlier and harder than more useful frequencies. And I kind of don't believe in adding a pedal to deal with a problem pedal but maybe I'm a trendy downsize person! A treble booster with a mid boost setting (or hi+lo cut) is more useful than full range or just treble boosting ime.

Have you tried a klone/bass soul food?

[Chankgeez]

Some guy on TGP claims to've "figured it out":

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index ... t.1733037/

[Jero]

I havent tried one yet, but maybe the catalinbread sabbra cadabra. Has a presence control, and treble to full range booster.

[frigid midget]

Some guy on TGP claims to've "figured it out":

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index ... t.1733037/

What's his fucking point though?

[Chankgeez]

He wants to ease people's struggle with Hotcakes?

[frigid midget]

He wants to ease people's struggle with Hotcakes?

Well...He wants to ease TGP'ers struggle with Hotcakes. Mission accomplished, apparantly. Only at TGP someone gets praised for his elaborate explanation on how to use a medium gain overdrive with a vol/tone/gain configuration

Some of those dudes are like "damn, thanks, I should give that pedal another try. I couldn've never figured out myself I had to try maxing out the presence control when shit gets bassy at higher gain levels"