The Crazy Tube Circuits Constellation OC41 is a fuzz pedal voiced alongside two siblings, the Constellation OC45 and Constellation CV7003. Reviewers place the OC41 between the two: darker and with more low-end than the OC45, but not as deep or gainy as the CV7003, with the least "Reed" in its Fuzz Face mode of the three.12
The Constellation OC41 is discontinued. Crazy Tube Circuits marks it "discontinued/old-stock" and sold out, and the B-Stock listing is sold out as well.13
Prices and availability
The maker's standard store page for the OC41 shows a sale price of €229.00 alongside the discontinued/old-stock status.1 The separate B-Stock page shows an original price of €259.00 and a sale price of €220.00.3 The two listings give different figures for the pedal's price and the maker has not reconciled them, so both are given here as stated, in euros as listed.
How the OC41 sits among the Constellation variants
The Constellation family puts three germanium transistor sets into the same multi-fuzz platform. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson, reviewing the full set in April 2021, placed the OC41 between its siblings2:
"This is funnily enough very much the middle-option here - in that it's darker and more low-end than the OC45, but not quite as deep as the CV7003, nor quite as gainy/saturating."
On the Fuzz Face voicing specifically, he found the OC41 had the least "Reed" in its timbre of the three variants.2 For a player choosing between them, that positions the OC41 as the variant with more low-end weight than the OC45 while stopping short of the depth and gain of the CV7003.
Where to look next
Crazy Tube Circuits has since carried the Constellation's multi-fuzz thinking into later designs: the Triptychon extends the Constellation multi-fuzz and Rangemaster idea into a three-stage boost, octave, fuzz and drive pedal, and the Orama pairs an amp-style voicing with a fuzz section. For the wider category, see the site's Fuzz Pedals page.
Questions
Is the Crazy Tube Circuits Constellation OC41 still made?
No. Crazy Tube Circuits lists the Constellation OC41 as discontinued/old-stock on its store page, and the listing is marked sold out. The B-Stock version of the pedal is likewise marked sold out. Any unit found now would have to come from second-hand or remaining old-stock channels rather than new production.
How does the OC41 differ from the OC45 and CV7003?
Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson, comparing all three Constellation variants, described the OC41 as very much the middle option: darker and with more low-end than the OC45, but not as deep or gainy as the CV7003. He also found the OC41 had the least 'Reed' character in its Fuzz Face mode among the three.
What is the B-Stock version of the Constellation OC41?
Crazy Tube Circuits offered a B-Stock Constellation OC41 through its store at a sale price of €220.00, against an original price of €259.00 on that listing. The B-Stock units are also marked sold out, so the discounted version is no longer available from the maker either.
Which classic British fuzz boxes inspired the Constellation?
Crazy Tube Circuits describes the Constellation as inspired by six classic British fuzz boxes of the past. The maker does not name the individual circuits on the OC41 product page. The Constellation family spans three germanium transistor variants, the OC41, OC45 and CV7003, each with its own take on those voicings.
Sources (3)
- Constellation OC41 (discontinued/old-stock), Crazy Tube Circuits
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2021-04-26
- Constellation OC41 (B-Stock), Crazy Tube Circuits
