The Crazy Tube Circuits Crossfire is a dual overdrive pedal that splits a classic rig into two halves of one box. The left side is voiced after the blackface amps that defined clean electric guitar sounds, with big bold lows, sparkly highs and slightly scooped mids. The right side is the green mid-hump overdrive circuit players have known since the late 70s, accurately recreated with some of the most common modifications added12.
The maker describes the pairing plainly: "Crossfire is inspired by one of the most iconic pedal-amp combinations in guitar history"1. Delicious Audio spelled out the lineage the same way, calling the left half a "Blackface-style amp-in-a-box" and the right half a TS-style drive2. Premier Guitar dates the amp voicing to the mid '60s blackpanel amps and the overdrive to the classic green circuit of the late '70s3. The signal path is all analog14, and the pedal carries two footswitches, one per side5.
The amp side and the overdrive side
The left side follows the signal path of the blackpanel amps it is modeled on. Crazy Tube Circuits says it followed the circuit path in exact detail to include the essential sonic ingredients, from the big bold lows and sparkly highs to the power amp character1. A headroom switch selects between two power amp feels: the powerful sound of a solid state rectified 4x 6L6GC power amp, or the sponginess of a tube rectified 2x 6L6GC power amp14. Gearnews described the same switch as a Twin Reverb voicing at the high headroom setting and a more Super Reverb style at lower headroom5. Guitar Player's review put it the same way, a choice between the super-clean solid-state rectified Twin sound or the more distorted tube-rectified Super Reverb sound9.
The right side is the green mid-hump overdrive, recreated accurately but with common modifications from mass production and boutique variations included13. Delicious Audio calls the whole combination, overdrive into amp, one that has become somewhat iconic in rock and roll2.
The controls
Each side has its own footswitch, with two footswitches in total, and its own control set, plus internal switches such as one that offers additional headroom by providing 18V DC to the overdrive circuit1014.
| Control | Side | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Headroom switch | Amp side | Selects between a solid state rectified 4x 6L6GC power amp sound and the sponginess of a tube rectified 2x 6L6GC power amp14 |
| High/Low toggle | Amp side | Controls the headroom of the Blackface side, delivering a more or less dynamic, compressed or airy sound2 |
| Clipping toggle | Overdrive side | Selects between symmetrical (original) or asymmetrical clipping for enhanced touch-sensitive drive characteristics14 |
| Gain toggle | Overdrive side | Adds more gain and alters the low frequency response, reminiscent of placing two of the same overdrive pedals in series14 |
| G toggle | Overdrive side | Delivers more gain on tap2 |
The clipping and gain toggles are where the right side departs from a straight recreation. The clipping toggle gives you the original symmetrical clipping or an asymmetrical option for more touch sensitivity, and the gain toggle behaves like stacking two of the same overdrive in series, with the low frequency response altered to match1.
The effects loop
Between the two sides sits a passive effects loop, so another pedal can be inserted after the overdrive side and before the amp side, the same order as the pedal-into-amp rig the Crossfire is built around1. When both sides are in bypass mode the loop is true bypass as well, so the signal is not affected at all1. Gearnews flagged this as a design choice worth liking, noting the loop is true bypass along with the pedal itself, so the whole thing drops out of the signal path5.
Power
The Crossfire runs on 9V DC, center negative4. The maker states that the unit was designed for 9V DC input only and that a higher voltage power supply is not to be used1.
Do not feed the Crossfire more than 9V DC. The internal 18V option is generated inside the pedal, not supplied from outside.
Inside, a switch provides 18V DC to the overdrive circuit for additional headroom14. Pedal of the Day noted the same feature, the internal switch offering extra headroom by supplying 18V to the overdrive side410.
On current draw, the maker's listing gives 83mA4, while Gearnews reported 77mA at launch5. Plan your power supply around the higher figure.
What reviewers said
Guitar Player's review summed up the pedal's range in its verdict:
"Tons of warm, American, tube-like tones and a gargantuan variety of malleable grit from slight drive to near fuzz reside in this solid board-friendly pedal"9
Pedal of the Day came at it from a working player's angle:
"So much versatility and so many options here, it's near impossible to find a sound that wouldn't fit any rig."10
Gearnews noted the 5 year warranty that comes with the Crossfire5. That Pedal Show demoed the pedal in a June 2022 episode on amp-in-a-box pedals versus normal overdrives, covering both the amp side and the overdrive side of the pedal11.
Where it sits in the range
The Crossfire was one of two dual overdrive and amp-in-a-box offerings Crazy Tube Circuits released in back-to-back Decembers, alongside the Unobtanium6. Players looking at other amp-voiced drives from the same maker can also compare the Blackface Stardust V2, the Heatseeker and the Hi Power.
Videos
Pete Thorn
Shawn Tubbs
R.J. Ronquillo
News
Questions
Is the Crazy Tube Circuits Crossfire true bypass?
Yes. The pedal is true bypass, and when both sides are bypassed the passive effects loop is true bypass as well, so the signal passes through unaffected. Gearnews highlighted this when the pedal launched, noting the whole thing drops out of your signal path when switched off.
What is the Crossfire's effects loop for?
The Crossfire has a passive effects loop between its two sides, so you can plug another pedal into the chain between the amp-voiced left side and the overdrive right side. That mirrors the classic setup it is inspired by, where a pedal feeds an amp. The loop is true bypass when both sides are off.
Is the Crossfire's overdrive side a Tube Screamer clone?
The right side is Crazy Tube Circuits' accurate recreation of the classic green mid-hump overdrive circuit that dates to the late 70s, with some of the most common modifications from mass production and boutique versions added. So it follows that circuit rather than copying a specific current pedal.
How much current does the Crossfire draw?
Crazy Tube Circuits lists the Crossfire Overdrive at 83mA. Gearnews reported 77mA at launch, so the two figures differ slightly; either way it is a modest draw for a dual pedal, but plan for it on a small power supply.
Sources (11)
- Crossfire, Crazy Tube Circuits
- Crazy Tube Circuits Crossfire Dual Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2022-04-12
- Crazy Tube Circuits Releases the Crossfire, Premier Guitar, 2021-12-14
- Crossfire Overdrive by Crazy Tube Circuits, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Cop some SRV and John Mayer tones with the new Crazy Tube Circuits Crossfire, gearnews.com, 2021-12-10
- Crazy Tube Circuits channels the sound of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here in a pedal with the Hi-Power, Guitar World, 2023-12-07
- Crossfire, Crazy Tube Circuits
- Crossfire (B-Stock), Crazy Tube Circuits
- Crazy Tube Circuits Crossfire Review, GuitarPlayer, 2022-04-05
- Crazy Tube Circuits Crossfire Overdrive Preamp, Pedal of the Day, 2022-05-11
- Amp In A Box Pedals Vs ‘Normal’ Overdrive & Graphic EQ And A Couple Of Cranked Amps, That Pedal Show, 2022-06-03
