The Crazy Tube Circuits Killer V is an overdrive and vibrato pedal in one box, built to emulate a complete vintage amplifier rather than a single effect. Crazy Tube Circuits says it copied the behavior, sound and feel of the preamp, phase inverter, power amp and the compression and sag of a tube rectifier from amplifiers born in California, USA in the 1950s and 60s: the Magnatone amps with their distinct true pitch-shifting vibrato circuit1. The pedal was announced ahead of NAMM 2020 in December 20192 and released in March 20222.
What sets it apart from most vibrato pedals is that the modulation is real pitch variation, not just volume wobble. As Gearnews explained when covering the launch, tremolo on some amplifiers only changes the volume, while the Magnatone amps vary the pitch, which gives an altogether different sound3. The Killer V recreates that with an all-analog LFO driving two discrete phase-shift modulation stages1.
A Magnatone-style preamp and vibrato in one pedal
The Killer V is not just a vibrato with a gain knob bolted on. Crazy Tube Circuits modeled the whole signal path of the original amps, and says it managed to recreate not only the overdriven sounds but the lower gain and clean sounds of these amps as well1. The drive side uses JFET technology and an internal voltage multiplier to provide tube amp-like dynamics and high headroom7.
The vibrato section is what Crazy Tube Circuits calls a "true pitch-shifting vibrato circuit"7. Beyond straight vibrato, the pedal adds the option of placing the dry, unmodulated signal in parallel with the wet, modulated signal, which the maker says creates whirling phaser and vibe sounds1. GuitarPlayer's review noted the same flexibility: you can run the modulated signal alone for a vibrato effect or add the dry signal for phaser/Uni-Vibe sounds5.
The two sections are independent. A separate footswitch turns the vibrato on and off independently from the drive2, so a player can use clean pitch-shifting vibrato alone, overdrive alone, or both together.
"The Magnatone amps, on the other hand, vary the pitch. That gives you an altogether different sound."
GuitarPlayer's review of the pedal (alongside the Falcon) found it delivers Magnatone amp- and vibrato-style tones, and called it deserving of your hard-earned scratch for roots and Americana players5.
The controls: drive, tone and vibrato
The control set covers both halves of the pedal. GuitarPlayer listed the full layout: Volume, Master, Bass, Treble, Depth and Speed knobs, plus switches for voice and wet/dry-wet5.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Gain-section level2 |
| Master | Overall output for the gain section2 |
| Bass / Treble | Tone shaping5 |
| Depth | Vibrato modulation depth2 |
| Speed | Vibrato modulation rate2 |
| B/N/M toggle | Changes the feel and behavior of the preamp section: Bright, Normal or Mellow2 |
| Wet/Dry-Wet toggle | Chooses between 100% wet vibrato and 50/50 with the clean signal mixed in2 |
| Modified switch (internal) | Accesses a Modified gain structure emulating a popular update in the amp's preamp circuit2 |
The Bright/Normal/Mellow toggle gives three preamp voices, selectable on the fly3. The internal Modified switch is the deep option: it emulates a popular update that was made to the original amp's preamp circuit, and it affects the range of the volume control and the behavior of the circuit2.
How it compares
Players shopping for Magnatone-style vibrato have alternatives. Crazy Tube Circuits also makes the Crazy Tube Circuits Memphis, a vibrato pedal that recreates the Magnatone modulation without the Killer V's drive section. Other pitch-shifting and vibe-style options include the Strymon UltraViolet Vintage Vibe, the Fulltone MDV3, the EarthQuaker Devices The Depths V2 and the Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe. The Killer V's distinction is that it pairs the modulation with a full amp-style preamp and power-amp emulation in the same box.
Videos
Premier Guitar
R.J. Ronquillo
Mike Hermans
Questions
Can the Killer V vibrato be used without the drive?
Yes. The vibrato has its own dedicated footswitch and can be turned on and off independently from the drive section, so you can run the modulated signal on its own or alongside the overdrive. A Wet/Dry toggle also lets you run 100% wet vibrato or mix 50/50 with the clean signal for phaser and Uni-Vibe style sounds.
Is the Killer V true bypass?
Yes. The pedal is wired for true-bypass switching, with one footswitch for the effect and a second to engage the vibrato, so the signal passes untouched when both are off.
What does the Modified switch inside the Killer V do?
An internal switch accesses a Modified gain structure that emulates a popular update made to the original amp's preamp circuit. It changes the range of the volume control and the behavior of the circuit, giving you a second take on the preamp.
Is the Killer V analog?
Yes. It uses all-analog JFET technology with an internal voltage multiplier for high headroom, and the vibrato is an all-analog LFO driving two discrete phase-shift modulation stages to create pitch modulation.
Where is the Killer V made?
The Killer V is built in Greece by Crazy Tube Circuits, a Greek pedal builder. The amps it emulates, however, were born in California, USA in the 1950s and 60s.
Sources (7)
- Killer V, Crazy Tube Circuits
- Crazy Tube Circuits Killer V Vibrato + Drive, Delicious Audio, 2022-03-21
- Crazy Tube Circuits KILLER V: A Magnatone preamp and vibrato in one pedal!, gearnews.com, 2019-12-18
- Crazy Tubes Circuits offers up tweed-like drive and vibrato tones with the new Killer V, Guitar World, 2019-12-17
- Crazy Tube Circuits Falcon and Killer V Reviews, GuitarPlayer, 2022-01-12
- Maggie Vibe and Amp Tones in a Single Stomp, Premier Guitar, 2020-07-23
- NAMM 2020: Crazy Tube Circuits channels surf-rock tones with the Killer V, Guitar.com, 2019-12-18
