The Crazy Tube Circuits Starlight is a distortion pedal from Crazy Tube Circuits. MusicRadar's reviewer Trevor Curwen describes it as a pedal made for soloing, with a gain control that starts at an edgy overdrive and morphs into a thick, liquid-smooth fuzzy distortion as it is advanced1. A fuzz-flavored version, the Starlight Fuzz, was featured by Pedal of the Day in February 20162.
Controls and how it drives
The Starlight's gain knob is the heart of the pedal. Trevor Curwen's MusicRadar review describes the sweep: "Advancing the gain knob starts off with an edgy overdrive that morphs into a thick and liquid-smooth fuzzy distortion"1. The circuit behind that sweep is a chain of cascaded JFET and MOSFET gain stages, which Crazy Tube Circuits says is what creates the pedal's sound1.
The Starlight Fuzz shares the same basic layout. Pedal of the Day's Mike B lists "Volume, Tone and Gain" as the usual suspects in the control section, each interacting with the others to steer the sound4. With everything set around 10:00, he found "a nice, warm, sustained overdrive sound," and as Tone and Gain rise the sound gets thicker, fuzzier and heavier while staying crisp and punchy, reaching what he called giant fuzz tones when dimed4.
The Starlight Fuzz also carries a gain boost toggle that the plain Starlight's control set does not include. As Mike B describes it, the switch adds "an extra bit of crunch and dirt to push your amp right over the edge," along with fatter mids and extra high end presence4.
What reviewers said
MusicRadar's verdict on the Starlight was short and favorable: "Responsive distortion with loads of sustain - just lovely!"1
Pedal of the Day came away equally pleased with the Fuzz version. Mike B wrote: "The Starlight was everything I had hoped for in an easy-to-use rocking fuzz pedal, and even a bit more."4
Starlight and Starlight Fuzz
The two versions overlap but are presented as different pedals:
| Starlight | Starlight Fuzz | |
|---|---|---|
| Effect type | distortion1 | fuzz2 |
| Controls | Gain (Volume and Tone per the Fuzz's shared layout)4 | Volume, Tone, Gain, gain boost toggle4 |
| Character | edgy overdrive to liquid-smooth fuzzy distortion1 | warm sustained overdrive to giant fuzz when dimed4 |
The Starlight Fuzz also has a documented player connection: Pedal of the Day's review notes it was seen in Nels Cline's Rig Rundown, with the reviewer writing that he wanted to get his hands on it as soon as he could after seeing that video4.
Guitar Pedal X listed the Starlight Liquid Fuzz-Distortion at €175 in its August 2021 roundup of favorite fuzzy drive pedals3. That price is given in euros as published and carries that date.
Videos
Pete Thorn
R.J. Ronquillo
JetCityMusic
Questions
Does the Crazy Tube Circuits Starlight run on a battery?
Yes. MusicRadar's review by Trevor Curwen notes the Starlight is battery powered, with four-screw battery access on the pedal. That means a screwdriver is needed to reach the battery compartment rather than a tool-free door.
How do you change the battery in the Starlight?
The battery sits behind a compartment held by four screws. MusicRadar's review describes the pedal as battery powered with four-screw battery access, so undo the four screws to reach the battery and replace it.
What is the difference between the Starlight and the Starlight Fuzz?
The Starlight is described as a distortion pedal, while the Starlight Fuzz is presented as a fuzz pedal. Both share Volume, Tone and Gain controls, and the Starlight Fuzz adds a gain boost toggle that brings extra crunch and dirt, fatter mids and extra high end presence.
What does the gain boost toggle do on the Starlight Fuzz?
Pedal of the Day's Mike B describes it as a simple gain boost: the switch adds an extra bit of crunch and dirt to push your amp right over the edge, along with fatter mids and extra high end presence.
Does Nels Cline use the Starlight Fuzz?
Pedal of the Day's review of the Starlight Fuzz references Nels Cline's Rig Rundown, with reviewer Mike B writing that he wanted to try the pedal after seeing it. The pedal was featured on the site shortly after that appearance in February 2016.
What gain stages does the Starlight use?
MusicRadar reports the Starlight creates its sound with a combination of cascaded JFET and MOSFET gain stages, a transistor-based design rather than tubes or op-amps.
Sources (4)
- Crazy Tube Circuits Starlight review, MusicRadar, 2013-06-12
- Crazy Tube Circuits Starlight Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2016-02-17
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2021-08-23
- Crazy Tube Circuits Starlight Fuzz, Pedal of the Day, 2016-02-20
