The McGregor Crunch Plus is an overdrive pedal for guitar and bass, launched by boutique maker McGregor Pedals as the company's second pedal1. It is hand soldered in Vancouver, Canada, runs on a standard 9-volt DC center-negative power supply, and was priced at $210 at launch1. Premier Guitar later described it as a medium-gain version for guitar and bass2.
The pedal is voiced for clean amplifiers, and MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley described the added stage as giving "a little more sparkle and hot crunch, mother's milk to blues-rock players"3. It comes in a light blue enclosure with controls for Volume, Gain and Tone3.
A transparent overdrive with a second clipping stage
The Crunch Plus sits on the same drive spectrum as the Crunch Transparent Overdrive. MusicRadar called it "very much a continuation on the same drive spectrum as the Crunch Transparent Overdrive," voiced for clean amplifiers and adding a second clipping stage to the earlier circuit3. Where the original was a single-channel low-gain overdrive, the Plus adds a third gain stage and a second clipping stage, pushing the pedal into medium-gain territory12.
The clipping itself is hard clipping, and the Gain control sets how much signal drives it1. Even with the Gain control at zero, MusicRadar noted there is "a little background heat in the signal, like the Crunch Transparent at minimum"3.
According to the launch announcement, with the gain at minimum the Crunch Plus sounds similar to the Crunch Transparent Overdrive at about 3/4 gain, with a bit of an edge, and it never loses that edge as the gain is brought up, while maintaining transparency1.
"It is voiced for clean amplifiers, adding a second clipping stage to its predecessor's circuit so to add a little more sparkle and hot crunch, mother's milk to blues-rock players."
The controls and LED trimpot
The pedal has three knobs plus one hidden adjustment:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Controls the amount of gain driving the pedal's hard clipping1 |
| Tone | A mid-range control that works much like the tone control on most guitars1 |
| Vol | Attenuates the amplified and clipped signal after it leaves the tone filter1 |
| Trimpot (side, unmarked) | Controls LED brightness, adjustable with a jeweler's screwdriver1 |
The trimpot is not marked on the enclosure. It sets the brightness of the LED from dark enough for a dim stage to bright enough for daylight, adjusted with a jeweler's screwdriver1.
Power, bypass and build
The Crunch Plus runs on a standard 9V DC center-negative power supply and has no battery compartment, so it needs a mains adapter or a pedalboard power supply13. It is true bypass with a soft-click footswitch, and the pedals are hand soldered throughout13. Each unit is hand soldered in Vancouver, Canada, and designed and built by Garth Heslop1.
No battery compartment. The Crunch Plus is power-supply only, running on 9V DC center negative1.
At launch the pedal was priced at $210 and could be purchased directly from the McGregor Pedals online store via mcgregorpedals.com1.
Where it came from
McGregor Pedals is a boutique pedal company based in Vancouver, Canada, where its pedals are hand soldered1. The Crunch Plus overdrive, launched as the company's second pedal, was priced at $2101. It runs on a standard 9-volt DC center-negative power supply1.
Videos
McGregor Pedals Inc.
Shawn Tubbs
R.J. Ronquillo
Questions
What is the difference between the McGregor Crunch Plus and the Crunch Transparent Overdrive?
The Crunch Plus builds on the same circuit as the original Crunch Transparent Overdrive, adding a third gain stage and a second clipping stage. With its gain at minimum it sounds similar to the Crunch Transparent at about 3/4 gain with a bit of an edge, and it keeps that edge as the gain comes up while staying transparent.
Does the McGregor Crunch Plus take a battery?
No. The pedal has no battery compartment and runs on a standard 9V DC center-negative power supply only, so you will need a power supply or pedalboard power brick to run it.
Is the Crunch Plus true bypass?
Yes. The McGregor Crunch Plus is true bypass with a soft-click footswitch, and the pedals are hand soldered throughout.
Can the Crunch Plus be used with bass?
Yes. McGregor Pedals describes the Crunch Plus as suitable for both guitar and bass, and Premier Guitar later called it a medium-gain version for guitar and bass.
Who designed the McGregor Crunch Plus?
The Crunch Plus was designed and built by Garth Heslop, who designs and builds all McGregor Pedals pedals. Each one is hand soldered in Vancouver, Canada.
How do I adjust the LED brightness on the Crunch Plus?
An unmarked trimpot on the side of the pedal controls the LED brightness. Turn it with a jeweler's screwdriver to set the LED anywhere from dark enough for a dim stage to bright enough for full sun.
Sources (3)
- McGregor Pedals Releases the Crunch Plus Overdrive, Premier Guitar, 2020-12-15
- McGregor Pedals Introduces the Cozmic Fuzzball Pedal, Premier Guitar, 2021-08-02
- McGregor Pedals adds another sweet drive option for your pedalboard with the Crunch Plus Overdrive, MusicRadar, 2020-12-17
