The Pete Cornish CC-1 is a crunch pedal from British builder Pete Cornish, available to order since January 2013 and still listed on the maker's current price lists12. It sits in the boost and overdrive family, but its design goal is specific: add harmonics and grit with soft clipping while leaving the peaks of your signal, and therefore your dynamics, intact.
The circuit is two fixed low-gain soft clipping stages preceded by a variable gain linear preamp with a maximum of +22 dB, followed by an active three-band EQ1. Pete Cornish describes how the clipping behaves as you play harder:
"As the signal level increases due to stronger playing the soft clips gradually engage and start to add harmonics"13
Pete Cornish, CC-1 product page1
Because the clipping stages are effectively and automatically removed from the audio path when the signal level drops below their transition point, the pedal cleans up completely when you roll back your guitar's volume3. Each unit is hand built, wired and tested by Pete, Lynda and Mingus Cornish2.
What it does: soft clipping crunch with dynamics preserved
The CC-1's soft clipping stages do not clamp signal peaks, so the loudness and dynamics of your playing come through even at high gain1. The preamp in front of them sets how hard the clipping stages are driven, up to that +22 dB maximum, which is what the Gain knob controls13.
Maximum signal output with Volume at 100% is +10 dBm, 2.5 V RMS, or 6 V peak to peak1. Overall boost with Gain at 100% and Volume at 100%, with the tone controls at their 50% neutral point, is +34 dB; with Gain at 0% and Volume at 100% it is +12 dB1.
The pedal is housed in a rugged die-cast box with easy-to-set Number Knobs, a heavy duty all-metal footswitch and a Hi-Brite LED2.
The controls
The CC-1 carries five knobs: Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble and an output Master Volume13. The three tone controls form an active EQ with cut and boost either side of a 12 o'clock zero point1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the variable gain linear preamp driving the soft clipping stages, up to +22 dB13 |
| Bass | Active EQ, +/-13 dB at 70 Hz, zero point at 12 o'clock13 |
| Middle | Active EQ, +/-15 dB at 1.5 kHz, zero point at 12 o'clock13 |
| Treble | Active EQ, +/-16 dB at 5 kHz, zero point at 12 o'clock13 |
| Volume | Output Master Volume for matching bypassed and boosted/EQ'd signal level13 |
The Master Volume is there so you can set the boosted and EQ'd level to match your bypassed level exactly, which makes the pedal workable as a pure EQ or clean-ish lift with the Gain backed off1.
Power and connections
The CC-1 runs on a 9V DC input with an M2.1 tip negative connector, drawing 20mA12. The Gray Series version also takes an internal 9V DC battery1. Pete Cornish recommends the Voodoo Lab Pedal Power series of supplies1.
The connector is tip negative (center pin negative), the opposite of the center-positive convention some pedals use. Check your power supply's polarity before plugging in.
The pedal includes Pete Cornish's well-established Class A input buffer and radio frequency suppressor, and its low output buffer impedance is designed to drive long cables1. That makes it useful at the front of a large board where cable loss would otherwise dull the signal.
The CC-1 and the GC-1
Pete Cornish states plainly that "the CC-1 is not a variant of any existing product but a completely new and original design"1. Aion FX traced the circuit in 2020 and backs that up, describing the CC-1 as a fully original circuit not based on anything else, designed primarily with op-amps6.
The related Pete Cornish Battery Free GC-1 is closer to the CC-1 than its own product page might suggest67.
The CC-1 is Pete Cornish's Crunch pedal, which he described as having "taken over a year to perfect" and which became available to order in January 201312. It features two fixed low gain Soft Clipping Stages preceded by a variable gain linear preamp with a maximum of +22dB1. Its tone controls offer wide cut and boost: Bass at +/- 13dB centered on 70Hz, Mid at +/- 15dB at 1.5KHz, and Treble at +/-16dB at 5KHz1. Maximum signal output with Volume at 100% is +10dBm, 2.5vrms, 6v peak to peak1.
Aion FX6
The CC-1's overdrive character comes from its clipping architecture: two fixed low gain Soft Clipping Stages preceded by a variable gain linear preamp with a maximum of +22dB71. Pete Cornish says the pedal took over a year to perfect and became available to order in January 201312. Each unit is hand built, wired and tested by Pete, Lynda and Mingus Cornish, housed in a rugged die-cast box with easy to set Number Knobs2.
The Deluxe CC-1
A Deluxe CC-1 version adds easy battery replacement via a removable drawer, with the battery switched on when you insert the IN/PWR ON jack; the preferred battery type is MN16043. Its circuit and controls otherwise match the standard CC-1's description: the same two soft clipping stages, the same preamp, the same EQ ranges and the same +34 dB / +12 dB boost figures12.
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Questions
Does the Pete Cornish CC-1 take a battery?
The Grey Series CC-1 takes an internal 9V DC battery and also has a 9V DC input on an M2.1 tip negative connector. The battery-free version of the pedal, listed on Pete Cornish's battery-free price list, runs from the external supply only. Current draw is 20mA.
Is the Pete Cornish CC-1 a clone of another overdrive?
No. Pete Cornish states the CC-1 is not a variant of any existing product but a completely new and original design. Aion FX traced the circuit in 2020 and describes it as a fully original circuit not based on anything else, designed primarily with op-amps.
How much does the Pete Cornish CC-1 cost?
On Pete Cornish's UK price list dated 31 March 2026, the CC-1 is listed at 527.94 GBP excluding VAT and 633.53 GBP including VAT. The maker reserves the right to change prices to reflect increased material costs.
What is the difference between the Pete Cornish CC-1 and GC-1?
Aion FX traced both circuits and found the GC-1 identical to the CC-1 other than changes in component values. The GC-1's clipping is the same as the CC-1's, two soft clipping stages with no hard clipping. The Deluxe GC-1 adds automatic switching between hard and soft clipping stages as gain increases.
Does the Pete Cornish CC-1 have a buffer?
Yes. The CC-1 includes Pete Cornish's Class A input buffer and radio frequency suppressor, and a low output buffer impedance so it can drive long cables. This applies whether the pedal is engaged or bypassed.
Sources (7)
- Pete Cornish CC-1, Pete Cornish, 2025
- Pete Cornish CC-1, Pete Cornish Partnership, 2014
- Pete Cornish Deluxe CC-1, Pete Cornish, 2017
- Grey Series Effects Pedals, petecornish.co.uk, 2026-03-31
- Battery Free Effects Pedals, petecornish.co.uk, 2026-03-31
- Cepheus Amp Overdrive / Cornish CC-1 & GC-1, Aion FX, 2020-09-11
- Tracing Journal: Cornish GC-1, Aion FX, 2023-10-06
