The TC Electronic Grand Magus is a compact distortion pedal with three knobs: Gain, Tone and Volume. TC Electronic describes its character as organic tube-like distortion with tight bass and natural sag, built around what the company calls an ultra-wide gain range and smooth tonal character mixed with a super-tight low-end response1.
The pedal sits in a sturdy metal chassis with dedicated input and output jacks and true bypass, and the jacks are mounted on top of the enclosure rather than the sides1. Guitar World's Chris Corfield noted that this top-loading arrangement means the pedal can sit nicely on top of an amp without falling off, and it also saves width on a pedalboard2.
The controls
The Grand Magus keeps its control set to three knobs, which TC Electronic lays out as follows2:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Controls the amount of overdrive1 |
| Tone | Sets the sound anywhere between dark, old-school dirty and crisp, modern distortion1 |
| Volume | Controls the output level1 |
Guitar World's buying guide lists the same three controls, Gain, Volume and Tone, so the control layout is consistent across both the maker's page and the press2.
What it sounds like
TC Electronic's own description points to tube-like distortion with tight low end and natural sag, with a gain range wide enough to cover several shades of drive1. Guitar World placed the pedal's character in specific territory:
"Too heavy to be called rock, but definitely not metal, Grand Magus (the band and pedal) occupies the middle ground and does it with aplomb."2
Guitar World, Chris Corfield2
What reviewers said
Guitar World's Chris Corfield found much to like, with a balanced tone and the heavyweight case, though he also found a limitation: the tone control doesn't sweep very far2. He called the top-loading jacks "neat" as a practical touch2.
Related TC Electronic distortion pedals
The Grand Magus is one of several distortion pedals in TC Electronic's range. Players comparing circuits can also look at the TC Electronic Dark Matter, the TC Electronic Eyemaster, the TC Electronic Fangs and the TC Electronic Röttweiler, or the updated TC Electronic Magus Pro1.
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Questions
Is the TC Electronic Grand Magus true bypass?
Yes. TC Electronic lists the Grand Magus with true bypass, so the signal passes through untouched when the pedal is off. The company also fits the pedal in a sturdy metal chassis with dedicated input and output jacks.
Can the Grand Magus run on a 9V battery?
Yes. TC Electronic says you can power the Grand Magus with a 9V battery, or use the company's POWERPLUG 9V adapter instead. That makes it usable on a board or on its own without a power supply.
Are the Grand Magus jacks on top?
Yes. The input and output jacks are top-mounted, which Guitar World noted means the pedal can sit on top of an amp without the cables pulling it off, and saves horizontal space on a pedalboard.
Sources (2)
- GRAND MAGUS DISTORTION, TC Electronic
- Best cheap distortion pedals: get your perfect rock tone for less money, Guitar World, 2024-01-31
