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Crescent Amp Distortion

Based On
MI Audio Crunch Box
Effect Type
Amp-Like Distortion
Build Difficulty
Intermediate
Project Summary
A Marshall-like distortion pedal noted for its high-gain “stack of amps” tone.
Crescent Amp Distortion printed circuit board

Printed Circuit Board

What's included?
PCB only. Build instructions and parts list can be viewed or downloaded from this page.

$12.50

In stock

Complete Kit

Not yet available.
Kits are developed based on interest, so if you’d like to see one for this project, let us know.
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34 people are interested.

Project description

The Crescent Amp Distortion is an adaptation of the MI Audio Crunch Box, a tweaked hybrid of the Marshall Guv’nor and Bluesbreaker first released in 2006.

It’s solidly in the family of Marshall-like pedals and is lauded for its high-gain “stack of amps” tone. It has seen has seen at least five major versions since that time, with the fourth and fifth version being renamed to the Super Crunch Box.

The Crescent is not a direct clone or copy of any of these versions, but rather a hybrid of several of them. It’s most similar to version 3, but with an added option for 18V operation using a charge pump as well as a clipping diode toggle switch (both features from V5, although our version had it long before V5 was released!).

The updated version of the Crescent is mostly the same as the earlier 1590B version, with two major changes. First, there is an internal slide switch allowing 9V or 18V operation to be selected. Second, the Presence control has been relocated back inside the enclosure as a trimmer, as on the original Crunch Box units. The presence control essentially just sets the range of the main tone control, so it doesn’t need to be external.

The Crunch Box was the inspiration for another well-known high gain pedal, the Suhr Riot. An Aion FX adaptation of the Riot is available called the Fusion Distortion.