Crazy Tube Circuits HI POWER Overdrive

A Dual British Heritage: Colorsound + Hiwatt in the DNA

The Hi Power adopts the architecture dear to Crazy Tube Circuits: combining the character of a legendary pedal with the response of an iconic amp to recreate not only a tone but a playing feel. Here, the right side is inspired by the famous Colorsound Power Boost / Overdriver circuits (with BC184 transistors matching original specifications), while the left side offers an analog simulation of a "Hiwatt" amp's behavior, from preamp to power stage. The result: a typically British playground capable of everything from crystalline boost to dense overdrive, with the reserve and presence reminiscent of big stacks.

Who It's For and Which Styles the Hi Power Excels In

The Crazy Tube Circuits Hi Power targets guitarists who want to sculpt their drive like a complete rig rather than stacking saturations randomly. In blues/rock, it excels at pushing a clean tone with rich harmonics, akin to the "edge of breakup" sound. In '70s rock and classic rock, it delivers that "crunchy" bite and projection that cut through a mix. For fans of ambient, prog, or post-rock sounds, the boost + amp section combination provides a wide, articulate drive that maintains definition with delays and reverbs. In the studio, it's a formidable tool for dialing in an instantly usable tone; live, it advantageously replaces part of the rig when playing on variable backline or a more neutral platform.

Controls and Routing: A True "Gain Chain" Under Your Feet

The Hi Power is built in two distinct sections, each with its own footswitch and status LED. The "pedal" section (right) offers Volume, Bass, Treble, and Master controls, with a circuit selector allowing choice between 18-volt operation in the Power Boost style or 9-volt operation in the Overdriver style. Its two-band Baxandall EQ provides a musical and broad action, ideal for shifting from transparent boost to a rougher texture, up to saturation with a fuzzy edge depending on gain and attack settings.

The "amp" section (left) takes a more "amp head" approach with Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence, and Master controls, plus two key selectors: channel choice (Normal, Linked, Bright) to vary color and gain level, and Headroom (100 watts vs. 50 watts) to select a more dynamic and open response or a more compressed and edgy one. Finally, the passive serial effects loop allows either insertion of modulations/delays between the sections or use as two independent effects in a more complex setup.

Sound Signature

The Hi Power's sonic signature lies at the intersection of a very ample boost and an amp structure that provides foundation, "punch," and organic presence. The Colorsound section brings a typically British brightness and attack: in boost mode, it clarifies the upper spectrum and highlights harmonics; in overdrive, it adds grain and a rougher texture without losing the lively feel under the fingers. The "Hiwatt" section completes the picture with a firm low-end response, clear mids, and a Presence control positioned to act like the real circuit, perfect for adjusting projection and aggressiveness of the upper mid/high frequencies depending on guitar and amp. By adjusting the Master (which influences gain when turned up), channel selectors, and headroom, you can move from a muscular clean to a thick, bold drive with dynamics that finely respond to guitar volume and picking.

Technical specifications

Effects	Cabinet Simulator, Overdrive	Type	sector
Format	Pedal	Use	electric guitar
EQ	2 channels	Color	Green

Right section	reproduction of Colorsound Power Boost and Colorsound Overdriver circuits	Headroom selector	dynamic response like 100 watts or more compressed response like 50 watts
Transistors	BC184 (matching original specifications)	Master (right section)	overall output level; behavior designed to replicate the circuit of early models when set to maximum
Wide gain range	from transparent boost to rough and fuzzy overdrive	Master (left section)	adjusts overall output level and increases gain as the setting is raised
Left section	fully analog simulation of the sound and behavior of the "Hiwatt" preamp and power amp	Power supply	9 V DC, 2.1 x 5.5 mm connector, center negative
"Pedal" section (right)	Volume, Bass, Treble, Master	Internal operation	18 V DC via a voltage doubler circuit
Circuit selector (right section)	18 volts Power Boost style or 9 volts Overdriver style mode	Power consumption	84 mA
"Amp" section (left)	Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence, Master	Green die-cast metal enclosure with colored lettering	orange (pedal section) and white (amp section)
Presence as per original	located in the feedback loop of the power amp simulation stage	Dimensions (W x D x H)	119 x 97 x 53 mm
Channel selector (left section)	Normal, Linked, Bright	Weight	444 g