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moosers
Published on 04/05/10 at 14:26
The Line 6 Crunchtone is an overdrive pedal for use with electric guitar, but like all pedals is suitable for use with any electronic instrument that you'd like to use overdrive with. I've only used the pedal with electric guitar, so I'll be focusing on this application of the pedal. The pedal is a digital one, with 1/4" connections for input and output. It requires power via either a nine volt battery or power supply. It isn't rack mountable as it is a stomp box that is controlled with your feet.
UTILIZATION
The make up of the Line 6 Crunchtone makes it a very easy pedal to use. It has main parameters for level, bass, treble, and drive, as well as switches to choose the mode and enable a gate. The mode section gives you three different ones to choose from that include those for blues, pop, and crunch. The gate also has two different settings to choose from as well. The first gate mode is a soft one, while the latter really hits it hard. The crunch mode also adds some built in compression into the mix. I haven't looked at the manual for the Line 6 Crunchtone, but it is definitely easy enough to use without the assistance of one.
SOUND QUALITY
The sound quality of the Line 6 Crunchtone is about average in my opinion, and isn't really anything to write home about either way. I've only used the Crunchtone pedal for practicing and testing it out, as I haven't used it for any recording sessions or live shows. I've used the pedal in tandem with a Fender Jazzmaster and a '76 Fender Twin Reverb that doesn't have any built in overdrive, so I was looking for a versatile overdrive pedal to add to the mix and give me some kick. However, I found that the Crunchtone didn't really do it for me. Perhaps because it is a digital pedal it comes off stale, but I was looking for something with a lot of grit and character, which I didn't find here. So while versatile, I feel it lacks the body I'd look for in a great overdrive pedal.
OVERALL OPINION
While the Line 6 Crunchtone will get the job done for users looking for a cheap and versatile pedal, if you're looking for a classic tube sort of overdrive tone, you aren't going to get it here. I've now got an Ibanez Tube Screamer to do the job for me, as well as a few other pedals that I swap in and out. I'd encourage those interested in the Line 6 Crunchtone and other overdrive pedals to explore the full palette of options out there to see what will work best for the your wallet and the sound you're going for...
UTILIZATION
The make up of the Line 6 Crunchtone makes it a very easy pedal to use. It has main parameters for level, bass, treble, and drive, as well as switches to choose the mode and enable a gate. The mode section gives you three different ones to choose from that include those for blues, pop, and crunch. The gate also has two different settings to choose from as well. The first gate mode is a soft one, while the latter really hits it hard. The crunch mode also adds some built in compression into the mix. I haven't looked at the manual for the Line 6 Crunchtone, but it is definitely easy enough to use without the assistance of one.
SOUND QUALITY
The sound quality of the Line 6 Crunchtone is about average in my opinion, and isn't really anything to write home about either way. I've only used the Crunchtone pedal for practicing and testing it out, as I haven't used it for any recording sessions or live shows. I've used the pedal in tandem with a Fender Jazzmaster and a '76 Fender Twin Reverb that doesn't have any built in overdrive, so I was looking for a versatile overdrive pedal to add to the mix and give me some kick. However, I found that the Crunchtone didn't really do it for me. Perhaps because it is a digital pedal it comes off stale, but I was looking for something with a lot of grit and character, which I didn't find here. So while versatile, I feel it lacks the body I'd look for in a great overdrive pedal.
OVERALL OPINION
While the Line 6 Crunchtone will get the job done for users looking for a cheap and versatile pedal, if you're looking for a classic tube sort of overdrive tone, you aren't going to get it here. I've now got an Ibanez Tube Screamer to do the job for me, as well as a few other pedals that I swap in and out. I'd encourage those interested in the Line 6 Crunchtone and other overdrive pedals to explore the full palette of options out there to see what will work best for the your wallet and the sound you're going for...