What two pedals are included in the Hot Wax?

The Hot Wax combines the Electro Harmonix Crayon and the Hot Tubes Nano into a single unit. Each circuit can be used independently or together.

Can you use the Hot Tubes and Crayon separately?

Yes, each side of the pedal has its own dedicated foot switch. This allows you to engage either circuit individually or both at once for stacked gain.

What is the purpose of the Blend control?

The Blend control mixes your clean dry signal with the overdriven signal. This is useful for maintaining note clarity, especially when using high gain settings.

Does the Hot Wax have quiet switching?

Yes, the pedal is equipped with quiet, pop-free foot switching. This ensures that no loud pops are heard through the amplifier when the effect is engaged.

What does the EQ section control?

The master EQ section features dedicated Treble and Bass knobs. These controls allow you to sculpt the overall frequency response of the pedal's output.

Is the Hot Wax a digital or analogue pedal?

The Hot Wax is an analogue overdrive pedal. It utilizes circuitry like the CMOS-based Hot Tubes to achieve its specific harmonic characteristics.

What is the typical price for this pedal?

The typical price for the Electro Harmonix Hot Wax is approximately £110. Prices may vary slightly depending on the retailer.

Is this pedal suitable for bass guitar?

While designed for guitar, the inclusion of a Blend control and a dedicated Bass EQ makes it highly effective for bass. It allows the player to keep the low-end fundamental intact while adding grit.

How does the Hot Wax save space on a pedalboard?

By housing two independent overdrive circuits in one chassis, it takes up significantly less room than two separate pedals. It also requires only one power input for two effects.

Which circuit comes first in the signal chain?

In the internal signal path of the Hot Wax, the Crayon overdrive section feeds into the Hot Tubes section. This order is fixed within the unit.

Can the Hot Wax produce high-gain distortion?

Yes, when both the Crayon and Hot Tubes sections are engaged simultaneously, the pedal can produce very heavy, decimated tones. It is described as being able to 'annihilate' speakers.

Does it work well with other pedals like the Big Muff?

Yes, it can be used to boost or shape the tone of other gain pedals like the Big Muff Distortion Sustainer. The master EQ is particularly helpful for cutting through a mix when stacking pedals.

Gear article

Electro Harmonix Hot Wax Dual Overdrive

The Electro Harmonix Hot Wax is a dual overdrive guitar effects pedal that combines the circuits of two popular EHX units into a single compact housing. It is designed to provide versatile, high-gain tones through serial stacking while maintaining a space-efficient footprint on a pedalboard.

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Overview

The Electro Harmonix Hot Wax is a multi-stage overdrive pedal that integrates two distinct drive circuits in one enclosure. By housing these components together, the pedal offers guitarists the ability to use each circuit independently or stack them to create immense, high-gain saturation. The unit is specifically marketed as a space-saving solution for players who require multiple gain stages without occupying excessive pedalboard real estate.

History and Design

Electro Harmonix developed the Hot Wax as a hybrid of two of their existing designs: the Crayon full-range overdrive and the Hot Tubes Nano. The Hot Tubes circuit is a recreation of the original 1970s CMOS-based design, known for its tube-like response. The Crayon circuit, by contrast, provides a more modern, full-frequency range drive. The Hot Wax merges these two, providing a pre-set signal path where the Crayon feeds into the Hot Tubes.

Features and Controls

The pedal features individual foot switches for each of the two overdrive sections. A primary design feature is the inclusion of a master EQ section, consisting of Treble and Bass controls, which affects the overall output.

Additionally, the pedal includes a Blend control. This allows the user to mix the dry signal with the overdriven signal, ensuring clarity and note definition even at high gain levels. The device also utilises quiet, pop-free switching technology to prevent audible clicks when engaging or disengaging the effect.

Sound Character

The sound of the Hot Wax is described as dynamic and immense. Because it combines a full-range overdrive with a vintage-voiced CMOS circuit, it can produce a wide spectrum of tones, from subtle grit to decimated speaker-like saturation. The dual-drive architecture allows for increased harmonic complexity compared to single-stage overdrive units.

Comparison to Alternatives

Compared to using separate Crayon and Hot Tubes pedals, the Hot Wax offers a more compact footprint and a unified EQ/Blend section that is not available on the individual units. In the broader market, it competes with other dual-stage drives but distinguishes itself with its specific CMOS-based voicing. While a Behringer UC200 Ultra Chorus or a Boss DD-3T Digital Delay addresses modulation and time-based needs, the Hot Wax is strictly focused on gain stages and signal saturation.

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Frequently asked questions

What two pedals are included in the Hot Wax?: The Hot Wax combines the Electro Harmonix Crayon and the Hot Tubes Nano into a single unit. Each circuit can be used independently or together.
Can you use the Hot Tubes and Crayon separately?: Yes, each side of the pedal has its own dedicated foot switch. This allows you to engage either circuit individually or both at once for stacked gain.
What is the purpose of the Blend control?: The Blend control mixes your clean dry signal with the overdriven signal. This is useful for maintaining note clarity, especially when using high gain settings.
Does the Hot Wax have quiet switching?: Yes, the pedal is equipped with quiet, pop-free foot switching. This ensures that no loud pops are heard through the amplifier when the effect is engaged.
What does the EQ section control?: The master EQ section features dedicated Treble and Bass knobs. These controls allow you to sculpt the overall frequency response of the pedal's output.
Is the Hot Wax a digital or analogue pedal?: The Hot Wax is an analogue overdrive pedal. It utilizes circuitry like the CMOS-based Hot Tubes to achieve its specific harmonic characteristics.
What is the typical price for this pedal?: The typical price for the Electro Harmonix Hot Wax is approximately £110. Prices may vary slightly depending on the retailer.
Is this pedal suitable for bass guitar?: While designed for guitar, the inclusion of a Blend control and a dedicated Bass EQ makes it highly effective for bass. It allows the player to keep the low-end fundamental intact while adding grit.
How does the Hot Wax save space on a pedalboard?: By housing two independent overdrive circuits in one chassis, it takes up significantly less room than two separate pedals. It also requires only one power input for two effects.
Which circuit comes first in the signal chain?: In the internal signal path of the Hot Wax, the Crayon overdrive section feeds into the Hot Tubes section. This order is fixed within the unit.
Can the Hot Wax produce high-gain distortion?: Yes, when both the Crayon and Hot Tubes sections are engaged simultaneously, the pedal can produce very heavy, decimated tones. It is described as being able to 'annihilate' speakers.
Does it work well with other pedals like the Big Muff?: Yes, it can be used to boost or shape the tone of other gain pedals like the Big Muff Distortion Sustainer. The master EQ is particularly helpful for cutting through a mix when stacking pedals.