Crazy Tube Circuits Venus Pedal: Ultimate Real Tube Overdrive, Fuzz & Distortion

Crazy Tube Circuits Venus Pedal

I’m Shane from intheblues, where I’ve poured my heart into over 3,000 guitar videos on YouTube, and I recently had the absolute pleasure of reviewing the Crazy Tube Circuits Venus Pedal—a true gem for tone chasers!

This real-tube-driven overdrive, fuzz, and distortion pedal is a joy to use, delivering everything from creamy blues to gnarly fuzz with ease. Handcrafted in Greece, Crazy Tube Circuits has won me over with their innovative designs and straightforward setup, making it a breeze to dial in killer tones. If you’re hunting for a versatile, tube-powered pedal to elevate your rig, the Venus is a rock-solid choice!

The Crazy Tube Circuits pedal is inspired by the BK Butler Drive but is a lot smaller than some of the older units. I’ve tested plenty of Crazy Tube Circuits pedals over the last 7 years and this is one of their most versatile multi-genre pedals that will appeal to players of many styles.

Check out my review video and demonstration of the Crazy Tube Circuits Venus Pedal

Compact Size

One of the standout features of Venus is its compact size, measuring just 12.6 x 6.6 x 5.7 cm (L x W x H). Despite this small footprint, Crazy Tube Circuits did not compromise on tone. Instead of using an internal step-down power transformer, Venus operates on a standard 9V DC power supply, which reduces background noise and hum.

The small footprint of this pedal means you can easily fit it onto a pedalboard without it consuming more than a single pedal spacing.

You can power the pedal with the included power supply or any isolated 9V DC, center-negative source with a current capability of 500mA. An internal voltage booster/inverter circuit creates the necessary voltage conditions (+/- 15V DC).

Crazy Tube Circuits Venue Internal Tube

While the original classic that inspired the Venus pedal ran on an ECC83 (12AX7) tube, CTC took things a step further by choosing a unique ECC832 tube for this version. This special tube blends the best of both the ECC83 and ECC82, giving you crystal-clear tone, better note separation, and a wider, more open sound. You still get the vibe and feel of the original, but with extra clarity and definition that really lets your playing shine—whether you’re digging into complex chords or letting single notes sing.

You can also replace and experiment with various dual triode tube types, including ECC83/12AX7, 5751, ECC81/12AT7, 12AY7, and ECC82/12AU7 for different sonic textures. I only tested it with the stock tube, but if you like to tinker with your sound, you can do so.

Bias Control

The Crazy Tube Circuits Venus includes a bias knob to control the tube bias and adjust the current through the tube cathodes. Turning this knob provides a range of tones, from gritty and gated (counter-clockwise) to smooth and creamy (clockwise), with the fully clockwise setting delivering the cleanest sound for most tube types.  I prefer the Bias control to the right for a full and round sound. If you want more gated fuzz sound, pan it hard left.

A 3-Band EQ that Works!

With a full 3-band EQ, you’ve got plenty of flexibility to dial in your tone just the way you like it. The mid control lets you tap into the classic character of the original unit—perfect for adding life to clean amps that tend to scoop out the mids. There’s also a handy push switch that lets you choose between a punchy, full low end or a tighter, more focused sound by tweaking how much low and low-mid frequencies hit the tube gain stages.

Crazy Tube Circuits Venus Tone Chart

Tone/Style	Drive	Bias	Low	Mid	High	Tight Switch	Line Driver
Clean Boost	9 o’clock	Max (5 o’clock)	12 o’clock	12 o’clock	12 o’clock	Off (Fat)	On
Bluesy Overdrive	11 o’clock	3 o’clock	1 o’clock	2 o’clock	11 o’clock	Off (Fat)	On
Classic Rock Crunch	1 o’clock	2 o’clock	2 o’clock	1 o’clock	12 o’clock	On (Tight)	On
High-Gain Rock	3 o’clock	12 o’clock	2 o’clock	12 o’clock	10 o’clock	On (Tight)	On
Fuzz-Like Distortion	Max (5 o’clock)	Min (7 o’clock)	1 o’clock	10 o’clock	9 o’clock	On (Tight)	Off
Vintage Tube Screamer	12 o’clock	3 o’clock	12 o’clock	3 o’clock	10 o’clock	Off (Fat)	On
Modern Metal	4 o’clock	10 o’clock	3 o’clock	11 o’clock	9 o’clock	On (Tight)	On
Joe Satriani Lead	2 o’clock	2 o’clock	1 o’clock	2 o’clock	11 o’clock	Off (Fat)	On

Line Driver Button

Finally, the pedal includes a switchable line driver that acts as a buffer and volume boost, making sure your tone stays strong and clear all the way to your next pedal or amp. It helps preserve your signal, especially on longer cable runs. And don’t worry—when the pedal’s off, it stays in true bypass mode, so it won’t mess with your tone. The line driver only kicks in when the effect is active, giving you that extra punch right when you need it.

Final Thoughts

Thanks to Crazy Tube Circuits for sending this to my YouTube channel for review.  This pedal is fun to use.  Thanks to the Bias control and real internal tube, it gives you such great sag under your fingers.  Switching out the tube for a different option also allows for more creative freedom over the result.  The Crazy Tube Circuits Venus is a great fuzz, overdrive, and distortion that sounds and feels different to almost everything I have tried.

Whether you’re in a studio or playing on stage, the Venus is a great point of difference that can cover a lot of ground tonally.  If you plan on using this as an always-on pedal, it won’t have a problem being hit by a Klon or other boost pedal.