It’s been a quiet start to the year, but I did pick up a bucket-list pedal back in February.
What did I get? Read on to find out 🙂
MXR Custom Shop Duke of Tone Overdrive / Distortion / Boost Pedal
Back in 2017, I won the waiting list lottery, and got myself an original Analogman King of Tone dual overdrive / distortion / boost pedal. To this day, it’s still the most expensive pedal I’ve ever bought. (Those second-hand eBay prices aren’t as inflated as you might think …) And at the time, it was also one of my biggest purchasing regrets – right up there with the Kemper.
Fast forward seven years, and my feelings have changed. I’m finally playing a Telecaster on a regular basis through blackface-voiced amps. And the King of Tone is just *chef’s kiss* for this signal chain.
But some things haven’t changed for the better: the King of Tone has become far more unobtainium than it was before. So when MXR came out with a licensed copy – the Duke of Tone – I wanted to add one to my collection. Especially as the Duke holds an important place in my heart: when I bought my forever-Telecaster, I tried it out through the Duke of Tone in the shop. Ever since, I’ve been looking forward to having that signal chain once again.
It’s taken a few years for second-hand Duke of Tone prices to fall to a level that I’m happy to pay. That finally happened this month, so I’ve picked one up.
What do I think of it, now I’ve got one to try at home through my own rig? And how does it compare to the o.g. King of Tone? Here are my First Impressions, with audio demos.