Guitar World Verdict
There’s no mistaking that there’s something truly unique and special about the Throne of Tone. By combining legendary Bluesbreaker and King of Tone-style circuits in one stompbox, Warm Audio’s Throne of Tone proves that you won’t need to wait years or empty your wallet for what could easily be the finest drive and boost pedal of the year.
Pros
- +
Authentic “Bluesbreaker-inspired” and “King of Tone-style” overdrive and boost.
- +
Multiple tone-shaping options.
- +
Built like a tank with a five-year warranty.
- +
Internal Voltage Doubler switch offers increased headroom.
- +
Send and Return jacks allow any effect to be inserted between the two overdrive sides.
Cons
- -
For the flexibility and quality at this price - nothing to mention.
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What is it?
If you dig a double shot of overdrive, it’s not hard to find. There are a fair number of dual-sided pedals that couple a Bluesbreaker circuit with a Tube Screamer circuit, or ones that join a Bluesbreaker circuit with a Klon circuit. Whether they come in as budget or boutique, it seems the trifecta of the Klon, Screamer, and Bluesbreaker circuits has all been selectively paired and exhaustively combined into two-in-one overdrive pedals.
Speaking of which, the Marshall Bluesbreaker has always had the benefit of being a heavily favored stompbox, not to mention John Mayer-approved, which explains its consistent popularity and evergreen status.
Could it be that many guitarists have concluded that the King of Tone sounds better than the hallowed Klon tone?
But right now, for some strange reason, the scarce King of Tone pedal (a heavily modified version of the Marshall Bluesbreaker) made by Analog Man’s Mike Piera seems to be the most trending and coveted overdrive around, despite its years-long waiting list. So much so that the Klon overdrive and its many “Klones” have been overshadowed by a new fascination with any KoT variant that’s readily available.
Could it be that many guitarists have concluded that the King of Tone sounds better than the hallowed Klon tone? That’s for another debate, but one thing I can say for sure is that after already delivering a Klon-style overdrive pedal with the Centavo, Warm Audio may be the only pedal maker savvy enough to integrate King of Tone- and Bluesbreaker-inspired circuits into one pedal.
Now that you know, Warm Audio's new Throne of Tone is a remarkable dual-sided overdrive pedal that combines two classic circuits, which can be voiced independently of each other or duplicated on each side, and cascaded together. As I discovered, once you settle into the Throne of Tone, you'll likely find yourself making space on your pedalboard for this exceptional and "royal" addition, effectively exiling several of your current overdrives.
Specs
- Launch price: $229 | £219 | €249
- Type: Dual-sided British-inspired overdrive with multiple voicings, gain levels, and drive
- Controls: (All per side) Volume, Gain, Tone, Presence, Voicing select switch (King and Blues); Drive Mode select (Dist, Boost, and OD); Gain Level select (High and Low)
- Features: FX order swap switch; global voltage boost selector; two On/Off footswitches (per side)
- Connectivity: : 1/4-inch mono Input and Output jacks, 1/4-inch unbalanced Send and Return jacks
- Bypass: True
- Power: 9V center-negative, 24mA (9V operation) 43mA (18V operation in Global Voltage Boost mode)
- Dimensions: W: 6.75” | H: 5” | D: 2.63”
- Weight: 2.4lbs
- Contact: Warm Audio
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★★
Warm Audio has received mixed reactions for some of its repros of classic stompboxes being a little too closely “on the nose” compared to the originals, some of which I’ve reviewed. Because I was already aware that this pedal was in the works, I was expecting a familiar purple box. To my surprise, I was greeted with a chassis similar to the original Marshall Bluesbreaker.
So, not a dead-on copy, but this framework makes sense as a usable and smart layout for its many controls and multiple switches. In your hand, the ToT is decidedly rugged and robust in its black, steely frame, and the damn thing is heavy, too, which tells me this stompbox is built like a tank.
For those who love getting into the nuts and bolts of it, you’ll find Warm Audio goes out of its way to use premium components under its hood; with the ToT having four ICs that include JRC4580 and TL072 op-amps, along with 24 diodes to fully power its dual-analog tonal engine. Each pedal undergoes hand-testing at Warm Audio's Austin, Texas, facility before shipment and is backed by a five-year warranty, assuring players that durability and build quality are key.
Usability
Usability rating: ★★★★★
One of the best things about the ToT is that there aren’t any inconvenient internal DIP switches to tweak; all your tone shaping is easily accessed and done on the face of the pedal.
Each side’s layout is identical with controls for Volume, Gain, Tone, and Presence, and mode switches for Voicing (King and Blues), Drive (Dist, Boost, and OD), and Gain Level (High and Low). The pedal offers two footswitches, allowing independent activation/deactivation of each side and the cascading of one side into the other.
I found the Tone and Presence controls to be particularly effective when used together
The Tone knob functions after the input and gain stages, and works as expected in brightening the sound as it's turned clockwise. Meanwhile, when turned counter-clockwise, the Presence knob adjusts a variable corner frequency, which enhances top-end frequencies and seemingly eliminates muddiness. And if you don’t need it, you can shut it off when the knob is fully turned clockwise.
Incidentally, I found the Tone and Presence controls to be particularly effective when used together. By reducing the Tone and gradually increasing the Presence, I was able to achieve a warmer overall sound while bringing in clarity and definition.
The ToT also features an FX Order Swap switch, which allows you to change the order of the pedal sides in the signal path. Additionally, the Send and Return jacks enable unique interactions when you insert other pedals between the two sides of the ToT. For example, adding a delay can make one side of the pedal put the echoes in the background, while switching over to the other side will drive the echo in the same manner as putting it in front of a cranked amplifier.
Alternatively, adding a Univibe effect in the loop can also create two opposing swirly textures — one that drives the Univibe in Robin Trower-esque fashion and the other as a more shimmering phase — which makes this before-and-after option kinda neat.
Lastly, an On/Off voltage boost selector, located by the I/O jacks, allows the pedal to run in two modes. The traditional 9V internal power setting delivers harmonically-rich distortion. On the other hand, the "On" mode utilizes an internal voltage doubler to run the pedal at 18V, increasing headroom. Keep in mind, running it in that mode does rob you of some of the ToT’s symmetrical gain stage clipping, but rewards you with a wide open, and cleanly boosted tone.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★★
My effect coffers are filled with copious amounts of Klones, Bluesbreakers, and Screamer pedals, but like most guitarists I know, I’ve never owned a King of Tone. The closest I’ve come is using MXR’s Duke of Tone, and playing through and hearing some artists’ personal KoTs. It’s surprising that after all these years, I haven’t chased after one. It’s that good.
But now that the Throne of Tone has arrived, let’s get into what it sounds like. Starting with the left side, I set the switches to King for voicing, Boost instead of OD and Dist (more about those modes later), and High for its gain level.
On the adjacent side, the switches remain the same except for voicing, which is set to Blues to hear the difference between the sides.
I was able to easily land on a tonal sweet spot for each side that perfectly complements my playing style
Right off the bat, the Throne of Tone truly shines with its touch-sensitivity and liveliness, delivering a rich, creamy overdrive and a polished, assertive boost that carves out its own unique space. The King side offers a distinctly warm, rounded, and sweetened drive, contrasting with the Blues voicing's sharper, more cutting tone and edgy warmth. I
It’s hard to commit to which voicing sounds better (however, I’ll venture to say King is currently my favorite) because both are remarkably complex and mid-focused. But with minimal tweaking, I was able to easily land on a tonal sweet spot for each side that perfectly complements my playing style. So, in essence, the ToT can provide two distinct and highly usable tones that’ll invigorate any amplifier.
It’s extraordinary how well the ToT delivers a warmly pronounced drive and lingering sustain that prominently stands out no matter what amp I’m playing through
The ToT allows your amp to sound as it always does, but with more responsiveness once you kick it in. Additionally, the range of its low-to-mid gain is impressive. From mild distortion to a boosted gain bump, it’s extraordinary how well the ToT delivers a warmly pronounced drive and lingering sustain that prominently stands out no matter what amp I’m playing through, or whether I’m using humbuckers or single coil pickups in my guitars. I’d also be remiss not to say it has that slightly compressed, tube-like “quack” that gently cushions every note and chord, feeling like joy under your fingers and heaven to your ears.
Since I mentioned before about the mode switches, I found Boost mode — where I stayed for most of this review — is by far the most lively and present of its three drive modes. While Boost boasts the highest headroom, OD and Dist have a noticeably lower output (meaning the volume drops considerably) and a bit more compression, with softened gain in OD and spongier crunch in Dist. To my ears, OD and Dist modes sound similar to more common pedals, but with some manipulation of the ToT’s control set of Tone and Presence, and Gain, you’ll be able to dial in more definition and sparkle.
Verdict
It's a keeper
For me, Boost mode is the true highlight here — whether you’re in King or Blues voicing — and an ideal springboard to begin carving out a noteworthy tone. And even if the ToT doesn't fully capture the "it" factor of the original King of Tone, I stand by my assertion that the Throne of Tone comes imperceptibly close as a near-sonic replication of it, complete with all its nuanced goodness. And that’s enough for me to say, it’s a keeper.
Guitar World verdict: There’s no mistaking that there’s something truly unique and special about the Throne of Tone. By combining the legendary Bluesbreaker and King of Tone circuits in one stompbox, Warm Audio’s Throne of Tone proves that you won’t need to wait years or empty your wallet for what could easily be the finest drive and boost pedal of the year.
Test | Results | Score |
|---|---|---|
Build quality | Built as rugged as a tank and comes with a five-year warranty. This is a serious pedal. | ★★★★★ |
Usability | Every tone-shaping and voicing option is at your fingertips with no internal DIP switches. What’s not to love? | ★★★★★ |
Sounds | It offers touch-sensitive, amp-like tones, closely emulating the revered tonal magic of the Bluesbreaker and King of Tone pedals. | ★★★★★ |
Overall | A Bluesbreaker and a King of Tone walk into a bar… and I went home with both of them. | ★★★★★ |
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