A defining habit of the company is small production runs. Many pedals are limited editions with stated run sizes, and a number of them are marked sold out or production discontinued on the maker's own product pages345.
From Jack Deville Electronics to Mr Black
The company behind the pedals presents itself as Jack Deville LTD. & Mr. Black pedals, and its product copy is written in that joint voice. Announcing the Black LTD. Tri-Chorale, the maker wrote2:
"Here at Jack Deville LTD. & Mr. Black pedals, we call it: the 'Tri-Chorale,'"2
Jack Deville is named as the company's chief engineer and as the designer of its original designs. The Black LTD. Voltage Comp., for example, is described on its product page as a "Jack Deville original design, limited run of 48 pedals"3. Deville's interest in unconventional circuits is a recurring theme in the company's own copy:
"Our chief engineer, Jack Deville, has always been fascinated by new and unconventional approaches"2
That bent shows up across the catalog: a pitch-shifting pedal that generates power chords, a dual true-stereo phaser, a double-tracking pedal, and an envelope-controlled vibrato all sit alongside more conventional overdrives and delays789.
Mini pedals built by hand in Portland, Oregon
Mr Black's mini pedal series packs full circuits into small enclosures, and the company emphasizes that the small size does not mean outsourced production. The Vintage Overdrive is "handmade here in Portland, OR"1, and the Mini Octaves is described as:
"Handmade and built to last by real live humans, right here in Portland, Oregon using only premium parts for superior tone and years of dependable service."10
The mini series grew steadily between 2019 and 2021, according to press coverage111213:
| Pedal | Notes |
|---|---|
| Mini Tremolo | Built by hand in Portland, Oregon, USA14 |
| Mini OD-503 | Hand-made in Portland, part of Mr Black's series of super compact pedals15 |
| Mini Flanger | Hand-built in Portland, Oregon16 |
| Mini Phaser | Hand built in Portland, Oregon, USA12 |
The Mini Phaser is hand built in Portland, Oregon, USA12. The OD-503 is hand-made in Portland and was described in press coverage as the latest in Mr Black's series of quality super compact pedals15.
Jack Deville
Jack Deville's name appears on the company's most distinctive limited editions. He serves as chief engineer at Jack Deville LTD. & Mr. Black pedals, where the maker says he "has always been fascinated by new and unconventional approaches"2. The Black LTD. Voltage Comp. is a Jack Deville original design, produced as a limited run of 48 pedals3.
"Like all Mr. Black pedals, the Mr. Black High-Five is hand-built, one at a time"6
Other limited runs include the Black LTD. Voltage Comp., a Jack Deville original design in a limited run of 483. The Black LTD. series in general carries the company's small-batch approach: the Black LTD. Distortion was a run of 504, and the Black LTD. Classic 88 a run of 405.
Discontinued and sold-out pedals
Because Mr Black works in small runs, a large share of its catalog is marked sold out or discontinued on its own product pages. Players hunting older models will find many of them unavailable new345.
| Pedal | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Drunken Monkey (envelope vibrato) | Production discontinued, sold out | 9 February 201817 |
| Black LTD. Distortion | Sold out | 2 September 20154 |
| Black LTD. Digi-Delay | Sold out | 28 July 201618 |
| Black LTD. Classic 88 | Limited run of 40 | 5 |
| Black LTD. Plates | Sold out | 19 |
| Black LTD. Treble Booster | Sold out | 20 |
| Ambience | Production discontinued | 21 |
| JDS-50 (overdrive) | Production discontinued, sold out | 31 January 202622 |
| Analog Chorus/Vibrato Deluxe | Production discontinued, all sales final | 23 |
Several Mr Black pedals are also sold as B-stock, including Heaven's Gate, ThunderClaw, Analog Tremolo, DoubleTracker Stereo, Twin Lazers and Shepard's End. The maker states that B-stock units have minor cosmetic defects but the same internal components as the standard pedal24.
Not every limited run is gone from the record only as a sold-out page. The JDD-3000+ was produced as a limited run of 56 pedals25.
Notable pedals in the range
A few current and recent models show the spread of the catalog:
The Mr Black range covers a variety of effects. The manufacturer offers a range of mini effects including chorus, octaver and tremolo boxes, as well as a full range of standard-sized units13. The company is headquartered in Portland, Oregon26, and its limited runs have sold through: the Black LTD. Distortion, a limited run of 50 pedals, is marked sold out4.
For players comparing categories, Mr Black's output touches on overdrive, distortion, delay, reverb, chorus, phaser, flanger, tremolo, vibrato, octave and pitch and compressor effects271328.
The range (67)
News
Questions
Where are Mr Black pedals made?
Mr Black pedals are handmade in Portland, Oregon. The company describes its Vintage Overdrive as handmade in Portland, OR, and its Mini Octaves as built by real live humans in Portland using premium parts. Every pedal is hand-built one at a time.
Who owns Mr Black Pedals?
Mr Black operates as Jack Deville LTD. & Mr. Black pedals. Jack Deville is the company's chief engineer and the designer of its original designs, including the Black LTD. Voltage Comp. and the High-Five, which he designed as founder.
What was Mr Black called before?
The company behind Mr Black pedals operates as Jack Deville LTD. & Mr. Black pedals, with Jack Deville as chief engineer. Its product pages refer to the two names together as one company.
What is the Mr Black Mini Phaser based on?
The Mini Phaser, released in December 2021 at $139, is an eight-stage phase shifter. Mr Black condensed its GilaMondo eight-stage phase-shifter design into the mini format, with Width, Enhance and Speed controls.
Is the Mr Black Drunken Monkey discontinued?
Yes. The Drunken Monkey, an envelope vibrato pedal, is marked production discontinued on the maker's site, and it sold out on 9 February 2018.
What does the Mr Black High-Five pedal do?
The High-Five is a limited-edition pitch-shifting pedal billed as an instant power chord generator. Launched in February 2023 as a run of 53 pedals priced at $199.95, it was designed by founder Jack Deville.
What is the Mr Black Heaven's Gate?
Heaven's Gate is a gated reverb pedal released in January 2023 at $199. The maker describes it as a unique reverberator. B-stock units have minor cosmetic defects but the same internal components as the standard pedal.
Sources (28)
- Vintage Overdrive, Mr. Black
- Black LTD. Tri-Chorale, Mr. Black
- Black LTD. Voltage Comp., Mr. Black
- Black LTD. Distortion, Mr. Black, 2015-09-02
- Black LTD. Classic 88, Mr. Black
- High-Five, Mr. Black
- Black LTD. Power Drive – Mr. Black, Mr. Black
- Twin Lazers B-stock – Mr. Black, Mr. Black
- Black LTD. Double Tracker – Mr. Black, Mr. Black
- Mini Octaves by Mr. Black, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Mr. Black unveils new-and-improved 8-stage Mini Phaser | Guitar World, Guitar World, 2021-12-16
- Based on the GilaMondo, Mr Black's new Mini Phaser offers 8-Stage phasing, gearnews.com, 2021-12-16
- Mr Black Pedals launches the OD-503, Guitar.com, 2019-11-07
- Mr Black Mini Tremolo, a handmade tremolo with a vintage vibe, gearnews.com, 2019-09-24
- Mr Black OD-503 mini pedal: A subtle drive designed to make your guitar rig 'sing', gearnews.com, 2019-11-08
- Mr. Black crams old-school BBD-style tones into the $99 Mini Flanger, Guitar World, 2020-02-19
- Drunken Monkey, Mr. Black, 2018-02-09
- Black LTD. Digi-Delay, Mr. Black, 2016-07-28
- Black LTD. Plates, Mr. Black (www.mrblackpedals.com)
- Black LTD. Treble Booster, Mr. Black
- Ambience, Mr. Black
- JDS-50 - Mr. Black, Mr. Black, 2026-01-31
- Analog Chorus/Vibrato Deluxe, Mr. Black
- Heaven's Gate B-stock, Mr. Black
- Mr. Black JDD-3000+ Digital Delay, Delicious Audio, 2023-10-02
- Black LTD. Phaser Vibe, Mr. Black
- Mr Black LTD Digi-Delay - The perfect digital delay?, gearnews.com, 2016-07-09
- Mr. Black Introduces the CAT Distortion Pedal - Premier Guitar, Premier Guitar, 2026-09-28