The AnalogMan King of Tone Dual Overdrive is an overdrive pedal that puts two complete overdrive circuits in one box, one on each side, each with its own footswitch, LED and three knobs12. JHS Pedals calls it AnalogMan's most popular, famous and prestigious pedal3. Each half can be set internally to work as a clean boost, an overdrive or a distortion, and the two halves can be used together for extra drive or a volume boost24.
Two independent overdrives in one box
Analog Man describes the current Version 4 plainly: "The Ver4 KoT is actually TWO overdrive pedals in one box, one on each side"1. GuitarPlayer's write-up agrees that "This version (4) is essentially two overdrive pedals in one unit"10. Each side runs its own settings, and Vintage Guitar notes the two sides "can be blended to taste"4.
Because the channels are independent, a common setup is one side as a light overdrive and the other as a boost, or both stacked for more gain. The manual states that "both can be used together for extra drive or volume boost"8. Pedal of the Day's review sums up the range: "Can do clean boost, mid gain OD, and high gain OD"11.
The controls and internal mode switches
Each side of the pedal has Volume, Drive and Tone knobs, plus its own on/off footswitch and LED14. The tone shaping goes deeper than the knobs: inside the pedal is a 4-position DIP switch that changes each side's voicing between clean, overdriven and distorted8.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume (per side) | Sets the output level of that channel4 |
| Drive (per side) | Sets the gain of that channel4 |
| Tone (per side) | Sets the treble of that channel4 |
| Footswitch (per side) | Turns that channel on and off1 |
| DIP switches 1 and 2 | Voice the red (right) side: switch 1 down is clean, up is OD; switch 2 up adds DIST mode2 |
| DIP switch 4 | Adds a treble boost, useful for darker amps9 |
The three modes are Normal Overdrive (OD mode), CLEAN mode and DISTORTION mode7. CLEAN mode is the one players asking about boost use care about: Analog Man describes it as having less drive, usable "for clean boosts or clearer, louder sounds. It's sort of a cross between a true clean boost and an overdrive," and notes it is even less compressed than the standard OD mode8127. The manual adds that "This mode can get twice as loud as the OD mode"2.
The mode switches are internal DIP switches, so changing a side from clean to distortion means opening the pedal. Analog Man offers an optional external mode toggle switch for the red side at $501.
Versions and the circuit behind it
The King of Tone has been revised over its long run. The maker's manuals document Version 3 (June 2004) and the current Version 48110. Vintage Guitar's review covers the V4-era pedal with Boost, Overdrive and Distortion switchable via the internal DIP switches4.
The Bluesbreaker lineage matters to how the pedal sounds and to its place in the market. Premier Guitar describes the original as "built around a really excellent overdrive and boost that are controlled independently and configurable so the boost drives the overdrive and vice versa"13. That reconfigurable dual format is what the many alternatives copy, including the MXR Duke of Tone, a mass-produced variation on the circuit that MXR and Analog Mike partnered to design in 202214.
Getting one: the wait and the used market
A new King of Tone is ordered by joining AnalogMan's waiting list, and the wait is the pedal's defining practical issue. Press estimates vary31516:
- JHS Pedals (2026): "sometimes two or three years"3
- Gearnews (2021): around 3 years5
- guitar.com (2021): around a four-year wait17
- guitar.com (2022): an average wait of around four years18
- Delicious Audio (2022): about five years19
- Guitar World (2026): about five years by some current estimates15
- Pedal of the Day (2025): a 5-year waitlist16
The used market reflects the demand. Gearnews reports used prices of the KOTv4 "are reaching well above the original cost"5. JHS Pedals says "The vintage units go for upwards of $750"3, and on Rhett Shull's YouTube channel, Shull and Josh Scott discussed people "paying, you know, 78, $900, $1,000 on the used market for what is admittedly a fantastic pedal"20. For context, Vintage Guitar listed the price at $265 in 20214, against the current $335 plus options1.
Options from Analog Man include a second (output) power jack at $15, a second output jack at $10 (not possible with the 4-jack option), and the external mode toggle for the red side at $501.
In a 2025 video, Rhett Shull and Josh Scott looked at the King of Tone alongside alternatives, discussing why players pay used-market prices for it and what the circuit does20.
Alternatives and clones
Videos
intheblues
TheSuperFunAwesomeHappyTimePedalShow
PrivateGuitar - Private Guitar Lessons - Keller - Fort Worth
Questions
How long is the wait for a new AnalogMan King of Tone?
It depends on when you ask and who you ask. Estimates from press coverage between 2021 and 2026 range from around three years to around five years, with several sources settling on about four. JHS Pedals describes it as sometimes two or three years. Either way, a new one is ordered by joining AnalogMan's waiting list.
How much does a used King of Tone cost?
Used prices have risen well above the original cost. JHS Pedals says vintage units go for upwards of $750, and Rhett Shull and Josh Scott noted people paying around $900 to $1,000 on the used market. For comparison, the current new price from Analog Man is $335 plus options, if you are willing to wait.
Can the King of Tone work as a clean boost?
Yes. Each side has a CLEAN mode, set by the internal DIP switches, which Analog Man describes as having less drive and being usable for clean boosts or clearer, louder sounds, a cross between a true clean boost and an overdrive. The manual says CLEAN mode can get twice as loud as the OD mode, and the factory setting uses it on the second channel.
What are the DIP switch modes on the King of Tone?
Inside the pedal is a 4-position DIP switch that selects between three modes for each side: Normal Overdrive (OD), CLEAN and DISTORTION. Switches 1 and 2 set the red (right) side, with switch 1 down for clean and up for OD, and switch 2 up for DIST mode. The fourth switch adds a treble boost for darker amps.
Sources (20)
- King Of Tone, Analog Man (analogman.com), 2026
- KingofToneManualV4-2020.pdf, Analog Man Guitar Effects, 2020-11
- ANALOG MAN'S BEST PEDALS, JHS Pedals
- Analog Man’s King of Tone Overdrive, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2022-06-02
- Could the Joyo R 20 King Of Kings be a poor man's Analog Man King Of Tone?, www.gearnews.com, 2021-10-27
- Green, Gold & Blue, Origin Effects, 2026-09-08
- Microsoft Word, Analog Man Guitar Effects, 2006-01
- Microsoft Word, Analog Man Guitar Effects
- Legendary Pedals: Analogman King Of Tone Dual Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2023-03-10
- The Best Guitar Effects Pedals of All Time, GuitarPlayer (www.guitarplayer.com), 2021-06-25
- Analogman King of Tone Overdrive, Pedal of the Day (www.pedal-of-the-day.com), 2014-04-17
- Analog Man King Of Tone overdrive NOV-03, Analog Man Guitar Effects, 2004-01
- MXR Duke of Tone Guitar Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2022-09-01
- MXR Duke of Tone Review, guitar.com, 2022-11-11
- MXR Duke of Tone review, Guitar World, 2022-12-09
- StewMac Sun Fuzz / Ghost Drive / Two Kings / Lightcycle Phasor II, Pedal of the Day (pedal-of-the-day.com), 2025-09-08
- Joyo’s new R20 King Of Kings overdrive gets you classic dual-Blues Breaker sounds, guitar.com, 2021-10-28
- Analog Man fumes as fake components slow King Of Tone production, Guitar.com, 2022-08-23
- Joyo King Of Kings, Delicious Audio, 2022-05-23
- "People Want To Buy FOMO", Rhett Shull (YouTube), 2025-04-15
