The Crown of Horns is a fuzz pedal from Black Arts Toneworks, built around the OpAmp muff circuit with a hybrid tone section drawn from the maker's Pharaoh and LSTR pedals. The pedal is currently out of production, according to the maker's product page1. It first appeared in November 2015 as a pre-sale, with first-run units shipping on Black Friday of that year2.
What it does
Black Arts Toneworks describes the heart of the Crown of Horns as "that of the OpAmp muff with the addition of a hybrid Pharaoh/LSTR tone section"1. In the maker's words, the pedal "shares traits of the Pharaoh and LSTR," sitting between their voicings: "Not quite as middy as the Pharaoh, not quite as scooped as the LSTR. The Crown sits squarely in the middle of the two"1. For players familiar with the family, that places it as the middle voice between the two better-known pedals.
The Horns switch is the pedal's distinguishing control. Black Arts Toneworks says it "will bypass the tone stack altogether for a huge, flat boost of volume," with results that range from a big volume boost to a slab of fat saturation depending on the amp it is driving1.
Pre-sale and release
The pedal was announced in November 2015 through a pre-sale on the maker's site. The sale ran until Nov. 20th at noon E.S.T., and pre-sale orders shipped on Black Friday2. The pre-sale bundle paired the first-run Crown of Horns with a special edition Crown of Horns T shirt for $175.992. The pedal's later list price was $1891.
The Crown of Horns is listed as currently out of production on the Black Arts Toneworks product page1.
The enclosure carries portrait artwork in the Black Arts family style, which the maker describes as "a big bottom, loud mouth, aggressive personality and a bit of unruly FU"1.
Power
The pedal operates on a standard 9VDC power supply and has no battery connection1. A supply is required on any board it joins.
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Questions
What is the Black Arts Toneworks Crown of Horns based on?
According to Black Arts Toneworks, the heart of the Crown of Horns is the OpAmp muff circuit, with the addition of a hybrid tone section borrowed from the company's Pharaoh and LSTR pedals. The maker describes it as sharing traits of both, sitting squarely between their voicings: not quite as middy as the Pharaoh, not quite as scooped as the LSTR.
Does the Crown of Horns take a battery?
No. Black Arts Toneworks states on the product page that the Crown of Horns has no battery connection, so it runs only from an external 9VDC power supply. Players who rely on battery power for pedals would need a standard supply on their board to use it.
What does the Horns switch do?
The Horns switch bypasses the tone stack altogether for a huge, flat boost of volume. Black Arts Toneworks describes results ranging from a big volume boost to a slab of fat saturation, depending on the amp it is feeding.
Is the Crown of Horns still in production?
No. Black Arts Toneworks lists the Crown of Horns as currently out of production on its product page as of October 2026. The pedal first appeared in a November 2015 pre-sale, with first-run units shipping on Black Friday of that year.
How does the Crown of Horns differ from the Pharaoh and the LSTR?
Black Arts Toneworks positions the Crown of Horns between its two siblings. The maker says it shares traits of the Pharaoh and the LSTR but sits squarely in the middle of the two: not quite as middy as the Pharaoh and not quite as scooped as the LSTR. Its tone section is a hybrid drawn from both pedals.
Sources (2)
- Crown of Horns, Black Arts Toneworks
- Crown of Horns Pre Sale, Black Arts Toneworks, 2015-11
