The Skeleton Key is a compact analog distortion pedal from UK maker Funny Little Boxes, developed in partnership with Matt Webster of the YouTube channel Let's Play All. It is a follow-up to the maker's 1991 overdrive, and where that pedal chased Pearl Jam's Ten, the Skeleton Key is a "dirty boost" inspired by the sounds of Queens of the Stone Age1. MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley describes it as "an op-amp distortion voiced like an unruly overdrive and that gives it a sort of upscale pawnshop guitar drive tone"2.
What it does to your sound
The circuit is op-amp based, with what MusicRadar calls "a lo-fi hard clipping voice to it that's just begging for an overdriven bass guitar underneath"2. The pedal is designed, in Horsley's words, to be "the pedal that gets you the ore tones, the quintessence of their sound"2, meaning the core Queens of the Stone Age drive character rather than a single song's setting.
The Gain and Tone controls are highly interactive with each other, and the maker's development of the pedal revolved mainly around balancing the two1. MusicRadar's settings guidance gives a starting point:
- Start with everything at noon and you are in "No One Knows" and "Little Sister" territory.
- From there, a few tweaks of gain and tone access "Lost Art of Keeping a Secret" to "First It Giveth" and beyond1.
Horsley also suggests that to really get the best out of the op-amp based distortion circuit, you will want to pair it with other drives2. Players stacking it may want to look at other Distortion Pedals or Overdrive Pedals, and Boost Pedals are the closest relation to the dirty boost character.
Is it an official QOTSA pedal?
No. MusicRadar is clear that "the Skeleton Key is not an official QOTSA tie-in or anything like that but it does look like one"2. The connection is deliberate but unofficial: the artwork is by Boneface, the artist who has worked on QOTSA albums from Villains onwards, and the control knob descriptions on the enclosure are in Boneface's handwriting21. MusicRadar describes Boneface as "the artist that Homme emails whenever he needs some album art"2.
Is it a clone of the Peavey Decade?
No. The Skeleton Key is a follow-up to the 1991 overdrive, and MusicRadar's report on its reveal states plainly: "Let us be clear, this is not a clone of that amp"1. The Peavey Decade is a 1980 practice combo that other pedals have drawn on, but the Skeleton Key's inspiration lies with Queens of the Stone Age instead4.
On the board
The Skeleton Key has top-mounted jacks and a compact form factor that make it easy to find space for on a pedalboard2. It runs on a 9V DC adaptor, which is not supplied, so a standard pedalboard power output or a separate adaptor is needed2.
The Skeleton Key was first offered as a limited run of 100 pedals at £99 each, with preorders open ahead of a general release and no firm dispatch date, working to a timeframe of approximately five weeks1.
Funny Little Boxes prices the Skeleton Key at £99 as of the listed pricing4, and Guitar World's review describes it as retailing for 99 bucks324, so US players should expect the dollar figure to sit at that level.
What reviewers said
MusicRadar's verdict was positive: "The Skeleton Key does as promised and can the door to some convincing QOTSA tones, particularly when pushing an overdriv"2. Horsley's overall view was of an articulate dirt box that could be a pedalboard weapon2. Guitar Pedal X listed the Skeleton Key among its best new distortion pedals of 2023, noting that as of the listed pricing the price was £99 for the Skeleton Key and £199 for the Vena Cava3.
Videos
Let's Play All
Eirik Stordrange
Let's Play All
Questions
Is the Funny Little Boxes Skeleton Key an official Queens of the Stone Age pedal?
No. MusicRadar's Jonathan Horsley notes that the Skeleton Key is not an official QOTSA tie-in, though it does look like one. It is a pedal from UK maker Funny Little Boxes, developed with Matt Webster of the YouTube channel Let's Play All, and designed to get players into Queens of the Stone Age-style tones rather than endorsed by the band.
Does the Skeleton Key come with a power supply?
No. The pedal runs on a 9V DC adaptor, and MusicRadar's review lists the adaptor as not supplied, so you will need to provide your own. There is no mention of battery power, so plan on using a standard pedalboard power supply or a separate 9V DC adaptor.
Is the Skeleton Key analog or digital?
The Skeleton Key is analog. MusicRadar's review states plainly that it is not digital at all. The circuit is an op-amp based distortion with a lo-fi hard clipping voice, voiced like an unruly overdrive.
How many Skeleton Key pedals were made?
The Skeleton Key was first offered as a limited run of 100 pedals, with preorders opening at £99 each ahead of a general release. MusicRadar reported at the time that there was no firm dispatch date, with the maker working to a timeframe of approximately five weeks.
Is the Skeleton Key a clone of the Peavey Decade?
No. MusicRadar's news report on the pedal's reveal is explicit that the Skeleton Key is not a clone of the Peavey Decade amp. It is a follow-up to Funny Little Boxes' 1991 overdrive, inspired by the sounds of Queens of the Stone Age rather than by that practice combo.
Who did the artwork on the Skeleton Key?
The enclosure illustration is by Boneface, the artist who has worked on Queens of the Stone Age albums from Villains onwards, and the control knob descriptions are in Boneface's handwriting. MusicRadar describes Boneface as the artist that Josh Homme emails whenever he needs some album art.
Sources (4)
- Funny Little Boxes has revealed its £99 follow-up to the 1991 overdrive pedal and QOTSA / Josh Homme fans are going to want one, MusicRadar, 2023-05-26
- Funny Little Boxes Skeleton Key Review, MusicRadar, 2023-12-15
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2023-12-17
- Acorn Amplifiers Solid State Preamplifier review, Guitar.com, 2026-03-17
