The King Tone Blues Power is a hand-wired overdrive pedal that King Tone describes as "a truly transparent overdrive, renowned for its versatility and for producing 'always-on' amp breakup tones"1. It is built around two clipping stages, which the maker says let you move "from glassy overdrives to dark, powerful leads"2, and its wide-range Drive control runs from clean boost to warm or glassy overdrive1. The current version is the compact, rounded V2 with inset knobs, and a Blues Power Deluxe with the same core circuit is also part of the range3.
The pedal sits in King Tone's small-batch, hand-wired lineup, and it is regularly out of stock at the maker's webstore1. Players who want one typically wait for the next batch.
What the Blues Power does
The Blues Power is designed as a transparent overdrive: it boosts and drives the full frequency range with no loss of low end, rather than coloring the signal the way a midrange-heavy Tube Screamer-style circuit does2. RockBoard's PedalPedia entry describes it as an overdrive and booster whose "transparent overdrive design and dual clipping stages provide a full, impressive sound, complemented by sophisticated tone controls"4.
The two clipping stages are the heart of the design. King Tone says the dual stages let you "achieve everything from glassy overdrives to dark, powerful leads"2, and the Cranked dip switch pushes the second stage specifically to enhance amp-like qualities2. The Volume control offers ample output to drive even stubborn tube amps, in RockBoard's words7.
The controls
The V2 carries five knobs and a three-way voicing switch on top, with four dip switches reached from the rear3.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Wide-range control, from clean boost to warm or glassy overdrive2 |
| Volume | Sets output level, with enough output to drive stubborn tube amps7 |
| Voicing | Three-position switch: Edge, Stock or Glass3 |
| Bass | Low-end adjustment3 |
| Treble | High-end adjustment3 |
The Voicing switch is a pre-overdrive tone adjustment. King Tone calls the Glass-Stock-Edge switch on the Deluxe "powerful pre-overdrive tone adjustment"2, and Aion FX describes it as adjusting the treble response, with Edge the brightest position, Stock the neutral one and Glass the smoothest6.
The four dip switches
The rear dip switches, which Guitar Pedal X lists as Scooped, Punch, Kington and Cranked3, reshape the pedal's core voice:
- Scooped and Punch: adjust the mid-frequency range7
- Kington: produces what King Tone calls "unique, fat, edgy tones"2
- Cranked: pushes the second overdrive stage to enhance amp-like qualities2
Aion FX notes the internal DIP switch offers four different midrange positions6, and King Tone's own Deluxe page describes the dip switches as controlling the midrange between flat, punch, transparent and lift2. The switches are set once to taste rather than tweaked in mid-song, since they sit on the rear of the enclosure.
Power and connections
The Blues Power runs on 9-18V DC from a center-negative supply, and can also be battery powered37. Guitar Pedal X's review of the V2 lists the rear ports as Mono In and Out plus the 9-18V DC center-negative jack3. Running it at the higher end of that range is a common way to add headroom on King Tone's pedals; the maker cites the same 9-18V range for its Duellist8.
The V2 saves space with stacked In/Out TS patch cable sockets: the input jack sits stacked on top of the output jack on the rear panel3. Guitar Pedal X found this arrangement "actually works really well" in practice3.
The current draw is not published. Guitar Pedal X's review of the V2 raised it as an open question, so check your power supply's available current rather than assuming a figure3.
History and versions
The Blues Power began in a custom-designed CNC case and is built immaculately hand wired, in the maker's words1. In 2024 King Tone shrank and refined it into the V2: a compact, rounded enclosure with recessed, flush inset knobs and the stacked jack layout3. The rounded format then spread across the King Tone range, with the Heavy Hand and Soloist overdrives joining it in the same enclosure style5.
On circuit origins, the evidence points to the Timmy. Guitar Pedal X reported in February 2024 that "the circuit origins seem to be based in significant part on the Timmy circuit - with a few tweaks on from that"3. Aion FX is more direct: "we traced one in 2022 and found that it's nearly identical to a Timmy, with a few minor tweaks and some added options"6. Those added options include the Edge voicing switch and the four-position midrange DIP switch6. Aion FX also notes a circuit detail: there is some signal loss between the first two stages due to the passive treble control, and the earliest versions of the Blues Power did not have the decoy transistor later units carry6.
Guitar Pedal X has also grouped the Blues Power among King Tone overdrives that "derive from classic Blues Breaker, Timmy and Tube Screamer style overdrive circuits, with extended ranges"5, though the Timmy is the circuit specifically named for the Blues Power.
The range now includes the Blues Power V2 and the Blues Power Deluxe, which keeps the dual clipping stages and the Glass-Stock-Edge switch in a custom CNC aluminum enclosure with a laser-engraved control panel, offered in black or blue2. King Tone's broader lineup includes the Duellist dual overdrive and the Soloist Mini.
What reviewers said
Guitar Pedal X's February 2024 review of the V2 covered both the sound and the controversial enclosure. On the format, the reviewer wrote that the rounded enclosure with inset knobs "has elicited mixed feeling from the pedal community. A little 'Marmite' I guess," while personally concluding that "those flush inset knobs actually look really cool"3.
On the pedal itself, the reviewer was positive but measured:
"While I would not be adverse to adding one of these. ... The Blues Power would definitely be a nice-to-have."
He noted he personally prefers other overdrive circuit genres, but still counted the Blues Power as a nice-to-have addition to a board3.
Availability
The Blues Power is typically made in small batches and sold through the King Tone webstore, so when a batch is gone there is a wait until the next one3. As of late July 2026 the maker's page listed it as out of stock1, and other King Tone products such as the miniFUZZ V2 and the Duellist V2 have carried the same status, which points to the small-batch production model rather than a problem with this one pedal1.
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Questions
What do the Edge, Stock and Glass voicing settings do on the Blues Power?
The Voicing control is a three-way switch that adjusts the treble response before the overdrive stages. Edge gives the most top-end bite, Stock is the neutral setting, and Glass rolls the treble back for a smoother, rounder character. King Tone describes it as a powerful pre-overdrive tone adjustment, so it shapes the signal before the drive is applied.
What do the Scooped, Punch, Kington and Cranked dip switches change?
The four dip switches, reached from the rear of the pedal, reshape the midrange and drive character. Scooped and Punch adjust the mid-frequency range, Kington produces what King Tone calls unique, fat, edgy tones, and Cranked pushes the second overdrive stage to enhance amp-like qualities. They let you tailor the pedal's core voice without touching the knobs.
Is the KingTone Blues Power based on the Timmy?
Yes, by most accounts. Guitar Pedal X reported in 2024 that the circuit origins seem to be based in significant part on the Timmy circuit with a few tweaks, and Aion FX traced one in 2022 and found it nearly identical to a Timmy, with minor tweaks and added options such as the voicing switch and dip switches.
Why is the KingTone Blues Power always out of stock?
King Tone builds the Blues Power in small batches and sells it through its own webstore, so when a batch sells out there is a wait until the next one. The pedal is immaculately hand wired, which limits how many units can be produced at a time. As of late July 2026 the maker's page listed it as out of stock.
Sources (8)
- Blues Power, KingTone Guitar (www.kingtoneguitar.com), 2026-07-31
- Blues Power Deluxe Transparent Overdrive Pedal, KingTone Guitar (www.kingtoneguitar.com)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-02-01
- Blues Power V2 by KingTone, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-04-11
- Durandal Transparent Drive / King Tone Blues Power, Aion FX, 2022-05-13
- Blues Power by KingTone, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- The Duellist V2 (2022), KingTone Guitar, 2026-07-31
