The King Tone Duellist is a dual overdrive pedal, first released in 2015, that puts two complete drive circuits in one enclosure1. Side A is the String Singer, a modern take on the Ibanez Tube Screamer; side B is the Heavy Hand, a refined Marshall Bluesbreaker-style circuit12. Each side has its own footswitch, so you can run one at a time or stack them with both engaged2.
King Tone describes the pedal as "a reinvention of two classic and distinct overdrive pedals in one unit"3, and the maker says the current V3 "delivers massive, open, uncompromised, transparent lead and rhythm tones"4. It was developed by Jesse Davey, ex-guitarist of the award-winning blues rock band The Hoax, who told Guitar World the pedal "was created out of the need for a more versatile, organic-sounding overdrive"5.
Two overdrives in one: the String Singer and the Heavy Hand
The Duellist's two sides come from different lineages. The String Singer, on side A, is based on the Tube Screamer, though Guitar.com found in its 2019 awards coverage that "it proves to be more versatile than its forebear"8. The Heavy Hand, on side B, is what Delicious Audio called "a highly refined BB", short for Bluesbreaker2. Aion FX, which traced the circuit in 2022, notes the Heavy Hand core circuit is shared with King Tone's standalone Heavyhand pedal, derived from the Marshall Bluesbreaker, but the Duellist adds modified tones the single pedal cannot reach1.
Davey's motivation for the design was partly the bass loss of classic overdrives. In Guitar World he said5:
"I grew up with the Tube Screamer and Klon but found the drop in bass too much"5
Jesse Davey, Guitar World, 20185
King Tone positions side A of the V3 as "the ultimate Stevie Ray inspired drive"4, and the V2 Silver edition's SRV Mod "adds attack and dynamics to the classic TS style tones"3. Delicious Audio's reviewer wrote of the SRV Mod that "you'll probably want to leave this option on once you hear it"2.
The controls
Each channel has its own footswitch and its own Drive, Volume and Tone knobs2. Beyond that, the control set has grown across versions:
| Control | What it does | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Drive, Volume, Tone | Standard gain, level and tone per channel | Both channels2 |
| Fat / Stock / Glass voicing | Three-way tone option for each channel, described by King Tone as unique to the brand | V2 and V3427 |
| Clean / Classic / MAX toggle | Clean gives genuine clean-boost tones; Max is an alternative drive circuit with a different flavor of grit | V3, each side4 |
| Channel order switch | Flips the stacking order, A into B or B into A | V2 side panel29 |
| Side dip switch | Access to the amp-like setting, SRV Mod, Fat/Stock/Glass and clipping options | V229 |
| 8-position DIP switch | Fine-tuning tone | V34 |
On the original Duellist, the extra voicing lived on internal dip switches: modern/vintage and symmetrical/asymmetrical clipping on the String Singer side, and clipping type plus a distortion mode on the Heavy Hand side9. Guitar.com's review noted you could "switch either side to asymmetrical clipping to deliver either a more open, gritty low-gain tone, or one that is reminiscent of a great germanium fuzz with the gain wound up"9.
V2 moved these options to a side-mounted six-position dip switch and added a switchable distortion circuit on channel B29. The amp-like setting, present on both sides, "gives you an open, tube-amp style tone"2. In V1, channel order was changed using TRS cables; V2 replaced that with the A-B/B-A switch on the right side panel2.
Power and connections
The Duellist runs on 9V to 18V DC power or an internal battery4297. King Tone says you can run it at 12 or 18V for more headroom3. The V3 draws about 10mA, which the maker says allows long battery life4. The original ran on a 9V supply with a 2.1mm center negative plug or a battery9.
Jacks are top mounted210. Each side has TRS input and output, which enables Split mode: using TRS cables, the Duellist functions as two separate pedals with an in and an out for each side42. With both channels on in normal operation, they stack on each other2.
[!NOTE] The V3 is sold as a pre-sale item whose final specifications the maker says are subject to change4376.
Versions and editions
- Original Duellist (2015): Two overdrives in one, internal dip switches for voicing, $349 at the time of Guitar.com's 2019 review19.
- Duellist V2: Added the side-mounted dip switch panel, channel order switch, switchable distortion on channel B, and the amp-like setting; housed in a custom CNC machined 6061 aluminum enclosure with a laser engraved control panel29.
- V2 editions: Sold in Silver, Black Panel and a Classic version dated 2022-23376.
- Duellist V3: The current version, $349.99, with the Clean/Classic/MAX toggle, 8-position DIP switch, six analog tone circuits and 4558 chips47. It has its own page: KingTone Duellist V3.
What reviewers said
Guitar.com reviewed the original in 2019 and listed its features as true-bypass switching and pre-clipping EQ switching, in a laser-etched black enclosure, made in the USA9. In the site's Best Effects Pedals of 2019 awards it wrote:
"Delivers everything from a cleanish boost to super smooth, harmonically-rich lead tones."
Guitar.com, Best Effects Pedals of 20198
Delicious Audio called the V2 "a higher gain option than most Blues Breaker variants" and "a tone-tweaker's delight that's hand-made in the USA"2.
Videos
KingTone
KingTone
R.J. Ronquillo
Questions
Is the King Tone Duellist true bypass?
Yes. King Tone lists true bypass switching, described as "True Bypass (No Tone Loss)", on the Duellist V2 editions and the V3, and Guitar.com's review of the original also lists true-bypass switching. When the pedal is off, your signal passes through without buffering.
What do the internal dip switches on the Duellist do?
On the original, internal dip switches set modern or vintage voicing and symmetrical or asymmetrical clipping on the String Singer side, and clipping type plus a distortion mode on the Heavy Hand side. On V2 the options moved to a side-mounted six-position dip switch covering the amp-like setting, the SRV Mod, and Fat, Stock and Glass settings per channel. V3 uses an 8-position DIP switch for fine-tuning tone.
Is the Duellist based on a Tube Screamer?
Half of it is. The String Singer side is a modern take on the Ibanez Tube Screamer, while the Heavy Hand side is a refined Marshall Bluesbreaker-style circuit. Guitar.com noted the String Singer is based on the Tube Screamer but more versatile than its forebear.
Can the Duellist run on a battery?
Yes. King Tone lists an internal battery alongside 9V to 18V DC power on the V2 editions and the V3, and the V3 draws about 10mA, which the maker says allows long battery life. The original also ran on battery or a 9V center negative supply.
Who designed the King Tone Duellist?
Jesse Davey, ex-guitarist of the now-defunct award-winning band The Hoax, developed the Duellist. He told Guitar World he grew up with the Tube Screamer and Klon but found the drop in bass too much, which led to the Duellist's more versatile, organic-sounding overdrive design.
Sources (10)
- Gladiator Dual Overdrive / King Tone Duellist, Aion FX, 2022-05-13
- Updated Pedal: KingTone Duellist V2, Delicious Audio, 2023-10-02
- The Duellist V2 (SILVER), KingTone Guitar, 2026-07-31
- The Duellist V3 Dual Overdrive Pedal, KingTone Guitar
- Dial in Some SRV with King Tone Guitar's Pedals, Switches and Mojo, Guitar World, 2018-01-30
- The Duellist V2 (2022), KingTone Guitar, 2026-07-31
- The Duellist V2 (Black Panel), KingTone Guitar, 2026-07-31
- Gear Of The Year: Best effects pedals of 2019, Guitar.com, 2019-12-03
- Review: King Tone The Duellist, Guitar.com, 2019-07-23
- The Duellist Silver by KingTone, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
