The KingTone Soloist is an overdrive pedal built on a Tube Screamer-style circuit, with a wide-range Drive control that spans from glassy, amp-like clean to heavy, sustaining overdrive1. KingTone describes it as offering "glassy clean tones, fat lead sounds, and sustain for days," whether used with a clean amp or to push a tube amp into singing overdrive1. It is a limited edition pedal, listed at $299.991.
What it does to your sound
The Soloist's Drive control is wide ranging, going from glassy, amp-like clean to heavy, sustaining overdrive1. The Volume control is a high-output design that KingTone says can push any amp into breakup1. The maker's description of the Deluxe version covers the same ground: "The SOLOIST Deluxe is the ultimate overdrive pedal, offering glassy clean tones, fat lead sounds, and sustain for days. It adds character and warmth to any guitar tone, whether used with a clean amp or to drive tube amps into lush, singing overdrive."3
The circuit itself is a soft-clipping design. Rockman.fr's review notes that "The Soloist has a 2 diodes soft-clipping circuit," the same clipping topology that defines the Tube Screamer family4. Aion FX traced the circuit in 2022 and found that compared to the Duellist circuit, "A 'Body' potentiometer has been added, and the 'Fat' toggle mode has been swapped for the new 'Edge' mode."5
The controls
The Soloist carries four external controls plus a set of internal voicing options617.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Wide-range control spanning glassy, amp-like clean to heavy, sustaining overdrive1 |
| Volume | High output, can push any amp into breakup1 |
| Tone | Lets you finesse the frequency response1 |
| Body | Introduces the lows and warmth often missing from overdrive pedals; cranked, delivers chunky, fat riff tones3 |
On top of the knobs, the pedal offers three settings for the top end: Edge, Stock, and Glass1. The internal "Edge" and "Glass" controls add what KingTone calls a glassy, hollow, tube-like bite7.
The voicing modes
Beyond the top-end settings, the Soloist includes three named voicing modes:
- Amp-Like: delivers a wide, cranked tube amp sound with a boosted output, letting the guitar's natural tone shine through1
- KingTone: changes the voicing to an edgy vocal top end and chunky bass; KingTone says it fattens the tone and adds edge bite1
- SRV MOD: adds a clean signal to the mix, enhancing clarity and dynamics1
- $100,000: KingTone calls this "one of the most exciting features we've ever added to a pedal, offering classic, Dumblesque, fuzzy, warm lead tones reminiscent of amps that sell for hundreds of dollars"3
The SRV MOD setting is the feature Guitar Pedal X highlighted when covering the Mini, describing the line as King Tone's "SRV Screamer Overdrive"6. The name nods to the clean-blend approach associated with Stevie Ray Vaughan's TS-style tones, though the maker's own description is simply that a clean signal is mixed in for clarity and dynamics1.
Power
The Soloist runs on 9 to 18 volts, from either a battery or a DC supply1. The Deluxe carries the same 9 to 18 volt range with battery or DC options3. Running at 18 volts gives the 4558 op-amps more headroom than a standard 9V supply, a common trick with Tube Screamer-style circuits. The pedal uses high quality 4558 chips, the op-amp family associated with the original Tube Screamer1.
Versions: the Duellist side A, Mini and Deluxe
KingTone describes the Soloist as side 'A' of the Duellist pedal in black1. It is not simply a reboxed half, though: Aion FX's trace found the added Body potentiometer and the Edge mode replacing the Duellist's Fat toggle5.
The line has since expanded:
| Version | What it is |
|---|---|
| Soloist (black) | Limited edition, $299.991 |
| Soloist Deluxe | Side 'A' of the Duellist Pedal in Black, with carefully matched and selected components3 |
Compared to the Duellist circuit, the Soloist adds a "Body" potentiometer and swaps the "Fat" toggle mode for a new "Edge" mode5.
Guitar Pedal X reported the Mini as a smaller edition of the SRV Screamer Overdrive, noting it "retains Drive, Volume, Body and Tone controls" and that "Presumably the Soloist Mini is made with more diminutive SMD parts."6 The Mini's internal trimmer selects between Stock, Glass and Edge voicings7.
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Questions
Is the KingTone Soloist true bypass?
Yes. KingTone lists the Soloist with True Silent Bypass, and the Deluxe adds a soft-touch footswitch with the same true silent bypass switching. The pedal passes your dry signal without buffering when switched off.
What chip does the KingTone Soloist use?
The Soloist uses high quality 4558 chips, the same op-amp family found in classic Tube Screamer circuits. The Deluxe and Mini versions are listed with high-quality 4558 op-amps as well.
What does the SRV mod setting on the Soloist do?
The SRV MOD setting adds a clean signal into the mix alongside the overdriven signal. KingTone says this enhances clarity and dynamics, letting more of your guitar's natural character come through at higher drive settings.
Can the KingTone Soloist run on 18 volts?
Yes. KingTone specifies a power range of 9 to 18 volts, using either a battery or a DC supply. Running it at 18 volts gives the op-amps more headroom than a standard 9V supply.
Is the KingTone Soloist the same as the Duellist?
Not quite. KingTone describes the Soloist as side 'A' of the Duellist pedal in black, but the circuit differs: a Body potentiometer was added and the Duellist's Fat toggle mode was swapped for a new Edge mode, according to Aion FX's trace.
Sources (7)
- THE SOLOIST, KingTone Guitar, 2026-07-31
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-04-11
- THE SOLOIST DELUXE, KingTone Guitar
- Rockman.fr, Rockman.fr, 2008
- Gladius Dynamic Overdrive, Aion FX, 2022-05-13
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2026-09-14
- THE SOLOIST DELUXE, KingTone Guitar
