The Menatone Blue Collar Mini is an overdrive pedal: the maker describes it as "all of the fat, midrangey overdrive of the original in a tiny, pedal board friendly box"1. It is the mini version of the Menatone Blue Collar, an overdrive that debuted in 1997 at a request for a Red Snapper with more gain and compression2. The Mini is a new for 2025 version, and it adds a presence control that the original does not have2.
What it does to your sound
Menatone's own description sets the character: a fat, midrangey overdrive, carried over from the original Blue Collar1. The circuit's origin explains that voice. The Blue Collar came about in 1997 when a player asked for the Red Snapper, Menatone's first design, with more gain and compression2. If you know the Red Snapper's approach, the Blue Collar is that circuit pushed harder and squeezed more.
The 2025 Mini's addition is the presence control, listed as "pres" on the new model1. Menatone notes that this new for 2025 Blue Collar mini adds the presence control2, giving you a top-end shaping tool the original Blue Collar never had.
Power, size and practicalities
The Blue Collar Mini does not take a battery. Menatone states "power supply must be used, no battery for the mini" and "9v power supply only, no batteries for this one"12. You will need a 9v power supply output for it.
The footprint is genuinely small: Menatone lists the dimensions as 1.5" x 3.66"2, which is what makes it pedalboard friendly. Because it is handmade to order, Menatone lists a 2 to 5 week build time unless the pedal appears on the company's In Stock page1.
How it compares to the other Blue Collars
The Blue Collar line has several versions, and the differences are mostly about size, wiring and controls:
| Version | What Menatone says about it |
|---|---|
| Blue Collar (original design) | Debuted 1997, a Red Snapper with more gain and compression2 |
| Blue Collar (smaller box version) | Point to point wired just like the original 1997 version, but in a smaller enclosure with jacks on top34 |
| Blue Collar Mini (2025) | The mini version of the Blue Collar, same fat, midrangey overdrive, adds the presence control12 |
The full-size Blue Collar keeps the point to point wiring of the 1997 original4, while the Mini trades that for the tiny enclosure and the added presence control. If you want more overdrive options from the same maker, the Red Snapper is the lower-gain root of the design2, and Menatone's wider range of overdrive pedals sits alongside other overdrive pedals of its kind.
Videos
ciclosonico
Questions
Does the Menatone Blue Collar Mini take a battery?
No. Menatone states that a power supply must be used and that there is no battery for the mini version. The pedal runs on a 9v power supply only, so plan on a spot on your power supply rather than a battery clip or a daisy chain that cannot spare the current.
How big is the Menatone Blue Collar Mini?
Menatone lists the dimensions as 1.5" x 3.66". That is a small, pedalboard-friendly footprint, which is the point of the mini version: the same overdrive circuit as the original Blue Collar in a tiny box.
What is the difference between the Blue Collar and the Blue Collar Mini?
The Mini is the mini version of the Blue Collar, carrying the same fat, midrangey overdrive in a smaller enclosure. The new for 2025 Mini also adds a presence control that the original does not have. The full-size Blue Collar is point to point wired like the original 1997 version, in a smaller enclosure with jacks on top.
Where is the Menatone Blue Collar Mini made?
In the United States. Menatone says that like all Menatone products, the Blue Collar Mini is handmade in the USA.
How long does Menatone take to build a Blue Collar Mini?
Menatone lists a 2 to 5 week build time for the Blue Collar Mini, unless the pedal is on the In Stock page of the Menatone site, in which case it can ship sooner.
Sources (4)
- Blue Collar Mini, menatone.com, 2025
- Blue Collar Mini, menatone.com, 2025
- Blue Collar PTP, menatone.com
- Blue Collar, Menatone
