The None More Black Deluxe is an ultra high gain distortion pedal from Menatone, the handmade effects company that has been building pedals since 1996. What sets it apart from most high gain pedals is the circuit itself: there are no clipping diodes and no op amps. Menatone describes it as a purely discrete circuit, and says it "oozes an organic character that eludes other pedals in t[his] field." The company says the design "takes concepts from all of my favorite amps from the 80s to the present," so it approaches high gain from an amp-like direction rather than a conventional distortion circuit.1
The controls
The Deluxe carries six knobs, and each one maps to a specific job in the circuit. Menatone's own descriptions1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the preamp gain1 |
| Taut | Tightens the low end when turned up1 |
| Reso | Bass boost at 100 Hz1 |
| High | Treble control1 |
| Mid | Mid cut at 550 Hz1 |
| Pres | Presence control1 |
| Level | Overall volume of the pedal1 |
The Taut and Reso controls work in opposite directions on the low end: Taut firms it up as it turns up, while Reso adds bass at 100 Hz. Together they let a player dial the bottom end from tight and focused to full and boosted, which matters at high gain where loose low end can turn to mud. The Mid control is a cut at 550 Hz, so it scoops rather than boosts, and the Pres control shapes the top edge of the sound.1
The Power control is the unusual one. Menatone describes it as working "like the master volume on an... power amp. turn up for more power tube like saturation." In practice that means it controls how much of the pedal's amp-like saturation character comes through, separate from the preamp gain set by the Gain knob.1
Power and connections
The pedal uses a typical 2.1mm style DC jack with negative center and positive ring, the standard polarity for most pedalboard power supplies. Menatone does not list a current draw figure or a battery option for the pedal.1
Menatone does not publish a current draw figure for the None More Black Deluxe. If you are budgeting space on a daisy-chained supply, treat it as an unknown until the pedal arrives.
Connections are top mount jacks, which keep the pedal's footprint narrow on a pedalboard by keeping cables out of the sides. A white LED indicator light shows when the pedal is engaged, and the switching is true bypass hardwired, so the circuit drops out of the signal path completely when the pedal is off.1
Buying one
Menatone lists the None More Black Deluxe at $259 on its product page as of October 2026. These are handmade pedals rather than stocked production units, and Menatone states that the build time is "usually 4-6 weeks or so," so ordering means waiting for the pedal to be built.1
For a sense of the sound, Menatone's own demo runs the pedal into a Princeton style amp feeding an Ox Amp Top Box, with the amp set very clean so as "not to hide the sound of the pedal."1
Videos
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Questions
Is the Menatone None More Black Deluxe true bypass?
Yes. Menatone describes the None More Black Deluxe as having true bypass hardwired switching, so the pedal's circuit is removed from the signal path entirely when it is off. The pedal also has a white LED indicator light to show when it is engaged, and its jacks are top mounted.
How much does the Menatone None More Black Deluxe cost?
Menatone lists the None More Black Deluxe at $259 on its product page as of October 2026. Because each pedal is handmade to order, the build time is usually 4 to 6 weeks or so before it ships.
What does the Taut knob do on the None More Black Deluxe?
The Taut control tightens the low end when turned up. It works alongside the Reso control, which is a bass boost at 100 Hz, so the two let you shape how firm or full the bottom of the pedal's high gain distortion sits in the mix.
How long does Menatone take to build a None More Black Deluxe?
Menatone states that the build time is usually 4 to 6 weeks or so. The company has been making handmade effects since 1996, and pedals like this one are built to order rather than stocked.
What power supply does the None More Black Deluxe need?
The None More Black Deluxe uses a typical 2.1mm style DC jack with negative center and positive ring, the same polarity as most standard pedal power supplies. Menatone does not list a battery option or a current draw figure for the pedal.
Sources (2)
- None More Black Deluxe, menatone.com
- None More Black Deluxe, Menatone
