The Monoprice DS-6 Analog Vintage Distortion is a distortion pedal for electric guitar, sold by Monoprice and designed by Indio Guitars. It is an analog circuit with true bypass switching, running on a standard 9V DC center negative supply and drawing 5.4mA1.
The pedal's stated purpose is to recreate a specific piece of history. according to RockBoard's PedalPedia, "Indio™ Guitars faithfully recreated the design and vintage tone of the mid-to-late 70s distortion pedal"1. The maker goes further, saying that "the mid-to-late 70s distortion pedal has gained legendary status as possibly the best ever made" and that its tone "has yet to be improved"1. In other words, the DS-6 is pitched not as a new take on distortion but as a faithful copy of a design from the era when distortion pedals were being defined, alongside the overdrive and fuzz circuits that shared that period.
Design and intent
The DS-6 belongs to a family of pedals that aim at a vintage circuit rather than a new sound. Indio Guitars, the design house behind it, is credited by the maker with recreating both the design and the vintage tone of the original mid-to-late 70s unit1. For a player, that means the pedal is presented as a way to get a 1970s-style distortion voice from a current-production stompbox, rather than a modern reinterpretation with added features.
What the maker states about the pedal, in one place:
- Sold under the Monoprice name1
- Designed by Indio Guitars1
- Analog circuit1
- True bypass switching1
- Presented as a recreation of a mid-to-late 1970s distortion pedal1
Power and practicalities
The DS-6's electrical requirements are about as simple as a pedal gets. It takes 9V DC with center negative polarity, the convention used by the overwhelming majority of pedal power supplies, so it will sit happily on a board powered by a standard supply1.
Its current draw is 5.4mA1, which is low even by the standards of compact analog pedals. That figure matters in practice: a pedal drawing this little leaves plenty of headroom on any supply output, and it is the kind of load that a single isolated output handles without thought.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Effect type | Distortion1 |
| Circuit | Analog1 |
| Bypass | True bypass1 |
| Power | 9V DC, center negative1 |
| Current draw | 5.4mA1 |
The DS-6 is an analog, true bypass pedal running on 9V DC center negative at 5.4mA1. As with any pedal at this current draw, it can share a power setup easily, but the maker's listing specifies 9V DC center negative, so that is the supply to give it.
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Questions
Is the Monoprice DS-6 true bypass?
Yes. Monoprice lists the DS-6 as a true bypass distortion pedal, so when it is switched off, the guitar signal passes through without the circuit in the path.
Is the Monoprice DS-6 analog?
Yes. The DS-6 uses an analog circuit, in keeping with its aim of recreating the design and tone of a mid-to-late 1970s distortion pedal.
What voltage and polarity does the Monoprice DS-6 use?
The DS-6 runs on 9V DC with center negative polarity, the same standard used by most common pedal power supplies.
Who designed the Monoprice DS-6?
The pedal was designed by Indio Guitars, which according to the maker faithfully recreated the design and vintage tone of the mid-to-late 70s distortion pedal. It is sold under the Monoprice name.
How much current does the Monoprice DS-6 draw?
The DS-6 draws 5.4mA, a low figure that means almost any 9V DC pedal power supply can run it.
Sources (1)
- DS-6 Analog Vintage Distortion by Monoprice, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026