The MXR Duke of Tone is a mini overdrive pedal from MXR, designed in conjunction with indie pedal builder Analog Man and released in 2022123. It is based on the Prince of Tone Overdrive, the single-channel version of Analog Man's long-waitlisted King of Tone, and it puts that circuit in a small box with three voices: boost, overdrive and distortion45. MXR pitches it at players who want to add a touch of warmth and grit while letting the natural tone and feel of their gear come through4.
The controls: Volume, Drive, Tone and the OD/Boost/Dist switch
The front panel keeps the original's simple layout: Volume, Drive and Tone knobs, a single footswitch, and a three-way toggle that sets the clipping mode29. The footswitch toggles the effect on and off, with a white LED showing when it is on4.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Adjusts overall output level4 |
| Drive | Adjusts overdrive intensity4 |
| Tone | Shapes the high end9 |
| OD/Boost/Dist switch | Sets clipping mode4 |
| Footswitch | Toggles effect on/off, white LED indicates on4 |
The three modes are where the pedal's range lives. According to the manual, OD mode engages soft clipping for a touch of grit and compression, Boost mode bumps up your signal loudly and clearly with no clipping, and Distortion mode engages hard clipping for a grittier, more compressed sound with a bump in output level4. Guitar World's Trevor Curwen added detail on how each is achieved: the Boost mode is the equivalent of the King of Tone's Clean mode and uses op-amp clipping rather than diodes, OD mode uses diode clipping for a natural, airy low-level drive, and Distortion mode's harder clipping adds more compression7.
Inside the pedal there is also an internal trim pot for boosting or cutting treble, a fine adjustment beyond the Tone knob10.
Power and connections
The Duke of Tone runs on the Dunlop ECB003 9-volt adapter or an MXR Brick Series power supply, drawing 6 mA45. The manual is explicit that the pedal cannot be powered by a battery4. Guitar World notes it can be run safely at 18V7.
No battery option: the Duke of Tone is power supply only, so it needs a spot on a pedalboard power brick or its own adapter4.
Connections are a standard instrument input and amplifier output, with input impedance greater than 450 kΩ and output impedance under 10 kΩ47. Guitar World lists its dimensions as 40 (w) x 91 (d) x 55mm (h), so it takes up very little board space7.
Built with Analog Man: the King of Tone lineage
The Duke of Tone is a collaboration between MXR and Analog Man, the builder whose King of Tone overdrive carries a famously long wait. The Duke is based on the Prince of Tone, the single-channel version of the King, and MusicRadar called it essentially a mini Prince of Tone, half a King of Tone in mini form511. On JHS Pedals' channel, Josh Scott noted the Analog Man designs have now been officially licensed for production with the designer's involvement, and that the project was overseen by George Trippets, who ran Way Huge12.
The build aims to match the original: the through-hole components were personally tested by Analog Mike to meet the exacting specifications of the Analog Man original1. Premier Guitar's reviewer found the through-hole-board construction flawless, with no surface mount components in the audio circuit, only in the LED switching circuit, and the circuit built around a 4580D op amp, just as in the King of Tone108.
Delicious Audio placed the circuit in familiar territory, describing it as a Tube Screamer-style overdrive with more drive and a much wider sonic range, producing a rich, harmonic-laden dirt sound with maximum transparency1. Premier Guitar heard the overdrive mode as "a little like an aerated TS circuit: scooped in the middle, softened in the high harmonics"10.
"The Duke's overdrive can handle a lot more treble without becoming strident, which gives you plenty of room to explore picking nuance."
What reviewers made of it
Premier Guitar called it a pedal with few shortcomings, noting only that the overdrive and distortion sounds can seem slightly compressed compared to certain good Klon-style pedals, and naming the boost voice the favorite of the three: the most nuanced and most responsive to dynamics10. Guitar World's verdict was that anyone wanting to buy into the whole King of Tone thing can now do so instantly, calling it a versatile and transparent boost or drive pedal that slots into any setup7.
On price, MXR's own parts page lists $159.99 (2026)6, while Guitar World's review lists $149 (2026)7, the same figure as the 2022 preorder price13. Either way, the Duke is cheaper than both the King of Tone and the Prince of Tone, as MusicRadar's comparison video put it14.
In That Pedal Show's 2025 comparison of the King of Tone family, the Duke held its own: it was Mick's second favorite of the day's test, preferred to the Prince of Tone15.
Josh Scott's JHS Pedals review covers the pedal's background and the licensing story behind it12.
Videos
Andertons Music Co
Pete Thorn
News
Questions
Is the MXR Duke of Tone the same circuit as the Prince of Tone?
It is based on the Prince of Tone, the single-channel version of the King of Tone, and MusicRadar described it as essentially a mini Prince of Tone. The circuit is built around a 4580D op amp, the same chip Premier Guitar found in the King of Tone, and the through-hole components were personally tested by Analog Mike to meet the original's specifications.
What is the difference between the Duke of Tone and the King of Tone?
The King of Tone is a dual-channel pedal; the Duke is a mini, single-channel descendant based on the Prince of Tone, which is the single-channel version of the King. The Duke's Boost mode is the equivalent of the King of Tone's Clean mode and uses op-amp clipping rather than diodes. It is also cheaper than both the King and the Prince.
Can the Duke of Tone run on a battery?
No. The manual states plainly that the pedal cannot be powered by a battery. It runs on the Dunlop ECB003 9-volt adapter or an MXR Brick Series power supply, drawing 6 mA. Guitar World notes it can also be run safely at 18V.
Is the MXR Duke of Tone true bypass?
Yes. Both the Jim Dunlop manual and Guitar World's review list true bypass switching. A single footswitch toggles the effect on and off, with a white LED indicating when it is on.
What does the internal trim pot on the Duke of Tone do?
Inside the pedal there is an internal trim pot for boosting or cutting treble, letting you fine-tune the top end beyond what the front-panel Tone knob offers. Premier Guitar highlighted it as a way to shape the pedal's brightness to your amp and guitar.
Sources (15)
- MXR Duke Of Tone (with Analogman), Delicious Audio, 2022-10-21
- MXR / Analog Man Duke of Tone Overdrive Distortion Boost, Pedal of the Day, 2025-05-13
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-07-16
- CSP039.pdf, Jim Dunlop, 2022
- MXR® DUKE OF TONE™ OVERDRIVE, Jim Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
- MXR® DUKE OF TONE™ OVERDRIVE, Jim Dunlop (jimdunlop.com)
- MXR Duke of Tone review, Guitar World, 2022-12-09
- MXR Duke of Tone Review, guitar.com, 2022-11-11
- LEAK: MXR Duke Of Tone a collaboration with Analogman- It's official!, gearnews.com, 2022-09-02
- MXR Duke of Tone Guitar Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2022-09-01
- Our 11 favourite effects pedals of 2022, MusicRadar, 2022-12-22
- How The MXR Duke Of Tone and Timmy Pedals Are A Big Deal For Boutique Pedals, JHS Pedals (YouTube channel), 2022-09-19
- MXR partners with revered boutique builder Analog Man for the Duke of Tone, Guitar World, 2022-09-01
- MXR Duke Of Tone Vs Analog Man King Of Tone overdrive pedal, MusicRadar, 2022-09-05
- The New King Of Tone? Chase Bliss x Analog Man Brothers AM Plus Prince Of Tone & MXR Duke of Tone, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2025-04-24
Mike Piera
