MXR/Third Man Records Double Down

The MXR x Third Man Hardware Double Down is a dual boost pedal that puts two separate MXR Micro Amp circuits into a single box. One input jack splits your guitar signal to two separate outputs, each with its own Gain control, so you can drive two amplifiers at once and add up to +26dB of clean gain to each side¹². It was made by MXR in partnership with Third Man Hardware, Jack White's gear company, and MXR's manual describes it as "the perfect booster for gigging guitar players"¹.

The idea came directly from how White plays. Premier Guitar reports the collaboration was sparked by his use of two Micro Amp pedals since his White Stripes days; combining both circuits in one enclosure gives him two independent channels of classic MXR preamp gain in a compact pedal²³.

Two Micro Amp circuits in one enclosure

The Micro Amp, model M133, is MXR's long-running preamp/booster pedal⁴. The Double Down takes that circuit and doubles it: two independent channels, two outputs, and a single shared input. Gearnews described it as containing two MXR Micro Preamps that let you drive two guitar amplifiers at once⁵. MusicRadar noted that with two boost circuits come two outputs, so one pedal can add gain to two separate signal chains⁶.

For a player, that means one box can sit at the front of a two-amp rig and push both amps harder, or feed two entirely different effect chains. Guitar World reported the pedal was crafted to give musicians of all types a stereo version of the prized Micro Amp⁷.

Controls

The manual's setup instructions are simple: start with both knobs fully counterclockwise, then rotate each Gain knob clockwise to boost its output as needed¹. For a wider stereo image, move the PHASE switch to its right position, towards the output jacks, for a pronounced stereophonic effect when using both outputs¹.

Power and specifications

The pedal runs on a 9-volt AC adapter such as the Dunlop ECB003/ECB003EU, or an MXR Brick Series power supply¹. Premier Guitar's specifications list 9 volts DC power, an 11 mA current draw, input impedance greater than 450 kΩ with the buffer off and greater than 700 kΩ with it on, and output impedance under 1 kΩ².

Origins and the limited yellow edition

The Double Down launched in December 2022 and became available in Third Man Hardware's official Reverb shop, with a Reverb-exclusive limited-edition yellow variant³. MusicRadar reported the Reverb limited edition run was priced at $169 and available immediately, with another run to follow in black text on a yellow-painted enclosure⁶. Gearnews described the two versions as one in black plus a limited edition in yellow⁵.

The yellow colorway came with a guitar pick tin, though sources disagree on its contents: Delicious Audio reported a 6-pick tin at launch³, while Premier Guitar later described a 10-pick guitar pick tin².

The yellow limited edition follows a pattern Third Man Hardware has used across its collaborations, including yellow variants of the CopperSound Triplegraph, the Donner Triple Threat, the JHS Troika Delay and the Eventide Knife Drop⁸⁹¹⁰.

Jack White's demo and comments

In the pedal's premiere video, Jack White demoed a few ways he might use one: keeping one channel clean while the other runs drenched in Bumble Buzz fuzz, or adding a Triplegraph octave pedal on one side and a Flex pedal on the other³.

White's own view of the pedal is modest:

He also addressed the signature-pedal question directly, saying he would rather make something useful that other players can get their own sound out of than sell a "Jack White sound" concept³.

Videos

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Questions