The One Control Sonic Blue Twanger is a compact pedal designed by BJF (Bjorn Juhl) that can be used as a preamp, booster or distortion pedal. It belongs to the Amp-In-A-Box series by One Control and BJF, a line of pedals built around the character of a particular amplifier. In this case, One Control describes the pedal as promising rhythm guitarists an edge and lead guitarists a limiting distortion effect similar to the iconic 'blackface' amps1.
The pedal is small, at 39W x 100D x 31H mm excluding protruding parts (47W x 100D x 46H mm including them), weighs about 160 grams, and sits in a high quality aluminum enclosure. As of 26 October 2026 it is listed as sold out on One Control's own product page1.
The controls
One Control describes the Sonic Blue Twanger as compact with four simple controls, in keeping with many of the BJF-designed pedals the company makes1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Pre volume, working with the Master to vary the amount of clean headroom and distortion in the signal1 |
| Master | Post volume, paired with the Volume control for the same purpose1 |
| Treble | A tone balance, like on the original amplifiers, which increases and decreases a 'shelved' EQ setting1 |
| Rhythm/Lead switch | Mounted on the side of the pedal, selects between the two gain modes1 |
The Volume and Master arrangement is the practical heart of the pedal: because one works before the gain stage and one after, you can trade clean headroom against distortion without changing your overall level. The Treble control is not a conventional treble cut; One Control describes it as a shelved tone balance in the manner of the original amplifiers the pedal draws on1.
Rhythm and Lead modes
The side-mounted switch changes the pedal's gain and noise figures substantially:
| Mode | Gain | Noise level |
|---|---|---|
| Rhythm | About 18dB | -80dB |
| Lead | About 40dB | -74 dB |
In Rhythm mode the pedal provides about 18dB of gain with a -80dB noise level; in Lead, about 40dB of gain with a -74 dB noise level1. The signal-to-noise ratio is listed as -80db rhythm / -74 db lead1. For a player, that means Rhythm mode is the lower-gain, quieter setting for pushing an amp or adding edge, while Lead mode delivers a much larger dose of gain for a limiting distortion effect.
Impedance, noise and power
The Sonic Blue Twanger runs on 9V, either from a 9V battery or a standard DC power supply, and draws 2.5mA @ 9V1. That current draw is low enough that a battery lasts a long time and the pedal is easy on any power supply.
Its input impedance is 500K and its output impedance is 6K1. A 500K input impedance is high enough that the pedal loads a guitar's pickups lightly, which matters for players who rely on the interaction between guitar volume and pedal input.
The pedal was listed as sold out on One Control's product page as of 26 October 20261.
Using it with other BJF pedals
One Control positions the Sonic Blue Twanger as flexible in a signal chain: it can be used as a preamp with any of the other BJF overdrive or distortion pedals, or as a stand-alone effect1. In practice that means it can sit in front of a BJF drive pedal to shape the front end, or simply serve as a booster or distortion pedal on its own. If you are exploring this role, the site's pages on Preamp Pedals, Overdrive Pedals, Distortion Pedals and Boost Pedals cover the wider field.
Price
The product page lists a regular price of $144.99 USD and a price of $181.99 USD, both as of 26 October 20261. The page shows both figures, and they do not agree with each other in an obvious way, so a player comparing prices should treat them as the two figures the maker's page currently carries.
Videos
Mike Hermans
Jake Cloudchair
Brett Kingman
Questions
Is the One Control Sonic Blue Twanger true bypass?
Yes. One Control lists the Sonic Blue Twanger with True-Bypass Switching, so when the pedal is off your guitar's signal passes straight through without going through the circuit. That matters on a pedalboard where you want the pedal out of the signal path until you step on it.
How much gain does Lead mode on the Sonic Blue Twanger give?
In Lead mode the pedal provides about 40dB of gain, with a noise level of -74 dB. Rhythm mode is the quieter, lower-gain setting at about 18dB of gain and -80dB of noise. The two modes are selected with a switch on the side of the pedal.
Can the Sonic Blue Twanger be used as a preamp in front of other BJF pedals?
Yes. One Control says the pedal can be used as a preamp with any of the other BJF overdrive or distortion pedals, or as a stand-alone effect. It can also serve simply as a booster or a distortion pedal on its own.
Who designed the Sonic Blue Twanger?
The Sonic Blue Twanger was designed by BJF, the designer Bjorn Juhl whose name is behind many of One Control's pedals. It is part of the Amp-In-A-Box series by One Control and BJF, a line of compact pedals built to evoke specific amplifiers.
Sources (1)
- SONIC BLUE TWANGER (OC-SBTn), One Control USA