The Peace Hill FX SSS is an analog tube preamp pedal from Peace Hill FX, a maker of handbuilt pedals. It is inspired by the boutique amps of the "Dumble" series, whose clean tones are highly acclaimed, and RockBoard's PedalPedia describes its clean tone, which distorts exquisitely when picked hard, as unparalleled in its beauty1. For a player, it is a preamp in pedal form: a way to carry that style of clean, touch-sensitive tube tone onto a board or into a studio rig. Peace Hill FX also builds other tube preamps, including the Peace Hill FX ODS and the Peace Hill FX TRJM Tube Preamp.
Controls and tone shaping
The SSS is built for a wide range of sound creation, and the maker lists three groups of controls1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| 3-band EQ | Standard three-band tone shaping across the preamp's voicing1 |
| High/Low Filter | A filter control for further shaping the high and low content1 |
| 3 mini-switches | Additional voicing switches for a wide range of sounds1 |
The maker sums up the intent behind the control set: "The 3-band EQ, High/Low Filter, and 3 mini-switches allow for a wide range of sound creation."1
Using the SSS in a rig
The maker suggests a specific way of using the pedal: place it at the last stage of the effects chain and plug it into the returns of various amplifiers. That way, the same tube preamp tone follows the player into any amp or studio setup, giving a constant "tube sound" wherever the pedal goes1. Players comparing preamp pedals can see how this approach fits alongside others on the Preamp Pedals page.
The SSS is a tube preamp, not a standard drive pedal. Its intended role is as a preamp stage, either into the front of an amp or into an amplifier's effects return, rather than as one more overdrive in the middle of the chain.
Where it comes from
Peace Hill FX presents the SSS as part of a line of tube preamp pedals aimed at players chasing the clean tones of certain boutique amplifiers. RockBoard's PedalPedia notes of that amplifier lineage that "it is no wonder that it has been used by legendary guitarists throughout history," and positions the SSS as a pedal-form way into that sound1. The maker's related designs include the ODS and the TRJM Tube Preamp, both tube preamps in the same family.
Videos
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Questions
Is the Peace Hill FX SSS analog or digital?
The SSS is an analog circuit, according to the maker's product listing. It is a tube preamp pedal, so the signal path runs through an actual tube rather than digital modeling, and the maker describes its clean tone as distorting exquisitely when picked hard.
Can the Peace Hill FX SSS go at the end of the effects chain?
Yes. The maker suggests placing the SSS at the last stage of the effects chain and plugging it into the returns of various amplifiers, which gives a constant tube sound in any studio or rig regardless of which amplifier is being used.
What does the High/Low Filter do on the SSS?
The High/Low Filter is one of the SSS's tone-shaping controls. Together with the 3-band EQ and three mini-switches, the maker says it allows for a wide range of sound creation, letting the player shape the preamp's clean and pushed tones.
Is the Peace Hill FX SSS a Dumble clone?
The maker describes the SSS as a tube preamp inspired by the boutique amps of the Dumble series, whose clean tones are highly acclaimed. It is presented as an inspired design rather than a copy, aimed at that style of clean tone that breaks up when picked hard.
Sources (1)
- SSS by Peace Hill FX, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
