Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone Germanium Gold Micro

The Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone Germanium Gold Micro is a micro-sized compressor pedal that puts the optical sustain engine of the original Philosopher's Tone into a small enclosure, then adds a germanium-diode distortion stage on top. Pigtronix announced it in June 2018 as a micro version of the limited-edition Germanium Gold, available at a $134 list price¹, and Premier Guitar reported it shipping at all Pigtronix retailers worldwide that April².

The idea is two effects in one box. The clean side is the same photo-optical compression circuit as the original Philosopher's Tone, while the Grit knob is coupled to germanium diode circuitry that adds drive to the compressed signal. Pigtronix describes the distortion side as having "a smooth top-end and rich midrange response"³. At 92 x 44 x 46mm it is small enough to fit on most pedalboards⁴.

What it does: optical compression with germanium grit

The pedal's compression comes from Pigtronix's original photo-optical circuit, the same "optical sustain engine at its heart" as the standard Philosopher's Tone⁶. Optical compressors read the signal with a light element and control gain with a light-dependent resistor, which is the same basic approach as classic studio opto compressors. Guitar.com's news coverage confirmed that the clean side of the Germanium Gold Micro "remains identical to Pigtronix's original Philosopher's Tone"⁶.

The twist is the grit. Where a plain compressor leaves the compressed signal clean, the Grit knob here feeds it through germanium clipping diodes. Gearnews described the result as "a dash of nice usable distortion" layered on top of the optical compression circuit¹. Pigtronix says the germanium distortion has "a smooth top end and rich midrange response"¹.

MusicRadar's reviewer, Trevor Curwen, found the combination works as a boost as well as a compressor, noting "there's plenty of extra whoomph in this pedal from above 2 o'clock on the volume knob to give the front end of your amp" a push⁷.

The controls

Four knobs sit on the small enclosure: Volume, Blend, Sustain and Grit¹.

Volume and Sustain behave like the controls on any compressor, while Blend and Grit are what set the pedal apart from a basic squeeze box. Because Grit only affects the compressed portion of the signal, blending in dry sound changes both the compression character and how much of the germanium drive you hear¹⁷.

Power: 9V only, internal 18V circuit

Inside, the circuit runs at 18V. Gearnews noted the Germanium Gold Micro "has an internal 18V circuit, which in theory should give you a touch more headroom"¹. The same design appeared on the original Philosopher's Tone Micro, which Premier Guitar's launch coverage described as having "internal 18V power rails for maximum clean headroom, even when used with hot pickups and line-level signals"⁵. A charge pump converts the 9V input to the higher internal voltage, which is how the Micro works with a standard 9V adapter⁸.

The switching is true bypass, so the pedal does not load down your signal when disengaged¹.

How it differs from other Philosopher's Tone pedals

The Philosopher's Tone line has gone through several editions and revisions over the years⁹:

The Germanium Gold Micro is therefore the micro-sized take on the limited-edition Germanium Gold: same optical compression as the standard pedal, with the germanium clipping stage built in. Guitar.com's Richard Purvis called the original Germanium Gold "a limited-edition take on Pigtronix's acclaimed Philosopher's Tone compressor with added" germanium clipping diodes⁴.

What reviewers said

Gearnews liked its flexibility: "I like that the pedal is pretty versatile while giving off a bit of a vintage vibe"¹. MusicRadar's Trevor Curwen highlighted the Volume knob's boost range and the way Blend and Grit interact, describing the Grit control as running "from a raw edge to full amp-like raunch"⁷.

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