The Rockbox Electronics Baby Blues is a Distortion/Boost pedal, described by its maker as an attempt at crafting a highly versatile distortion. At the time of Premier Guitar's September 2023 review it was a new creation and a current product, listed at a street price of $349 in the US1. It sits in the territory shared by distortion pedals and boost pedals, and the reviewer found it covered both ends: "It can go from clean, chimey boosting to howling distortions with ease, and then some."1
The controls
The Baby Blues packs a lot of flexibility onto one box. The front panel carries three knobs and two boost switches, with two independent Drive settings and an internal trimmer behind them1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain, Tone, Volume knobs | The pedal's three main knobs1 |
| Overall Boost switch | A switch for overall boost1 |
| Treble Boost switch | A switch for treble boost1 |
| Drive switches (two) | Two independent Drive settings1 |
| Internal trimmer | An internal variable resistor which can further fine tune the tone1 |
The two Drive stages are voiced differently. The first is more compressed with a noticeable scoop in the midrange. The second is less compressed and more mid-laden, giving it considerably more volume1. With both Drive switches off, the pedal can be dialed in as a clean boost, which the reviewer said stretches its uses even further1.
The reviewer found there is an unreal amount of distortion buried within the circuit, with some settings putting the box, with its swirly blue paint job, into heavy metal territory1.
What the reviewer said
Premier Guitar's reviewer tested the Baby Blues into the clean channel of a Mesa/Boogie Multi-Watt Dual Rectifier and found that "the Baby Blues stung, sang, and soared with an incredible bite and powerful presence."1 The verdict on flexibility was strong: it is "one of the most versatile pedals in Rockbox's lineup."1
There were small criticisms. The first Drive stage's compressed gain could use a little more midrange for harder riff rock, though the reviewer called that a small quibble. At higher drive settings the tone muddied up a bit, and the reviewer felt a switch to boost the mids in that mode would have been great1.
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Questions
What do the two Drive switches do on the Baby Blues?
The Baby Blues has two independent Drive settings. The first is more compressed with a noticeable scoop in the midrange. The second is less compressed and more mid-laden, giving it considerably more volume. With both Drive switches off, the pedal can be dialed in as a clean boost.
Can the Baby Blues be used as a clean boost?
Yes. Premier Guitar's reviewer noted that clean boost possibilities can be dialed in when both of the Drive switches are off, which stretches the pedal's uses further. That puts a clean, chimey boost alongside the pedal's heavier distortion settings on the same box.
What does the internal trimmer do?
Inside the pedal there is an internal variable resistor, a trimmer that can further fine tune the tone. It sits alongside the front-panel controls: three knobs for Gain, Tone, and Volume, switches for Overall Boost and Treble Boost, and the two Drive settings.
How much does the Rockbox Baby Blues cost?
Premier Guitar's September 2023 review listed the Baby Blues at a street price of $349 in the United States.
Sources (1)
- Rockbox Electronics Baby Blues Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2011-10-20