Rockett Pedals Blue Note Tour

The pedal is now retired. Rockett Pedals lists it under its Retired Pedals category, and unlike the original Blue Note it does not offer the "Hot Switch" option¹.

A compact Blue Note for the road

The Blue Note Tour was part of J. Rockett Audio Designs' Tour Series, a line of smaller-format pedals aimed at players who need to save board space. Premier Guitar's announcement described it as "designed for the touring musician with a rugged, steel enclosure and the new Speed Switch system," with the input and output jacks placed at the head of the pedal rather than on the sides³.

The key point for a player comparing versions: Rockett Pedals says the Blue Note Tour Series is identical in sound to the original Blue Note¹. Guitar.com's reviewer, Richard Purvis, relayed the same claim from the maker in his 2016 review, writing that J Rockett says the Tour version is "essentially the same pedal as its Pro Series Blue Note OD, except for the omission of the'hot' switch"⁴.

The Blue Note family has since moved on. In 2024 Rockett Pedals introduced the Blue Note Select, a V2 of the circuit that combines the Hot switch from the Pro Series with the smaller Tour Series format, adding a Fat control and a Hot toggle⁵. Guitar World's Trevor Curwen summed up the lineage: "Prior to this, there was the larger but similarly equipped Blue Note Pro, and then a smaller Tour Series version without" the Hot switch⁶.

How the versions compare

The Hot switch

The one feature the Tour version gives up is the Hot switch. Rockett Pedals' own listing states the Tour "does not offer the 'Hot Switch' option" found on the original Blue Note¹, and MusicRadar's launch coverage likewise called it "a compact version of the Pro Series Blue Note (minus that pedal's Hot Switch)"². On the Select, the maker describes the Hot control as a way to get "the internal clipping pretty hot"⁸. A player who wants that extra push in the current lineup is pointed at the Select rather than the Tour.

What reviewers said

Reviews of the Blue Note circuit have been positive. Guitar World's Trevor Curwen called the Select "a great 'more' pedal that feels very much like a natural extension of the amp"⁶, and Tone Island's Adam Connell, writing about the Blues Breaker-style pedal category the Blue Note belongs to, noted that "J.Rockett's Blue Note, like the original pedal, is on the quiet side, for example. But the tone is incredible."⁷

Power and connections

The Blue Note Tour runs on analog circuitry drawing 8mA, and can be powered two ways: a 9V battery, or a 9V adapter with a negative tip and a 5.5mm x 2.1mm barrel jack¹. MusicRadar's launch coverage confirmed the 9V power supply operation along with the Speed Switch true bypass switching². The low current draw means it shares a daisy chain easily with other small analog pedals.

The pedal is true bypass¹, so with the effect off the guitar signal passes through without buffering. Its input and output jacks sit at the head of the pedal, a Tour Series layout choice that keeps the sides clear for tight pedalboard placement³.

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