The Rockett Pedals Lenny is a two-knob boost pedal built to recreate the sound of a Dumble Steel String Singer amp being pushed hard12. Where a clean boost just makes your signal louder, the Lenny is designed to add color, texture and feel, the way a Steel String Singer behaves when it is driven rather than left alone3. Rockett Pedals describes it as a Steel String Singer style boost1.
The pedal takes its name and inspiration from Stevie Ray Vaughan, whose Steel String Singer tone is the reference point for the circuit4. Guitar.com's reviewer described it as an attempt to recreate the silky clean tones of the Steel String Singer amp Vaughan used on his debut album Texas Flood5.
The pedal was originally announced in September 2016 as the Lenny Color Boost, the sixth release in J. Rockett Audio Designs' Tour Series, at a $179.00 street price14. The maker's own product page shows a current list price of $122.851.
A boost modeled on the Steel String Singer
The Steel String Singer is a rare Dumble amplifier known for its clean headroom, and Vaughan's use of one on Texas Flood is the sound the Lenny chases25. Rockett's stated goal was a recreation of that amp, but the company aimed the design at what happens when the amp is pushed: color, texture and feel rather than a loud and clean volume increase13.
That intent shapes what the pedal is for. Premier Guitar reported the maker's own description of the result:
"this is a very musical boost that colors your tone considerably, in an inspiring way…kind of like a Neve console. There is a definite mid character, but boy does it cut through a mix!"
MusicRadar's news coverage echoed the same point, noting the Lenny will "colour your tone considerably, in an inspiring way" with a distinct mid character, according to the maker4. So the Lenny sits closer to a tone-shaping always-on pedal than to a transparent volume boost, and players comparing it with other boosts should expect it to leave a mark on the sound.
The Boost and Tone controls
The Lenny keeps things to two knobs, and Rockett says they work as a pair13.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Boost | Tons of push, which creates an interplay with the front end of any amp13 |
| Tone | Dials in your highs, simply put13 |
The maker stresses that the two controls are interactive and really need each other when slamming an amp1. In practice that means the Boost knob is not just a volume control: turning it up drives the input of your amplifier, and the Tone knob then shapes the high end that results from that push. MusicRadar's review described the pedal as a simple two-knob boost and tone conditioner2.
MusicRadar's reviewer Trevor Curwen summed up the two ways to use it:
"A switchable boost or an 'always on' tonal building block to tease out the tone in your rig."
That dual role is the practical appeal: you can step on it for a lead push, or leave it engaged as a foundational tone shaper.
Power, connections and size
The Lenny runs on a 9 volt negative tip adaptor with a standard 5.5mm x 2.1mm jack, and it also takes a 9 volt battery1. MusicRadar's launch coverage likewise noted the pedal operates from a 9V power supply4. The current draw is 26mA1, low enough that it fits easily on a shared or isolated supply. The circuit is analog1, and the pedal is true bypass1, so it drops out of the signal path entirely when switched off.
The input and output jacks sit at the head of the pedal3, and the enclosure measures 4.00" x 2.30" and weighs 1 lb1, a compact footprint for a pedalboard.
Where it came from
J. Rockett Audio Designs announced the Lenny Color Boost on September 12, 2016, as the sixth pedal in its Tour Series line14. The Tour Series had already produced the Dude, a Dumble Overdrive Special inspired overdrive and boost announced in January 2016, so the Lenny continued the company's run of Dumble-derived designs1. MusicRadar's launch coverage framed it as a Stevie Ray Vaughan-inspired pedal intended to imitate a pushed Steel String Singer, once SRV's amp of choice4.
The pedal was launched at a $179.00 street price in September 201634. The maker's current page shows a list price of $122.851.
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Questions
How much current does the Rockett Lenny draw?
The Lenny draws 26mA, which Rockett Pedals lists alongside its analog circuit. That is a modest draw, so it runs comfortably on most isolated power supplies and typical pedalboard supplies without eating much of the available current.
Is the Rockett Lenny true bypass?
Yes. Rockett Pedals lists the Lenny as true bypass, so when the pedal is switched off the signal passes through without the circuit in the path. It can also run as an always-on tone shaper rather than a switchable boost.
What Dumble amp is the Lenny based on?
The Lenny is based on the Dumble Steel String Singer, the amp Stevie Ray Vaughan used on his debut album Texas Flood. Rockett set out to recreate that amp, but pushed hard, so the pedal produces color, texture and feel rather than a loud, clean boost.
What polarity does the Lenny power jack use?
The Lenny uses a 9 volt negative tip adaptor with a 5.5mm x 2.1mm jack, the standard center-negative arrangement shared by most effects pedals. It also accepts a 9 volt battery, so it can run without a supply.
Sources (5)
- Lenny - Dumble Style Steel String Singer Tones Like SRV, Rockett Pedals, 2026-03-31
- J Rockett Lenny review, MusicRadar, 2016-11-15
- J. Rockett Audio Designs Unveils the Lenny Color Boost, Premier Guitar, 2016-09-13
- J Rockett Audio Designs channels SRV's Dumble tone for Lenny Color Boost pedal, MusicRadar, 2016-09-20
- J Rockett Tour Series Tranquilizer, Blue Note, Lenny & Hooligan review, Guitar.com, 2016-08-30