The Tone City King of Blues is a dual-channel overdrive stompbox from Tone City, a maker whose mini-format pedals sit at the affordable end of the market. Tone City describes it as a "dual Channel Overdrive inspired by the highly-desirable overdrive for musicians," and its 2-in-1 format puts two overdrive flavors in one box, which the maker says provides "excellent tonal variation"1.
The pedal's reason for existing is widely understood: it is a budget take on the AnalogMan King Of Tone, a two-channel overdrive with a long waiting list and a boutique price. Guitar.com listed the King Of Blues at $79 (£69.99) in July 20252, against $299 for the King Tone Blues Power Overdrive that Guitar Pedal X reported in early 20243.
What it does to your sound
Each channel has its own character. Tone City says Channel A is "a powerful and potent overdrive with plenty of mid-range" that can run "from clean boost to high gain overdrive," and that its mid-focused sound makes it "ideal for playing solos or heavy riffs," capable of cutting through a mix1.
With Channel A engaged on its own, the pedal adds an 11dB boost to the output level1. The normal input level is -10dB1.
The controls on each channel
Both channels carry the same three knobs, which Tone City calls "the staples of the overdrive"1:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain | Sets the amount of drive on that channel |
| Volume | Sets the channel's output level |
| Tone | Shapes top-end; Tone City notes the single tone control lets you add presence with a dark-sounding amplifier |
Because each channel has its own gain, volume and tone settings, the two can be stacked, run one at a time, or set as two different lead and rhythm voices. That is the same two-channel idea behind the King Of Tone it takes after145.
Power and connections
The King of Blues runs on a DC 9V adapter; Tone City recommends its own TPS series independent pedal power supplies1. Current draw is 25mA with both engines on1. Input impedance is 1MΩ and output impedance is 10KΩ1.
Tone City's page specifies a DC 9V adapter only, with no mention of battery operation, so plan on a power supply or pedalboard power brick for this one.
Is it a King Of Tone clone?
Not a clone, but a deliberate budget alternative. MusicRadar's buying guide lists it as an "Alternative to: Klon Centaur, AnalogMan King Of Tone"4. On That Pedal Show, Mick and Daniel put it this way:
"the king the king of Blues is to the king of tone what the soul food is to the Clon very it's a very affordable kind of"
Guitar.com's reviewer Jason Mays was more measured, writing that "it's not gonna get you as close as even the Duke does to the real thing, but it's a passable ballpark impression for under a hundred bucks"2. In other words, it gets you in the neighborhood of the King Of Tone sound at a fraction of the price, without matching it exactly.
The V2
A V2 version of the King Of Blues exists, listed by Gearnews in March 2023 as the "Tone City King Of Blues V2 - Overdrive," priced at $74.00 / £67.00 / 79.00€ at Thomann6. Gearnews did not detail circuit changes between versions, so a player shopping used or new may encounter both the original and the V2 at similar prices.
How it fits among Tone City's overdrives
Tone City's range includes several other compact overdrives a player might weigh against the King of Blues, including the Sweet Cream, the Kaffir Lime, the Bad Horse, the Nobleman and the Mandragora. The King of Blues stands out in that lineup for its dual-channel format: most of its siblings are single-channel minis, while this one packs two overdrive flavors into an enclosure measuring 12 x 10 x 5.2 cm1.
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Questions
Is the Tone City King Of Blues a King Of Tone clone?
It is best described as an affordable take on the AnalogMan King Of Tone rather than a clone. On That Pedal Show, Mick and Daniel called it what the Soul Food is to the Klon: a very affordable, there-or-thereabouts version. MusicRadar lists it as an alternative to the King Of Tone and the Klon Centaur, and Guitar.com's reviewer found it a passable ballpark impression, though not as close as some other options.
Is the Tone City King Of Blues true bypass?
Yes. Tone City's own product page lists the King of Blues as true bypass, so with both channels off the signal passes through without buffering. It runs on a 9V DC adapter and draws 25mA with both engines on.
How much does the Tone City King Of Blues cost?
Guitar.com listed it at $79 (£69.99) in July 2025. The V2 version was reported by Gearnews in March 2023 at $74.00 / £67.00 / 79.00€ at Thomann. For comparison, the King Tone Blues Power Overdrive it draws inspiration from was listed at $299 in early 2024.
What changed in the King Of Blues V2?
The V2 is listed as an overdrive pedal in its own right, priced at $74.00 / £67.00 / 79.00€ at Thomann when Gearnews reported it in March 2023. The published sources in this page's research do not detail specific circuit or control changes between the original and the V2.
Sources (6)
- King of Blues-Legendary Overdrive-TONE CITY ▏Analog Pedals & Power supplies, Tone City Audio, 2026
- Chase Bliss Brothers AM review: can it live up to its price tag?, Guitar.com, 2025-07-07
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-02-01
- 8 cheap but great guitar overdrive pedal alternatives to boutique classics, MusicRadar, 2020-07-21
- That Pedal Show, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2016-03-25
- Guitar Gear Gems: Bad Monkey Fever?, gearnews.com, 2023-03-21
