The Tone City Lil Heat is a mini overdrive pedal designed in collaboration with blues guitarist Greg Koch and released on 3 September 2020. It is a low-to-medium gain overdrive that, according to GuitarPlayer.com, specializes in "amp-like 'edge-of-breakup' tones, and reacts beautifully to your playing nuances"1. The circuit is largely based on Tone City's Sweet Cream pedal1.
Controls
The Lil Heat keeps things simple with a three-knob control set3:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the pedal's output level |
| Tone | Shapes the treble response |
| Heat | Sets the gain |
What it does to your sound
Tone City positions the Lil Heat as an edge-of-breakup overdrive: the kind of pedal that sits just below or right at the point where an amp starts to break up, responding to picking dynamics. GuitarPlayer.com reports that it can "spice up a clean channel or push a driven amp into sweet saturation"1. The same report says it is also said to work well with other gain pedals, which makes it a candidate for stacking, the practice of running one drive into another to combine their gain characters1. For more on how pedals like this sit in a setup, see Overdrive Pedals.
Background and availability
Tone City announced the Lil Heat on 3 September 2020 as a collaboration with Greg Koch, whom GuitarPlayer.com describes as a "blues guitar extraordinaire" and occasional Guitar Player columnist1. MusicRadar noted that the Lil Heat is "a mini pedal at a very tempting price" and that Andertons was stocking it at launch2. The pedal was reported as available now at release, priced at £44.99, roughly $60, at andertons.co.uk1.
The price reported at launch is a UK figure with an approximate dollar equivalent as given by GuitarPlayer.com in September 20201. It is not a current US price.
Tone City is known for small, pedalboard-friendly and affordable pedals across just about every effect genre; Pedal of the Day describes the lineup as "excellent-sounding"4. Other mini drives in the company's range include the Bad Horse, King Of Blues and Nobleman.
Videos
Andertons Music Co
Greg Koch
Chris Benton
Questions
Is the Tone City Lil Heat true bypass?
Yes. GuitarPlayer.com reports that the Lil Heat has true bypass switching, along with mono input and output jacks. That means the pedal takes itself out of the signal path when off, which matters if you run long cable runs or a lot of pedals on your board.
How much does the Tone City Lil Heat cost in dollars?
At its September 2020 release, GuitarPlayer.com listed the Lil Heat at £44.99, roughly $60, at the UK retailer andertons.co.uk. That figure is the UK price with an approximate dollar equivalent as reported at the time, not a current US street price.
Does the Lil Heat stack well with other drive pedals?
GuitarPlayer.com reports that the Lil Heat is said to work well with other gain pedals, and that it can spice up a clean channel or push a driven amp into sweet saturation. As a low-to-medium gain overdrive, it is the kind of pedal players typically run into or alongside other drives.
Is the Lil Heat a Greg Koch signature pedal?
It is a collaboration. GuitarPlayer.com reports that Tone City teamed up with Greg Koch, described by the magazine as a blues guitarist and occasional Guitar Player columnist, for the Lil Heat. The circuit is largely based on Tone City's Sweet Cream pedal.
Sources (4)
- Tone City Unveils New Greg Koch Lil Heat Mini Overdrive Pedal, GuitarPlayer.com, 2020-09-03
- Tone City has released an overdrive pedal with Greg Koch and it's cheap!, MusicRadar, 2020-09-03
- Greg Koch joins forces with Tone City for the Lil Heat mini overdrive pedal, Guitar World, 2020-09-02
- Tone City Sweet Cream v2025 Transparent Overdrive, Pedal of the Day, 2025-10-21
Greg Koch
