The Tone City Mandragora is a low to mid-gain overdrive pedal in a mini enclosure, built by Tone City Audio. The maker calls it Tone City's best-selling overdrive, and describes it as perfect for everything from blues to classic rock, whether you are running into an overdriven amp or a completely clean rig1. It sits alongside other compact drives in the Tone City range such as the Tone City Durple, the Tone City Sweet Cream and the Tone City King Of Blues.
The controls
Despite the small housing, the Mandragora carries four knobs. Tone City says it offers more control than you might expect from a mini pedal1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| VOL | Controls the amount of signal2 |
| Gain | Controls the level of overdrive2 |
| Tone | A tone knob that covers a very wide frequency range, letting you soften the treble content or introduce more top-end presence2 |
| PRE | Presence: lets you increase treble without cutting bass, acting as a further gain and treble control for tuning the drive to different amplifiers1 |
The PRE knob is the one that sets the Mandragora apart from its sibling. On the Tone City Durple Pre, the 'Pre' (presence) knob found on the Mandragora is replaced by a Mid control3. If you would rather shape mids directly than add presence, that is the difference to weigh up.
Power and specs
The Mandragora runs on a DC 9V adapter and draws 8 mA1. Tone City recommends use with the TONECITY TPS SERIES all-independent pedal power supply1.
There is no battery option: the maker specifies a DC 9V adapter for power1.
Its 500K input impedance and 10K output impedance are in line with what you would expect from a compact drive pedal, and the true bypass switching keeps the circuit out of the signal path when it is off1.
Videos
Andertons Music Co
intheblues
EytschPi42
Questions
Is the Tone City Mandragora true bypass?
Yes. Tone City's product page lists the Mandragora as true bypass, so when the pedal is off your guitar's signal passes through without the overdrive circuit in the way. It runs on a DC 9V adapter rather than a battery, and Tone City recommends powering it with the TONECITY TPS SERIES all-independent pedal power supply.
What does the Pre knob do on the Mandragora?
Pre stands for presence. According to Tone City, the PRE knob lets you increase treble without cutting bass, and it works as a further gain and treble control for tuning the drive's tone to different amplifiers. On the related Durple Pre, this knob is replaced by a Mid control.
How is the Mandragora different from the Tone City Durple?
The main difference on the front panel is the fourth knob. The Mandragora has a Pre (presence) knob, while on the Durple Pre that knob is replaced by a Mid control. Both pedals share the VOL knob for signal level and a Gain knob that sets the level of overdrive.
Does the Tone City Mandragora take a battery?
No. Tone City specifies power from a DC 9V adapter, and the pedal draws 8 mA. The maker recommends using the TONECITY TPS SERIES all-independent pedal power supply with it.
Sources (3)
- Mandragora- Stunning Low to Mid-gain Overdrive Pedal-TONE CITY ▏Analog Pedals & Power supplies, Tone City Audio, 2026
- Mandragora- Stunning Low to Mid-gain Overdrive Pedal-桂林华声乐器有限公司, Tone City Audio, 2026
- DURPLE - Collaborated Overdrive with Peter Honore-TONE CITY ▏Analog Pedals & Power supplies, Tone City Audio, 2026
