The Distillery is an overdrive and preamp pedal from ToneConcepts, a Canadian pedal company. It was created for gigging guitarists who want a transparent boost that will not degrade their core sound, but with tone-sculpting power to compensate for bland backline amps1. Inside are two separate circuits, each activated by its own footswitch: a booster and a filter/EQ1.
Guitar World reviewed it as a clean boost/overdrive pedal that lets guitarists brew up their own signature tones, with a preamp that provides up to 20dB of adjustable volume boost2. Premier Guitar found it delivers on that promise:
"It excels at that task, and many others. Players with good ears will be able to summon new tones from their guitars using"1
Premier Guitar, 2023
A transparent boost with tone-shaping EQ
The Distillery functions as a transparent preamp, providing up to 20dB of adjustable volume boost2. Guitar World's reviewer described what that feels like in use: the preamp performs like an extra power amp hitting your amp's front end, delivering impressive dynamics, crunch and definition without compression or fizz2.
The pedal's character comes from its IC-based overdrive circuit. Premier Guitar's reviewer found the overdrive color a bit Klon-like, with pristine cleans at low gain settings and throaty drive at higher ones1. That places it in the same broad family as many transparent overdrives rather than the midrange-heavy Tube Screamer style.
The two halves of the pedal work independently at the footswitch level. You can use the booster without engaging the EQ section, but you cannot use the EQ without the boost1. The shape circuit is added to the boost function via the shape footswitch2.
The controls: boost, guts, bleed, contour and edge
The booster side is described by Premier Guitar as a bright, musical-sounding booster with three controls, and the EQ side adds two more1:
| Control | Side | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Boost | Booster | Output level |
| Guts | Booster | Gain, an extra gain stage12 |
| Bleed | Booster | Passive treble-cut, a passive tone control12 |
| Contour | Filter/EQ | Frequency |
| Edge | Filter/EQ | Resonance |
The filter/EQ side is a versatile filter EQ with adjustable contour (frequency) and edge (resonance)12. Guitar World's reviewer found the Shape section provides an impressive variety of natural tones that can make your guitar sound fatter and warmer, or make humbuckers sound like single-coils2.
Build and power
Premier Guitar's review noted the construction: a tidy circuit board positioned perpendicularly to the enclosure via board-mounted pots1. Power comes from nine volts, supplied either by a battery or an optional power adapter2, and the pedal uses true-bypass switching2.
The EQ section cannot run on its own. If you want the filter EQ in your signal, the boost is engaged with it; only the booster can be used solo1.
Players and reputation
By January 2015, Guitar World was describing the Distillery as ToneConcepts' award-winning pedal3. Steve Lukather adopted it around that time: the pedal quickly became an essential component of his sound and earned a permanent place on his pedalboard3.
Videos
Guitar World
Premier Guitar
Premier Guitar
Questions
Can the Distillery's EQ be used without the boost?
No. You can use the booster on its own without engaging the EQ section, but the EQ cannot be used without the boost. The shape circuit is added to the boost function via its own footswitch, so the filter EQ always rides on top of the boosted signal.
Is the ToneConcepts Distillery a Klon clone?
It is not a clone, but reviewers hear a family resemblance. Premier Guitar described its IC-based overdrive color as a bit Klon-like, with pristine cleans at low gain settings and throaty drive at higher ones. The Distillery is its own circuit built around a boost stage plus a separate filter EQ.
Is the Distillery IC-based?
Yes. Premier Guitar's review describes the Distillery's overdrive color as IC-based, noting it is a bit Klon-like, with clean tones at low gain and throaty drive at higher gain settings.
What does the bleed knob do on the Distillery?
Bleed is a passive treble-cut control on the booster side of the pedal. It works alongside boost (output level) and guts (gain), letting you roll off brightness from the boosted signal. Guitar World described it as a passive tone control.
Is the ToneConcepts Distillery true bypass?
Yes. Guitar World's review lists true-bypass switching among the Distillery's features, so the pedal's circuit is taken out of the signal path completely when it is disengaged.
Does the ToneConcepts Distillery run on a battery?
Yes. The Distillery runs on nine-volt power via either a battery or an optional power adapter, so it can go on a board without a dedicated supply if you keep a fresh battery in it.
Sources (3)
- ToneConcepts The Distillery Review, Premier Guitar, 2013-09-29
- Review: ToneConcepts Distillery Overdrive Pedal, Guitar World, 2014-07-08
- ToneConcepts Launches Steve Lukather's Signature Preamp Boost Pedal, The Luke, Guitar World, 2015-01-30
Steve Lukather