The Vahlbruch Kaluna II is a high voltage tube drive pedal: an overdrive built around a real ECC83/12AX7 tube, the same double triode used in countless tube amplifiers. Vahlbruch describes it as a new and completely original design, with a signal path the maker calls 100% pure analog tone12. It is an upgraded version of the original Kaluna from the German maker, and it is available to order from the Vahlbruch Effects Webstore and at selected international dealers2.
The pedal is 100% analog, handmade in Germany, and was announced in November 2024 at a recommended retail price of $372 (also listed as €339 and £282), available from the Vahlbruch Effects webstore and selected international dealers2.
A 12AX7 tube overdrive running at 250 volts
The core idea of the Kaluna II is the same as the original Kaluna: run a genuine 12AX7 tube at a genuine amplifier voltage. Vahlbruch states it plainly: "The tube operating voltage of 250 volts is generated inside the pedal from your standard 9V power line"1. For a player, that means the tube clips and responds the way it would in an amplifier front end, rather than being used as a tone-coloring element at a fraction of its normal voltage.
Guitar Pedal X, reporting on the MKII release, carried over the original's reputation, calling it "superbly dynamic and touch sensitive" and "a fantastic sounding versatile overdrive"2. The pedal sits in the overdrive/distortion category, with the tube doing the gain work and an active tone stage shaping the result.
The controls
The control set is deliberately simple: drive, volume, and a three-band EQ, plus the Structure switch that defines the II version13.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| DRIVE | Sets the amount of drive1 |
| VOLUME | Sets the output level1 |
| Three-band tone controls | Post-tube EQ, active, with a boost/cut range of +/- 12dB per band1 |
| Structure switch | Three-way switch: V1, Hot, Low1 |
The tone controls sit after the tube in the circuit, which means they shape the driven signal rather than the clean signal feeding it. Vahlbruch describes them as extremely responsive1. Pete Thorn, demoing the pedal on his YouTube channel in May 2025, confirmed the layout: "You get a drive control, volume control, and threeband EQ"4.
The Structure switch
The Structure switch is the main addition over the original Kaluna. It offers three gain structures134:
- V1: the gain structure of the first version of the pedal1
- Hot: a higher gain mode4
- Low: a lower gain mode4
As Thorn put it in his demo, "V1, which is kind of like the gain range of the original version," Hot is "a higher gain mode," and "the low gain mode sounds awesome"4. For a player coming from the original Kaluna, V1 keeps the familiar feel, while Hot and Low extend the pedal's range in both directions.
Power and connections
The Kaluna II runs on an external regulated 9V power supply with a 500mA current draw1. That current figure is worth noting for pedalboard planning: it is well above what a typical analog overdraw pedal draws, because the pedal has to generate its 250-volt tube supply internally, and it rules out a battery.
The pedal requires an external regulated 9V/500mA power supply, and the maximum is 9 volts. The II version adds an overvoltage protection circuit that prevents damage to the tube if a supply above 9V is accidentally connected12.
Input impedance is 1.0M Ohms and output impedance is 100 Ohms2, values consistent with a pedal designed to sit anywhere on a board without loading guitar pickups.
The bypass is selectable: in four steps at power-up you can choose whether the pedal starts in true bypass or in on mode1. Guitar Pedal X lists this as a Power Up control with Default On / True Bypass options2. A player who wants the tube stage always warming the signal can set it to power up on; a player who wants the cleanest possible bypass can set true bypass.
Kaluna vs Kaluna II
The original Kaluna arrived in June 2020 as a 100% analog overdrive/distortion pedal based on a 250-volt ECC83/12AX7 tube with an active three-band tone control. The II version, announced November 2024, keeps that design and adds two things:
- A three-way Structure switch (V1, Hot, Low)2
- An overvoltage protection circuit safeguarding the pedal against supplies exceeding 9V2
Delicious Audio's write-up described the update the same way: the MkII adds the 3-way Structure switch and the overvoltage protection circuit to the 250V tube platform31. Nothing in the II changes the tube, the voltage, or the analog signal path.
What reviewers said
The Kaluna II's published description comes from the maker so far: Vahlbruch presents it as a new and completely original design featuring an ECC83/12AX7 tube, with a signal path the maker calls 100% pure analog tone2. The pedal measures 120mm x 100mm x 48mm and weighs 375g, and carries a recommended retail price of $3722.
"New and completely original design featuring a ECC83/12AX7 tube that is 100% pure analog tone!"
In the same video, Thorn also covered another pedal from the maker's range, for players comparing what Vahlbruch offers.
Videos
Brett Kingman
Michael W. Westbrook
Fabian Ratsak - Guitar Tone and Gear
Questions
What does the Structure switch do on the Kaluna II?
The three-way Structure switch selects between three gain structures. V1 gives the gain range of the original Kaluna, Hot is a higher gain mode, and Low is a lower gain mode. Pete Thorn, who demoed the pedal on his YouTube channel, described the low gain mode as sounding awesome.
Is the Kaluna II true bypass?
Yes, and it is selectable. In four steps you can choose whether the pedal powers up in true bypass mode or in on mode, so a player who wants the tube always in the signal path can have it that way.
What is the difference between the Kaluna and the Kaluna II?
The Kaluna II keeps the original's 250-volt ECC83/12AX7 tube design and adds two things: a three-way Structure switch with V1, Hot and Low gain modes, and an overvoltage protection circuit that prevents tube damage if a power supply above 9V is accidentally connected.
Where is the Vahlbruch Kaluna II made?
It is handmade in Germany by Vahlbruch, a German effects maker. The company describes its products as effects made in Germany.
Sources (4)
- Vahlbruch, Vahlbruch FX, 2025
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-11-28
- Vahlbruch Kaluna II Tube Overdrive, Delicious Audio, 2024-12-24
- AWESOME REAL TUBE DRIVE AND ANALOG DELAY TONES! Vahlbruch Kahluna II and Spacetime Tap V2, YouTube (Pete Thorn channel), 2025-05-27
