The Valco KGB Dist JR is a four-mode distortion pedal: a more compact version of Valco's versatile KGB Dist, announced in November 20221. It keeps the full-size pedal's four selectable clipping voices, its variable input impedance control and its dry output, dropping only the Blend fader found on the larger box1.
What makes the pedal unusual among distortion pedals is the impedance control. Rather than only shaping the distortion circuit itself, the KGB Dist JR also lets you tune how your guitar interacts with the pedal at its input, which changes the feel and transient response of everything downstream1.
The controls
The JR carries three knobs and two switches, plus the impedance control that sets it apart from most distortions1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| DIST | Controls the amount of distortion1 |
| OUTPUT | Controls the overall output volume of the distortion circuit, with increased output headroom1 |
| FILTER | A one-pole low-pass tone filter; lower settings are brighter, higher settings roll off high frequencies1 |
| VOICE | Selects the distortion voice1 |
| Impedance Selector | Changes the input impedance value, changing the tonality of the distortion, the dry signal, or any other pedal down the line1 |
| LINE/INST switch | Activates the Impedance Selector when set to Inst; in Line position, impedance is fixed1 |
The FILTER control works the same way as on the full-size KGB Dist, which GuitarPlayer's reviewer Dave Hunter described as "a one-pole low-pass filter that acts as a dark-to-bright tone control"2.
The Impedance Selector is the control that changes how the pedal feels as much as how it sounds. Lower impedance settings yield softer dynamics and transients with a notable rounded, vintage feel and tone, while higher settings give a sharper high-frequency response with a more direct, aggressive transient feel and more perceived gain1. It also recreates the lower impedance sounds of vintage pedals, and alters the transient and dynamic response of your guitar and signal path1.
The LINE/INST switch decides whether that control is active. Set to Inst, the Impedance Selector is live; in the Line position the impedance is fixed1.
The four voice modes
The VOICE switch selects one of four separate clipping circuits, each built around a different clipping element1.
| Voice | Clipping circuit |
|---|---|
| OP | Op-amp circuit where the distortion is generated by the LM308 chip itself entering clipping, based on the LM308 found on some RAT pedals1 |
| Si | Silicon diode circuit using back-to-back silicon diodes1 |
| Ge | Germanium diode circuit using back-to-back Schottky diodes1 |
| LED | Unique soft clipping generated using back-to-back LEDs, delivering lots of output and sustain1 |
The OP voice is the one players of RAT-style pedals will recognize: the LM308 op-amp does the clipping itself rather than diodes, the arrangement used on some versions of the RAT1.
Inputs, outputs and routing
Alongside the 1/4″ input and 1/4″ output, the JR retains the Dry Out jack from the full-size pedal1. The Dry Out passes a permanent thru copy of your dry signal, taken before the impedance selector, which allows extra routing possibilities: sending the clean signal to a second amp or a separate effects path while the main output carries the distortion1.
The Dry Out signal is taken pre-impedance-selector, so the impedance control does not affect what leaves this jack1.
A smaller version of the KGB Dist
The KGB Dist JR is a more compact version of the KGB Dist, with the only difference that the full-size pedal sports a Blend fader1. Everything else carries over: the four voices, the impedance control, the filter and the dry output1.
The size saving is real. The JR measures 7.09″ long by 4.33″ wide by 3.43″ high (180mm x 110mm x 87mm)1, against 7.25″ x 5.5″ x 1.25″ to 3.5″ for the KGB Dist2. The full-size pedal is housed in a wedge-shaped, folded-steel box that, in Hunter's words, "demands some real estate on your pedalboard"2.
Of the larger pedal, Hunter wrote that it offers "More versatile tone-shaping options than most"2. He tested the KGB Dist with a Fender Telecaster and a Gibson 1959 Les Paul Reissue, into a Friedman Dirty Shirley Mini head with a 2x12 cab and a tweed Deluxe-style 1x12 tube combo2.
Videos
Valco FX
Delicious Audio
Matt Dunn
Questions
What is the difference between the Valco KGB Dist JR and the KGB Dist?
The JR is a more compact version of the KGB Dist with the same four distortion voices, impedance control and dry output. The only difference is that the full-size KGB Dist adds a Blend fader for mixing dry and distorted signal, which the JR omits.
What does the Line/Inst switch do on the KGB Dist JR?
Set to Inst, it activates the Impedance Selector so you can change the input impedance and shape the tonality and transient response. In the Line position the impedance is fixed, which suits line-level sources feeding the pedal.
What is the Dry Out jack for?
The Dry Out passes a permanent thru copy of your dry signal, taken before the impedance selector. It allows extra routing possibilities, such as sending the clean signal to a separate amp or effects path while the main output carries the distortion.
How big is the Valco KGB Dist JR?
The JR measures 7.09 inches long by 4.33 inches wide by 3.43 inches high, which in metric is 180mm by 110mm by 87mm. It is smaller than the full-size KGB Dist, which measures 7.25 by 5.5 by 1.25 to 3.5 inches.
Sources (2)
- New Pedal: Valco KGB Dist JR, Delicious Audio, 2022-11-16
- Valco KGB DIST Distortion Pedal Review, GuitarPlayer, 2022-09-13
