Vertex Steel String Supreme

The Vertex Steel String Supreme is an all-analog preamp and overdrive pedal from Vertex Effects that puts a Dumble Steel String Singer-style preamp on a pedalboard. It integrates the circuit and sound of the Vertex Steel String MkII with a second, switchable set of tone controls, called the Supreme section, mounted on the top of the pedal¹. Vertex describes it as "a true amp in a box," designed to go into a tube amp or direct to a cab sim or IR loader².

The pedal is based on serial number 001 of an original run of Dumble Steel String Singer amplifiers, a legendary six-figure tube amp². Gearnews called it "essentially an analogue preamp that is able to capture the sound of a very sought after boutique amp"³. It launched in October 2020 at a list price of USD 249.99³.

What it does: a Steel String Singer preamp in a pedal

The Steel String Singer is a model of Dumble amplifier, a clean, single-channel amp known for producing subtle feedback, something unusual for clean amps¹. Guitar World describes it as Dumble's legendary 150-watt Steel String Singer, of which only 12 examples were made, most famously used by Stevie Ray Vaughan⁴. Gearnews notes the original Dumble SSS amps were 100-watt, 6L6-driven machines³.

Vertex's Mason Marangella had access to Steel String Singer number one, the first unit ever made, and used it to inform the design⁵. In a Sweetwater demo, Marangella described the result as imparting "the D style, Dumble style clean tone akin to the Steel String Singer amplifier"⁶. The pedal can go direct with any cabinet IR, run as a preamp in front of an amplifier, or feed a digital modeling rig⁶.

Vertex says the Supreme is characterized by a fat, clean, compressed sound that marinates signals in tubelike harmonics as you ramp up the gain, with glassy touch sensitivity, warmth, and low-end snap²⁷. In practice, the maker describes three zones: below a gain setting of 1:00 it works as a versatile fat boost, above 1:00 it gives a bluesy crunch rhythm or lead tone, and wide open it goes well into overdrive territory².

The controls: the Steel String knobs and the Supreme section

The pedal carries two footswitches: the left one, labeled Steel String, and the right one, labeled Supreme EQ⁵. The Steel String side carries the three knobs from the original pedal: Gain, Filter and Level¹. The Filter knob is an active midrange EQ for D-style midrange shaping⁸. Hitting the Supreme EQ footswitch engages the top knobs and the toggle switches, so the two sides can be used independently or together⁵.

The Supreme section adds five controls on top of the MkII circuit¹:

In the Sweetwater demo, Marangella described the Bright toggle as "like a 2k boost so it adds a little bit more top end" and the Deep toggle as "like a 250 boost so some more low end punch"⁵. Both toggle sets are three-way: the middle position bypasses those parts of the circuit⁵. A new EQ footswitch turns off the Supreme section, the five top controls, entirely¹.

History: Steel String MKI, MkII and the Supreme

The Steel String line began with the Steel String Clean Drive, billed as a "clean drive" and Vertex's take on the Dumble Steel String Singer¹¹. The gold limited-edition version of the MKI was designed alongside the "Real Deal" Dumble Steel String Singer, serial number 001, with only 200 pieces made¹².

The Steel String MkII followed, 33% smaller than the MKI with the complete circuit included, and added the Jazz/Rock toggle to voice the low-end EQ, a feature found on the Dumble Special Overdrive series¹⁰¹. Released in 2020, the MkII was designed alongside a real Steel String Singer, with reference unit serial number 1¹³.

The Steel String Supreme, announced in September 2021, integrates the MkII circuit and sound with the new Supreme section¹. The family has since grown to include the Steel String Supreme SRV, a re-release of the original 2018 Slight Return Version in the multi-channel Supreme format, with more than double the features of the 2018 model, two independent channels, and added toggle switches in the same enclosure size⁷, and the bite-size Steel String Supreme SR Mini¹⁴.

The Slight Return Edition

The current Steel String Supreme Slight Return Edition is the successor to the Steel String MKI Slight Return Version, which Vertex says packs 500% more tone-shaping potential². Its active EQ and Bright/Deep plus Rock/Jazz switches add tone-shaping capabilities over the original SSS, with more top-end "glass" and more low-end "snap"². It comes in a rugged steel housing with authentic D-style appointments, is assembled in California, and carries a lifetime warranty and a 30-day money-back guarantee².

What reviewers said

Gearnews scored the pedal 4,0 / 5,0, finding its active EQ "should really help adjust tones to taste" and reasoning that if it gets near the Dumble tone, it could be a bargain at USD 249.99³. Delicious Audio called it "a very interesting new pedal and an original take on the D-Style stompbox clone," adding it to the site's Best Dumble Pedals article¹.

In Sweetwater's demo, Ford Thurston said of the pedal:

A retailer listing describes the Steel String Supreme as "this superb pedal inspired by Dumble's legendary 150-watt Steel String Singer amp," of which only 12 examples were made⁴. A reviewer of the earlier Steel String found it "More versatile than I expected. Nice amount of gain."¹¹, and another found "absolutely tons of headroom"¹⁵.

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