The Tone City Double Durple Overdrive/Boost Pedal is a collaboration between Tone City and Pete Honoré, a session guitarist who has played with the likes of Lionel Richie and Tom Jones. What makes this pedal particularly fascinating is that it combines two distinct overdrive circuits, each with its own unique character, into one versatile unit. The result is a pedal that offers a wide range of tones, from a subtle low-mid gain overdrive to a powerful, muscly boost. In my opinion, this is a must-have for any guitarist looking to expand their pedalboard, especially those who want to add a bit of edge to their clean tones or a boost to their distorted sounds.
One thing that immediately stands out is the pedal's innovative design. The Durple side is inspired by Tone City's Mandragora, which is based on Lovepedal's Kalamazoo. This side delivers a low to mid-gain overdrive that feels like a non-master volume amp, with a slight volume boost and a touch of grit. The gain control has a wide range of overdrive, and the tone control sounds like a low-pass filter, though its effect is subtle. The mid-control allows the user to dial in either a low mid-rumble or a high mid-snarl, making it a great always-on pedal for adding bite to your sound.
The Double side, on the other hand, is a very low gain yet muscly overdrive, thanks to the sheer amount of volume it has to offer. The gain control delivers a restrained, touch-sensitive response, with the gain ramping up more noticeably in the last quarter. The volume control is where the Double shines, as it will seriously kick your amp hard, and anything above a quarter will boost your amp considerably. The smooth/bright toggle switch adds a subtle top-end brilliance when set to bright, and the tone control is more of a standard dark to bright EQ control.
What makes the Double Durple truly special is how the two sides work together. When both sides are engaged, the pedal rewards a measured approach, and the gains and tones pair beautifully. However, the pedal is at its best when settings are kept modest, as too much gain can result in a mushy sound. This is especially true for players with lower wattage amps, who should be mindful of how hard they're pushing the volume on each side simultaneously.
In terms of build quality, the pedal enclosure feels sturdy and measures 12cm long, 10cm wide, and 5.2cm tall. The pedal has top-mounted jacks and 9-volt center-negative power with a combined current draw of 25mA with both sides active. The foot switches have a nice click to them and have a fair amount of space between them for individual engagement, but not so much that they cannot be engaged simultaneously. The mid-control uses a mini potentiometer, which is a practical necessity given the symmetrical layout opposite the smooth/bright toggle switch. While the feel is less substantial than the full-sized pots, the tactility leaves something to be desired.
Overall, the Tone City Double Durple Overdrive/Boost Pedal is an exceptional low-to-mid gain overdrive for the price point, especially when you're getting two flavors of overdrive that have managed to address the common lack of volume boost problem that many classic overdrives suffer from. I encourage anyone just beginning to enter the world of overdrive pedals to try one, as well as overdrive pedal aficionados, as the Double Durple has plenty of edge of breakup and boosted tones to offer. From my perspective, this pedal is a game-changer for any guitarist looking to expand their pedalboard and add a bit of edge to their sound.
