Radial Engineering Tonebone Classic Tube Distortion

Look, effects pedals that have tube built in are just plain rad. There’s a warmth and energy that they bring forth that is hard to capture otherwise, and we always love getting these types of effects into the shop. Today, we’re going to look at the now-discontinued Tonebone Classic Tube Distortion from Radial Engineering, makers of fine tube-filled gear. Let’s see what’s under the hood with this beast, k?

Level gets us going by setting the pedal’s output, followed by a simple but tone-shaping EQ section, comprised of High and Low controls. A Filter knob provides a gentle roll-off for extra-bright amps, and the Drive control adjusts the input level for optimum distortion. This control panel lets you dial in a multitude of sounds, from vintage tweed to classic rock to dirty blues and even up into heavier, metal territory, all with ease.

A couple of switches on the Tonebone Classic provide extra tone enhancements as well. The Top End switch offers Bright, Flat, and Dark modes to shape the feel and overall tone. Mid Boost harkens back to classic amp sounds, giving you a 7dB or 12dB boost for lead runs and solos. Finally, Drive Gain sets the distortion range, with Low, Medium, or High settings to choose from. These, combined with the aforementioned control knobs, make this pedal extremely versatile, and capable of emulating almost any overdrive and distortion tone you can think of.

Ranging from a light crunch to severe overdrive, the Tonebone Classic offers tons of flexibility, with natural, even-harmonic distortion that you can only truly get from a real tube. Plus, these pedals are used by Jake Cinninger from Umphrey’s McGee, one of our favorite players out there, which is actually how we heard about it in the first place. No shortage of tones or settings with this beast, Radial Engineering has crushed it again. Since these are out of production, they’re relatively easy to find and come with a super-affordable price tag, so get out there and get hunting!