LoCo Pedals Tone Tool

Tone Tool is a Dumble JFET input and Echoplex preamp topology inspired circuit.

With the passive treble and bass cut controls, it can take the role of a clean boost push with TS9 or Klon flavored middle frequencies. Three preset amp sound characters on an external switch. There is a reason why the previously mentioned circuits became so popular. They are awesome single JFET transistor gain stage musical tools. But I believe even these can be improved to fit the today's modern musicians needs. In my opinion a passive bass cut before and a treble cut after the amplification stage can open a whole plethora of new tone nuances. To push further the possibilities, if we study the biasing of the first gain stage in a tube amp, we can see that it is very similar to what is happening in these JFET circuits. Let's implement these by putting them on a switch, so we can have two of the most known amp sound characters available and taking the flexibility range even further. In a short story that's what the Tone Tool is. A JFET based amplification stage simulating the input of a tube amp, followed by a JFET buffer to accommodate the circuit with the pedals or amps that would follow it. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed every little thing, I have added to it, and listening to it over and over on how it grows into what I consider that is now ready for everyone to work with it.

o Controls
Simple and self-explanatory, so I will rather give you a few visual examples of what I hear turning the knobs. To be mentioned, that both the Bass and Treble control act as gain of the overall amplification. Balance it with the Volume. Please see the Tone Settings I can recommend in the photos on the next page.

o Switch
• US - Low mids are the predominant here with just the right amount of highs. The "big clean sound" character specific to American made amplifiers. This is the louder the better tone. Push a breaking up amp with it and you have a new channel on your amp. Try it with single coils.
• ∞ - Infinity is having the most neutral tone coloration with a warmer sound and the least amount of gain. Start from everything at noon for clean boost. Go up with the volume for more power, cut from bass and treble for a good detox of your tone. Leave just what you need to achieve the tone in your head. Try stacking it after your dirt pedals.
• UK - Cut through chime sound with the abundance of upper mids. It has the most presence focused tone with the tightest bass of the three options. Even when you are cutting all the treble and bass, pushing up the volume it makes a perfect rock to metal boost. Try it with humbucker coils.

o Secret Controls
If the above are not enough for your tone thirst, there are two micro switches inside. One is for boosting the bass as I am a bass player and I use it with this set to ON, and one is for cutting the highs, I have a TT unit set like this when I play boosting a high gain guitar amp. Please see the combination examples I have made for you in the photos.
From the little trimmer potentiometer, you can set the minimum level of the Volume knob or set it to 0 when pedal engaged. I always ship it with this set to maximum. When you have the Character switch set to Infinity, the microswitch to Modern, Treble and Bass to maximum and Volume to minimum the pedal should be at the same level as bypassed and act as a buffer.