Then came the 1990s and the Seattle grunge scene overwhelmed the market with bigger than life chunk and scooped out mids. The direction was obvious… if we could create a front end that could deliver both extremes, a guitarist could simply plug in and get the modified results he is looking for. This was the goal that spawned the Tonebone Hot British.

Easy said… but how to do it?

When modifying amps for more gain, you have to increase the amount of drive and saturation. This is typically done by adding more gain stages into the signal path. The problem is that when you do so, the tone often becomes spongy and notes become indistinct. Furthermore, every time you add a gain stage, you also add noise.

The Hot British magic begins with three gain stages that combine solid state control with tube warmth. This achieves incredible gain while retaining control and distinctiveness even when the tone is highly saturated. Up until now, getting both saturation and control has always been limited to playing amps full out.

To reduce noise, we employ full ground plane circuit topology and both regulate and filter the DC to eliminate thrash. These combine to reduce susceptibility to RF and magnetic interference to give you the quietest high gain pedal on the market today.

For tone - you need control. The Hot British is equipped with a multitude of tone altering controls that work together to let you dial in your personal nirvana. As soon as you turn the treble or bass controls, you will hear extreme tonal variations. Set the top-end control from dark to bright and new worlds open up before your ears. For cutting solos, engage the mid boost and 'voila!' – sustain for days.

Then, strap in your seat belt and activate the voicing control for extreme power. This is where chunk and grind battles with searing power rock mayhem. Definitely not for the weak at heart!

With endorsements as diverse as Metallica's Kirk Hammett and Def Leppard's Vivian Campbell, you know the Hot British is for real. One Harmony Central player said it best: "If you want a British type distortion this is the best British type distortion pedal on the market. Try it—you will hear the difference. This pedal is that good!"