Tone King Royalist Tri-Tube Preamp

The Royalist Tube Preamp Pedal captures the soul of Tone King’s beloved Royalist MKIII amplifier - the company’s most authentic take on the golden age of British tone. From the sweet, singing JTM45, through the unmistakable Plexi crunch, to the searing drive of the Super Lead, this high-voltage tri-tube preamp pedal delivers the full spectrum of British rock attitude in a compact, pedalboard-friendly format.

Running on three 12AX7 tubes at proper high voltages, the Royalist Preamp brings the complete touch sensitivity, harmonic bloom, and dynamic punch of the Royalist MKIII amp to your pedalboard. Each of its two independent channels features the amp’s FAT switch and three-way 1964/1967/1970 voicing selector, faithfully reproducing the gain structure, tone stack, and feel of the original circuits. Whether you’re chasing sparkling cleans, punchy crunch, or molten roar, the Royalist Preamp delivers the unmistakable voice of British rock, anywhere, at any volume.

Three Eras of Iconic British Tone

Each channel of the Royalist Preamp offers its own three-position voicing switch, mirroring the evolution of the British amp sound across decades:

1964 - Smooth top end, lower gain, and a balanced, vintage warmth inspired by early British blues amps.

1967 - Crisp treble response, bold midrange, and the aggressive bite that defined rock’s formative years.

1970 - Increased gain and tightness for that unmistakable, high-energy crunch of arena-ready hard rock.

Pair these voicings with each channel’s FAT switch option to add body and low-end warmth to single-coil guitars or enhance sustain and punch with humbuckers.

Era Accurate Tone Stacks

The Royalist features two identical channels, each voiced with its own distinct tone stack. The top channel uses a vintage-accurate JTM45 / Bassman / Super Bass inspired EQ. The bottom channel reflects a later-era British Lead tone stack. 
While the two channels can be dialed remarkably close, their subtle differences give players two authentic British flavors—one tight and articulate, the other more mid forward.

Built-In Zero Watt Power Amp — Phase Inverter

The Royalist Preamp includes Tone King’s “Zero Watt Power Amp,” a genuine phase inverter circuit powered by one of its three 12AX7 tubes. This design captures the Royalist’s harmonic depth and dynamic interaction between preamp and power stage — a key ingredient of true British tone that most preamp pedals can’t replicate. The result is the full experience of an overdriven Royalist power section, without the ear-splitting volume.

Impulse Response (IR) Cabinet & Power Amp Sim

The Royalist Preamp Pedal features Tone King’s low-latency IR and power amp simulation engine, offering direct output to FOH, recording interfaces, or headphones with stunning realism. Preloaded with a curated selection of OwnHammer IRs listed below, each channel includes a 3-way IR selector for instant tonal changes. 

OH 412 Pinstripe H25: Celestion G12H-25's from 1967 captured in a pinstripe 1982B 4x12 cabinet by Kevin Rowe of OwnHammer using Shure SM57, Telefunken MD421, and Royer 121 microphones through mid-late 1970's API 312 preamps.

OH 112 Imperial TK1660: Tone King 1660 captured in a Tone King Imperial 1x12 combo by Kevin Rowe of OwnHammer using Shure SM57, Neumann U87, and Royer 121 microphones through mid-late 1970's API 312 preamps.

OH 412 M75BB: 16-ohm, 1777 cone Celestion "black back" G12M-75's from 1975 captured in a 412 cabinet by Kevin Rowe of OwnHammer using Shure SM57 and Sennheiser MD421 microphones through mid-late 1970's API 312 preamps.

There are 20 IRs to choose from in the included Tone King Editor software (powered by Synergy) which are easy to swap in and out of the pedal's six available slots. You can also disengage the onboard IR loader entirely to use the preamp with an external IR loader or powered cabinet.

Tone King Editor Software - Deep Control, Modern Flexibility

The included Tone King Editor software unlocks deep editing capabilities for digital parameters. Save and recall up to 128 presets via MIDI, assign IRs per channel, fine-tune HF and LP filters, and configure reverb, or FX loop assignments — all in one intuitive interface.

Savable Parameters

• Channel switching and bypass states
• Easily load your own IRs and manage your IR library
• IR bypass and power amp simulation options
• HF Comp and Low-Pass filters
• Access all 15 included OwnHammer IRs
• Assign any of your IRs to the pedal's six available slots (three per channel)
• Reverb, reverb tails, and effects loop bypass routing
• Save these settings to up to 128 presets for instant recall via MIDI

Expanding Your Rig

The Royalist Preamp Pedal is equally at home on stage, in the studio, or integrated with your favorite amp.

Add Channels to Your Amp:

Use the 3-cable method with any amp that has a series effects loop to instantly add two channels of British tube tone to your existing rig.

Combine with Other Preamps:

Link multiple effects-loop-equipped preamp pedals to build an ultimate hybrid system. Assign the Royalist’s IRs and power amp emulation to other preamps, or route its reactive output into a separate power amp and cabinet for the real-air experience.

The Sound of British Heritage, Reborn for the Modern Player

From the club stages of the ‘60s to the arenas of the ‘70s, the sound of British rock has defined generations of guitar tone. Now, with the Royalist Tube Preamp Pedal, that legacy lives on — delivering the roar, chime, and harmonic richness of those legendary amplifiers in a compact, high-voltage, pedalboard-ready design.