Tone King Royalist Tube Preamp: 3 British Amp Voices
British-voiced tube preamp pedal
5,0 / 5,0 | 
The new Royalist Tube Preamp from Tone King is their second pedal preamp in as many years. This model has a British voice and is based on their Royalist MKIII amplifier.
Tone King -Contents
Royalist Tube Preamp
Tone King has been busy developing the new Royalist Tube Preamp, which follows the same form factor as their popular Imperial Tube Preamp pedal released in 2025. Again, this new tube preamp pedal uses internal high voltages to power the three 12AX7 vacuum tubes, achieving a realistic emulation of the Royalist MKIII amp’s front end.
Zero Watt Power Amp
It also allows players to experience a true tube-like response with the “Zero Watt Power Amp.” By using a custom phase-inverter circuit, it perfectly recreates the magic that happens when a preamp and power section work in tandem.
This new tube preamp is an excellent choice for guitarists who want a British amp tone with a flexible set of amp tones, but in a small pedal format. It will be great for studio, home, and live work thanks to its zero-watt feature.
Instead of the tremolo and reverb of the previous Imperial model, this latest model comes with a built-in Convolution Reverb.
Era – 64, 67, & 70
The Royalist offers two identical channels, each equipped with a three-position “Era” switch that spans the evolution of classic British tone.
Setting the switch to 1964 delivers the smooth, warm, and highly touch-sensitive response of early JTM45 designs, while the 1967 setting shifts into the aggressive midrange and iconic “chirp” of the legendary Plexi. For those seeking maximum impact, the 1970 mode replicates the high-gain, tight crunch characteristic of Super Lead arena stacks.
Connectivity
The Royalist is built for comprehensive connectivity and professional performance, featuring a standard 1/4″ instrument input alongside Send/Return jacks for seamless integration with the 4-cable method.
On the output side, the unit provides dual stereo balanced XLR outputs with ground lift, a dedicated 1/4″ headphone jack, and a standard output for feeding your amplifier’s input.
Digital and MIDI needs are handled via a USB-C port for the Tone King Editor software, and a 5-pin MIDI input that supports up to 128 presets, while an assignable stereo series effects loop allows for flexible pedalboard routing.
Impulse Responses
To ensure studio-quality tone right out of the box, the Royalist includes high-fidelity OwnHammer Impulse Responses, which can be assigned per channel via a three-way toggle.
Players can choose between the vintage OH 412 Pinstripe H25 featuring 1967 Celestion G12H-25s, the signature OH 112 Imperial TK1660 for classic combo tones, or the OH 412 M75BB with 1975 “Black Back” G12M-75s for a more focused, heavy crunch.
The pedal uses a 12V DC universal power supply, included in the price.
It certainly has an impressive feature set, and I’m guessing it will be one of the standout preamps of 2026 in its price range.
Price & Availability
The Tone King Royalist Tube Preamp is available at Thomann*, priced at $692 / £615 / €699.
More Information
*Note: This article contains affiliate links that help us finance our site. Don’t worry – the price for you always remains the same! If you buy something via these links, we receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!
This might also interest you
