Third Man Hardware and MXR Release the Double Down

Third Man Hardware has launched an official store via the music gear reselling platform Reverb. In tandem with this launch, Third Man Hardware has partnered with renowned pedal manufacturer MXR to create the MXR® x Third Man Hardware Double Down™ pedal, available for pre-order now via the Third Man Hardware Reverb store. Watch a video of Jack White demoing the Double Down pedal below.

"I'm not big on the, 'This is the Jack White distortion pedal—get that Jack White sound'—I don't really want to sell that concept," White told Reverb. "I'd rather try to make something useful that other people can get their sound out of."

And with the Double Down, that's exactly what Third Man Hardware has done. For its latest, Third Man has teamed up with MXR to create the Double Down, a stereo take on MXR's classic Micro Amp preamp pedal. The limited-edition yellow colorway, available exclusively on Reverb, also comes with a 10-pick guitar pick tin.

The inspiration for the Double Down comes from White's own career. He's used the Micro Amp as far back as the White Stripes, and for a decade or more, he's been splitting his guitar's signal to two different amplifiers. By putting two Micro Amp circuits into one Double Down enclosure, he now has the best of all worlds: two independent channels of classic MXR preamp gain.

"It's very simple," White says. "But coming in very useful in the studio and on stage."

In the above video, White demos a few ways he might use one himself: Keeping one channel clean and the other drenched in Bumble Buzz fuzz. Adding a Triplegraph on one side and Flex pedal on the other. What you make of it is up to you.

"We want to make things that appeal to people from all kinds of genres, and a Micro Amp like that has a vast appeal to people for all kinds of applications," White says. About the Double Down, he adds, "You could see people using this for vocals or some kind of stereo effect for instruments."

MXR and Third Man Hardware have teamed up to create the perfect booster for gigging guitar players. The Double Down Pedal combines two separate MXR Micro Amp circuits into a single box so that you can heat up two separate signal chains with just the right amount of classic Micro Amp bump.

The Double Down Pedal’s single input jack splits your signal to two separate outputs, each with its own Gain control for up to +26dB of signal-boosting power. On the left side of the housing is a Phase switch that adds a pronounced stereophonic effect by inverting the phase of the second output signal. On the right side of the pedal is a Buffer switch so that you can choose between true bypass—for the purists—and buffered bypass switching to keep your sound intact when driving two signal chains.

From there, it's basically an open sonic palette. The uses of stereo splitting are nearly endless: You could split your vocals, guitar, or any other instruments you'd like into two separate chains. And with the Micro Amp gain available on two independent channels, you can tweak both in whatever way works best for you.

Specs:

• PHASE switch selects stereophonic effect (yellow LED indicates on)
• GAIN 1 knob sets output level of OUT 1 signal
• GAIN 2 knob sets output level of OUT 2 signal
• BUFFER switch selects true/buffered bypass (yellow LED indicates buffered bypass)
• FOOTSWITCH toggles effect on/bypass (yellow LED indicates on)
• Input Impedance:
• Buffer OFF > 450 kΩ
• Buffer ON > 700 kΩ
• Output Impedance: < 1 kΩ
• Bypass: Buffered/True Bypass
• Current Draw: 11 mA
• Power Supply: 9 volts DC

Pricing & Availability

$169.99
Pre-order here.

Introducing the Third Man Hardware x MXR Double Down Pedal