The Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone 2 takes the acclaimed optical compression of the original to new heights, adding footswitchable germanium and silicon grit modes for expanded tonal creativity. Blending compression and distortion in one powerful pedal, the Philosopher's Tone 2 brings studio-quality sustain and articulate crunch to your rig. With the Pigtronix Philosopher's Tone 2, conjure singing leads, rich rhythm chops and dynamic clean tones.

Sculpt Your Sound With Dual Compression and Distortion Modes

At the heart of the Philosopher's Tone 2 is the optical compressor circuit that made the original famous, now refined for even more transparency and rich, smooth sustain. When you engage the new footswitchable grit mode, you can add germanium or silicon distortion without compromising the optical compression. The germanium grit has a smooth top end and fat midrange, while the silicon grit delivers tighter crunch. Dial in the right amount of compression and grit to suit your playing needs or song dynamics.

Get Articulate Crunch Without Unwanted Noise

The Philosopher's Tone 2 distortion is based on the refined overdrive circuit first introduced in the limited Gold edition. From subtle breakup to wild saturation, the grit enriches your tone with the warmth of germanium diodes or the bite of silicon, all without unwanted noise. The distortion interacts musically with the optical compression, compressing and clipping the peaks. This allows for singing leads and saturated rhythm tones, all with great note separation and clarity.

Blend In Your Natural Tone

With the parallel clean blend control, you can mix your dry tone with the compressed signal when the distortion is off. This restores the natural pick attack lost with compression while retaining the increased sustain. The result is a dynamic yet bold compressed tone, perfect as an "always on" pedal. When you kick on the grit, the blend is bypassed, allowing the full-on compressed distortion.

Sculpt Your Sound With the Treble EQ

The active Treble control provides up to 6dB of boost or cut at 2kHz, letting you fine-tune the tone to suit your guitar and amp. Cutting the treble prevents gritty ice-pick highs, while boosting adds clarity and articulation to the Philosopher's Tone 2's thick mids. With true-bypass switching and 18V rails, your uncompromised tone comes through whether the effect is on or off.