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Truetone Jekyll & Hyde V3 (Formerly Visual Sound)

Truetone, formerly known as Visual Sound, releases latest version of their flagship pedal, the Jekyll & Hyde V3.

Truetone Jekyll & Hyde V3

Visual Sound has changed their company name into Truetone, and they say that this new name better represents their design ideology. The new Jekyll & Hyde V3 is the first pedal to get stamped with the new name.

Along with the new V3 version of their flagship pedal Jekyll & Hyde, Truetone will also be releasing two new 1 Spot Pro power supplies. These will be the first “Truetone” labeled products that will come from the now renamed company. They mentioned that there will be a transition period so you will see both Visual Sound and Truetone products side by side, but eventually all their products will be rebranded.

Visual Sound president and founder Bob Weil shares the story behind the new name:

“The name of the company was derived from the first product I invented, Visual Volume; the volume pedal with a 10 LED scale to indicate volume level. That was the product that launched Visual Sound at the beginning of 1995. While Visual Volume was the cornerstone of the company back then, it became a secondary product over the past 20-years. Now, we are best known for our effects pedals, including Jekyll & Hyde, Route 66 and H2O. In addition, our 1 SPOT power supplies and accessories have become the industry standard. Our company motto has always been Real Tone for Real People, which underscores our approach to making reliable, high-quality products, at a fair price. With this in mind, we feel that our new name, Truetone, clearly states our vision in one word.”

Bob Weil adds, “Several years ago we began this process by acquiring the trademark for “Truetone” and even created a pedal by that name, the Truetone Clean Boost, in 2008. We also were able to secure Truetone.com and other related URL’s, clearing the way for us to make this move. Besides its great fit, the name also has a rich history, going back to the 1920’s with vacuum tubes and the old tube radios. We actually have a 1946 Truetone console radio in our showroom at the office. I love the history of the name as well as how Truetone ties into the ethos and vision of Visual Sound.”

First introduced in 1997, the combined distortion and overdrive pedal helped popularize the brand. Now the 3rd version of Jekyll & Hyde is re-designed from scratch to meet the demands of today’s players. The company says that the updated version features improved construction, flexibility and tone.

Truetone Jekyll & Hyde V3 Features:

  • Buffer or True Bypass mode switching for each channel, the buffered mode utilizes Truetone (formerly Visual Sound)’s Pure Tone circuit.
  • Custom designed “Forever Footswitch”, which is rated for 10 million hits. It interacts with relays having gold-plated contacts.
  • Comes with Lifetime Warranty that applies to second or third owners.
  • Separate inputs and outputs for the two channels for better signal routing. You can also reverse the order of effects with a patch cable much like how you would with two pedals.
  • Smaller than two regular sized pedals combined, with front mounted jacks.
  • Bundled with a black velvet carrying bag.

Pricing information will soon be available. For technical specifications and other details, head over to Truetone.

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