The Carl Martin AC-Tone is a Carl Martin distortion pedal, currently around $148.60. Close alternatives include the Knight Audio Technologies Kat-STB and the J. Rockett Archer. It pairs well with the Bad Cat Cub and the Divided by 13 JRT 9/15.
Carl Martin AC-Tone
Carl Martin · pedal
The Carl Martin AC-Tone is a Vox AC30 Top Boost-inspired overdrive from the Danish manufacturer, capturing the chiming, jangly, chimey brightness of the AC30 circuit in a compact floor pedal. Produces the bright sparkle and chime associated with British amp OD from the 1960s, with natural-feeling compression and a glassy top-end character that suits Rickenbacker-style jangle and Telecaster twang. Three controls cover Gain, Tone, and Volume. A go-to pedal for players seeking the British chimey clean-to-crunch voicing associated with the Vox amp legacy. Made in Denmark.
- gain
- chimey
- bright
- crunch
- chime
- boost
- jangle
- brightness
Price updated Aug 27, 2026
Genres the Carl Martin AC-Tone is commonly used in
- Indie Rock
- Classic Rock
- Psychedelic Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Indie
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Blues
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag. - Rock
cited
Inferred from shared tonal signals, not a stated genre tag.
Amps that pair well with the Carl Martin AC-Tone
Bad Cat Cub
Bad Cat
35% matchInto Carl Martin AC-Tone, Bad Cat Cub is right at home: it's built around Vox-style amps
Divided by 13 JRT 9/15
Divided By 13
34% matchDivided by 13 JRT 9/15 is voiced for Vox-style amps — Carl Martin AC-Tone gives it exactly that
Orange Amplifiers AD30HTC 30W Tube Guitar Amp Head
amplifier
tonal matchOrange Amplifiers AD30HTC 30W Tube Guitar Amp Head is voiced for Vox-style amps — Carl Martin AC-Tone gives it exactly that
Bad Cat Lynx 50
Bad Cat
tonal matchInto Carl Martin AC-Tone, Bad Cat Lynx 50 is right at home: it's built around Vox-style amps
Dr. Z Amplification Z-Wreck Head
amplifier
tonal matchDr. Z Amplification Z-Wreck Head's own voicing points at Vox-style amps, and Carl Martin AC-Tone delivers it
Bad Cat Era 30 Head
Bad Cat
tonal matchBad Cat Era 30 Head is voiced for Vox-style amps — Carl Martin AC-Tone gives it exactly that
Bad Cat Cougar 15
Bad Cat
tonal matchInto Carl Martin AC-Tone, Bad Cat Cougar 15 is right at home: it's built around Vox-style amps
Vox AC30S1 OneTwelve 30W 1x12 Combo
Vox
tonal matchVox AC30S1 OneTwelve 30W 1x12 Combo's own voicing points at Vox-style amps, and Carl Martin AC-Tone delivers it
Pedals that stack with the Carl Martin AC-Tone
Electro-Harmonix Green Russian Big Muff
Electro-Harmonix
13% matchElectro-Harmonix Green Russian Big Muff takes that crunchy character and pushes it toward mid-forward
Boss BD-2 Blues Driver
Boss
12% matchFeed a crunchy signal into Boss BD-2 Blues Driver and it comes out closer to clean boost
Electro-Harmonix Small Stone
Electro-Harmonix
10% matchElectro-Harmonix Small Stone's analog warmth voice goes after Carl Martin AC-Tone in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with Carl Martin AC-Tone's own glassy character
Ashdown Velvet Compressor
Ashdown
9% matchAshdown Velvet Compressor's own compressed character is the real reason this is worth trying
Caroline Guitar Company Kilobyte
Caroline Guitar Company
7% matchCaroline Guitar Company Kilobyte's pristine voice goes after Carl Martin AC-Tone in the signal chain — it's not there to compete with Carl Martin AC-Tone's own glassy character — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Dunlop - MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe Analog Delay
Dunlop
7% matchPut Dunlop - MXR Carbon Copy Deluxe Analog Delay after Carl Martin AC-Tone in the signal chain, clear of Carl Martin AC-Tone's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Greer Royal Velvet
Greer
tonal matchGreer Royal Velvet is voiced for Vox-style amps — Carl Martin AC-Tone gives it exactly that
Vox V847 Wah
Vox
tonal matchVox V847 Wah is voiced for Vox-style amps — Carl Martin AC-Tone gives it exactly that
Cheaper alternatives
Boutique & premium upgrades
Dophix David Overdistortion
Dophix
70% similarityShared character: bright, wide_range, lead
Wampler Paisley Drive Deluxe
Wampler
70% similarityShared character: twang_rock, bright, wide_range
Free The Tone Crunchy Chime CC-1B
Free The Tone
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Free The Tone Crunchy Chime OD Natural Booster
Free The Tone
95% similaritysimilar tone character
Tech 21 SansAmp Oxford
Tech 21
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Catalinbread Dreamcoat Skewer Special Edition Box
Catalinbread
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Similar charactersee all similar tone character →
Knight Audio Technologies Kat-STB
pedal
74% similarityShared character: gold_sparkle, bright, volume
J. Rockett Archer
pedal
73% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, gold_sparkle, bright
Wampler Paisley Drive
Wampler
70% similarityShared character: twang_rock, bright, punchy
Dean Markley Overlord
Dean Markley
70% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, full, pedal
Audiocade Royal British Velvet AC30 Overdrive/Preamp Clone
Audiocade
69% similarityShared character: high_gain_settings, glassy, gold_sparkle
Boss BD-2W Blues Driver Waza Craft
Boss
69% similarityShared character: bright, high_end, crunch
See all alternatives to the Carl Martin AC-Tone (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Carl Martin AC-Tone?+
The closest matches in character are the Knight Audio Technologies Kat-STB, the J. Rockett Archer, the Wampler Paisley Drive. Budget picks: Mooer Micro Preamp 004 Day Tripper. Boutique upgrades: Dophix David Overdistortion, Wampler Paisley Drive Deluxe, Free The Tone Crunchy Chime CC-1B.
What pairs well with the Carl Martin AC-Tone?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Bad Cat Cub, Divided by 13 JRT 9/15, Orange Amplifiers AD30HTC 30W Tube Guitar Amp Head — Into Carl Martin AC-Tone, Bad Cat Cub is right at home: it's built around Vox-style amps.
How much does the Carl Martin AC-Tone cost?+
Around $148.60 (live listing price, updated Aug 27, 2026).
Compare
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- vs Free The Tone Crunchy Chime CC-1B