NUX Queen of Tone Review

The Morning Star side boasts controls for drive, tone, and level, while the Horseman’s control set consists of gain, treble, and output knobs. A routing switch enables you to switch the order of effects, and a toggle on the crown of the pedal selects true or buffered bypass. A second adjacent mini-toggle engages an input FET Stage that adds even more gain. There are also two hidden features of sorts: Holding down the Morning Star footswitch engages Shine mode, which adds treble boost and clarity. Pressing and holding the Horseman side, meanwhile, activates Silver mode, which extends the gain range of the Horseman circuit. (“Silver” refers to the silver Klon Centaur, which is typically considered treblier and sometimes raspier than the gold iteration).

The two circuits complement each other well and stack seamlessly.

One peculiar aspect of the Queen of Tone switching that’s worth noting: The pedal activates with the release of the footswitch, which enables the press-and-hold function for the Silver and Shine modes. Some players will perceive this as a lag, but if you can adjust your timing without upsetting your rhythm and flow, it’s merely a minor annoyance.