IK Multimedia has launched the Brown Sound Anthology, a collection of pocket-sized TONEX One pedals that encapsulate and reimagine Eddie Van Halen’s legendary Brown Sound tones.
Following the success of the TONEX One pedal’s launch last year, which was a 2024 best-seller on Reverb, the collection offers period-specific recreations of the electric guitar hero’s ever-evolving sound.
The firm worked with Brown Sound expert Jim Gaustad for a blend of “ultra-accurate” and “thoughtful variations” of Eddie’s iconic sound spread across 150 tone models. That's 50 per pedal.
Comprising the Brown Sound 78/79, 80/81, and 82/84, the lineup promises to “cover the Brown Sound's evolution across six groundbreaking albums.” Each pedal represents the characteristic of a duo of LPs.
Brown Sound 78/79 is said to “capture not only the gear but also the attitude, feel, and raw sonic essence of a genre-defining moment in rock history,” using rumored setups and scrupulous research as cues. It promises a tonal likeness to Van Halen I and Van Halen II, which featured songs as timeless as Eruption and Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love.
Conversely, Brown Sound 80/81 offers a “darker swagger and heavier edge,” with “50 detailed tone models, including amp-only captures,” included. Expect “everything from raw rhythm crunch to fiery lead tones.”
Completing the hat trick, the Brown Sound 82/84 taps into an era of Van Halen when they pushed for radio-friendly appeal, with a “tighter, more refined, and more polished” EVH sound a crucial ingredient.
Each stompbox is priced at $249.99 and is available in three colors, White, Red, and Yellow, as nods to EVH’s stripes and bumblebee guitar designs. There are also plugin versions of the three pedals. They are priced at $99 each, with the 80/81 and 82/84 currently at an introductory price of $79.99.
And for the collectors out there, a boxed, limited-edition version includes all three pedals and their partner software for $599.99.
Pre-orders are available now, with orders shipping in August.
Head to IK Multimedia for more.
The collection's launch follows the arrival of Joe Satriani's who signature TONEX One earlier this year. He “handpicked each amp and dialed in his favorite settings” for the pedal's tones, and the functionality of the pedal, considering its diminutive form, has been described as “outstanding” by Guitar World.
