MTE-1 Tubulator

The Arion MTE-1 Tubulator is a vintage overdrive/distortion pedal designed in Japan and manufactured in Sri Lanka during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Designed to emulate tube-amplifier overdrive, it ranges from mild breakup and crunch to more saturated distortion and responds dynamically to picking intensity and guitar volume. Distortion controls the amount of drive, Tone adjusts the frequency balance from darker to brighter, and Level sets the overall output, allowing the pedal to also function as a boost. The MTE-1 is housed in Arion’s compact lightweight plastic enclosure and has developed a cult following among players and collectors.