Inexpensive Tube OD Pedal Into A Inexpensive Amp.........................

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Inexpensive Tube OD Pedal Into A Inexpensive Amp.........................

The nanotube thing is pretty interesting. I've seen a few hi-fi preamp boards starting to pop up on ebay using one or a couple of those...simple enough to tie the two channel outputs to mono and pop the thing in a pedal enclosure..I'm tempted

I'd like to try one of those Vox's too..especially if they have a higher gain version. Really wonder what happened with that big 100 watt prototype they had at NAMM a couple of years ago. Sounded pretty sweet.

[Howlermonkey]

Re: Inexpensive Tube OD Pedal Into A Inexpensive Amp.........................

VT999 also works great with a 5751 tube.

[Chistopher]

Re: Inexpensive Tube OD Pedal Into A Inexpensive Amp.........................

What are the tried and true mods/tube swaps for the VT999? I think I need a lil' something to keep my hot rodded budget distortion fetish in check.

[Jeffblue]

Re: Inexpensive Tube OD Pedal Into A Inexpensive Amp.........................

What are the tried and true mods/tube swaps for the VT999? I think I need a lil' something to keep my hot rodded budget distortion fetish in check.

I use an NOS 5814A (military grade 12AU7) which sounds great and an authentic tube drive tone, others have used a 12AY7. The mods are a simple one consisting of 4 capacitors, a 3 way mini toggle on-on-on and some wire called the Bitmo mod. Looks pretty easy and I haven't done that yet because it sounds excellent like it is.

[Chistopher]

Re: Inexpensive Tube OD Pedal Into A Inexpensive Amp.........................

How would you say the new tube affected the tone?

[Jeffblue]

Re: Inexpensive Tube OD Pedal Into A Inexpensive Amp.........................

How would you say the new tube affected the tone?

With the 5814A, the pedal maintains good tone and not overly heavy metal. I can use the gain dimed and the pedal has a heavy classic rock drive. With the 12AX7, it has too much gain for my taste, but would probably work well for others. The Bitmo mod would give you 3 ranges of gain that you can manually switch.

['59]

Re: Inexpensive Tube OD Pedal Into A Inexpensive Amp.........................

Did anybody come up with any good mods for this? I got one as a present for being accepted into Virginia Tech (VT, haha) and while it is a decent overdrive, I hear people rave about how great it can be with the right tubes and mods.

[Jeffblue]

Re: Inexpensive Tube OD Pedal Into A Inexpensive Amp.........................

Did anybody come up with any good mods for this? I got one as a present for being accepted into Virginia Tech (VT, haha) and while it is a decent overdrive, I hear people rave about how great it can be with the right tubes and mods.

The BitMo mod for the VT999. There are kits and diagrams if you search for them. And you can use NOS tubes of the different variants for degrees of gain and tone.

[NegativeEase]

Re: Inexpensive Tube OD Pedal Into A Inexpensive Amp.........................

You can get a used MXR OD Modified Custom Badass or an MXR Custom Badass for 40-50 bucks used -It's just a better version of a Tube Screamer with powerful tone shaping -you can get em new for 80 bucks

then buy a used Vox AC15 for 350 -or new 600+

So for under 450 used -youd be set with a great rig.

['59]

Re: Inexpensive Tube OD Pedal Into A Inexpensive Amp.........................

Or I could spend even less by buying a tube and some components for a pedal I already have and just use the Katana 100 I already have. Good suggestion if I was coming from square one, but not really relevant to my situation.

[LLL]

Re: Inexpensive Tube OD Pedal Into A Inexpensive Amp.........................

Well if I were doing so, for the cheap pedal I'd go Bad Monkey.

I'm kinda shocked there's no Bad Monkey love goin' on in here...

[devastone]

Re: Inexpensive Tube OD Pedal Into A Inexpensive Amp.........................

I'm kinda shocked there's no Bad Monkey love goin' on in here...

That's just not something you want to talk about on the interwebs. At least not on a guitar forum, I think that can get you banned!

[oilpit]

Re: Inexpensive Tube OD Pedal Into A Inexpensive Amp.........................

Okay I'm confused as to what this nutube thing is. Do they sound any different than standard tubes? Because Vox used to make SS amps w/ powertube preamps but they may as well have been a SS amp with a little orange lightbulb in the front, is this any better? I love the idea but I'm highly skeptical.

I've always found that when tubes are used in these kind of applications it's almost entirely for marketing/show.

[Jeffblue]

Re: Inexpensive Tube OD Pedal Into A Inexpensive Amp.........................

Okay I'm confused as to what this nutube thing is. Do they sound any different than standard tubes? Because Vox used to make SS amps w/ powertube preamps but they may as well have been a SS amp with a little orange lightbulb in the front, is this any better? I love the idea but I'm highly skeptical.

I've always found that when tubes are used in these kind of applications it's almost entirely for marketing/show.

The NuTube is an actual dual triode using a different technology. NuTube is a fluorescent device that sounds like an old school tube.