TubeWorks Blue Tube Pedal .... any experiences ? (also the Real Tube version)

[ArtieToo]

Re: TubeWorks Blue Tube Pedal .... any experiences ? (also the Real Tube version)

I did a whole lot of reading online last night and it seems most people would swap out the 12AX7 and install a 12AU7 (lower gain).

Nice friend.

Sorry.........that tube in the Real Tube pedal is a 5814A. I have also run these pedals with a 12BH7 with excellent results.

If you have one of these pedals, for me, it isn't a useful tone with a 12AX7. A 12AY7 is interesting. 12AU7 is the way to go unless you use a 12BH7.

Also consider the 5751-JJ. It's the mil-spec 12AX7. I believe the 5814A is the mil-spec 12AU7. Both are lower gain, but smoother, with more headroom.

Edit: Maybe the 5814A is the 12BH7.

[crusty philtrum]

Re: TubeWorks Blue Tube Pedal .... any experiences ? (also the Real Tube version)

Wow, I'd forgotten about this thread until it re-appeared the other day.

Curiously, I'd also forgotten about the pedal .... just the other day I was putting away a bunch of pedals that were laying around, and after seeing this thread again I suddenly realised ... I didn't remember seeing this pedal when I was tidying up, and I began to suspect that maybe I'd given it away.

What I do remember is that I changed the 12AX7 to a 12AU7 and as has been mentioned, that reduced the dirt in favour of more headroom. But I also remembered the pedal had an overall 'colour' to it that I didn't think was very appealing, it was like the 'plastic toy' version of my direct sound. No doubt I would have looked at the schematic and considered upgrading all the signal-path capacitors, but I didn't. I suspect my thinking was that it was the circuit design that was limiting the fidelity of the unit more than the quality of the caps.

I just went and looked ... this pedal is still here, lost and neglected on a shelf. I'll give it another try, but I suspect I'll hear that colouration again (I only ever use one dirt pedal, so I'm very picky about what gets in between my guitars and amps). I'm guessing that if I'd heard potential, I would have persisted with it, and that didn't happen, so ....

[Jeffblue]

Re: TubeWorks Blue Tube Pedal .... any experiences ? (also the Real Tube version)

I find that I like these pedals best when I use them as a clean boost. Using a 5814A or 12BH7 I turn the volume all the way up and then use the Drive control to bring the volume to match the bypassed mode. These pedals used in this manner makes every rig I play them through sound better to my ears. A distortion/overdrive pedal before the the Blue Tube/Real Tube pedal really sounds great.

[Mincer]

Re: TubeWorks Blue Tube Pedal .... any experiences ? (also the Real Tube version)

I've always heard that the Blue Tube versions sounded better than the Real Tube ones. I never had a chance to try. Hopefully you can find a use for it, or play around with mods to make it more useful.

[stevie_bees]

Re: TubeWorks Blue Tube Pedal .... any experiences ? (also the Real Tube version)

Run it after a Big Muff a la Gilmour! [emoji38]


Sent from my TARDIS using timey-wimey talk.

[Jeffblue]

Re: TubeWorks Blue Tube Pedal .... any experiences ? (also the Real Tube version)

In a previous mention I was using my Blue Tube and Real Tube pedals for a clean boost. I recently tried one of my Real Tube pedals for overdrive and I had forgotten just how good these pedals are. Excellent overdrive using NOS 5814A tubes. I just purchased another Real Tube pedal to be used on a different guitar rig. I may decide to have one on every rig. (I have 6)