Preamp pedals with tubes in them

[BaritoneVitoND]

Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them

A great many of them using tubes are there for show. If you want to be sure your tubes aren't just fancy glowing lights, get something rack mounted or a head.

I did run into a few comments online that said tubes in pedals are just gimmicks. That was one of my concerns.

[BaritoneVitoND]

Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them

I love both my Blackstar HT-Dual and HT-Dist. The only thing I’ve found that sounds better than one of those running into a clean channel is my all-tube Victory Kraken preamp running into the effects return. Though the Kraken usually lives with my recording stuff these days, so the Blackstar still gets the most use through my amp.

The Diezel VH4 pedal makes for a great tubeless preamp too. It’s a little loose in the low end for my taste and the switching isn’t as convenient when used as a preamp as the Kraken, but it still sounds and feels really good into the effects return.

Yeah, I was looking into that Kraken. It sounded pretty damn good.

[chadd]

Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them

I loved my V-twin and the old Real Tube pedals weren't bad. In fact, I picked up one of the Real Tube amps for cheap and it's interesting.

[Jacew]

Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them

I did run into a few comments online that said tubes in pedals are just gimmicks. That was one of my concerns.

Usually you can find info whether pedals run tubes at high voltages. They often do these days, and by that are not just gimmicks.

[Mincer]

Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them

I think as long as you don't fall into the 'it has tubes so it must sound better' hole. I've tried enough tube-based pedals to not see a pattern here- like any other dirt pedal, it is all in the design, and whether it gets the sound you like or not.

[SweetClyde99]

Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them

It’s very cool. I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on the Sheriff too, but I had to sell off a bunch of stuff just to pick up the Kraken.

[richard parker]

Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them

I have the Blackstar HT Drive. It sounds absolutely terrible to me. But I've played quite a few Blackstar amps and didn't like them either. I can get way better sounds out of my Boss OD3.

[SirJackdeFuzz II]

Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them

This one gets me sweet sludgy tones all day long :

[Jeffblue]

Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them

I have owned BK Butler Real Tube pedals and I own a modified Blue Tube pedal (uses an octal 6SL7) owned a Guyatone FLIP Metal Monster, AMT Freak TC Electronics Pilot and an Electro Harmonix English Muff'n. I still own a Behringer Vintage Tube Monster, Radial Engineering Tonebone Classic, 2 Rocktron Silver Dragons and a Fuchs Plush Valve Job. I ALWAYS change out the tube for NOS and sometimes a variant to suit my taste. I do like tubes in my pedals.

[uOpt]

Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them

To get a real difference out of tubes you need to run them at high voltage, which the pedals do not. Same problem with tubes in some cheaper 19" gear and keyboards like the Korg Triton extreme.

They can still sound great, just saying it's not the same as a full voltage preamp.

[devastone]

Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them

The Victory, AMT, and some of the other true preamp pedals that are basically the front end of a tube amp, do run at high voltages (250V+). A lot of the pedals people are bringing up here are just distortion pedals that run the tube in starved mode, which is totally different. I "think" the OP was asking about preamp pedals.

[Mincer]

Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them

Didn't Korg or someone include a tube in their pedal but put a little LED light behind it so the tube could glow?

[Lewguitar]

Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them

The one I like best doesn't use a tube. But it's designed to create the sound Eric Johnson gets when he runs his Tube Driver into his Fuzzface. It's the white pedal at the lower left of my pedal board.

[devastone]

Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them

The Dover Drive is supposed to be a great distortion pedal, not a preamp though.

[uOpt]

Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them

Didn't Korg or someone include a tube in their pedal but put a little LED light behind it so the tube could glow?

I think that is what the Korg Triton Extreme keyboard is doing.