Chandler Tube Driver - Substitute?

Philcguitars

Philcguitars

New member
OK,

Chandler Tube drivers are fetching $600 US on e-bay.

So, what's the best modern equivalent?

I'll start you off:
Digi-tech - Bad Monkey? Behringer? Boss? The all new - Hi-Watt unit.

Just remember It's got to be a comparable replacement to the Chandler!

NO HEAVY METAL High distortion drivers please!
 
Re: Chandler Tube Driver - Substitute?

The Chandler Tube Driver sucks.

I sold mine in 1992 and I don't miss it. Of course, if I still had it, I'd be happy to sell it for $600.
 
Re: Chandler Tube Driver - Substitute?

ibanez tube king, maxxon's tube king clone, guyatone's tube od pedal, the vox tube bulldog pedal, a diy tube driver at general guitar gadgets, one of behringers two new tube based od pedals, a womanizer pedal from damage control, then there's like 100 discontinued tube works products (see the list on genz benz's page) you could search for on ebay and used at music stores - even some of the "metal" pedals are supposed to be the same circuits as the "blues" models with different names. i found the mega shred tube pedal for fifty bucks before and people say it's the same circuit as the blues driver. figures.

scroll down to tube works products:
http://www.genzbenz.com/?fa=manuals

hell, even a tube-based peavey, jackson, etc. preamp rackmount dealio would probably yield similar results. set the gain low, and you've got the chandler tube driver sound.

i'm not saying every unit sounds just like it, but from what i've read and what i've seen in the various circuits, there's not all that much magic in the chandler unit versus many of the above.
 
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Re: Chandler Tube Driver - Substitute?

Well that's good to know. I think I'm going to go with my first choice which is the Bad Monkey by Digi-tech. I'm not really looking for anymore magic than was in the Chandler, which as far as I can see became the Tube Works model.
 
Re: Chandler Tube Driver - Substitute?

Perhaps look at a second hand tube works real tube overdrive. There were a couple of other models as well. Designed by the same guy.
 
Re: Chandler Tube Driver - Substitute?

I beleive the behringer tube pedals are clones of old tube pedals (maybe one being the chandler clone and the other a tube king clone i think) They are worth a look.
 
Re: Chandler Tube Driver - Substitute?

Hot _Grits said:
Perhaps look at a second hand tube works real tube overdrive. There were a couple of other models as well. Designed by the same guy.
Click to expand...

Yeah. I knew the design was by the same eir models seem to be getting pretty much the same price as Chandler ones.

As For Behringer. I have looked at these, especially at the money. I was a little wary though, on this basis. What's the quality like?
 
Re: Chandler Tube Driver - Substitute?

I had a B.K. Butler designed Tube Driver. I Kinda wish I didn't sell it.:banghead: It was a pretty cool unit. All those pedals run on staved plate method. This means the tube is just acting as if it where a clipping Diode. If you want a REAL tube Driver... Get a Duncan Twin Tube Classic.:D
 
Re: Chandler Tube Driver - Substitute?

I have got some behringer pedals and while build quality on the pedals i have aren't the best, they sound quite good and i'm quite picky (im yet to play a new stock boss pedal that sounds good so not including something like the analog delay). But i havent tried any of the tube pedals yet.
 
Re: Chandler Tube Driver - Substitute?

+1 On the twin tube though
All those types of tube pedals don't use the tubes to the full potential where the twin tube does so i would go that if you wanted a good tube pedal.
 
Re: Chandler Tube Driver - Substitute?

I never had the opportunity to play a Tube Driver, but I LOVE the model of it in the POD.

OTOH, I'm pretty satisfied with the Twin Tube Classic. Lotsa variety in tones. Mine sometimes clicks kinda loud when I turn it on/off, but I've learned to adapt to it.
 
Re: Chandler Tube Driver - Substitute?

Thanks guys, I'll check out that Twin Tube. However, you've pretty much confirmed my feeling on the similarity of circuits. For my purpose though I think the Bad Monkey will be the one, as I want a couple of Digi-tech's other pedals too. I like the build quality, it is what it is, it's stereo [you never know I may use it one-day] It's compact, not the most or least expensive... I can always have one of the others aswell.
 
Re: Chandler Tube Driver - Substitute?

How does the Twin Tube compare to something like a Mesa V Twin

Sorry for the hijack
 
Re: Chandler Tube Driver - Substitute?

I've got a newer B.K. Butler Tube Driver.

I haven't had it long, but it sure doesn't suck!

Read the background story of the Butler-Chandler drama....there was a point when BK was gone & the Chandler folks thought they could recreate the magic.

They failed miserably.....this would more than likely be the one that "sucks" & it's the reputation of the Butler models that is yielding big bucks on Fleabay.
 
Re: Chandler Tube Driver - Substitute?

OlinMusic said:
How does the Twin Tube compare to something like a Mesa V Twin

Sorry for the hijack
Click to expand...

I don't want to sound like a company shill, so I'll just preface this by saying I've owned a V-Twin. I had it for about 6 months, and I sold it. I personally didn't think it captured the Boogie magic. I found the high gain sounds to be laced with a cleaner tone, so that together you got something of a tube screamer. Not that it sounded like a TS, but it had that dual layered tone thing going on. Also the thing I didn't like about it was that it was based on one tube per channel. The left tube covered the solo sound, and the right tube covered the clean and blues. So one tube per channel meant no "multi tube" cascading, which Boogie is famous for. The V-Twin can be a good marriage with the right amp, but I didn't like it much as a standalone tone generator. Actually that's not fully true. I liked the super low gain and clean tones, but I could get that from any number of my other tube pres so I dumped the V-Twin.

The Twin Tube Classic is all tube gain. It manages to be very 3 dimensional without sounding ambiguous. It does stand on it's own as a tone generator.

Kudos to all you guys out there taking about the plate voltages. The TT Classic pumps the tubes hard, while the BK designs are a little more like taking a solid state overdrive circuit, and replacing the clipping diode with a tube. So you're technically overdriving the tube with audio, but you're not really hearing the equivalent of tube amp overdrive
 
Re: Chandler Tube Driver - Substitute?

if you want to dish out the cash...still significantly less than 600 bones...check out the tc electronic tube primer...i have one and i swear by it. nothing like it
 
Re: Chandler Tube Driver - Substitute?

scottish said:
if you want to dish out the cash...still significantly less than 600 bones...check out the tc electronic tube primer...i have one and i swear by it. nothing like it
Click to expand...

I will indeed. They make excellent equipment. Love their delays!
 
Re: Chandler Tube Driver - Substitute?

The thing is you can grab some of those great tube units like the Maxon real overdrive for a little over $100. You know what, they're worth every penny.
 
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