General Tthoughts On Tube Driven Distortion Pedals...

[wickenspoet]

So lately I've been reading about distortion pedals that use real tubes like the Damageplan Solid Metal and the Seymour Duncan Twin Tube Classic and the new Duncan Mayhem pedals.

Right now, I'm using a solid state Roland JC-120 amp (which gives a great clean tone) along with some analog distortion pedals like the G2D Morpheus and T-Rex Mudhoney in front of the amp for my dirty sounds. I'm pretty happy with my sound.

I guess I'm just always looking at new pedals to get the tone I'm happiest with.

I'm just wondering if tube pedals are generally regarded as the best option if you play with a solid state amp, or if it doesn't make a difference unless you have a tube amp. (I just read something on the internet that suggests tube pedals don't mean anything if you're using a solid state amp.)

Just curious what other people's general thoughts are on Tube Driven Distortion pedals and if they are regarded as better sounding than non-tube pedals. Any other thoughts?

 

[Rainmaker]

Re: General Tthoughts On Tube Driven Distortion Pedals...

Dude, check out this Mudhoney!

$599

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: General Tthoughts On Tube Driven Distortion Pedals...

I'd say that thry're only really good if they use the normal operating voltage the tube is supposed to have. If the pedal is using a light under the tube to make you think it's doing something, it's not giving you what it could.

 

[millsart]

Re: General Tthoughts On Tube Driven Distortion Pedals...

I personally never really understood the point in pedals that cost more than amp heads myself LOL

Seriously though, I honestly don't see much advantage to distortion pedals that have tubes. They usually are more of a gimmick and don't even run at the right voltage to really do much good. Allows them to charge more though....

My idea of good tone involves power tube saturation, not an ax7 tube in a $400 pedal.

You can take any tube distortion you want and run it into a solid state amp and it might sound good but its not going to sound great. You take most any pedal, run it into good amp pushed to saturation and its going to sound amazing.

Overall point I'm trying to make is this, instead of spending a ton of cash on some fancy ubertube preamp/distortion pedal, spend that cash on a good tube amp.

Heck, you can take a $40 boss DS-1 distortion pedal, as cheap as it gets, put that into a cranked amp and its going to blow the doors off any fancy pedal.

I'll wager good money my MI Audio, not a tube in sight in the thing and a mere $119 will sound a full, rich, thick, mean, ______ as anything that has a tube in it.

Tubes belong in amps, glowing hot, not under little plexiglass windows so the world can see the little ax7 that cost you $400

 

[Bezmotivnik]

Re: General Tthoughts On Tube Driven Distortion Pedals...

I'd say that thry're only really good if they use the normal operating voltage the tube is supposed to have. If the pedal is using a light under the tube to make you think it's doing something, it's not giving you what it could.

I think it's pretty well agreed among experts that such starved-plate "tube" devices are little more than gimmicks.

 

[jerryjg]

Re: General Tthoughts On Tube Driven Distortion Pedals...

I think it's pretty well agreed among experts that such starved-plate "tube" devices are little more than gimmicks.

and then again, there are less expensive Tube OD's that sound pretty good just incidental to having a 12AX7 in starved plate mode in them- like the Chadler tube driver. Just sounds pretty good.

 

[jerryjg]

Re: General Tthoughts On Tube Driven Distortion Pedals...

Dude, check out this Mudhoney!

$599

thats got to be a sweet pedal! You could probably get a good used tube amp with a preamp out, or a good rackmount Tube Pre-amp like a Mesa for about the same price, which would pretty much do the same pre-od thing i think.

 

[B2D]

Re: General Tthoughts On Tube Driven Distortion Pedals...

Very rarely do i find a tube-driven pedal that actually delivers the goods in a big way. Of course there are a LOT of tube driven pedals that use the tubes as little more than pilot lights... then you find things like MESA V-Twins and Duncan's Tube Twin and the Tonebone gear which are really friggen good. That being said, I generally prefer boutique solid-state devices.

I currently have a Fulltone OCD, a stock DS-1, and a MD-2 Mega Distortion in the stable. I may get the DS-1 modded by Keeley if I deem the stock version not enough but for now it's sounding really nice. I never used to be into those but for some reason I'm digging their sound these days.

But I digress...

 

[barbarianbrute]

Re: General Tthoughts On Tube Driven Distortion Pedals...

well i'm certainly no expert, but i've used several tube pedals with my solid state and hybrid amps. among the tube pedals i've used enough to know are:

vox bulldog distortion
vox tonelab le
sd twin tube classic
rocktron silver dragon
tonebone classic

the problem i've found with tube pedals is that they seem to get muddy IMO. out of the one's i used, probably the tonebone classic is the best followed by the bulldog distortion as a close second.

tube pedals + tube amps = =crap (IMO)

tube pedals + hybrid amps = warmer, thicker sound

tube pedals + solid state = hybrid wannabe loser (i don't like ss amps at all)

the exception to the ones i've used with tube amps might be the tonebone or bulldog. they weren't bad and i'm still considering getting one of them again because i like their sounds.

like i said, i'm no expert, but i think i know more or less what sounds pretty good to my ears. a couple of pedals that i've heard great things about are the maxon tube pedals, check them out before you buy anything from what i've been told. tonebone though has a cool company, great website, and pretty dam good sounding product. good luck to you

 

[wickenspoet]

Re: General Tthoughts On Tube Driven Distortion Pedals...

Well, after reading the posts so far, I'm leaning towards the fact that tube pedals aren't better than non-tube pedals so much as they are somewhat of a gimmick.

I still plan to try some of them out, though, because I'm addicted to pedals.

The two I'm mainly curious about are the Duncan Twin Tube Classic and the Duncan SFX-04 Mayhem that just unexpectedly arrived.

We'll see, I guess.

 

[barbarianbrute]

Re: General Tthoughts On Tube Driven Distortion Pedals...

Well, after reading the posts so far, I'm leaning towards the fact that tube pedals aren't better than non-tube pedals so much as they are somewhat of a gimmick.

I still plan to try some of them out, though, because I'm addicted to pedals.

The two I'm mainly curious about are the Duncan Twin Tube Classic and the Duncan SFX-04 Mayhem that just unexpectedly arrived.

We'll see, I guess.

well don't base your conclusion of tube pedals on those, IMO. i must admit that i was a little disappointed with the twin tube classic. it was muddy sounding and it did something to the tone that didn't sound good. that's just me, maybe i'm in the minority, but i thought the bulldog and tonebone were much better pedals - and cheaper too :scratchch

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: General Tthoughts On Tube Driven Distortion Pedals...

The trick is--finding the RIGHT pedal for that amp. If you can, always TRY IT BEFORE YOU BUY IT (or at least get a good return policy). Some amps can be very finicky about pedals.

I have an older Real Tube 901; I'm using a GT 12AU7 in it, and I like it.

Bill

 

[James Rock]

Re: General Tthoughts On Tube Driven Distortion Pedals...

The two I'm mainly curious about are the Duncan Twin Tube Classic and the Duncan SFX-04 Mayhem that just unexpectedly arrived.

Those work more like preamps with full voltage going to tubes so it should be ok. The problem with alot of solid state low gain overdrive pedals is that they work best with on the edge clean or dirty amps (which doesnt happen with amps like jazz chorus's). Although distortion and fuzz pedals may work differently.

 

[jeremy]

Re: General Tthoughts On Tube Driven Distortion Pedals...

there are some tube pedals that are fantastic and some that fall short. higher voltage is a good sign.

just like ss pedals some work better with some amps than others

 

[bloodswords]

Re: General Tthoughts On Tube Driven Distortion Pedals...

i had a similar query here: https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=116206

 

[fenderiarhs]

Re: General Tthoughts On Tube Driven Distortion Pedals...

speaking of tube driven distortion pedals what would you say about the old version of the ibanez tube king?

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: General Tthoughts On Tube Driven Distortion Pedals...

Basicaly, if it has a wall wart power supply, ditch it, and find the ones with a three prong plug going into it...something like a BK Butler Tube Driver...not the Chandler version...this means it is a fully saturated preamp, and not just a tube barely used for clipping.