BaritoneVitoND
New member
Has anyone tried a preamp pedal with a tube in it before? Is there a major difference in tone compared to just a regular distortion pedal? I'm mostly curious about heavier gain tones.
Preamp pedals with tubes in them
- Thread starter BaritoneVitoND
- Start date
Edgecrusher
Well-known member
Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them
Particularly for heavy tones pedals with tubes usually leave something to be desired. When you run tubes at low voltages they tend to be a bit fuzzy and compressed. If that's your jam then your gold but for tight precise heavy tones they can be lacking. I'm sure out there is tube pedal that blows my socks off but I haven't run into it yet. My favorite of those I tried was the Mesa Vtwin. It lived in my guitar case, it sounded good enough that if I had amp problems I could run it direct to the PA and be ok.
Particularly for heavy tones pedals with tubes usually leave something to be desired. When you run tubes at low voltages they tend to be a bit fuzzy and compressed. If that's your jam then your gold but for tight precise heavy tones they can be lacking. I'm sure out there is tube pedal that blows my socks off but I haven't run into it yet. My favorite of those I tried was the Mesa Vtwin. It lived in my guitar case, it sounded good enough that if I had amp problems I could run it direct to the PA and be ok.
JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
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.
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.
Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them
I’ve had Twin Tube Classic, Tonebone Hot British and a Damage Control Demonizer. All sounded fantastic but don’t have any of them any longer. The 2 latter were great for heavy tones, however if you’re running into a good tube power amp, a great sounding transistor pedal sounds great too. Friedman BE-OD is arguably one of the best high gain pedals ever. No tubes
I’ve had Twin Tube Classic, Tonebone Hot British and a Damage Control Demonizer. All sounded fantastic but don’t have any of them any longer. The 2 latter were great for heavy tones, however if you’re running into a good tube power amp, a great sounding transistor pedal sounds great too. Friedman BE-OD is arguably one of the best high gain pedals ever. No tubes
devastone
Well-known member
Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them
A lot of these guys are talking about distortion pedals with preamp tubes, not full blown preamps. Of course you are comparing them to distortion pedals too, again, not the same thing. You want to run a preamp pedal into the fx return of an amp or a power amp, not into the front end. They can work into the front end of a clean amp, but definitely not ideal.
The ones from AMT are amazing as are the Victory ones, although the Victory ones might not have as much gain as you want. The Blackstar ones are very good too, I know there are more out there but don't have experience with them. There are some great sounding FET based preamp pedals too, the AMT SS-30 sounds as good as the tube ones, just a slightly different tone. Their Legend series are great too, just a little limited, especially on the clean channel.
A lot of these guys are talking about distortion pedals with preamp tubes, not full blown preamps. Of course you are comparing them to distortion pedals too, again, not the same thing. You want to run a preamp pedal into the fx return of an amp or a power amp, not into the front end. They can work into the front end of a clean amp, but definitely not ideal.
The ones from AMT are amazing as are the Victory ones, although the Victory ones might not have as much gain as you want. The Blackstar ones are very good too, I know there are more out there but don't have experience with them. There are some great sounding FET based preamp pedals too, the AMT SS-30 sounds as good as the tube ones, just a slightly different tone. Their Legend series are great too, just a little limited, especially on the clean channel.
Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them
AMT has some great ones..
AMT has some great ones..
Jacew
New member
Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them
Basically you want pedal that plugs to wall. Many tube powered pedals these days run proper voltage, and by that are practically just extra tube preamp for amp.
I understand there might be SS pedals that sound as good, but I haven't yet tried one. Tubes pushing other tubes is just surest and easiest way to get good grind.
Funny thing is that best non-tube distortion tones I've found has been Mooer US Gold (cheap miniature Friedman modeler). It just sounds way better that any od or distortion pedal, or even full modeling amp, I've played.
Basically you want pedal that plugs to wall. Many tube powered pedals these days run proper voltage, and by that are practically just extra tube preamp for amp.
I understand there might be SS pedals that sound as good, but I haven't yet tried one. Tubes pushing other tubes is just surest and easiest way to get good grind.
Funny thing is that best non-tube distortion tones I've found has been Mooer US Gold (cheap miniature Friedman modeler). It just sounds way better that any od or distortion pedal, or even full modeling amp, I've played.
Phantasmagoria
watch where you point that sabre
Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them
There's a couple of US Gold sim's in my GE300..they do sound awesome. Don't know if they're exactly like the pedal though (have'nt tried that).
There's a couple of US Gold sim's in my GE300..they do sound awesome. Don't know if they're exactly like the pedal though (have'nt tried that).
stevie_bees
Cat In The Hatministrator
Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them
I've had the Twin Tube Classic, Twin Tube Blue and Blackstar HT-Dual. The Classic and Blue have both gone, victims of an ever evolving pedalboard! I got some really sweet tones out of them. The HT-Dual has just come off my board, but it's going to be utilised as a travel amp with a Power Stage 170. When I bought it, I compared it alongside several other drive pedals, and it was simply the best sounding pedal.
I've had the Twin Tube Classic, Twin Tube Blue and Blackstar HT-Dual. The Classic and Blue have both gone, victims of an ever evolving pedalboard! I got some really sweet tones out of them. The HT-Dual has just come off my board, but it's going to be utilised as a travel amp with a Power Stage 170. When I bought it, I compared it alongside several other drive pedals, and it was simply the best sounding pedal.
SweetClyde99
Active member
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.
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.
NegativeEase
New member
Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them
I've got a Greer SOMA -which is a pretty exact 1963 Brownface Fender Princeton preamp pedal -transformer and all but minus the tubes -but with voicing of circuit and voicing of the original Utah 10" speaker.
It works incredible upstream into a guitar preamp, or into the fx loop direct into the power section or DI into a DAW or PA. All 3 -which is rare.
from website:
This pedal simulates the entire preamp, phase inverter, power section, and even the feel of the vintage 10 inch Utah speakers that were in those famous brown amps. The tone stack is designed to provide a wide and dynamic range of tonal options to the user. The Presence control works with the tone stack, and is designed to be a wide range control, effecting the overall sound of the entire circuit. The SOMA ’63 features a steel core transformer in the audio signal path. The transformer lends to the overall tone shaping of the circuit, and when the gain is pushed hard, especially with higher output pickups, the small steel core transformer will saturate, just like a vintage amplifier. The SOMA ’63 can be used as a tone-shaping preamp, or as an overdrive pedal. There are a wide variety of tones available in the SOMA ’63, so spend some time with your new pedal, and find the tones that rock your world!
I've got a Greer SOMA -which is a pretty exact 1963 Brownface Fender Princeton preamp pedal -transformer and all but minus the tubes -but with voicing of circuit and voicing of the original Utah 10" speaker.
It works incredible upstream into a guitar preamp, or into the fx loop direct into the power section or DI into a DAW or PA. All 3 -which is rare.
from website:
This pedal simulates the entire preamp, phase inverter, power section, and even the feel of the vintage 10 inch Utah speakers that were in those famous brown amps. The tone stack is designed to provide a wide and dynamic range of tonal options to the user. The Presence control works with the tone stack, and is designed to be a wide range control, effecting the overall sound of the entire circuit. The SOMA ’63 features a steel core transformer in the audio signal path. The transformer lends to the overall tone shaping of the circuit, and when the gain is pushed hard, especially with higher output pickups, the small steel core transformer will saturate, just like a vintage amplifier. The SOMA ’63 can be used as a tone-shaping preamp, or as an overdrive pedal. There are a wide variety of tones available in the SOMA ’63, so spend some time with your new pedal, and find the tones that rock your world!
Last edited:
BaritoneVitoND
New member
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.
I did run into a few comments online that said tubes in pedals are just gimmicks. That was one of my concerns.
BaritoneVitoND
New member
Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them
Yeah, I was looking into that Kraken. It sounded pretty damn good.
Yeah, I was looking into that Kraken. It sounded pretty damn good.
Jacew
New member
Re: Preamp pedals with tubes in them
Usually you can find info whether pedals run tubes at high voltages. They often do these days, and by that are not just gimmicks.
Usually you can find info whether pedals run tubes at high voltages. They often do these days, and by that are not just gimmicks.
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.
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
Active member
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.
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
Active member
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.
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.
