Question about tube overdrives

[vinterland]

I'm not a pedal guy and I don't claim to be so bear with me. I love the warm jazzy tone some of these guys get with a tube overdrive kicked in. Eric Johnson and Shawn Lane come to mind. So where do I begin? who makes some good ones?

 

[bungalowbill]

Re: Question about tube overdrives

How about trying a Twin Tube?

 

[tubeman87]

Re: Question about tube overdrives

If you want a Eric Johnson overdrive, try the Chandler Tube Driver (not made anymore and cost an arm and a leg). Of course theres a big deal about the Klon which every sound clip I hear is very nice, but again an arm and a leg. I'm really leaning toward the Banzai Cold Fusion (theres a thread about it in this section from about a week ago) it sounds like a less expensive Klon (so I hear,there are a few forum bros that have them). If you're looking at something under $200 try the Fulltone Fat Boost you can fin these used for about 150 and then of course there's you everyday tubescreamer.

It really all depends on how much you want to spend, how much are you looking at?

 

[CapoFirstFret]

Re: Question about tube overdrives

If you want a Eric Johnson overdrive, try the Chandler Tube Driver (not made anymore and cost an arm and a leg). Of course theres a big deal about the Klon which every sound clip I hear is very nice, but again an arm and a leg. I'm really leaning toward the Banzai Cold Fusion (theres a thread about it in this section from about a week ago) it sounds like a less expensive Klon (so I hear,there are a few forum bros that have them). If you're looking at something under $200 try the Fulltone Fat Boost you can fin these used for about 150 and then of course there's you everyday tubescreamer.

It really all depends on how much you want to spend, how much are you looking at?

I wasn't aware that Klon made a tube overdrive? You should give the Radial Tonebone a shot, they make a couple of tube driven models. Also Theres the Hughes and Kettner tube overdrive that's very nice. Ibanez also made a tube overdrive called the Tube King Overdrive, which is also worth looking into.

 

[tubeman87]

Re: Question about tube overdrives

I wasn't aware that Klon made a tube overdrive? You should give the Radial Tonebone a shot, they make a couple of tube driven models. Also Theres the Hughes and Kettner tube overdrive that's very nice. Ibanez also made a tube overdrive called the Tube King Overdrive, which is also worth looking into.

I just really got confused on the title, I was thinking of an overdrive to fire up a nice tube amp, it which the Klon, Fat Boost, Cold Fusion are great choices. But the Chandler Tube Driver is an actual "tube" overdriver. Sorry or the Confusion guys!!!!

 

[fingerace]

Re: Question about tube overdrives

I read in a thread a few moths ago that most pedals with tubes just use them as "a pretty light". The twin tube I believe is one of the few pedals which actually utilises the tube to its max.

Others could chime in and let us know at least what to avoid...

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: Question about tube overdrives

English Muff'n? That seems like a pretty good tube drive, can probably get subtler tones than what it's usually used for. Electro Harmonix makes some pretty good pedals!!

 

[Stratman]

Re: Question about tube overdrives

I wasn't aware that Klon made a tube overdrive? You should give the Radial Tonebone a shot, they make a couple of tube driven models. Also Theres the Hughes and Kettner tube overdrive that's very nice. Ibanez also made a tube overdrive called the Tube King Overdrive, which is also worth looking into.

Radial's Tonebone Trimode is very nice as is Carl Martin's Plexitone. Both do similar things that are yet have different functions. Dependent on your style of music!

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: Question about tube overdrives

I used to own a tubeworks overdrive that was cool, but to be honest it wasn't anywhere near as good as my solid state G2D pedals. I've tried the ibanez tube king and it was pretty good. The radial classic was a huge disappointment when I tried it, though I'm told the Hot British is pretty cool for a gained up marshall sound. I've also never been a fan of the Mesa V Twin, though that would be an excellent pedal if you like pre-recto boogie lead tones.

I'll be trying the MI Audio tube zone later today, so I'll post back on what I think.

 

[vinterland]

Re: Question about tube overdrives

Cool stuff so far.

 

[baritone]

Re: Question about tube overdrives

For a while, I started using my Vox ToneLab as an elaborate, programmable tube overdrive pedal. Preamp tube distortion is not too far off from solid state distortion, but I don't think the 12ax7 toob in that ToneLab is even functioning. The sound is cool, but the tube doesn't even seem to light up; there is an amber-colored LED light in there which lights up.

 

[nebucanazza]

Re: Question about tube overdrives

AFAIK, most tube overdrive pedals have multiple gain stages. The ones with 'starved plate' tubes running at 12-30V use them as a low gain stage with your typical IC circuits providing the high gain.They always have a LED behind the tube to give the fake impression of a glow. In a pedal running tubes at high voltage the tube provides most of the gain , possibly avoiding SS gain stages altogether. But these boxes run into absurd prices($300+), are bulky and require wall-warts. For a few hundred more , you get a real tube amp which will blow away any pedal, tube or otherwise. If you are going for a pedal, don't limit yourself to tube pedals, they aren't necessarily better.

 

[Teletubby]

Re: Question about tube overdrives

In my opinion, the visualsound Jekyll and Hyde might be worth looking into. Its not tube, but its great!

Its a dual overdrive with two separate halves that can be used individually or at the same time.

One side is a copy of TS and has an original TS808 opamp chip. The other side is a heavier overdrive with more crunch. The unit also has a "sharp/blunt" switch for compression, and a "bass boost" switch that I find very useful as well.

www.visualsound.net

I think you should check one out at least. When you use both sides of the pedal together...lets just say you will never need any more gain haha.

The TS808 side is very bluesy and can give really nice classic rock tones. The other side is a lot heavier so is more suited for solo work of high gain music. It all depends on the type of amp you are using and whether or not you are using a high gain channel. On my marshall, I can use the clean channel with the pedal and it gives a better blues tone. If I use one of my marshalls "distorted" channels I can get almost any rock tone.

 

[tubeman87]

Re: Question about tube overdrives

Now as far as the Chandler Tube Driver, I've noticed through all the research that I've done, most of the favorible reveiws come after the stock 12AX7 is replaced by a 12au7. It suppose to offer a smoother lead tone. Might work for those other tube overdrives that sound weak and brittle as well.

 

[krall]

Re: Question about tube overdrives

I used to have a Vox "Cooltron" Bulldog that wasn't too bad, although I found it a bit bright sounding. It uses a 12AU7 preamp-type tube at low voltage. Here's the link: http://www.voxamps.co.uk/pedals/

 

[Bezmotivnik]

Re: Question about tube overdrives

The ones with 'starved plate' tubes running at 12-30V use them as a low gain stage with your typical IC circuits providing the high gain.They always have a LED behind the tube to give the fake impression of a glow.

Yes, no love here for any gimmick so-called "tube" preamps or effects that don't operate at proper plate voltages and actually process the whole signal. :barf:

 

[SoCalSteve]

Re: Question about tube overdrives

Now as far as the Chandler Tube Driver, I've noticed through all the research that I've done, most of the favorible reveiws come after the stock 12AX7 is replaced by a 12au7. It suppose to offer a smoother lead tone. Might work for those other tube overdrives that sound weak and brittle as well.

Andy Timmons uses one as well:

MPc: You have a great tone on Resolution. Tell us about your guitar sounds on this record.

AT: Almost everything in the studio was vintage Marshall. But now with the Mesa/Boogie amps I’m playing, I’m able to recreate everything I did in the studio spot-on with the Stiletto and the Lone Star. The record was mainly a ‘68 Plexi on one side and a ‘79 JMP on the other. I was mainly using them as clean amps with a Tube Driver in front of them.

 

[Curly]

Re: Question about tube overdrives

If you want a Eric Johnson overdrive, try the Chandler Tube Driver (not made anymore and cost an arm and a leg).

B.K. Butler is making them again himself on a limited custom basis

and here's an informative interview:
Butler interview

 

[drpietrzak]

Re: Question about tube overdrives

+1 for the Twin Tube Classic

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: Question about tube overdrives

The Vox cooltron stuff is cool. The Big Ben is a good blues overdrive with strats. The bulldog two stage od/dist is a bit toothier, but has a cool, Van Halen-esque bite to the high gain sounds. I bought the Big ben, but sold it after a month as the G2D classic was better.

Baritone: The Vox tonelab stuff uses the 12ax7 at very low voltages for replicating the power section characteristics of class A and class AB amps, and has nothing to do with preamp gain for the amp or pedal models.

I tried the MI audio Tube Zone into a Splawn Quick Rod yesterday. It was cool, and had great low gain tones, as well as huge gain on tap if you wanted. For me, the high gain sounds were very compressed, and kind of reminded me of a big muff but tighter, without the 'fuzz' bottom end. I tend to get sick of the sound of big muffs after playing them for a while, and the tube zone's high gain sounds to me like a big muff I wouldn't get tired of hearing. It'd be a great choice for anyone doing stoner rock.

The tube zone is a very fat sounding pedal, though. MI audio makes a solid state equivalent called the Blues Boy deluxe, and I preferred that over the tube zone as it was tighter and less invasive of the amp's tone. Both would be cool, though.