BJFE Blueberry, TF Cream Pie...

[OhThePeacock]

I'm looking for a high end boutique (I use that loosely) OD with a nice warm tube-ish sound that retains low end really well. The two I had in mind were the BJF Electronics Blueberry and the Tonefactor Cream Pie but these are proving tough to track down. I'm not looking at purchasing right away in case one of the two stated above does turn up but I just want a couple suggestions of similar sounding ODs. Thanks everyone!

[dannybuoy]

I too was after a blueberry, but am going to try out the DHA VT-1 bass overdrive. MUCH cheaper and uses a real tube inside. I cannot find a blueberry anywhere!

Hematoma and Fulltone Bassdrive are similar sounding pedals and are readily available, but cost twice as much as the DHA.

Check this thread:

BJFE Blue Berry v. Fulltone Bass-Drive MOSFET v. H.B.E. Hematoma

[OhThePeacock]

That's one of the threads I was basing my decision off of. The fulltone doesn't seem like it sounds as warm to me and the hematoma seems to have a little more drive at minimum gain settings than I like but it does look like a promising one.

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by dannybuoy

I too was after a blueberry, but am going to try out the DHA VT-1 bass overdrive. MUCH cheaper and uses a real tube inside. I cannot find a blueberry anywhere!

Hematoma and Fulltone Bassdrive are similar sounding pedals and are readily available, but cost twice as much as the DHA.

I presently use a Blueberry and have in the past owned a Bassdrive and many, many 12AX7-based tube devices.

IMO the Bassdrive sounded a lot like the better-quality tube pedals, but...

Having "a real tube inside" does not give any assurance of good sound, whether you are looking for warmth, dirt, grind, fatness, whatever- a tube is a piece of a circuit, and if the circuit is designed badly it will sound like crap. IMO a large percentage of pedals and preamps with "a real tube inside" sound buzzy, undefined, weak, nasal, hissy, mushy, or otherwise shite.

I haven't tried a DHA yet (although I did just order one of his compressors!!! ) but they do get good reviews. I mostly just posted this rant because there are so many other "tube" pedals out there that completely fail to provide the warmth and subtle breakup that people want. Just sayin' use your ears in every case, don't automatically believe a single preamp tube will do you any good.

If you really want a Blueberry they are available by mail order from a couple of European web stores, and they do show up used here on TB about once or twice a year. I saw two of them in the classifieds in the last couple of months.

[OhThePeacock]

Anyone know how well the Barber LTDs handle low end?

The 1 preamp tube pedals seem like kind of a gimmick to me, there can be some good ones out there though.

[JoshC]

I was really upset I missed out on that one that went for $250 there a few weeks ago. But whatever. I am sure there will be more.

[OhThePeacock]

Originally Posted by JoshC

I was really ticked off I missed out on that one that went for $250 there a few weeks ago. But whatever. I am sure there will be more.

Are you talking about the Blueberry?

[JoshC]

Originally Posted by OhThePeacock

Are you talking about the Blueberry?

Yeah sorry, I should have been more clear, I thought the price might give it away lol. I see Cream Pies come up on TGP every now and then in the $100 range.

[OhThePeacock]

Originally Posted by JoshC

Yeah sorry, I should have been more clear, I thought the price might give it away lol. I see Cream Pies come up on TGP every now and then in the $100 range.

Yeah, that's why I guessed the Blueberry. I think I may have sourced out a Cream Pie but if not I'll have to sign up for TGP and try and get one. I also just scoped out another OD which will remain unnamed for now because there are quite a few people around here that want one.

[KeithBMI]

Originally Posted by OhThePeacock

Anyone know how well the Barber LTDs handle low end?

Gooooood. I have a Special Recipe and it's still my main pedal.

[Max Roberts]

I have the Blueberry and Cream Pie. The Cream Pie is more of a dirty boost than an overdrive, if you had a loud set up and pushed the gain knob I guess it would turn into od? I'm only using a small 12" 100 watt combo.

The Cream Pie's tone is more in the mid range, possibly similar to tube screamer style pedals? (I don't have any experience with TS clones) Help me out TaySte! It's boost is very nice and the overdrive you get when cranking it is very nice.

The Blueberry's tone is more in the low end, some of the highs are rolled off which I quite like. It gives you a more warm and furry sound. The gain is a little more on this beast. It's just the right amount of gain for me, I've tried a Hotcake in the past and decided it had too much, this one was perfect!

I notice you got a Cream Pie coming to you in the "What's in the post" thread. I would say you could justify having both. The Cream Pie for slightly overdriven boost and the Blueberry for nice, warm, slightly higher gain overdrive.

[irvinz]

hmm a pitch for the kiwis on a nice OD. the hotcake by crowther audio. not sure what it compares to the ones mentioned tho

[TaySte_2000]

The most tube like od I've ever used is the Cream Pie, I've had DHA and it's nice but a bit too dark but it doesn't sound very good when turned up for higher gain kinda fizzy as most tube pedals get but it is nice for a slight hint of tube.

The barber is a great pedal especially if you can get an SR and it sounds great both low gain and cranked and always stays in what is considered overdrive territory

I've had a Hotcake and it's a very nice pedal but I put it in the light/Medium distortion range it can do a kinda overdrive but it doesn't sound tube like to me the tone of thoe whole pedal is quite closed if that makes sense where as I consider the Cream Pie to be very open.

The Cream Pie is more suited to being a boost since that's what it was made for it can handle clean boost, dirty boost and light overdrive but I mean really light you'll know it's on but its never gonna tear peoples faces off so to speak. But this pedal is nothing like a Tubescreamer it uses GE's for it's dirt as many fuzz's do so to me that gives it a warmer sound I don't know it's mid heavy I know I could run mine on all the time so it can't be that focused on a single freq range.

You could quite happily have a cream pie and something else more in the traditional od territory but what I would recommend doing using easy to find pedals is something that was my main sound a few years ago.

I use to run a Barber LTD on all the time for light tube grit gain at 9 o clock etc then I had a boost in front of it I used a Dod FX10 but I'd recommend the Catalinbread Serrano in this case (Because it's the best clean boost) so by running it like this you get your gritty tube sound then you click the boost on which will overdrive the pedal but not make your sound much louder but give you more gain that would be more akin to what people consider overdrive.

To me this is the best of both worlds.

Also you might like the Mojo Hand Copperhead that baby has a lot of sounds in it. Soundclips in the Wiki.

Hope this helps

[irvinz]

so is that another point to you? lol

[TaySte_2000]

Originally Posted by irvinz

so is that another point to you? lol

We're not playing any more wasn't fun for me

[OhThePeacock]

I'm waiting on an e-mail, I'll let you know by the end of the day on both the pedals I have my eyes on.

[OhThePeacock]

K, I for sure got the Cream Pie. It's an old Tone Factor (not Mojo Hand) one that Brad is selling me for 90$, the other will remain nameless until a bit later tonight.

[OhThePeacock]

I got outbid in the last 15 seconds on a Dredgetone Angler... Man I'm sad now.

[TaySte_2000]

Originally Posted by OhThePeacock

K, I for sure got the Cream Pie. It's an old Tone Factor (not Mojo Hand) one that Brad is selling me for 90$, the other will remain nameless until a bit later tonight.

They only ever made 10 under Mojo Hand

[eyvindwa]

Originally Posted by bongomania

If you really want a Blueberry they are available by mail order from a couple of European web stores

Hey, I live in Europe =) What stores would that be? Thanks.