Catalinbread SFT or EBS Valve Drive?

fourstringdrums · #1 02-01-2012, 11:22 PM

I am currently running a P-Bass into an Ampeg B50R, and I'm looking to warm up my tone and get as close to a natural slight gain tube sound as possible. I'm thinking James Jamerson, Bruce Thomas... I have the Catalinbread SFT, but I was wondering if the EBS Valve Drive would be much different or if it's not worth the extra money for me to spend. I feel like with the Catalinbread, if I'm not careful it gets fuzzy really quickly and that's not what I'm after. I have no way of trying one in person so that's out.

Thoughts?

chicago_mike · #2 02-02-2012, 03:41 AM

Valve Drive is a fender preamp woth LOTS of diodes for the grind. LOTS of diodes. So basically any crunchy tube'ish pedal will get close, you might be able to find a guitar shop with something like the Budda Fatman or zendrive, those are pretty close.

mucho · #3 02-02-2012, 06:43 AM

I have no experience with the Catalinbread, but the valvedrive will do an excellent Jamerson style slight-OD. It has a much broader range, so you'll have to dime the gain a bit and turn up the volume, but it sounds wonderful.

Laurent · #4 02-02-2012, 07:09 AM

A Barber Linden combined with just a hair of dirt might get you there.

For the dirt part I would look at a Devi Ever Bass Boost or a Holy Fire (great at doing that slight overdrive thing). Warning the pedal is expensive.

TripleDouble · #5 02-02-2012, 07:15 AM

Valve drive or (drum roll...) a VT Bass. I didn't care for the SFT as low gain bass pedal. Does some great higher-gain stuff on a geetar though.

dannybuoy · #6 02-02-2012, 02:03 PM

Before you give up on the SFT, try it with an 18v power supply! It gives it more headroom so it doesn't fart out so much when you play heavy. FWIW I've owned the Valvedrive and Holy Fire and find the SFT much better for vintage low gain Jamerson tones.

fourstringdrums · #7 02-02-2012, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannybuoy

Before you give up on the SFT, try it with an 18v power supply! It gives it more headroom so it doesn't fart out so much when you play heavy. FWIW I've owned the Valvedrive and Holy Fire and find the SFT much better for vintage low gain Jamerson tones.

I have an adaptor but I don't remember if it's 9 or 18v. I'll have to look and try it again.

Any advice on the settings?

dannybuoy · #8 02-02-2012, 02:28 PM

I typically keep the gain at 9 o'clock, bass very slightly boosted and treble very slightly rolled off.

fourstringdrums · #9 02-02-2012, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannybuoy

I typically keep the gain at 9 o'clock, bass very slightly boosted and treble very slightly rolled off.

When you say boosted or rolled off, is that with 12:00 as a "flat" point? I never got instructions with mine so I had to guess at where things were set.

dannybuoy · #10 02-03-2012, 02:23 AM

Yeah, bass just above noon and treble just below noon.

fourstringdrums · #11 02-03-2012, 02:58 AM

Thanks. I have a new P-Bass coming in today so I'll christen it with the SFT and see how it works out for me. No 18v at the moment though.

delta7fred · #12 02-03-2012, 03:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannybuoy

Before you give up on the SFT, try it with an 18v power supply! It gives it more headroom so it doesn't fart out so much when you play heavy. ....

+1

SFT pedals should come with a warning not to use them on 9v.

omie · #13 02-03-2012, 09:54 AM

I actually think the full gain "wooliness" sounds better on 9v... Sadly I could not cop the sound of the 'SFT Doom demo' as commonly reported but I love a little 18v sft OD as my almost always on over my super tight clean amp tone.

You can get the dunlop 18v adapter from musicpartsplus for less than 10bucks shipped.

Also I had a lot of fun playing with some classic rock/soul cover dudes thru the sft.. creedence, cream, zep and jamerson at the twist of a few knobs. Boom.

mjac28 · #14 02-05-2012, 10:21 PM

I have the Flipster Ampeg clone,The Creation Audio Holy Fire and the Valve Drive I haven't tried the SFT but the Flipster combined with the Holy Fire will give you the sound you are looking for it sounds amazing also you can try a Blue Tube

fourstringdrums · #15 02-05-2012, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjac28

I have the Flipster Ampeg clone,The Creation Audio Holy Fire and the Valve Drive I haven't tried the SFT but the Flipster combined with the Holy Fire will give you the sound you are looking for it sounds amazing also you can try a Blue Tube

That Holy Fire sounds damn nice.. I may have to look for one.

fivestringgecko · #16 02-05-2012, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dannybuoy

...and find the SFT much better for vintage low gain Jamerson tones.

+1. The Catalinbread Motown Demo is what sold me on the SFT and it didn't disappoint.

I also have a Flipster and Blue Tube that Mjac mentioned. Of the three, the SFT and Blue Tube are best for low-gain "just barely there overdrive" Motown stuff. That's why I bought them... that's exactly the type of overdrive I like.

I replaced the 12AX7 in my Blue Tube with a 12AU7 and it made the drive smoother than stock, too. The Flipster is a clone of the preamp circuit in an Ampeg SB-12 and while it's a great sounding overdrive, it's not quite as smooth as the other two. All three do have a good amount of gain available though... more than I'll ever use.

5sg.

Runlikegregg · #17 04-20-2012, 12:41 PM

this is a bit late, but with the SFT definitely run it 18v, it makes a huge difference.
also, if you take off some of the BASS it won't overdrive so much. try it with the bass knob around 9 o'clock and make up for the tone on your amp.
it seems like the bass is located before the gain, maybe not, but more bass = more gain.

Matt Dean · #18 04-20-2012, 04:42 PM

I never really dug the SFT, but for that "natural slight gain tube sound" I have been very much digging the Rusty Box.

calebbarton · #19 04-20-2012, 10:38 PM

I love my SFT. Also try the SubDecay Supernova drive. Has bass, mid and treble control. Sounds great to my ears.