Hey guys, just finished checking out my new Tube King. It's the newer big red pedal, not the beige Tube King.
There is some language on the Ibanez website that makes it sound like a full tube preamp in pedal form supplying the tube with 300 volts so it is not starved. However, for us bass players, this is strictly a tube distortion. I turned down the drive all the way and there was still some noticeable drive, so no clean tube tones here folks.
However, for distortion, this thing is excellent. Very warm distortion, with good control with the 3 band EQ, drive, level, and noise gate, along with a voicing hi/lo presence switch.
While i've gone through a dozen or so very nice overdrive pedals, the only bass distortion pedal that i'm familiar with and gig with is the MXR M80, so that is my only comparison. The distortion clipping on the TK999HT reminds me of the M-80, however there is a clear tube warmth to the sound, and the pedal does not require or use the mid scoop color to sound full and satisfying, like the MXR forces you to use when you engage the M80's Drive channel. The TK999HT didn't seem to lose any low end, but I was using my practice amp which is a Ampeg BA112, and not my G-B Neox212T. But i love the distortion, i love the M80's distortion, but if you do a side-by-side comparison, it is clear that the TK999HT has a warmer timbre. I am using the stock EHX 12AX7. I see the labeling of the tube through the window.
The overall EQ gives you +/- 5db and it seemed pretty musical. I was ok with it at flat, and also experimented with some low boost and high boost with good results. the noise gate (void knob) is very functional as well. Just dont turn it up, and expect a nice sustained note fade-out, because the gate will cut it off where you set it to be. You can also just turn the gate off, it clicks off when you turn the knob all the way down.
This thing is really built nicer than any pedal i've held. Including Sansamps, Fulltones, Boss, Radial, BBE, Digitech, Hughes & Kettner, etc. The metal casing is very thick, and very heavy. There are some vent holes along the corner where the 12AX7 sits, and it saves you space to turn it to be a square on your board instead of the diamond. The pedal also uses 12v AC (like most full voltage tube pedals), so be aware of that.
for a street price of $150 brand new (i found it on sale for less, luckily) i think its a great value for people who are really looking for lush distortion sounds. But don't expect to be able to turn down the drive for some overdrive, it behaves a lot like any solid-state distortion pedal in that respect. At least with active Bartolini humbuckers and Bart single coils. I don't have any passive basses.
I highly recommend this pedal. It plays very nicely with my synth, phaser, wah and flanger as well to give some texture to my modulation. My MXR M-80 has now bee relegated to being my clean D.I. at the end of my signal chain.
EDIT 6/26/08: I'm still using this pedal. it has pretty much replaced my MXR M-80 on my board, which i am thinking of selling, but having a nice clean DI seems like a smrat thing to keep in the gig bag, so i'm not sure yet. Tdis grind does stay in the overdrive territory, and prob doesnt get as hairy as a full out distortion as i made it out to sound, now that i'm pretty comfortable with the unit now. It is more of a moderate to high gain overdrive that can get distorted if you put i na strong signal, and my Zon puts in a lower signal than a Ibby SR905, so i can get some clean sounds with teh drive turned down through my live rig.
