Tube pedals to add tube warmth into tone?

Gaetano Paul · #1 11-05-2010, 09:55 PM

Any one do this or have any suggestions. My bass amp is not tube, I have never played a tube amp, but I do have both SS and tube guitar amps and really apreciate what tubes do to my tone. So I had a thought, I am not willing to drop the kind of money and back ache for a tube bass amp, but how about getting a pedal with a tube in it to warm up my tone. ANyone have any suggestions or possibly do this. I am not really looking to get it for OD purposes, purely for tonal warmth and dynamics etc.

EHX English Muffn or Hot tubes?
Radial tube pedal?
Art mic tube preamp?
something?

bongomania · #2 11-05-2010, 09:58 PM

...Must... not... say... do... a...

*whew! I stopped myself!*

Gaetano Paul · #3 11-05-2010, 10:02 PM

I have been, no good results, seriously?

Good to see you Bongo

Hey I ended up settling with a Whirlwind redbox compressor, I like it

dokazaado · #4 11-05-2010, 10:06 PM

There's no substitute for a valve power section.

bongomania · #5 11-05-2010, 10:09 PM

I guess I don't know what the search results looked like to you... It's just that we talk about tube fattening pedals and rack units all day, every day. I've been real good about not doing the "search nazi" routine for the last year or so, but this one was just mind boggling. No offense intended, but srsly--I bet between the fx forum and the amps forum there are an average of two threads per day on the subject of "tube fattening"--and probably many more than that!

Matt Dean · #6 11-05-2010, 10:09 PM

What kind of bass amp do you have?

Gaetano Paul · #7 11-05-2010, 10:27 PM

Mainly a Peavey TNT115, one of the fairly newer type models. also a Boss GT-10 for direct FOH, and at home a crappy Ibanez soundwave 35

Gaetano Paul · #8 11-05-2010, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

I guess I don't know what the search results looked like to you... It's just that we talk about tube fattening pedals and rack units all day, every day. I've been real good about not doing the "search nazi" routine for the last year or so, but this one was just mind boggling. No offense intended, but srsly--I bet between the fx forum and the amps forum there are an average of two threads per day on the subject of "tube fattening"--and probably many more than that!

never new you to be so mean???

bigchiefbc · #9 11-05-2010, 10:29 PM

The english muff'n is good, but a bit buzzy for what you described as your goals. You might want to consider the DHA VT-1, which can do a bit of fattening without overdrive with the gain turned down.

Also, you might want to look at the Tech 21 character series pedals. They don't have actual tubes in them, but are some pretty faithful emulations of tube amps. The VT Bass gets a lot of play around here, though I like the Leeds better because I love the sound of the old school Hiwatts. If you keep the gain down and the character knob up a bit, you'll get the tube "character" without the dirt.

Matt Dean · #10 11-05-2010, 10:32 PM

Check out Dave Hall Amps... he makes overdrives and EQ pedals with tubes that do a good job of warming things up.

runmikeyrun · #11 11-05-2010, 10:52 PM

the art tube pres can be had for around $30... put a nice JJ 12ax7 in there and you'll get decent tube tone. You're not going to get this amazing "wow!" moment out of plugging one in, just a little nicer fatter tone that the other cork sniffers in the audience are going to notice.

khabalah · #12 11-06-2010, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Dean

Check out Dave Hall Amps... he makes overdrives and EQ pedals with tubes that do a good job of warming things up.

+1 awesome pedals

aledeville · #13 11-06-2010, 03:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by runmikeyrun

the art tube pres can be had for around $30... put a nice JJ 12ax7 in there and you'll get decent tube tone. You're not going to get this amazing "wow!" moment out of plugging one in, just a little nicer fatter tone that the other cork sniffers in the audience are going to notice.

Haha, a 12V marketing-tube

I remember an interview with a guy from avalon, where he lets us know that they would like to work more with a 100 percent solid state, but the buyers do connect a tube with quality etc. and therefore the U5 still has a tube inside...

I know how Gaetanos story goes: He buys a pedal for quite some money, plays it happily for a few days and once he forgets it and plays the amp "naked" he recognises that it actually sounds better that way.
Believe me, I know this story very well. This knowledge doesn't keep me from buying pedals though...

spaz21387 · #14 11-06-2010, 03:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aledeville

Haha, a 12V marketing-tube

I remember an interview with a guy from avalon, where he lets us know that they would like to work more with a 100 percent solid state, but the buyers do connect a tube with quality etc. and therefore the U5 still has a tube inside...

I know how Gaetanos story goes: He buys a pedal for quite some money, plays it happily for a few days and once he forgets it and plays the amp "naked" he recognises that it actually sounds better that way.
Believe me, I know this story very well. This knowledge doesn't keep me from buying pedals though...

I did the same thing well kind of... I had an ampeg ba115 which didnt have much of a tube grit to it and I loved my tech 21 sans amp through it. but once I got my newer set up I found I liked the way it sounded without the sansamp. But I still get good use out of my sans amp since its also a DI box.

chicago_mike · #15 11-06-2010, 04:02 AM

Tube pedals I have owned and can say work very well on bass for adding from slight tube fat-grit to full on tube nasty evil growl distortion

1. H&K Tube Factor, while not small, it was my fav tube based pedal, has a lot of ss ( solid state) in it, but the tube actually does the over drive.

2. HHB Fatman..okay this is a tube compressor, but I dug it. fat, tight and really made my aguilar rig punchy.

3. Overdrive Electronics Valve Grinder - Impossible to find, but well worth it if you want a tweak able tube big muff style hate machine.

4. SIB Valve Drive - Big, Blue, and Fendery, the OD is a little smoother than the crunchy fender style tube OD from their amps, but useful on bass.

5. Buddha Phatman tube Distortion - From creamy to crunchy, another could get fuzzy muffy style pedal. Perhaps a little darker than the others, but I dug it.

Yeah had all of them at one time when I spent my paychecks only on gear and not gas or food.

Mark Olson · #16 11-06-2010, 06:07 AM

I agree, what a tube preamp can do is really limited without a tube power section, for which there is no substitute. It's only when you combine the two do you get the results you're really looking for.

Darkstrike · #17 11-06-2010, 06:12 AM

The EBS Valve Drive seems to be what you're after.

Gaetano Paul · #18 11-06-2010, 07:42 AM

Hmmm.............. Thanks for the input guys. Is there a bass tube amp that is a good value (inexpensive but big tone)?

liquid sunshine · #19 11-06-2010, 07:53 AM

check out the electro harmonix black finger it's a very smooth optical tube comp.

Atomik Rooster · #20 11-06-2010, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gaetano Paul

Any one do this or have any suggestions. My bass amp is not tube, I have never played a tube amp, but I do have both SS and tube guitar amps and really apreciate what tubes do to my tone. So I had a thought, I am not willing to drop the kind of money and back ache for a tube bass amp, but how about getting a pedal with a tube in it to warm up my tone. ANyone have any suggestions or possibly do this. I am not really looking to get it for OD purposes, purely for tonal warmth and dynamics etc.

EHX English Muffn or Hot tubes?
Radial tube pedal?
Art mic tube preamp?
something?

I've been using an Electro-Harmonix Classics LPB 2ube for a few years now, love the warmth and tone of it. It's designed for stereo use, but you can cascade the two channels to make it single channel and add some crunch if you like. A little pricey, but very sweet.

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...dal?sku=153326