Any pedals come close to overdriven tube amp?

[DC in ATX]

Title provides the high-level question.

On background, the crunch, dirt and overdrive that I can dial up on my Mesa Express 5:25+ guitar amp are innately satisfying.

I have tried several overdrive and distortion pedal options and have yet to find something that comes close to my tube amp for headphones practice on guitar or for adding a satisfying amount of dirt to my bass signal.

This is what I have auditioned to date:

• Aguilar Tone Hammer
• Aftershock
• Darkglass Omnicron
• Grizzly Bass by Creation Audio

Of these, I’m keeping the Grizzly on my pedalboard for the time being. But the Darkglass is coming off soon.

What overdrive or distortion pedal would you recommend in its place?

Can any pedals actually come close to the artifacts produced by a real tube amp?

 

[scottfeldstein]

What a subject. I have thrown more money and time at this question than I care to admit. About three years ago I A/B/Cd the Aguilar, the Darkglass B3K, and the Aftershock. I did this every day for a week, tweaking each of them this way and that.

The Aguilar had been on my board for a year prior. I had only recently replaced it with the Darkglass. Prior to this I had burned through three different SansAmp products and an MXR DI+. Probably two or three more that I'm forgetting.

After my ABC adventure I came to the astonishing conclusion that I consistently liked the Aftershock better than the other two. Specifically, the "heavy" setting. (Yes I was only comparing the stock 3 sounds on it.) The Aguilar was good. Very good. But the Aftershock outclassed it. The Darkglass...well, it's a weird sound. it's very focused, without a lot of wild harmonic content flying around. Doesn't sound natural to me, but I can see why some metal players really dig it. You can grind the F out of it without getting a lot of feedback and unwanted noise.

Did my adventure stop there? Heavens, no. I decided that I wanted an always-on ampy sound and that I would use the Aftershock as an extra gritty/fuzzy effect. So I got me a SansAmp YYZ. Which is great, by the way. It's a quirky pedal, but it definitely does Geddy but can also be quite subtle.

Right now I'm putting together a mini-rig around my Hartke KB12 "kickback" amp. I decided I wasn't going to use a pedalboard so I got a Zoom MS-60B. Right now I have a comp into... the SansAmp Bass Driver, the classic one. It sounds great going into the clean Hartke.

Will this adventure ever end? All signs point to no. Good luck to you and to all of us.

 

[catcauphonic]

Top contenders that I've experienced in the past few years (in no particular order) >

1) TC Spark - full size version (this 'boost' is versatile, with added low- mid pleasing gain and 3 way selector switch)
2) Tech 21 VT Bass (their Ampeg in a box)
3) Tech 21 Oxford (their take on an Orange Amp)
4) Way Huge Pork Loin OD (run at 18v and it gets hella creamy)
5) Broughton SVPre (would take the cake if only it had a bit more output)

^ except for the Broughton, they can all be had on the used market for 100 bux give or take if you're patient

 

[TrickDog]

Simplifier

 

[Pedalnetics]

SushiBox FX; literal tube-based pedals, ranging from clean boost to in-yo-face distortion. Audio clips of them all on the site, or stop by the thread and ask questions!

 

[scottfeldstein]

Tech 21 VT Bass (their Ampeg in a box)

I do like the VT Bass.

 

[DC in ATX]

Simplifier

I have also arrived at a stage where I want to try parallel effect loops. Seeing the Simplifier here is interesting in a two-birds kinda way.

 

[jbybj]

If you want to try Darkglass, go with the vintage micro tubes

As already mentioned, SushiBox, flavor of choice.

Broughton SV-Pre is not that hard to come by, excellent choice.

Damnation Audio MBD-1/MBD-2.

if you can find a Valvecaster or Bugcaster, highly recommended.

I found a nicely built Sunn Model T preamp built by KennyB on Reverb.

Southampton 5th gear V2 might get you there.

The Rusty Box is based on a solid state amp but has a really lovely distortion characteristic.

Or, just get a Line 6 HX Stomp.

Or…………………

 

[Smurf-o-Deth]

Have you messed around in the Neuro editor with the Aftershock? It is very flexible, if you spend some time with it.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Title provides the high-level question.

On background, the crunch, dirt and overdrive that I can dial up on my Mesa Express 5:25+ guitar amp are innately satisfying.

I have tried several overdrive and distortion pedal options and have yet to find something that comes close to my tube amp for headphones practice on guitar or for adding a satisfying amount of dirt to my bass signal.

This is what I have auditioned to date:

• Aguilar Tone Hammer
• Aftershock
• Darkglass Omnicron
• Grizzly Bass by Creation Audio

Of these, I’m keeping the Grizzly on my pedalboard for the time being. But the Darkglass is coming off soon.

What overdrive or distortion pedal would you recommend in its place?

Can any pedals actually come close to the artifacts produced by a real tube amp?

seems to fit the bill.
Genzler Overdrive Pedal.

 

[SteveCS]

The latest creation from @agedhorse in collaboration with some old friends might fit the bill...
4 ON THE FLOOR CLASSIC BASS OVERDRIVE PEDAL - Genzler Amplification

 

[/\/\3phist0]

The latest creation from @agedhorse in collaboration with some old friends might fit the bill...
4 ON THE FLOOR CLASSIC BASS OVERDRIVE PEDAL - Genzler Amplification

Beat you to it !

 

[SteveCS]

seems to fit the bill.
Genzler Overdrive Pedal.

Simultaneous posting at its best!

 

[Bald-N-Bassy]

I have tried a lot of dirt and drive pedals for bass. The pedal I continuously go back to is my sansamp bass driver. With a hot pickup, it’s all the drive I need and sounds good in the mix. It won’t do hi gain distortion, that’s what I have the alpha omega for.

 

[two fingers]

I need another dirt like I need another hole in my head. But the Genzler has been put in a cart more than once. I imagine that will happen any time now.

I have fantasized about a version with 4 preset buttons so you can dial in 4 sounds and then just hit a button. But, as is, it'll probably wind up on my board.

 

[Zooberwerx]

The best tube amp emulation I've used is the Fairfields Barbershop. It cops the pre & power vibe.

Riis

 

[Leonid Nidis]

EBS valve drive.
A rather large pedal but very natural overdrive.
Nothing I tried comes close to an amp in a box.
Check out the demos on you tube.

 

[Dave W]

I'm a little unclear about what OP is looking for.
A headphone practice tube amp sim for guitar that also works on bass and happens to sound good on both? Line 6 HX Stomp...
Headphone practice for bass that sounds like a tube amp? Two Notes Le Bass...

The best tube amp emulation I've used is the Fairfields Barbershop. It cops the pre & power vibe.

Riis

Agreed! I still have it on my board years later. It can be an always on pedal depending on what cab I'm playing through.

 

[outoftune]

What a subject. I have thrown more money and time at this question than I care to admit. About three years ago I A/B/Cd the Aguilar, the Darkglass B3K, and the Aftershock. I did this every day for a week, tweaking each of them this way and that.

The Aguilar had been on my board for a year prior. I had only recently replaced it with the Darkglass. Prior to this I had burned through three different SansAmp products and an MXR DI+. Probably two or three more that I'm forgetting.

After my ABC adventure I came to the astonishing conclusion that I consistently liked the Aftershock better than the other two. Specifically, the "heavy" setting. (Yes I was only comparing the stock 3 sounds on it.) The Aguilar was good. Very good. But the Aftershock outclassed it. The Darkglass...well, it's a weird sound. it's very focused, without a lot of wild harmonic content flying around. Doesn't sound natural to me, but I can see why some metal players really dig it. You can grind the F out of it without getting a lot of feedback and unwanted noise.

Did my adventure stop there? Heavens, no. I decided that I wanted an always-on ampy sound and that I would use the Aftershock as an extra gritty/fuzzy effect. So I got me a SansAmp YYZ. Which is great, by the way. It's a quirky pedal, but it definitely does Geddy but can also be quite subtle.

Right now I'm putting together a mini-rig around my Hartke KB12 "kickback" amp. I decided I wasn't going to use a pedalboard so I got a Zoom MS-60B. Right now I have a comp into... the SansAmp Bass Driver, the classic one. It sounds great going into the clean Hartke.

Will this adventure ever end? All signs point to no. Good luck to you and to all of us.

I did the same fiddling with almost the same pedals and have landed on a Tech 21 DI-2112 with the Aftershock as my heavy distortion. The Geddy products seems to have the most natural and closest to a tube amp that I’ve heard and I think it has to do with the saturation knob. It makes that pedal sound so good and full.

 

[mmbongo]

Want tube sound? Get tube pedal!

SushiBox Slampegg
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