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Dirt Pedals For Tube Snobs

#21
LowEndMan2112 said:
Kind of OT here ... does that mean no Portaflex or Micro SVT stack for Jimmy anymore?
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I'll be happy to use the cabs onstage. And the PF350 and Micro VR will be my backup and very small rigs for gigs that demand the smallest stuff. Otherwise, no more solid state from here on out. The differences are just so glaringly obvious to anyone with ears, especially when you are playing through it, and triple especially when you run a speaker DI or a DI like the REDDI. Any gear will work, of course, but I've had enough of compromising what I love to hear for the sake of expediency and "close enough."
 
#22
JimmyM said:
Any gear will work, of course, but I've had enough of compromising what I love to hear for the sake of expediency and "close enough."
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I was at a point like this not too long ago when I made the move back to 4 strings. I don't know about you, but it felt nice for me to come to terms with what I had been trying not to believe for too long :D

Wish I could be of more help to your pedal search, but I don't come anywhere close to having the same expectations of a pedal that you would for delivering something like tube-grit.
 
#24
LowEndMan2112 said:
I was at a point like this not too long ago when I made the move back to 4 strings. I don't know about you, but it felt nice for me to come to terms with what I had been trying not to believe for too long :D

Wish I could be of more help to your pedal search, but I don't come anywhere close to having the same expectations of a pedal that you would for delivering something like tube-grit.
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And it looks like I might have to dial my dirt expectations back because I can't find anything like what I'm talking about. OTOH, the VT is a really good dirt pedal for solid state, and the REDDI does ratchet it up some, and I could do far worse than it for sure. But a couple pedals listed so far do look pretty interesting. As long as the tubes actually work, I'll consider it.

Glad to see I'm not the only one who came to this realization, albeit yours was with 5's and mine was micros and emulation. Never would have considered SS in my 20's and 30's, but the older I get, the more attractive the lighter loads look. I've downsized and upsized twice now, but every time they improve on the micro technology in a way I find attractive, the easy schlep lures me back. No more. I'm done with it.
 
#30
disclaimer: I am NOT an effects connoisseur.

While it isn't an over the top style overdrive, I really like my SIB Fatdrive. It's big, it requires a different style power cord than other pedals (like your standard amp would use), it is discontinued and harder to find one but it is worth the schlep to me. This thing is intended to mainly be a clean tube'ing it up pedal but, despite the reviews I've read, it WILL get fairly gritty it you turn up the volume and gain.

PS: I've also used the ampeg tube DI in the past. I really liked it also but it seems to be even rarer than the Fatdrive. Also the Ampeg offered less control from what I recall (used it on a studio session a half year ago).
 
#32
Jimmy, I only use tube amps (Ampeg, of course) and I love my Fuzzrocious Rat Tail. Extremely versatile pedal. I don't know if it sounds "tubey", because I've only used it with SVT amps. It certainly doesn't have tubes in it.

The SFT is a decent pedal, but it only works with passive basses. It sounds awful with active basses in my opinion.
 
#34
Fellow tube snob here. Sadly I must say that no pedal I have EVER tried nails that cranked tube amp sound. Some pedals can do the clean tube sound (not the feel) but nothing ever really hits that sweet spot when the power tubes are driven hard. Perhaps the technology still isn't there, perhaps it simply can't be done.
Here's a few thoughts on some of the pedals listed so far.

- DHA pedals sound quite good- glassy and meaty. Worth a look.
- EHX English muff'n has a really shrill top end that I couldn't get rid of.
- Tubescreamer variants (fulltone bassdrive, ibanez TSs, etc.) sound oddly sterile to me unless the amp is cranked really loud too (kinda defeats the purpose IMO).
- The VT distortion is honestly among the best for Ampeg tube sounds.
 
#35
What you need is an AMpeg B15 tube preamp section rehoused with an in and line out to the Reddi. That way you get the B15 tube preamp breakup and you don't have to lug anything around.

It'll get you 80% of the way there IMO. I never tried to push my B15 for volume, just for quiet dirt.

I think you would be very happy with that.
 
#36
I picked up a bunch of these:

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on ebay just before my day job situation changed, intending to build exactly what you are talking about here. Yes, that's a real pentode.

If any of the folks here who do effects full time want to grab a couple to play with to design Jimmy his dream pedal, let me know. I've got the submini triodes and pentodes sitting in a box on the shelf.
 
#37
Pricy and out of production, but one of the better pedals I have ever played. (Sold my custom made one years ago.) Hot Chili Tubester pedal. It has a tube and voltage control. For guitar at least, it did what you want JimmyM. One on ebay right now... Not mine and I've no affiliation with the seller.
Vintage Hot Chili Tube Co DS-1 Tubester Guitar Overdrive Pedal | eBay
 
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#38
kaputsport said:
What you need is an AMpeg B15 tube preamp section rehoused with an in and line out to the Reddi. That way you get the B15 tube preamp breakup and you don't have to lug anything around.

It'll get you 80% of the way there IMO. I never tried to push my B15 for volume, just for quiet dirt.

I think you would be very happy with that.
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Even better, just take a B-15, put a dummy load on the speaker out, and there you go!

Nah... ;)
 
#39
I have to agree with Paganjack that nothing really ever nails a cranked tube amp sound and feel.

I have a pedal made by Glenn Wyllie called a Thunder Machine...it's a beautiful overdrive that he designed to cop a cranked tube amp...it's pretty amazing and when dialed in just right it can get close to Jameson's direct sound(from what I've heard of his soloed trax). It also does a super creamy tube overdriven tone when cranked. It's also similar in size to a boss pedal

image-2431903224.png



The bass on these trax are a blend of a reddi di and a slight overdrive from the thunder machine. It just makes em sound fat an rich- http://easytells.bandcamp.com/

PM me with an email and I'd be happy to provide some soloed samples...-b
 
#40
I like your band, brandau. Great tones, too.

Well thx for al the suggestions, folks. Looks like what I was thinking of just isn't out there, but it does make me think that maybe the VT through the B-15 and REDDI is more attractive than being THIS tube snobby ;)
 

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