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Dirt Pedals For Tube Snobs

#61
scotch said:
I'm sick of charting crappy pop country tunes, so I did some heavy lifting for you.

I recorded a side-by-side pair of tracks. Just my '62 Reissue Jazz into a Visual Volume (purely to act as a buffered splitter), that splits out to the EBS Valve Drive then into an MBox2Pro (converter) and the other split is just straight to the MBox2Pro. No compression, eq or post processing. I set the preamps on the MBox to clip at the same point.

So, it's exactly the same 'performance', just two separate tracks. No fancy di, either - so the REDDI would sound that much better! Valve Drive always set to 'vintage' mode.

Straight bass guitar:


With EBS set to low-mid gain & my favorite eq settings (this is how I pretty much always run it, just a bit of girth and 'hair'):


Pic of eq settings. Adding ever-so-slightly amount of lows and a good bit of treble. Mids cut a little as well.
20120418_103937.jpg


And then just the EBS with same eq set to full gain, just to give you an idea of the potential crunch factor. Set to 'vintage' mode (modern mode has more clipping, but sounds... well,... too modern for me!):


Just a starting point, it's a very tonally flexible pedal! This would all sound far better through a real di, too - obviously. Wanted to give you an idea of the pedals' flavor & let you imagine your own recipe!
Click to expand...

Digging that a LOT. Man, see? Even when you add just a tube or two, things start to sound more natural. Now imagine that if there was a little power section with an output transformer to push that sound out...maybe a little tiny power tube like a 6v6...I think it would be awesome.

I will admit, however, that there may not be a big market for $800 distortion pedals ;)

Thanks Justin! Really appreciate it!
 
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#63
I seem to serve just one purpose here lately: to post "there have already been about a dozen tube overdrive/preamp devices made with a small power tube section and a dummy load; NONE of them sound like a hard-driven all-tube amp. It's a nice idea on paper but it does not pan out in reality."

I'll be back to post it again next week.
 
#65
bongomania said:
I seem to serve just one purpose here lately: to post "there have already been about a dozen tube overdrive/preamp devices made with a small power tube section and a dummy load; NONE of them sound like a hard-driven all-tube amp. It's a nice idea on paper but it does not pan out in reality."

I'll be back to post it again next week.
Click to expand...
Well, I guess I better buy an orphaned B-15, bust out my dummy load, and run it on a footswitch if I'm to get exactly what I want.

Thank you, Bongo. You're a real credit to mankind. But at least you didn't say "Do a search,."
 
#66
Did he not?

JimmyM said:
Well, I guess I better buy an orphaned B-15, bust out my dummy load, and run it on a footswitch if I'm to get exactly what I want.

Thank you, Bongo. You're a real credit to mankind. But at least you didn't say "Do a search,."
Click to expand...


bongomania said:
I seem to serve jUst one purpoSe here latEly: to poSt "there havE alreAdy been about a dozen tube oveRdrive/preamp deviCes made with a small power tube section and a dummy load; NONE of tHem sound like a hard-driven all-tube amp. It's a nice idea on paper but it does not pan out in reality."

I'll be back to post it again next week.
Click to expand...
 

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#67
I'm using a Seymour Duncan Twin Tube Classic on my board right now and It really does the tube sound trick for me in a way my other dirt pedals (which I still love) don't come close to doing.

I don't know how true it is, but seymour duncan says it's a high voltage, non-starved plate design. And it uses two preamp tubes if you find the single tube pres to be too buzzy. It also has two separate channels built in which is handy. The only two things I don't care for are 1) the large size of the pedal and 2) the special ac adapter--though of course it needs its own since it has pretty special power needs.
 
#68
Duncan pedal looks gnarly. Sad how many of these pedals are discontinued. I guess people just don't buy them in enough quantity. I know I sure can't buy them in enough quantity, that's for sure.
 
#71
I also like the Duncan Twin Tube on bass.

Didn't notice anyone mention the Budda Phatbass pedal, a favorite of mine for years for adding a little tube vibe to your sound.

Love the Budda pedal in front of my old SVT too for adding a lil' somethin'-somethin'. Trick with this too is swap the tubes, it sounds great on 12ax7's as well.

I think it was already mentioned but the SIB Fatdrive might be close to what you're looking for.
 
#73
father of fires said:
I was always a fan of the Butler Tube Drivers.

You can hear one on the bass track here:

Billows
Click to expand...

I was debating whether or not to mention the Blue Tube...

Only problem is that I've not had enough experiencing with Ampegs to be able to make a reasonable comparison between the pedal and their tone, or for that matter with pure tube amps. Another issue is that I do believe that the Blue Tube is starved plate, but again I'm not sure.

I do know that I used to love the magic that the Blue Tube worked on my tone when I played through SS amps. After switching to hybrids I felt that had less need for the pedal, but that didn't make it sound any less awesome.
 
#74
Well even though starved plate is only better than no tube at all, I've heard the Butlers are really well liked and pretty sought after now. I thought they were all guitar pedals, though. Did they make bass pedals, too?
 
#75
Hmm. They do sound really good. B.K. Butler is still making them by hand though. I think they started as Chandler Tube Drivers, then Butler Tube Drivers. Now he makes them himself again. If you want to borrow it JimmyM, PM me and and I will send it your way.
 
#76
JimmyM said:
Well even though starved plate is only better than no tube at all, I've heard the Butlers are really well liked and pretty sought after now. I thought they were all guitar pedals, though. Did they make bass pedals, too?
Click to expand...

There is nothing in the design that would exclude it from bass use but I believe it was marketed more towards guitarists.
 
#77
N.F.A. said:
Hmm. They do sound really good. B.K. Butler is still making them by hand though. I think they started as Chandler Tube Drivers, then Butler Tube Drivers. Now he makes them himself again. If you want to borrow it JimmyM, PM me and and I will send it your way.
Click to expand...
A really nice offer and I appreciate it, but if something happened to it, I'd freak, and we have a 3 year old grandson who comes over often so there's always that chance he'll think it's a football ;)
 
#80
andrew said:
I also like the Duncan Twin Tube on bass.

Didn't notice anyone mention the Budda Phatbass pedal, a favorite of mine for years for adding a little tube vibe to your sound.

Love the Budda pedal in front of my old SVT too for adding a lil' somethin'-somethin'. Trick with this too is swap the tubes, it sounds great on 12ax7's as well.

I think it was already mentioned but the SIB Fatdrive might be close to what you're looking for.
Click to expand...

I used to have a Budda. I thought it was a very subtle effect..hardly noticed it in a mix even if it was cranked...I could never get it to get that tube grind...thought it neded some more high end or somethng... It sure looked cool though:)
 

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