Tube amp overdrive: Can it be replicated with pedals?

[MSUsousaphone]

Some of the higher end tube pedals include DHA, Swell, Freq Central. They probably won't exactly replicate the Mesa sound but maybe they can enhance it. I hear you, though. I'm currently on the fence about whether to upgrade to a Glockenklang rig or keep the Mesa Boogie Strategy 400 Power Amp I have and get some high end cabs and a preamp to pair with it. If the Mesa could do what it does into one cab and a low volumes for those small venued gigs it would be a no brainer....but I need something that's versatile.

 

[bassbrad]

I voted overdrive but you will just have to try all the available with your rig to find the one that's right, could be something common, popular, obscure, cheap or expensive.
My suggestion be patient, persistent and buying used is a good way to try some of them more unusual choices.
I tried pedals by Boss, Way Fat, Ibanez, Zeibek, DOD/Digitech, Zoom, EHX, Rocktron, MXR.
My search ended when I got my hands on a Moody Sounds Hjart Muller Lo|Fat Bass OD (one of the more unusual choices), also sounds pretty gnarrly on gtr and piccolo bass.

 

[fclefgeoff]

...Way Fat...

I think I dated her in college.

 

[Jared Lash]

Your amp only has a tube preamp, and that clip is typical of brittle sounding preamp tube distortion. I've tried the DHA VT1 and EBS Valvedrive and both can achieve a similar sound. A boost will also do the same trick - after all turning up your gain control just boosts the volume going into the tubes. This will result in a volume boost though which may be unwelcome.

A light overdrive or dirty boost is the best bet, giving a slight volume boost to drive the tubes harder but also providing a bit of dirt of it's own.

Bingo. And BogeyBass is right on as well.

An English Muff'n will give you overdriven preamp tubes just like the Walkabout. And there are lots of other pedals that can do similarly.

The tube amp overdrive that pedals almost always fall short of getting in the ball park of is the grunt and heft of sweating POWER tubes. Only the BJEF Blueberry ever really got that sound convincingly for me.

 

[Irtemed]

So far my basic options are the DHA VT1 and the English Muff'n. If the store near me has the Muff'n, so I could try that out easily, but I'm not sure about the VT1. I saw in a post on another thread by DHA that they were going to manufacture in Austin, TX, where I live, but that was in 2006/7. I pm'd him but I have gotten a response.

Has anyone else tried the DHA VT1?
(This version: Link Removed)

 

[Hawkbone]

Lots of people digging the Darkglass B3K

 

[d180fuzz]

When I want that awesome D180 tube fuzz, I stomp on
CARROTS!!!

 

[Dr McBalders]

DHA REALLY good. Worth the coin from the uk.

 

[Irtemed]

I've never tried stomping on carrots, I'll give it a go.

 

[twhitedc]

I was after this tone for a while, and after filtering through many overdrives I settled with a NOC3 Pure Drive which I run at 18V. I found a lot of OD's to lack that thick ballsy organic tube tone. I like the NOC3 specifically because it has a clean blend which makes all the difference. I also have a verellen big spider for thick grizzle, but i wouldn't call that tube tone. I should also mention that I'm currently playing a Markbass r500 which has a tubed pre and is designed to break up. Either way, after years of playing overdrives... I'm pretty happy. Just try things out with your rig... It's such a subjective search... but fun!

 

[Irtemed]

Thanks, but do you have a little Pure Drive, or a big one, because I looked it up and the bigger model has a boost footswitch. Do you have any samples?

 

[learning_towalk]

I've been able to get a more "tube amp" tone from my Sansamp VT>Markbass Compressore rig than when I had an actual tube amp (Traynor YBA-200) ha ha.

I play in Austin twice a week...so if you ever want to stop by and check it out, just let me know