Those of you playing through tube amps or amps with tube pre amps, do you use overdrive pedals as well? Why or why not?
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Tube-amp users: do you use overdrives?
- Thread starter JazzyJacuzzi
- Start date
I would break windows trying to get my SVT to break up naturally so yeah I use pedals.
Yes because both of my tube amps are fairly clean on their own and sound great with overdrive, fuzz, distortion, and effects.
Yes. I've been running my Barbershop into my SVTs or my V4B RI as a boost.
My Carvin BX700 has a single tube in the preamp and even with the gain knob dimed it doesn't get quite where I'd like it to be. I use a Mosky Golden Horse set with the gain knob all the way off, the treble knob at noon, and the output knob around 1 o'clock and it puts the tone right where I want it.
Definitely! It always depends on what the music needs, so different kinds of drive can be very useful.
Yes! I especially like having my tube amp or tube preamp dialed in just before breakup so when I kick on OD or Fuzz, the tiny bit of extra volume drives the tubes into a bit of natural OD, adding to the effect.
IME the distortion I can get from hitting harder with a tube power section is mind-blowing and attempts at re-creating that with solid state devices have been consistently underwhelming.
But it's never been a must-have, bread & butter effect for me - I only savor it occasionally. So YMMV.
But it's never been a must-have, bread & butter effect for me - I only savor it occasionally. So YMMV.
Mesa Boogie has a bass amp called the D-180. If you can find one that one overdrives nicely both on the preamps as well on the power section. Some guitar players use it
My Univalve which is a 15 watt amp - True Single ended class A does the power tube distortion thing pretty well. But I used this only for tracking/recording. Not really my thing over driven bass.
I think Dusty Hill setup is also gritty tone - I do not know what his setup is but I know it's Marshall based- I like it but I like ZZ Top is general
And to answer the OP, I would prefer from the amp and preamp and probably just raise the input level high and clean and hit the preamp really hard.
The Univalve is interesting because it is one of the few tube amps that can operate without a speaker connected and then you can take the line out and either bypass the amp eq. Basically a huge pedal.
Sans Amp would be my answer otherwise for cleanish tube amps SVT, Aguilar
My Univalve which is a 15 watt amp - True Single ended class A does the power tube distortion thing pretty well. But I used this only for tracking/recording. Not really my thing over driven bass.
I think Dusty Hill setup is also gritty tone - I do not know what his setup is but I know it's Marshall based- I like it but I like ZZ Top is general
And to answer the OP, I would prefer from the amp and preamp and probably just raise the input level high and clean and hit the preamp really hard.
The Univalve is interesting because it is one of the few tube amps that can operate without a speaker connected and then you can take the line out and either bypass the amp eq. Basically a huge pedal.
Sans Amp would be my answer otherwise for cleanish tube amps SVT, Aguilar
Last edited:
On a vintage tube amp without separate gain and master controls you have no choice if you want breakup without pushing the volume up along with it.
The Lounsberry Rupert and Nigel preamp/ODs work particularly well with tube heads IMO since they get a pretty tubey sound all by themselves.
I use a Rupert with an old tube amp I have when I want it to sound cranked for miked recording purposes, or just playing bass without annoying the neighbors.
The Lounsberry Rupert and Nigel preamp/ODs work particularly well with tube heads IMO since they get a pretty tubey sound all by themselves.
I use a Rupert with an old tube amp I have when I want it to sound cranked for miked recording purposes, or just playing bass without annoying the neighbors.
Yes! something mild though. My Spaceman Saturn VI is the best overdrive I have found to push a tube amp. It sounds like heaven in front of my Ashdown Little Bastard, and my old Ampeg V4B.
Nope.
the B-15 breaks up just fine when maxed.
I have a few different tubes that break up at different points that I can swap out if I want more/less clarity of signal. I think I have a tung-sol in there right now, and it's super clean at low levels and just a bit of growl when pushed.
the B-15 breaks up just fine when maxed.
I have a few different tubes that break up at different points that I can swap out if I want more/less clarity of signal. I think I have a tung-sol in there right now, and it's super clean at low levels and just a bit of growl when pushed.
This is a very interesting question and I'm surprised by the answers so far. I always thought I was in the minority using overdrive into a tube amplifier. Seems like most of us do it. I will say that mine isn't a straight up overdrive pedal though. My EBS compressor has a "tube" setting on it that gives the signal some extra harmonics and then at the end of the pedal chain is a Aguilar Tone Hammer D.I. box that I use almost exclusively for gain (the EQ stays flat). It's subtle but it pushes the preamp on my Ampeg V4B just enough to give me a nice growl without having to push the amplifier too hard.
I use one occasionally, although my Genz-Benz Shuttle 6.2 has a tube preamp that allows some nice distortion if I want it. The pedal OD lets me kick it the effect in and out, so I don't have to have it all the time.
