JacksonAmpworks said:
For this type of reason, why not just use an OD pedal? This way you can set the OD amount, tone, volume etc? You can use it in the FX loop or in front of the amp.
I think that smooth and clean is the order of the day with this amp and adding a gain stage is getting away from the design goal of the amp.
If it mucks with the design and/or the clean tone, then I agree. But, there are several reasons why I prefer a "built in" second gain stage overdrive. First off, I haven't found a footpedal overdrive that I like as well as the best overdrives I can get from an all-tube head. I realize that some of this has to do with power tube distortion, but even taking that same tube head (let's say, Eden VT-300A or Trace Elliot V8, both of which allow you to dial in an amount of preamp tube overdrive) and trying it with a good overdrive pedal (say, Fulltone Bass-Drive; leaving the head preamp set "clean"), I still strongly prefer the overdrive from the head. The only outside box that I have used which gives me the tube overdrive that I like has been the Chandler Tube Driver (rackmount) and some of its derivatives.
Another reason to prefer built in is that it's one less thing to bring to the gig, one less thing that either eats batteries or has to be plugged in, potentially one or two less cords for me to trip over, etc.
Also in the "convenience" category, I like to be able to easily set up my clean and overdriven tones to both have the same level of volume and degree of fullness, and to be able to footswitch between the two. Sometimes, I will want to do this mid-song, but more often, when we play out, I play about 45 or so tunes that I want a killer clean tone and about 5-10 where I want an overdriven tune. I'd rather be able to just use a footswitch to select the two, and for sonic reasons, I'd rather have the overdrive stage built into the head. Another use for a second preamp gain (overdrive) stage is that you would in essence have two channels that could both be "clean", with one being a more clear/refined tone (from the 6SN7), and the other having more warmth and perhaps a hint of grit (from a 12AX7 stage). So, I do think that this option would be of use to even those players who don't go for an over the top overdrive/distortion tone.
I would, of course, still be interested in this head without this second gain stage, but at least in my instance, I would definitely get a lot of use out of this added functionality, and more importantly, I am confident that it can be designed in a manner that will make it sonically superior to even the best footpedal units. You would also think that the added cost to include this second gain stage would still be a good bit less than picking up a quality pedal unit. And of course, for my own very personal perspective, if I am going to bring a head to a show, I'd rather not have to also bring a rack for my Chandler.
I do also like the 100w/200w/300w selector option. IME, I obtain my best overdriven tones by mixing some preamp tube overdrive with some power tube overdrive, and this would dramatically enhance your ability to dial in "appropriate" power tube overdrive at a given volume.
As long as we are talking wish lists for bass overdrive, a feature which I find incredibly useful (but which no one seems to offer - I have only heard this in a prototype that an EE friend and I designed) is the ability to blend the clean and overdriven tones (this is not new) and to use a variable frequency crossover to dial in just the clean frequencies below the chosen crossover point. I suppose this could work well with a fixed frequency, too (if you played around enough to confidently select one set frequency), but our unit involved a variable frequency crossover, combined with a blend knob. This allowed us to dial in a killer overdriven tone, and then bring in enough clean lows to keep it tight and full. This prototype worked like a charm, and was designed to be a second stage in a preamp design. We might try it in a foot pedal, though. I throw this out as an additional suggestion as to how to develop this second gain stage (if you go that route), but also as a suggestion for a "companion" overdrive pedal, if you decide to make one.
But again, if this mucks with your design goals, or stands at all in the way of the killer clean tone that you are looking for, then scrap it.
Tom.
