Tube-Driven Distortion Pedal

A

aknapp

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Has any one tried any of the following?

- Fryette SAS Tube Distortion

- BK Butler Tube Driver

- Ibanez Tube King (TK999US, not the OD or HT)

Fryette uses a pentode EF86 tube vs. most others using a 12AX7. Sounds like the Fryette might be closer to power tube crunch vs. pre-amp distortion.

Thoughts?

 
Dean markley overlord is one I've tried... I believe other companies sold them with different livery .. Or other companies made it and DM rebadged.

It was pretty cool, decent rocky drive, but a little bit noisy and hissy.

 
I have had a few Butlers, okay.... meh.

Few of the tube types are able to get the tube to plate level power...

that what you want.

I think the only one out there that does is the Mesa Boogie tube pedal,

and that thing does a very dam good job. Never had one, but did play a few.

 
The Fuchs Valve job is pretty much universally loved by anyone who owns one. I think it doesn't have the starved plate design since I see some serious venting going on.

 
Like Jay, I tried the Mesa and it's a very solid sounding pedal - extremely amp-like quality to it. Quite a heavy bit of kit, though...

Had a Seymour Duncan Twin Tube Distortion (original, not the hi-gain Blue edition). It was good for classic rock - a real 70's flavour to it, but it lacked articulation and tended to sounded muddy with all but the brightest amps.

Heard the Tube King with a Fender Twin once, and believe me - that was not a pleasant experience, to say the least. I'm sure a few birds were sacrificed that day as harshness and icepick ruled the day - YOUCH!!

 
Don't forget the Budda Phatman, I had one and it was a great pedal in front of a clean and slightly gritty amp. The Mesa was also pretty good as well.

 
Had a Butler and Ibanez Tube King. I liked the TK better. I got some cool expressive sounds from that, but it was a little hissy. YMMV

 
Anyone try the Soldano GTO pedal? I like the sound clips, and the size of the device/power cord seems to suggest that they're driving those tubes pretty hard, voltage-wise.

 
Thanx for all the options.

I found a TK999 (pre-US version) locally for stupid cheap but it doesn't work properly; it just click, click, clicks - no other sound. Anyone know if this is fixable? Or a website/forum that might be able to help?

 
All I would know to do would be to replace the tube. They respond quite well to different tubes for a tone fix too.

 
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