Best overdrive pedal with tubes?

[lespaul6]

What's good out there these days

 

[glassjaw7]

The Kingsley stuff is apparently unrivaled and he has enough stuff out to cover just about all bases, minus super aggressive metal stuff.

The Tube Driver is a classic and the go-to if you want Gilmour tones. Friedman makes a tube overdrive but I know nothing about it. I'm sure it's good.

 

[lespaul6]

Just checked out the kingsley stuff.... looks nice. Price is around 260 on the site and 499 on reverb? lol

 

[thiswaythatway]

There's this green pedal called a tube screamer that a lot of people seem to like.

 

[Racerxrated]

There's this green pedal called a tube screamer that a lot of people seem to like.

I think he means a pedal driven by an actual 12ax7.....

 

[braintheory]

Just checked out the kingsley stuff.... looks nice. Price is around 260 on the site and 499 on reverb? lol

I think that’s because it’s 260 pounds (not US dollars)

EDIT: it actually does say US dollars on the website

For what’s it worth I’ve not been too impressed with any of the tube driven Overdrive pedals I’ve had.

The one I liked best was the Maxon TBO-9 I used to have, but it basically sounded like a very mediocre od pedal with the tube giving it added warmth and complexity. Once you turn the boost knob of it off (disengage the tube basically) or very low, it didn’t sound like anything special. I tried another tube driven Maxon Overdrive (don’t remember the model) and wasn’t too impressed with it either

The Kingsley Minstrel I had was also kinda similar in that it sounded like an overly smooth, bland, sterile od pedal, but it had this fatness and creaminess that I think definitely came from the tube, but still wasn’t a keeper or anything too special to my ears, so I sold it. Definitely seemed way overpriced imo and not suited for metal

I had briefly the Friedman Mitor City Drive, but returned because I didn’t think it was that good, but I love the Buxom boost and golden pearl (those have been keepers for me)

From what I can tell, it seems like a lot of these tube driven pedals are relying on the tube and are otherwise uninteresting pedals. Maybe if they started with an already great sounding pedal like a Timmy or Klon and then add a tube, there’d something truly special there, but who knows

 

[stephen sawall]

Fryette S.A.S. and Boostassio.

 

[BackCrack]

I'm down to two, the Soldano and the Mesa. The Budda is ok, I just didn't like the congested mids; sold it last year. The V-twin is currently at Mesa getting a couple mods done. For lead tones, the GTO is the best for me.

 

[jemplayer]

I had to roll tubes with the budda to get it how I like. I use 12av7 in it vs the stock 12ax7. The lower gain tubes really made it my go too over drive.

I also have a mesa bottle rocket that is really good, haven't rolled tubes with that pedal as I really liked the distortion tone I was getting.

Also have an effectrode fire bottle, while it's a boost pedal I live how it pushes any amp to the next level.

Next on my board is a Friedman SAS. Not much of an overdrive, sounds like an old tweed about to blow up vibe. Uses an ef86 tube. Still working with this one.

Effectrode also makes a pedal called a tube drive that I want. Might do what your looking for.

 

[stephen sawall]

With the S.A.S. I put the Bias about 10 - 11 o'clock. Gain just barely on....almost off. Just boost as much as needed with the Volume.

The Mesa and Soldano pedals are excellent. Curious what changes Mesa is doing to the pedal ?

 

[nightlight]

There's this green pedal called a tube screamer that a lot of people seem to like.

I think he means a pedal driven by an actual 12ax7.....

There actually is a tube screamer out now that's got a tube in it, I think both Maxon and Ibanez are making them.

Another awesome series of pedals are the Damage Control line up. I have a Liquid Blues that I use as an overdrive sometimes.

I actually have a small collection of the Damage Control pedals. Those are the same guys that make Strymon pedals. They didn't really catch on because they are huge af, the size of three individual pedals. Two tubes inside them. I love mine.

 

[frthib]

I got a few weeks ago a Blackstar HT-DistX.. I think the pedal series is discontinued but those where/are great sounding.. I like where this distortion is taking my amps... It's more a preamp but it's so much tweakable that it can be used as an overdrive, distortion into clean or full preamp going into the fx-loop

The online demos of it are absolutely atrocious... I don't even understand how everybody made it sound list that much sh!t. There is "stupid settings" in those, but there is "awesome settings" too.

here's how mine sound with a custom 22h on the clean channel barely breaking up.. I boosted it with a bad monkey.. I was thinking about no more tears i think when I recorded that
https://soundcloud.com/user-670493513/blackstar-distx

 

[Mad Axe]

Effectrode stuff is top notch. I’ve never tried the Firebottle or Tube Drive but I have a Blackbird, which is essentially a tube preamp pedal with clean and overdrive channels. It sounds great, I use it with a loop switcher into the return of my modded 800 and it’s just like having a 3 channel amp.

 

[BackCrack]

...Curious what changes Mesa is doing to the pedal ?

(1) changing out the Alternate push button for a stomp switch and (2) adding a master volume for the Solo channel

 

[thiswaythatway]

There's this green pedal called a tube screamer that a lot of people seem to like.

Oh! I thought those pedals with a 12AX7 loaded in was a fad that passed. Do they really sound better than a regular OD pedal?

 

[lespaul6]

^^I was curious about it, that's why I asked.... I'm beginning to think they dont really sound too great

 

[glip22]

It depends what you are looking to do. I would not recommend it for boosting an amp other than a clean platform amp.

 

[lespaul6]

It depends what you are looking to do. I would not recommend it for boosting an amp other than a clean platform amp.

yep... that's what I'm seeing out there

 

[Beyond Black]

There's this green pedal called a tube screamer that a lot of people seem to like.

Go on, I'm listening....

 

[bgh]

Effectrode stuff is top notch. I’ve never tried the Firebottle or Tube Drive but I have a Blackbird, which is essentially a tube preamp pedal with clean and overdrive channels. It sounds great, I use it with a loop switcher into the return of my modded 800 and it’s just like having a 3 channel amp.

The Blackbird is indeed very nice. The clean channel is excellent. Very crisp and clear tones. On the drive side, the "blue" is what I use most of the time. It is a smooth type of distortion. My only complaint is I wish it had a tad more sustain. The other side of the drive, the "red" side, is too much over the top for me.

I have started using it in combination with my Kingsley Jester (the older version).