tube distortion pedals

[Mario-C.]

I'm thinking of getting a pair of tonebones and damage control pedals to try out, has anyone here tried them ?
are they any good ?

are there any other brands I should consider ?

thx

[Kiwiburger]

I have the Classic and Hot British Tonebones and love them. I've tried other stuff like the Mesa pedals, and found them to be noisy and lacking eq range. The Tonebone stuff is low voltage hybrid - not really a true tube circuit, but I don't really care how they do it - it works for me.

I haven't been able to purchase one, but i'm very interested in www.glasstoneamps.com - the Tin Can looks very interesting, and the clips sound good. I like the fact it uses high voltage internally, and yet runs of 12V DC (so you could run off a car battery for zero hum if that was ever an issue). The Tin Can appears to do clean very well - the Tonebones aren't really clean, they are distortion pedals.

Just had another look at the Glasstone site - I wan't, but they don't take VISA - sigh ...

[covert]

Mesa Bottle Rocket is worth a try.

[gregl]

SIB Varidrives are nice. A lot of people swear by Ibanez Tube King's.

[bobby yarrow]

There are some very nice OD pedals that have a tube in them, but I'm not convinced the tube is the signature of the sound. I would say they're nice pedals that happen to have a tube in them.

[Cap'n Spanky]

I've got the Damage Control Womanizer and I'm quite happy with it. I bought for direct recording.

Natural tube overdrive that is very similar to a quality tube amp. Far superior to my PODxt. Lots of tonal possibilities with both a pre and a post EQ. The opto compressor is great.

You should definitely try it out before you buy. Opinions vary widely when it comes to guitar tone.

[feyshay]

I posted about a year ago with the same question, perhaps exactly the same title. You may want to search, since I got some very good advice. I learned that you really have to match your overdrive pedal with your amp. Some sound better with some amps.
FWIW, I ended up with a Fulltone Fulldrive 2 and later wanted some fuzz/overdrive with a Fireburst from Diamond. Both of these are great pedals. I also learned that you really don't need tube. Most of the best don't have tubes. I didn't like the Tonebones.

[Zeppelin4Life]

Ive played with the womanizer once...it was cool..but it wasn't really real tubey sounding to me. Granted I think the amp sucked. But I think it's a good point here, if the amp is no good, no pedal with make it better. Ive spent years and years trying to get a good guitar sound....I've had and sold many great pedals, but they just weren't my sound. The best I have is now, a 1983 JCM800 with a Keeley DS-1 boosting and driving it.


I will say proudly that the Keeley Mod DS-1 is the best distortion pedal I have ever used/owned. Use it with a vintage marshall and it's like a party in your pants.


Remember, it's not the tube that gives it the sound its the circuitry of the entire unit. I mean, hell, Behringer makes tube gear. Are you going to tell me it's vintage and harmonically amazing?


Great player->great guitar->boost/high end effects (if any)->Great amp (loud)

[C/G]

The Stage Hog by Stephenson amps. www.stephensonamps.com It is expensive but it doubles as a small amp and you can run a 4 x 12" off it if you want to.
It is also designed to run off a few different tubes so you can really tailor it's sound to your taste. I have one on order.

[Ruudman]

Originally Posted by Colin Gaucher

The Stage Hog by Stephenson amps. www.stephensonamps.com It is expensive but it doubles as a small amp and you can run a 4 x 12" off it if you want to.
It is also designed to run off a few different tubes so you can really tailor it's sound to your taste. I have one on order.

Threm has one. I've tested it a few times. Good, but expensive.

[petsematary]

I think tonebones are great but damage control I didnt' really care for. The V-stacks are great too, but not real tube. The hughes & kettner tubeman is also really, really good. The h&k I'd say would fit very nicely if you're into rock and hard rock, the tonebones will do anything and the V-stacks will also do anything if you buy two of 'em.

[Anonymatt]

Love my Classic Tonebone. It is not quite as flexible as people make them out to be, but still a lovely unit. A two/three-trick pony, maybe.

If you're only going to try out two of those, pick the Classic and then maybe the Plexitube or the Trimode. During my auditioning, compared to the Classic, the Hot British felt like more of the same. You know, one more similar gain stage.

[gregl]

Tube or solid state, they all do something a little different. If you want a relatively transparent boost the Fulldrive II (no tubes) is excellent. There are several other solid state pedals that do the same thing real nice. The Ibanez Tube Screamer has a little different sound (or maybe I should say a little bit of a sound to it).
The RAT works great for a certain sound into a lot of tube gear, like giving a little bit of best and edge to a slightly mushy sounding amp. The Hughes and Kettner is great and can do a lot of different things. The Mesa V Twin didn't work that well for me (except for getting a great "direct" clean tone), but they make another less expensive tube box that does a great ,fairly transparent boost. Unfortunately I haven't messed witht the Tonebone a lot but I heard an acquaintance of mine use one at a gig and it direct into the board and it sounded quite nice.

The important thing is to try before you buy, rather than tube or solid state. And it needs to be with your guitar and amp and you need to spend some time with it if at all possible. Nowhere is the saying "one man's garbage is another man's gold" more true than with distortion pedals.

[Benjy King]

Matchless Hotbox

[Cap'n Spanky]

Originally Posted by petsematary

I think tonebones are great but damage control I didnt' really care for. The V-stacks are great too, but not real tube. The hughes & kettner tubeman is also really, really good. The h&k I'd say would fit very nicely if you're into rock and hard rock, the tonebones will do anything and the V-stacks will also do anything if you buy two of 'em.

Which Damage Control pedals did you try and what didn't you like about them? So far, I haven't heard anything I like as much as my Womanizer.

[Synth80s]

Originally Posted by Anonymatt

Love my Classic Tonebone. It is not quite as flexible as people make them out to be, but still a lovely unit. A two/three-trick pony, maybe.

If you're only going to try out two of those, pick the Classic and then maybe the Plexitube or the Trimode. During my auditioning, compared to the Classic, the Hot British felt like more of the same. You know, one more similar gain stage.

I also dig my Classic Tonebone. Unlike some on/off distortion boxes, the Tonebone has great dynamic response and a very wide range of distortion and tone shaping controls. The distortion sounds all fall in the same family, but they can be tuned to different styles and depths. The filter is very useful (beyond what the EQ controls do).

They've since released the tri-mode which looks very interesting if you want even more options. One more note: the Tonebones are built like bomb shelters. Radial has a well-deserved reputation for building high quality gear (you'll rarely find anything but a glowing review of their DI boxes).

-Synth80s

[chrispick]

I use the Hughes & Kettner Tube Factor. Definitely dig it.

[Anonymatt]

Synth80s, totally forgot to mention the Classic's dynamics. Yeah, even with everything turned up, you're given an unbelievable amount of room for expression. Takes well to compression downstream, as well. Quiet too.

Using the filter, I've gone straight from the Tonebone to a DI--for some things that works pretty well.

I also own Radial's X-Amp, which is super-dee-duper.

On a side note: Despite lots of positive press, I feel like maybe the Tonebones don't get as much props as they would if they were packaged and marketed in a more boutique-looking way. Also, Radial is known as a company that sells lots of clean products that are thought of as being pretty hi-fi--some might fear the Tonebone line lacks mojo. Of course, we all know where mojo comes from...

[Anonymatt]

Originally Posted by Zeppelin4Life

I will say proudly that the Keeley Mod DS-1 is the best distortion pedal I have ever used/owned. Use it with a vintage marshall and it's like a party in your pants.

"Could you elaborate on your experiences with the Ultra DS-1?" I typed, eyeing the orange pedal from across the room.

[Pohaku]

Originally Posted by Benjy King

Matchless Hotbox

Plus one!

[Synth80s]

Originally Posted by Anonymatt

On a side note: Despite lots of positive press, I feel like maybe the Tonebones don't get as much props as they would if they were packaged and marketed in a more boutique-looking way. Also, Radial is known as a company that sells lots of clean products that are thought of as being pretty hi-fi--some might fear the Tonebone line lacks mojo. Of course, we all know where mojo comes from...

I agree completely. While some vendors deserve their "street cred" (Analog Man and Z-Vex come to mind), I couldn't care less about cool factor. Radial's designs are excellent, but they have kind of a clinical studio tool vibe about them. Fine by me -- the Tonebone may not be a fancy chrome box with hand-painted flames and chickenhead knobs but it sounds great day in and day out and it's built to last.

-Synth80s

[mic monkey]

the only tube pedal i would consider now is the coopersonic. it my go to pedal... its thick but open and natural sounding

www.coopersonic.com

[covert]

Originally Posted by gregl

Tube or solid state, they all do something a little different.

That's where the fun comes in.

If you want a relatively transparent boost the Fulldrive II (no tubes) is excellent. There are several other solid state pedals that do the same thing real nice. The Ibanez Tube Screamer has a little different sound (or maybe I should say a little bit of a sound to it).

Actually I read that as, "...has a little sound." That's about my opinion of the TS and all it's clones and variants.

The RAT works great for a certain sound into a lot of tube gear, like giving a little bit of best and edge to a slightly mushy sounding amp.

Among the most versatile od pedals that can be had.

The Hughes and Kettner is great and can do a lot of different things.

The older half rack H&K stuff is also very good.

The Mesa V Twin didn't work that well for me (except for getting a great "direct" clean tone), but they make another less expensive tube box that does a great ,fairly transparent boost.

That may be the Bottle Rocket, that I recommended above. Can be set transparent or crunchy.

The important thing is to try before you buy, rather than tube or solid state. And it needs to be with your guitar and amp and you need to spend some time with it if at all possible. Nowhere is the saying "one man's garbage is another man's gold" more true than with distortion pedals.

Trying before you buy is of limited value, but it's a start. No matter what the gear, it will sound different in location, and from day to day, than it did in the store. As you get a better feel for sounds, it matters less and less what you use for the auditions, ime. As for trash and gold, that's certainly the case.

[Tim L]

Bad Cat X-Treme Tone.

The cascading gain stages on this thing are pretty awesome... No one trick pony is she... Love it, Love it, Love it!!!

[Mario-C.]

Thanks for the tips guys, I totally agree on the amp matching, right now I'm using a fender twin which is a clean amp, i use some fx so normally i avoid dirty amps, I like delays and stuff like that to come out clean and not distorted, I'm also not really into that "scooped mids" guitar sound, I found that it sounds nice by itself but in a band context the guitar sounds gets completely lost, so I want some midrange there, lots o' crunch too, I think I'll order a few pedals to try out before I buy anything ...

always a pleasure guys

[robot gigante]

Bad Cat 2 Tone is no slouch either.