Pedalboard-based tube preamp?

[Smitty]

Ok, so this is just a wild idea, so I don't want anyone bashing me if this idea is stupid.

But me and my buddy have been talking about the future of tube amps and solid state getting better, etc. And since I'm really into jazz right now, I have come to love solid state cleans, namely the Fender Jazzmaster Ultralight. But I love good tube distortion. Can't beat it, at least right now. But, in a nutshell, all of these topics came together in discussion to produce an idea....

(Here's the main point of the post). Let's say that you have a solid state amp, and you love the clean, but you want a tube distortion and don't want to amps. And let's say that your favorite OD box is...I don't know, let's say a Tubescreamer for simplicity's sake. As we all know, you need a tube amp for a Tubescreamer to really shine. But you don't want to give up your solid state clean and you don't want to dish out cash for a second amp.

Bear with me here.

What if you used a pedalboard-based tube preamp? Essentially, an oversized effects box that has...gee, I don't know, 1 6L6 and 2 12AX7's, or twice of each...whatever's plausible. So your pedalboard goes (excluding all other pedals): Guitar -> OD pedal -> preamp -> amp. I hope that order isn't backwards. But basically what I'm trying to have done is the signal from the OD pedal goes through the tube preamp, into the amp, essentially giving you a tube amp distortion. And it's not something like a Vox Tonelab that has a single preamp tube in it...this has powertubes and preamp tubes. And it can be bypassed so that you still have that solid state clean.

I hope that makes sense. Maybe I'm just crazy and/or ignorant, but this actually seems like a cool and plausible idea.
Smitty

[elcid]

Im not sure how the solid state amp would like a tube pre and power amp fed into it.

[RSVampire]

there are tons of tube driven pedals...

mainly you could try the Mesa V-Twin pedal.

[kotornut]

Well one problem is that tubes are really delicate and you'd have to be careful with that many tubes in a pedal board. But for the rest, why not.


But there are plenty of tube pedals, Vow, Damage Control, Seymour Duncan, the V-twin like RSVampire said etc.

The V-Twin is a premap though, full blown preamp.

I run a Vox Bulldog distortion tube pedal through a Roland JC-120 and I sound great. I think your idea is possible. You just have to tweek the clean amp a bit so you don't over load your front end with distortion. I wouldn't say I sound as good as a great full blown head and cabinet, but I'd say for far less than a grand I sound pretty darn close. My bands other guitarist is jealous of my sound compared to his JCM 2000. It's not saying much, but it is only a ￥14,000 ($140) pedal here in Japan.

[shogun]

i have a mint condition vox bulldog that I would sell for a good price, if you are looking for a phat, high gain, tube amp'esque distortion.

[Smitty]

Originally Posted by elcid

Im not sure how the solid state amp would like a tube pre and power amp fed into it.

That's the one problem I was thinking. There would be a lot of power going on...like, two amps in one signal sort of. I wouldn't want to blow anything (I never do! )
smitty

[ardell henderson]

One thought: don't do it unless you're prepared to fry some circuits! Yes, this is the voice of experience talkin' here. Been there, done that, BIG mistake! Still hurts just thinking about it...

[rvai]

or you could get a mulifx pedalboard with tubes like a tonelab or a korg 9.2 or something like that

[Smitty]

Originally Posted by rvai

or you could get a mulifx pedalboard with tubes like a tonelab or a korg 9.2 or something like that

Well, yeah...but that makes sense

I don't really think I would ever try this, especially after Mr. Fried Circuit's comment, just an idea.

[LonePhantom]

Vox Bulldog isn't bad, but the Hughes and Kettner Tube Factor is amazing. I'd recommend that pedal if you are after a tube distortion that sounds great through a SS amp.

[elcid]

You can put a tube on your toaster and it will have only a slightly less effect than putting one in a pedal. The power tubes are atleast as big if not more of a factor in how an amp distorts. Putting a 12AX7 in a pedal may warm up the tone a bit, but in no way is it "real" tube distortion.

[David McCarroll]

Have a look for a Mesa V-Twin or Bottle Rocket stompbox - they are essentially exactly what you are looking for and are designed to interface with the front end of your guitar amp - apparently became very popular with Roland JC120 owners who loved the clean sound of their amp but hated any form of overdrive it provided.

[kotornut]

Originally Posted by elcid

You can put a tube on your toaster and it will have only a slightly less effect than putting one in a pedal. The power tubes are atleast as big if not more of a factor in how an amp distorts. Putting a 12AX7 in a pedal may warm up the tone a bit, but in no way is it "real" tube distortion.

I used to think that too. Well, I should put it this way, it definately does depend on your power tubes. But that's not to say that with a tube pedal you can't get a good tubey sound. I don't think anyone here would tell you their tube dist. pedal makes a good Mesa, Randall, Marshall or whatever obsolete. I'd say that you can achieve a very decent tone with a set up like this. I do it and I'd vouch for my tone any day. I'd never say it's as good as someone with a great tube head but it's better than any modeling tone and not far off the mark of an expensive amp.

[elcid]

I'm not debating whether you can get a "good" tone with one of those pedals or not, that's a no win debate. I'm just saying it is no more of a true tube distortion or tone than a hybrid amp, which is essential the same thing, a solid state power amp with a single tube in the pre amp. It wont turn dogsht into diamonds, but some people may like it, just dont hang your hopes on a $100 pedal making a cheap amp sound like something it will never be.

[bulletbass man]

If I'm not mistaken roland already makes amp that use tube ods with ss cleans.