B.K. Butler Tube Driver (5-knob w/ Bias Control)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- Welcome to Perky's Analog Gear Demos. Please subscribe for more demos of vintage & rare effects pedals!
This is the big daddy of tube overdrive pedals - the classic Tube Driver from B.K. Butler! This is a favourite of Eric Johnson, David Gilmour, Joe Satriani...the list goes on!
As with all good tube drives, it has the lovely compression and sag that we associate with playing through a cranked amp. It's super punchy and dynamic - dig in and you'll get glorious tube saturation; back of and it cleans up beautifully.
This is the version with the optional 5th knob - a Bias control, to change how the tube behaves. As you reduce the bias, you get less gain but also a spittier sound and a much looser bottom end. Crank it up and the 12AX7 is firing on all cylinders!
What do you think? The best tube overdrive out there? Or over-hyped? Comment below!
Guitar is a Fender Strat through a Hughes & Kettner Puretone Combo (recorded with an sE Electronics RNR1 Ribbon) and a Cornell Romany Plus (recorded with a 57)
jp@joeperkins.co.uk
I’ve been using mine for years along with the bias adjuster and it is a fantastic pedal. You did a great job of showcasing how you’re playing style and dynamics can greatly affect the tone and volume while using this pedal. Well done!
Thanks! It's such a cool drive pedal :-)
just bought one of these (with the bias control) . It sounds nothing like this , mine sounds like an awful fuzz. I must have a dud
With the bias anything other than all the way up, this one was spluttery & fuzz-like too. But might be worth swapping the tube - it doesn't make much difference to how the pedal sounds during normal operation, but if the tube is dead it might be making it sound screwy. Either that, or...you're definitely running it at the right voltage for the country you're in vs what it's wired for?
@@JoePerkinsMusic bought it used. it's mint 2017 unit. Sound is shit in my opinion.
Try a different value tube in it.
Can someone tell me, how can i order this pedal? Cause i after some reading on the internet, many people said that they ordered it from BK Butler himself, and they contacted him through his email..please, please, please, I've been dying looking for this pedal, there's so many fake BK Butler Pedal out there...please help me
This is definitely going on my pedalboard.
Its also amazing as a clean boost with added bass and lower mids if wanted, or after a muff to tighten up the bass, and get that syrupy mids on top of the angry distortion, or an almost fuzz on 1'oclock gain and low bias.
Just take it easy on the Hi Eq and max Gain, and you'll be fine.
It's super versatile, for sure :-) Can use it for pretty much anything, really!!
It sounds so cool I would just use it by itself..Did you see it how he used it on Texas Blues Alley? This sounds so slammin on some SRV style heavy fast blues solos and riffs.
Awesome video pushed me over the edge to buy one lol cheers!
In America it’s a tube overdrive but in Britain it’s a chube overdrive
In America it’s a toob overdrive but in Britain it’s a valve overdrive
Chube driver ,,, with a valve
(Sigh...) If only every guitar pedal review was this thorough and straightforward.
Thanks Tim!
you had me at rush - you nailed that tone fantastic job!
Rush.. this does not sound like a Rush type pedal, even though it sounds ok for it..it sounds a lot better for SRV and Jimi type jams.
You again! You demonstrate All the cool pedals, my favorites!
Aha - peekaboo! :P
Wow. That is one mean pedal!
Got one today. Love it
My absolute favorite overdrive/distortion pedal, hands down!
and butler himself is seeling the tube drive for 300 bucks new - while ebay ppl try to sell his work for 500 and more :D
even the bias xtra cost just 125 more still cheaper then some ebay adds
I have two of these. The first 1 is an older 3 knob that's been modded with a bias knob. I'm using a 12au7 tube and running 18v through it. Easy on the gain it stacks well with either a Alchemy modded Blues driver and/or a Meat and 3 modded Soul food. All are on my board. Then on the shelf is this 1 with a 12at7 tube. I don't use this on board cause size and its own cord would be more pain when hooking up while out playing. Each has its good points and bad. But I do love these pedals. 12ax7 are heavy gain. If you want to calm it down, check out other tubes. The U tubes are the weakest.
yeah that sound great!
This is incredible versatile. Any experience putting it after a fuzz face? Would think it would tighten it up nicely
Never tried - but imagine it'd sound ace :-)
@@JoePerkinsMusic cheers! Gonna buy the 5 knob version this month i think direct from BK - hopefully he can sort the voltage so it's EU ready
Depends on what sound you are looking for. For starters, you could UA-cam various artists and their signal chain to see what they do, or just have fun figuring out which you like best.
Great sound ! This bias control, at lower settings, makes the pedal enter into fuzz world...
Aye, it's an awesome pedal :-) I shot a video just after this swapping the AX7 for a vintage AV7...worth a watch if you like this video! Cheers mate!
That's perfect : I'm going to watch this vid ! See you soon !
sag and compression are two different things....
Mr butler just modded my old original with a bias control- but I’ve gotten so used to my 911 I never use it - was going to try putting copper shielding tape around the transformer to quiet it down it makes more RFI than the one from 1995- he autographed my old one for me - I’ve been using it since 1986
So I'm confused. Are you using the old 3 knob? Or did you get a 4 knob w/cord modded? Did the metal tape make any difference? I got an older knob version that's been modded with a bias knob. I'm using a 12au7 tube and running at 18v for more headroom. It's fine but very noisy when engaged and not playing. Have to kill noise with tuner engaged. Would love to take out some noise without changing any sounds. AMAZING pedal. So glad I lucked into this on a Ebay bid nobody else bid on. Got this for $167 couple yrs ago and immediately went on my board. I know exactly what others say about playing with other pedals. I had to move it and other pedals around to keep everything quiet. I even went inside my Meat and 3 modded Soul food to change to bypass. All kinds of things to make everything work together.
You rock kind sir!
Would be cool to see this vs the klon.. 🙌🏻
Very very different beasts!
Great tones and playing! Dude what is that you're playing at the begining when you turn the pedal on? That country, bluesy, hop and skippin ass snappy riff
Ah that’s just some rockabilly type thing I’ve played around with for years - not overly original I don’t think, kinda a 12 bar blues with a bit of rhythm :P
@@JoePerkinsMusic I fuckin love it! Please let me know if they're are songs with that in it lol. I must hear them
@@greendragon2471 I'll be sure to post it if I ever record it 🙂
Question… will this pedal sound good with a JC 40 ?
There's other tube pedals I personally prefer over this one - but it's whatever works for you!
@@JoePerkinsMusic can you suggest one that would be best for a JC 40 ?
Where can I steal one?
Try Eric Johnson ;-)
Hi Joe... I discovered I love the tube drive stomp model on my Line 6 modeller... trying to figure it is worth more than 300 dollars to get the real thing. Any opinions?
I've never used the Line 6 - but generally speaking, the harmonic richness & compression characteristics of tubes is difficult to replicate digitally. That said though, in the Tube Driver the tube is only used to slightly colour the sound on the output of the pedal - it's not actually used to create the overdrive; that's done by an Op-Amp stage, a bit like a Tubescreamer. So this is far from being one of the more 'tubey' tube pedals out there. I'd say - enjoy the Line 6, and if you see one of these come up 2nd hand it might be worth trying it out - but I wouldn't rush out and spend $300 on one. :-)
@@JoePerkinsMusic Thanks :)... Is this also not one of your favorite overdrives in general?
@@emreemre369 I like it, but it's not something I find myself using all that often. It's a pretty high-gain pedal and I tend to prefer boosts into driving amps over OD pedals, nowadays. I've never sold it though, so I must like it more than having what it's worth in my wallet! :P
I bought one of these about 8 yrs ago and have never really got it to do anything and it’s sat on a shelf when not in its box.
A bit like my big box Fulltone Deja Vibe.
Great sound! Rush, Steve Vai! Congrats
I've got the super rare 3 knob with the epoxy coated PCB that I exposed. 3 extra diodes besides the 3.2V zener that was deemed not needed.
4558 was dead. Works now.
Going to put a bias control on it and audition.
Nice! All a little over my head but...nice! :P
My dream pedal that I can't afford even a used condition.
On Tuesday there'll be a video on swapping the 12AX7 tube for a vintage 12AV7...so watch out for that :-)
Here you go! ua-cam.com/video/ShLFyCyzh-8/v-deo.html
I have 2 of these, an older 2006 non-bias knob version and a 2016 version with bias knob. The 2016 version has horrible ac hum. I actually own two of those and they both hum exactly the same. Do you have this same issue? (with gain turned up especially)
Never noticed any substantial hum from mine. Might be something dodgy in the power plug?
Joe Perkins I dunno I have two of them and they both do the same thing.
Hi guys I’m shmee
You have the level up the whole time. Its hitting the front end of your amp already. Have no idea what amp your using. Not helpful
Frederick Newton Level is set just above unity for each gain setting to avoid hitting the front end too hard. Amps are in the description: a H&K Puretone and Cornell Romany Plus.
@@JoePerkinsMusic above unity is going to hit the preamp. You Cant determine how much is boost or how much is actual gain.
In america not to many people play H&K. Your Strat looks fake..American? Pickups? Watch Brett Kingman. He explains things correctly.
My buddy has a 4 knob model said he got it after he saw Eric Johnson with one in Austin in the 80's. I played around with it for a while and genuinely didn't like the compression or the pedal really in general. Was thinking it was just me but after hearing your demo, it's definitely the pedal.
I sold mine not long after making this - I couldn't bond with it either, despite how much others love it. Much prefer 'real' tube ODs like Kingsley and Effectrode.
@@JoePerkinsMusic Doesnt this one have areal tube in it?
@@michaelcraig9449 It does, but the tube isn’t used to create the overdrive - it’s an op amp clipping circuit. The tube is just on the output of the pedal for the audio to be passed through for some very subtle colour. The tube doesn’t actually do much at all in this pedal - swapping to a different tube type (AT7/AU7/AV7/etc) doesn’t make much difference.
wow for all the hype around this pedal... it sounds absolutely awful
If this sounds awful , let me know about your pedal witch sounds of course better .... ????
@@paulholod9902 my pedal?
Not to my ears