Incredible Guitar Tube Drives

[dimitar]

Hi guys!
Do you know anything about this incredible Guitar Tube Drives
http://www.udaloff.com/production.php

Wow What fabulous design!

[Hink]

Hi guys!
Do you know anything about this incredible Guitar Tube Drives
http://www.udaloff.com/production.php

Wow What fabulous design!

well I never heard of them and I can't read the page. However the first thing that jumps to mind is two tubes. One tube pre-amps do indeed provide warmth but the true tube distortion sound is achieved with at least two tubes...so I would say based on that it bears further investigation if that's what you're seeking. Personally it reminds me of the boogie pedal...

[morelia]

I must admit, that is the best looking stompbox I have EVER seen.

And as a plus the guitarist can see how cool he looks as he stomps it.

[Hink]

I must admit, that is the best looking stompbox I have EVER seen.

And as a plus the guitarist can see how cool he looks as he stomps it.

unless you got lights reflecting back up in your face...then you'll be so blinded you'll look like Trigger counting while looking for the switch....

[brianbrian]

hink, you're on the money about the limited distortion capabilities of just one or two tubes. A lot of companies put out products with 1 12AX7 and claim it has "tube warmth", but the tube isn't even operating with enough wattage. Plus one tube alone can only do so much...but imagine what this stompbox can do in front of an all-tube amp though, with 3-5 12AX7s!

It sure looks great.

[Sascha Franck]

These are looking great.
Btw, there's an english site too:
http://www.udaloff.com/english_index.php

[IIRs]

My multi-FX has a single 12AX7 valve to handle overdrive: it sounds loads sweeter than the solid state distortion from the same unit, and it does a really good not-quite-clean sound.. but all the real magic comes from the EL84 valves in my power amp.

Nice looking pedals though!

[brianbrian]

but all the real magic comes from the EL84 valves in my power amp.

mmmm...power tube distortion...mmmm..

[Forever Sun]

I must admit, that is the best looking stompbox I have EVER seen.

You can say THAT again ! I want two in every room ...and attached to my car's dashboard : Girlfriend: " What's this darling ?" Me:" My new overdrive".

Ouch.

[Hink]

hink, you're on the money about the limited distortion capabilities of just one or two tubes. A lot of companies put out products with 1 12AX7 and claim it has "tube warmth", but the tube isn't even operating with enough wattage. Plus one tube alone can only do so much...but imagine what this stompbox can do in front of an all-tube amp though, with 3-5 12AX7s!

It sure looks great.

well I have an all tube marshall preamp....trust me nothing is needed to boost that thing. In fact I use the ryhthm channel because the lead has two overdrives and imo it's overkill. But even my old plexi (with a master added) all I needed was a little juice to excite those tubes, a solid state overdrive pedal like the boss turbo is great for this.

However because I can't read the page, what's the price? Because imo you can't beat the value or the tone of the Sansamp GT2. Click my sig, the first song you here as well as Reality, Plight of a dreamer (solo only) and I stepped right in it were all recorded plugged into a GT2 and nothing else but a little delay (and flange on the ryhthm track of reality) added form my Akai DPS12...

[Hink]

My multi-FX has a single 12AX7 valve to handle overdrive: it sounds loads sweeter than the solid state distortion from the same unit, and it does a really good not-quite-clean sound.. but all the real magic comes from the EL84 valves in my power amp.

Nice looking pedals though!

that doesn't make sense, in fact even EVH used seperate poweramps as opposed the Marshalls power amp (4 400 watt Yamahas at one point)....in fact a poweramp section should be as transparent as possible. The Power tubes do become microphonic but they shouldn't clip unless the amp is all the way up and the fact that you can't control this distortion in anyway makes it kinda of crappy. The reason Marshall first put a master volume on amps is so you can crank the pre to get the distortion but not turn the amp to ten.

If yoou need proof look at the sucess of the talent soak (powersoak) from SR&D or the power brake from Marshall, both were thought to be a good idea...that was until guitar players realized a master volume was a lot cheaper because the soak/brake method ate power tubes up, 6L6's aren't cheap...both products were quickly dropped from production because they did little to improve the sound, but had enough impact on the power tubes to make them very unstable quickly. Both products were also to blame for many power transformers to go...

[Lawnmower Of The Damned]

I think Platinum's point was that 12AX7s aren't generally considered to be a good choice for all out balls to the wall distortion. They are great for some saturation, and are frequently used in load simulators. They do a great job providing a little drive in things like the Vox Tonelab.

However, if you are looking for extreme distortion in the tube realm then you probably want 6L6s or EL84s.

And as for EVH, AFAIK he generally used Marshall Plexis from circa 1968. Distortion has come a long way since then, and I dare say that a Bogner Uberschall can manage a tad bit more crunch than a '68 Plexi

I don't happen to know what type of distortion the original poster is looking for, but if he wants serious high-gain, then EVH is not the man to emulate. If he wants classic rock drive, then yeah, EVH is a good place to start.

[IIRs]

in fact a poweramp section should be as transparent as possible. The Power tubes do become microphonic but they shouldn't clip unless the amp is all the way up and the fact that you can't control this distortion in anyway makes it kinda of crappy.

I'm not talking about "distortion", I'm talking about "magic"

I use the 12AX7 in my pre-amp for distortion: the power stage completely changes the feel of the guitar however, even at low levels with clean sounds: the guitar responds differently with the valve power stage than with any other type of amp I've used.

[Hink]

I think Platinum's point was that 12AX7s aren't generally considered to be a good choice for all out balls to the wall distortion. They are great for some saturation, and are frequently used in load simulators. They do a great job providing a little drive in things like the Vox Tonelab.

However, if you are looking for extreme distortion in the tube realm then you probably want 6L6s or EL84s.

And as for EVH, AFAIK he generally used Marshall Plexis from circa 1968. Distortion has come a long way since then, and I dare say that a Bogner Uberschall can manage a tad bit more crunch than a '68 Plexi

I don't happen to know what type of distortion the original poster is looking for, but if he wants serious high-gain, then EVH is not the man to emulate. If he wants classic rock drive, then yeah, EVH is a good place to start.

uhm comparing pre-amp tubes and power amp tubes? Don't think so my friend. Absolutely two different beasts, and in fact most older tube hi-fi amps used 12AT7's as they are cleaner. As far as the choices are concerned when it comes to pre-amp tubes the 12AX7 is the hottest.

Power amps are not meant to distort, that's just plain fact. Any audiophile or tech will tell you that. 6l6's and El84's are power tubes, their primary function is clean power, nothing else. That's why power amps in 99% of preamp/power amp combos (imo opinion the two need to be seperate) have absolutely no controls on them. All your tone is created in the pre-amp and the power amp only has one purpose, to amplify that tone. I used EVH as example only because he does have a unique tone and all of that is from the pre-amp then clean power amplifying it.

Please bear in mind for my first guitar amp my father and me refurbished an old ham radio amp and built a speaker (that was '71). I promptly discovered that 12ax7's (I went to a tech high, a teacher from the electronic shop told me this though I took tool and die making) were more distorted then 12at7's, I still remember my fathers pride in building me a clean amp...and the first thing I did was ask "where's the distortion?".

Since then I have owned many tube amps and other crap amps (like the old Peaveys, a Dean Markly,) including a twin reverb (I only had that for the time I was in the Army, I sold it before coming home) Ampeg v4. B55 (or 25 I forget) Fender Bassman, a Tusc (what a mistake that was), an old 100 watt Marshall Super Lead (head, with the little logo) circa late 60's, we did the california hotrod to that and that added a master volume. I traded that for a Mesa Boogie SOB in the mid 80's, which got stolen a few years later.

I now use a Marshall 3 channel, stereo tube pre-amp (3 12ax7's). That has an Alesis midiverb4 in the loop (stereo loop) and I have the pre going into an Aphex aurel exciter. That rig is powered by a 400 watt power amp and my 4x12 (celestion G35's) is wired for stereo and down to 4 ohms. In other words a nice guitar rig that will give any tone at any realistic volume. If my power amp distorted after I sweetend the sound with the exicter wouldn't that just be a futile waste of time? FWIW I use the Aphex but a BBE is extremely popular in many guitarists rig and in an effect loop it is between the pre-amp and power amp as well.

However I am gonna dump the Marshall pre soon for a Tech21 PSA1. The Marshall is getting old and getting parts for it from korg is hard and I don't have a tube power amp because power tubes really have a short life of "good sound"...first you have them burn in and if you drive them they don't last long. But even worse a slight power variation coming from the power outlet of where you are playing significantly effects the tone of the amp. It takes a lot of power to get those tubes going (that's why tube amps are so heavy, they need much larger transformers) any loss will be noticable, or atleast it is to me. Solid state power amps do deliver more consistant sound....

[Hink]

in fact a poweramp section should be as transparent as possible. The Power tubes do become microphonic but they shouldn't clip unless the amp is all the way up and the fact that you can't control this distortion in anyway makes it kinda of crappy.

I'm not talking about "distortion", I'm talking about "magic"

I use the 12AX7 in my pre-amp for distortion: the power stage completely changes the feel of the guitar however, even at low levels with clean sounds: the guitar responds differently with the valve power stage than with any other type of amp I've used.

That makes sense, the Magic is probably highly due to the fact that power tubes are very microphonic. The louder you crank them the more microphonic they become thus "recieveing" some of the output sound...though it's not like it's a full spectrum thing, but it will add to the ambience of the sound...