Tube Amp Pedals
Shawn Leonhardt
Many guitarists will say the vacuum tube has the greatest tone when it comes to amplifiers. And there is certainly merit to the claim as many modern solid-state amps look to copy those with valves and tubes. However, solid-state amps are more common and reliable, so if you want that vintage sound you will have to find a tube amp pedal that will get you as close to the real thing as possible.
A LITTLE TUBE AMP HISTORY
Genres like jump blues, R&B, and rock n roll were helped along by the introduction of vacuum tube amplifiers after WWII. These valve or tube amplifiers provided a very gritty and distorted tone which allowed the guitar to finally compete with other instruments. The vacuum tubes provided a memorable and warm vibe, especially with the gain turned up.
It was initially harder to amplify lower frequency sounds, which is why you see stand-up bass in early rock music. As the guitar amp tube technology increased it became suitable for bass and perfect for rock bands of the 1960’s. By the 1970’s transistor and solid-state technology had taken over, but there has still always been the need for that original tube warmth. Guitar pedals began getting popular around the same time, as they used the same new transistor and solid-state technology.
And now thanks to digital technology emulating analog circuitry, it is possible to find smaller effects units that provide the feeling of a real tube amp. Some pedals are meant to emulate only tube amps, while others can handle a variety of amplifier simulations, so you can get your guitar chords to sound crunchy and warm without a completely new rig. As cool as it is to play through classic tube amps, there are simply times where it is better and more practical to have a pedal.
THE BEST TUBE AMP PEDALS
The whole point of the tube amp pedal is to mimic the effects of the overdriven valves, so any good emulation will need just the right distortion. Of course, it will not be a perfect copy as the lack of analog circuitry does change the signal processing, but many pedals can make the tone sound quite accurate, especially if they use small tubes or analog components.
EarthQuaker Devices Acapulco Gold
This pedal is designed for the tone and drive to be controlled by you. With one big knob controlling the output, it’s entirely up to you how to make it sing. This pedal brings “openness, clarity and punch that only a dimed tube amp can provide, at a fraction of the size, and without expensive maintenance costs.” This pedal is a top pick because of its simplicity. You’ll learn a lot about your own playing when using the Acapulco Gold.
TC Electronic Tube Pilot
This 80’s classic is simple and affordable, yet it provides some decent tube-like overdrive. Like other pedals on this list it uses an actual small tube to give it the proper boost and warmth. The pedal doesn’t provide much ability to shape the tone, but at least you get a 12AX7 tube!
Mooer Green Mile
Mooer audio makes a variety of tube amps and modeling pedals. The Green Mile is one of their more affordable options. With the more expensive preamps you will get real tubes, but this little model here does a great job as a tube screamer. It doesn’t allow for much tone shaping, but it sure gives a nice and warm overdrive.
Behringer VT999
This is the next step up and worth the extra money as it uses an actual small 12AX7 vacuum tube to give it the real feel. Even the smallest of tubes can help give it that warm sound that you may be searching for. And while this pedal is more expensive it provides a lot more tone shaping, thus the appropriate name of the Vintage Tube Monster!
Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes Nano Overdrive
This pedal is based on the older CMOS Hot Tubes from the early 1970’s. It is an affordable pedal if you want a heavy overdrive of that era. There isn’t much opportunity to shape the tone, but that may not be necessary if you just want a warmer boost.
Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer
This pedal doesn’t use a real tube, but it does provide analog circuitry that is known for its heavy overdrive ability. It’s a famous distortion pedal, even if you are not necessarily looking for a specific tube vibe. This pedal is a classic for good reason!
Orange Terror Stamp
If you want that classic British tube sound, but with solid-state reliability, this amp modeling pedal will do just that! Orange mixes a small 12AX7 tube with hybrid technology to create a powerful compact amplifier. Pedals like this are the future as they offer very famous tones in portable packages. You can still get that amazing Orange sound but at a lower price.
Tech 21 SansAmp GT2
This tube amp modeler is pricey but it is so powerful it can be plugged directly into the PA. It gives you a choice of different styles of classic amps, mic levels, and gains. It’s a lot like having multiple different tube amps to choose from, all in one pedal. And the pedal is mostly analog construction so you know it will provide that warmth and deeper tone.
Blackstar Dept.10 Dual Drive
As we rise in budget we not only get into real tubes, but we also have more choices for shaping our tone. The Blackstar pedal uses a real ECC83 preamp tube so whatever amp you use it with will get that perfect rich harmonic overdrive. Like other expensive tube amp pedals you can bypass an amp altogether and use this pedal alone to get an incredible sound.
Strymon Iridium and IR Cab
This pedal completely replaces your amp for you with three modeled tube amps: round for a classic sound, chime for a British Invasion sound, and punch for an even heavier tone. This pedal also allows you to emulate different speaker cabinets and even reverb. It is pricey but essentially replaces a tube or even a solid-state amplifier.
UA Dream ‘65
Universal Audio is known for its amazing interfaces and audio equipment for home studios. Here we have an expensive but incredible amp and cabinet simulation pedal. It not only gives you a 1960’s tube amp sound; it will replace and bypass your amp altogether if you want. If you dream of having great old blues and rock tube tones, this pedal will definitely provide!
When using tube amp distortion pedals, remember to not overdo the signal into your solid-state amp. Check to see if they are to be used alone or in conjunction. The more you can spend the better chance you can get a pedal with a real tube, or at least excellent modeling of the technology. But regardless of your budget, or even if you are only just starting guitar lessons, it shouldn’t be hard to find a tube-like overdrive pedal to help add warmth and rich character to your guitar tone.
By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer.
