Bk butler tube driver mods update#

This is called a 'starved plate' design, and you won't see much tube glow, if any, if you look inside. The circuit only draws about 30mA and the tube is actually only running at 12v, a fraction of what these tubes run in a typical amplifier. It filters and colors the sound with the tube characteristics. That strong signal is fed into a vaccuum tube, which does not work to amplify the signal the same as it would in the pre amp stage of a typical amplifier. The clipping part of the distortion comes from the integrated circuit chip, or op-amp. Inside is a hybrid fuzz - pre amp circuit.

The standard 4 knob version features a LEVEL (volume control), HI (treble), LO (bass), and DRIVE control. The Tube Driver looks like something from the bridge of the Enterprise from the 1960s Star Trek television show. The TD has a very unique voice that I have never heard another overdrive replicate. It can be difficult dial in a tone setting that hits the sweet spot, and some people find it finicky and hard to get along with due to some design issues, but in the right setup, with the right amp, nothing sounds quite like it. It is not very versatile sounding through some amps, but exceptionally good with others. At low drive it can deliver a Fenderish smooth gain boost or a bluesy overdrive. At high gain, it is very reminiscent of the lead crunch tone of a Marshall JCM800 amplifier. It generates anything from a smooth, light overdrive tone, to a classic rock-style heavy distortion. It has evolved over the years and there are many versions (a list can be found HERE). Around 1978 Butler designed and began making an early version of the Tube Driver, one of the first tube overdrive pedals. It was designed and built by audio electronics engineer B.K. BUTLER REAL TUBE OVERDRIVE - The Tube Driver is a booster/overdrive pedal with an IC and vacuum tube driven preamp circuit inside, used by guitarists such as David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, Eric Johnson, Billy Gibbons, Joe Bonamassa, Joe Satriani, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, J Mascis, David Holt, Keith Urban, and others.

Bk butler tube driver mods update#

Last update January 2021ДЇor the Tube Driver History and Versions article CLICK HEREДЇor the David Gilmour Tube Driver article CLICK HEREД«.K.