Just take a look at this thing…recognize it? Then you’re probably not under 20 years old, as it seems these things have become somewhat of an underground legend. The Tube Driver, in this particular case from Chandler Industries in San Francisco, has been a staple on many famous and influential guitarists, even if you might not know where their killer overdrive tone was coming from. Granted, these all don’t sound the same, due to all the break-ups and whatnot between B.K. Butler and Chandler, but that’s kind of the fun of them – you never know exactly what you’re going to get.
First of all, these things are HUGE. I had no idea when I bought this one online what was going to be delivered to my house. It’s almost as tall as 2 regular-sized pedals, and 3 inches thick at its deepest. But, that’s because it houses an ACTUAL TUBE, which is where most of the power of these things comes from in the first place. There’s been much debate on what tube sounds the best, especially between the 12AX7 and the 12AU7, but basically it comes down to personal preference, like most things in our gear-infested world. The one I bought came with a Groove Tubes 12AX7 in it, and after playing it for a while, I’m pretty content to stick with it, though I may experiment a little bit down the road. These Tube Drivers also have their own built-in power supply, so you’ll save an outlet from your Power Pedal 2 when you add this baby to your board.
The Control knobs are pretty simple: Out Level, Hi, Lo, And Tube Drive. The Out Level is obviously how loud this thing is going to sound, and the Hi/Lo is a nice, concise version of an EQ, with no mids to worry about, while still being easy to dial in. Tube Drive is your Gain knob, and can go from very, very mellow and low-sounding to cranked up and ballsy overdrive. This thing sounds like a tube amp (wonder why?), and can make any non-tube amp amp sound like it is one. Really. All kinds of rich warmth envelops this pedal, and gives your tone a bit of a kitten’s purr if you will, making it sing and sustain while still being able to propel you sonically into the next stratosphere.
Getting harder to come by, and not the cheapest pedal on the planet, Tube Drivers are sought-after for a reason…well, for many reasons, I suppose, and I can absolutely see why. You can buy a NEW version direct from B.K. Butler himself, or you can take your chance on the old-school pedals, which seem to tell a bit more of a story and have that charisma that newer stuff sometimes just doesn’t. Either way, if you can get your hands on any incarnation of a Tube Driver, do so. You’ll be extremely glad that you did.
Submitted by Mike B, Website
GET EXCLUSIVE UPDATES, CONTEST INFO, SEE OUR LATEST DEMO VIDEOS AND MORE:
January 5, 2017
I just purchased one of these at one of my local goodwill stores for a whopping $9.99 before tax. I would say from reading this article that it was money well spent.