Tubeworks tube driver 301 effect pedal excellent shape. Some used 4knob tube drivers marked chandler are not the original design by bk butler. Bk butlers original hand made tube driver guitar pedal used by eric johnson, david gilmour, billy gibbons, joe satriani, kenny wayne shepherd, robbie krieger, and many other pros. Date on back says 1998, which i cannot verify but it matches up to the dates that tube works made these in taiwan. Feb 19, 2020 never tried an original bk butler tube driver but always wanted to give one a go. It no longer functions correctly to change the gain. Bk butler tube driver 910 schematicpot value telecaster. For midscooped amps, like the fender twin reverb, the real tube version. Bk butler tube driver new model with bias knob jam pedals delay llama. David gilmour of pink floyd was seen using two 1980s tube drivers in the studio and on tour in.
Real tube by tube works other than one being in super cool enclosure, and the other in a buttugly enclosure, the 4 knob 911 tube drivers and 5 knob real tube versions are basically the same patented b. The tube king is reputed to be a very similar circuit design to the tube driver and the patent there certainly backs that notion up. Bk butler tube driver page 2 joes guitars, amps and gear joe bonamassa forum the official forum for all things joe bonamassa, guitars and blues music. The bk butler tube driver is the quintessential overdrivebooster pedal and comes with an ic. This is the original model, designed by bk butler, built by. I dont think butler ever completely stopped making the 4 knob tube drivers, but they would have been on the back burner during that period. Bk butler tube driver 3 vs 4 knob version the gear page. The 3 knob just has one know for eq and the four knob says high and low. Jul 02, 2009 ive just opened mine up and the circuit board quite clearly reads patented. Some used 4 knob tube drivers marked chandler are not the original design by bk butler. Butler designed tube driver circuit with some component differences.
The pcb is pretty accurate to the original, with a few small improvements. The mosfet driver is based on the legendary bk butler tube driver. Butler audio inc is not responsible for customs charges, delays due to general delivery andor customs clearance issues. Need help, bk butler tube driver fender stratocaster. Apr 06, 2012 4 modify the stock component values to match the reissue b k butler tube driver. Definitely get the bias knob upgrade as its the key to this already stellar platform. Around 2005 butler started making the original four knob 911 tube driver again through his butler audio company, although only by custom order. I do agree that it is more of a distortionfuzz pedal than an overdrive pedal but i think the tone is great. The bk butler tube driver has a sordid manufacturing history, having been made at various times and various places under both the tube works and chandler names, before finally being produced in original form again by butler himself, via his company, butler audio. With all the gain already going in, not a whole lot of extra gain is needed. After doing some research, i decided to order the parts for two builds. A pair of adjustablebias mosfet gain stages take the place of the 12ax7 vacuum tube, otherwise the.
This is a favourite of eric johnson, david gilmour, joe. Only reason i ask is that the 18v outputs on my board power. The first, original, one was the bk butler chandler tube driver. He is still handbuilding tube driver pedals, and says he still does the occasional td with the eq points set for bass, as well as with lower gain. The real tube includes a mid range knob, allowing for a wider range of tones to be dialed in. For the bias control my favorite settings are maximum for gilmour tones and 10 notches below maximum for my original tones, which is roughly 2. Butler started making the 4 knob tube drivers again as a production model under the tube works brand around 199394. The 4 knob both the chandler i used to have and the bk one i currently own have a built in power cord. Alternatives to the tube driver sound the best alternative to the popular 4 knob tube driver is actually the 5 knob real tube pedal, model 901, made by tube works and designed by bk butler. Bk butler 911 tube driver beigeblack for sale online ebay. I have never seen one made in taiwan, i have only seen u. Nov 20, 20 just recently sold my 3 knob version to another member, he installed a 12at7 i believe, reckons its a killer pedal now, i had a 12ax7 in there and it was too gainy for me.
K butler tube driver with bias knob youtube that pedal show thoughts on valve overdrive pedals, part 1 duration. It might not be identical to the tube driver but its in the same sort of area. Make offer bk butler tube driver 5 knob bias knob version. The circuit is a bit more complex, but bascially the same design as the 911 tube driver only with a mid range knob added. I have an old 3 knob tube driver by bk butler tube works which has a broken potentiometer in the tube gain position. I know ej and gilmour use the 4 knob version and its the one released this year. This is the big daddy of tube overdrive pedals the classic tube driver from b. And i would definitely love to see it as a stomp model in the kpa. But the blue tube will be part of my collection for years to come, its a great keeper the way it is stock imo. Bk butler s original hand made tube driver guitar pedal used by eric johnson, david gilmour, billy gibbons, joe satriani, kenny wayne shepherd, robbie krieger, and many other pros. Butler tube driver famously used by david gilmour, eric johnson, billy gibbons and joe satriani to name a few. It spins all the way around and pulls out some too.
Chandler tube driver vs tube works 911 telecaster guitar. Bk butler tube driver by groovenut 28 may 2015, 04. Butler s company at the time was making the 5 knob real tube and blue tube pedals. The tube driver is not an extremely versatile pedal but what it does it does very well.
The stomp box world has much more variety than what the kpa has in store when it comes to distortions and overdrives. The tube driver is a holy grail type pedal, but many people, especially younger players, have never heard of it. The bk butler comes as a tube driver model and is available with a bias knob for 12ax7, 12at7, and 12au6 preamp tubes. Jul 02, 2016 i own the 3 knob version of the tube driver. Bk butler tube driver with bias knob, get that awesome violin tone lead best tube driver ive ever played through the delivery man dropped off my brand new bk butler tube driver about 4 hours ago 11 am and im still going, 3 pm. Unfollow bk butler tube driver to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. If i were a betting man, id take a guess that johnson isnt using the butler as much as a gain booster, but as a way to shape his attack. Butler real tube overdrive the tube driver is a boosteroverdrive 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. The tone from this unit is so inspiring and diverse.
I dont use the blue tube much for drive but i do dial a little bit of dirt into the signal. Ej uses the 4 knob variant, giving him a little bit of extra control of the eq. The 3 knob version was an entrylevel tube driver produced when tube works b. He recommends the 5 knob model with the added bias control.
It was designed and built by audio electronics engineer b. Bk butler tube driver page 2 joes guitars, amps and gear. The bk tube driver is an excellent overdrive ideal davidas. Hi andrea, i have the bk butler tube driver with bias mod as well, i use a nos yugo real tube tho 12ax7. The core of the pedal is a handselected 12ax7 tube which gives you a. Chandler tube driver vs tube works 911 telecaster guitar forum. Bk butler tube driver 5 knob bias knob version ebay. The four knob tube driver sounds best with amps that have a moderate mid range. The first was the four knob version by bk himself off ebay and then i bought a 5 knob version with bias tube also direct from bk. The most recent posted schematic appears to be more accurate than the previous ones based on my old tube driver. Tubedriver, tubedriver blue, thermionic, mosvalve, butler audio, blue tube.
Does anybody know whether i can put 18v into it it says 9v but im feeling greedy to give it a bit of a kick. Bk butler tube driver page 2 joes guitars, amps and. The core of the pedal is a handselected 12ax7 tube which gives you a lovely sort of fuzzdrive sound than can sound amazingly smooth and textured in the hands of masters like david gilmour who still features 2 of these within his rig. To me, the bk butler tube driver is one of the best around both for leads, taming a muff and for a clean volume boost that adds some bite. I found an old 3 knob version in japan for cheap so i bought it and emailed bk about its history. The mids control will be sacrificed and replaced by the bias control.
The finish has a few chips, it is a fairly old pedal from the 80s. What do you guys know about the bk butler real tube driver. I really love it, it has been on my board for years but every article that i read about these pedals really craps on the 3 knob version. Its a great time to upgrade your home music studio gear with the largest selection at. The bk butler tube driver is the quintessential overdrivebooster pedal and. Connector type, standard usa style 3prong ac plug, 14 guitar in and out jacks. A pair of adjustablebias mosfet gain stages take the place of the 12ax7 vacuum tube, otherwise the circuit is true to the original schematic. It was 9v powered, like most pedals, making it more marketable to a larger crowd. Butler tube driver 5knob w bias control youtube eric johnson interview guitars amp effects on up close album part 3 of 3 duration.
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