# Butler Tube Driver



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Anybody have any experience with these pedals? I'm looking for a pedal with a bit more bite than my TS-9 and I have too many dirt boxes on my board as it is, so I would like something versatile. 

Also, I find that my TS-9 and my Driverbreaker both alter the tone of my signal an awful lot. Even with the tone knobs dimed, the driven signal sounds darker than the clean signal. I don't get this with my Rat or Box of Rock. Anyone else experience this? How is the Tube Driver in terms of keeping the original signal?


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## sproul07 (Jun 23, 2007)

The Tube Driver is an amazing pedal. BK Butler now makes updated versions of his old Chandler ones, and I think they sound much better than ther originals. The Tube Driver isn't for everyone though. It has an incredibly clean overdrive sound. Even when you turn the treble knob down on the pedal, it still doesn't get muddy or midrange heavy. Probably due to the 12AX7 is packing. Some people find it gives too much of that crispy midrange sound. You can hear it all over David Gilmour's work from Momentary Lapse of Reason to On an Island, where he uses the new BK Butler ones. If you're into Eric Johnson it has that sound in it as well, even if you don't play like him sometimes you just hear it. I personally love it just for how BIG it sounds. It has the depth and roundness of a Big Muff, but its an overdrive so its more versatile. I highly recommend this pedal If you want someone completely unique sounding and if you're sick of the default overdrive circuits (TS-808's), as I was. They are expensive though, so make sure it's what you want


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

sproul07 said:


> The Tube Driver is an amazing pedal. BK Butler now makes updated versions of his old Chandler ones, and I think they sound much better than ther originals. The Tube Driver isn't for everyone though. It has an incredibly clean overdrive sound. Even when you turn the treble knob down on the pedal, it still doesn't get muddy or midrange heavy. Probably due to the 12AX7 is packing. Some people find it gives too much of that crispy midrange sound. You can hear it all over David Gilmour's work from Momentary Lapse of Reason to On an Island, where he uses the new BK Butler ones. If you're into Eric Johnson it has that sound in it as well, even if you don't play like him sometimes you just hear it. I personally love it just for how BIG it sounds. It has the depth and roundness of a Big Muff, but its an overdrive so its more versatile. I highly recommend this pedal If you want someone completely unique sounding and if you're sick of the default overdrive circuits (TS-808's), as I was. They are expensive though, so make sure it's what you want


Yeah, it definitely sounds like it would be down my alley. I keep getting depressed when I hit my TS-9 and it sounds like someone wrapped a scarf around my tone. I like the sound of the drive, but my tone goes right to hell. It's not the midrange-bump that the pedal is notorious for, it's more of a mid-bass bump. My strat sounds like a humbucking guitar, and my humbuckers get really muffled. Any clue where I could try one out?


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## Evilmusician (Apr 13, 2007)

I picked up the real tube 902 same type pedal only more gainer which is what I wanted ,I had a telefunken tube in there ,but it died so i put a cleaner eh tube in there, and I'm really digging the sound cheers!:rockon:


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## sproul07 (Jun 23, 2007)

You can visit BK's website here and drop him an email http://www.butleraudio.com/tubedriver.php
I think you'll like the Tube Driver. I picked mine up this time last year from BK and it still amazes me how good it sounds. The presence of the pedal is what still gets me. Just clean, crispy biting overdrive


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I like the sound of my TS9, but it has a 'brown mod'. You may want to take it in to get a 'Keeley Mod'. Now the minor problem here, is that Tim at Songbird could do this. If anyone knows were he is,... or is going to be?


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## sproul07 (Jun 23, 2007)

Tube Screamers and TS-style pedals definatly have their own sound, but I just got so sick of it. I used Tube Screamers since I started playing up until late 2006 and the sound started to wear on me and I just wanted something completely opposite sounding and the Tube Driver was it. I had an old TS-808 that I wished I would have hung onto, but live and learn


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

I have nothing against the TS, and I have gotten some great tones out of it. My main problem is that it doesn't really jive with my main amp right now. My YGL-3 doesn't overdrive easily, so using it as a boost to push the tubes doesn't yield a very exciting drive tone, and the sound of it used as an overdrive pedal through this amp is not thrilling either. 

Now, having said that, I LOVED the sound of it as a boost for my YCV-40, but I no longer have that amp. I also really, really like the sound of the TS as a drive pedal with my Fender Frontman 25 that I use in the den when I'm watching tv. It sounds glorious with that amp, and once it's replaced on my board with something I like better, that's where it will go to live the rest of it's life.

I've never been a big Floyd fan, but I love Gilmour's tone and style (I think it's the older Waters/Barrett stuff that really turned me off Floyd). I figure the Tube Driver is a good place to look, but I'm hesitant to drop that much coin on a pedal without knowing a bit more about it first. Especially if trying it out first is not much of an option.


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## sproul07 (Jun 23, 2007)

Ya its a bit of a jump, so you have to be sure that its the sound you want. Just listen to David's "On an Island" album, the new Tube Driver is all over it. But I can assure you if you want a completely different overdrive than any other out there today, you will not be disappointed with the Tube Driver. There are limitless tones in it and I'm still amazed by it a year later


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## BoxOfSnoo (Mar 4, 2008)

Not sure about the tube driver, but you should really try out a Digitech Bad Monkey, it has the bite and neutral tone you're looking for. It's really cheap too.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

BoxOfSnoo said:


> Not sure about the tube driver, but you should really try out a Digitech Bad Monkey, it has the bite and neutral tone you're looking for. It's really cheap too.


The Bad Monkey is a Tubescreamer clone, which I'm trying to get away from. But yes, for what it does, and for the price at which it does it, it's a fantastic pedal!


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## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

Or have a look at the Tonebone stuff - made in Vancouver, I have a classic and really like it. The Hot Brit was too hot for my tastes, but a lot of folks like it. There's also the Trimode, which I thought about as it's versatile but got a good deal on the classic.* It's also a third of the price - mine was just over $100 used but in perfect condition. The BK is 300 new, and often more used.

*No affiliation, but a happy user.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

devnulljp said:


> Or have a look at the Tonebone stuff - made in Vancouver, I have a classic and really like it. The Hot Brit was too hot for my tastes, but a lot of folks like it. There's also the Trimode, which I thought about as it's versatile but got a good deal on the classic.* It's also a third of the price - mine was just over $100 used but in perfect condition. The BK is 300 new, and often more used.
> 
> *No affiliation, but a happy user.


Yeah, I've heard a lot of good things about the Tonebones, but never heard one myself. Although, I've also never heard a Butler either. I guess I gotta track down one of each and see what's what.


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