JoeyBones wrote:
What do you guys think of the tube based pedals like the Cooltron range? I've heard that some manufacturer just use the tube as a gimic.
I read a thread on another forum where there were mixed feelings about having a tube driven pedal on a pedalboard that gets chucked in the boot.
Not all tube based pedals are equal! The Cooltrons are awesome IMO! I have four of them: Big Ben Overdrive, Bulldog Distortion & Brit Boost x2. Have tried the Seymours, Ibanez & Rocktron as well.
They're the only tube pedals that can run on batterries or 9V Daisy chain that I know of, which is way more convenient than the 24V PSU Blocks of the other tube pedals. Sound-wise the Cooltrons are the closest thing you will find to real amp channels in a pedal IMO (well the OD & Dist anyway).
Big Ben - Smooth and fat sounding with some good crunch with the gain turned up, if you want. It's the fattest, most organic, most amp-like overdrive I've played.
Bulldog - Sounds like a Marshall Plexi and JCM2000 in the same pedal. You can get from sort of gritty vintage OD up to roaring Marshall esque Metal Gain. I'm just not really into the Marshall Dist sound, so it doesn't get used much, fantastic though it is.
The Valves really do make a difference. More like an amp-channel than a pedal IMO.
I paid R1700 each when they were released, but you can get them really cheap now. Turnkey in JHB has them at R500 now. Like a clearance sale or something. I got my second Brit Boost the other day for R500. Well worth a look if you are in search of DIST/ OD. You won't find anything else close in terms of sound or price IMO.
I just wish I hadn't paid so much when I got them originally, although I think they still worth it at the higher price.
