HT Tube pedal?

[Jaicen_solo]

Hey guys.
I'm shortly going to get my hands on a tasty little 5W SE valve amp. Given that it's an all tube design with some really nice crunch sounds, I'd feel bad about stuffing a solid state gain pedal in front. So, i've been thinking of making an all valve overdrive/pre-amp pedal.
Basically, I was thinking i'd just copy the first gain stage of something like a champ or an 18w and have that feeding into the front end of the amp.
Has anybody done this?

[bancika]

champ and 18w have pretty clean preamps but they can do as boosters. Alembic preamp is similar to fender preamp.

[MartyMart]

Someone posted a nice valve boost idea last year .... search  !
Or, as your little 5W will have a preamp vale, how about just using
an AMZ mosfet boost up front, or a Range Master  ?

MM.

[jlullo]

or you could always try this trick-
http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=51555.0

[birt]

i have built a standalone tube preamp with one 12ax7 and the voltages like a normal amp.
if you sent me a pm with your e-mail i'mm mail you the lay-out and schem

[Dragonfly]

. Given that it's an all tube design with some really nice crunch sounds, I'd feel bad about stuffing a solid state gain pedal in front.

Just wondering...Why would you feel badly, considering that some of the best electric guitar tones in history were made by a solid state pedal in front of a tube amp ?

*Jimi Hendrix
*Stevie Ray Vaughn
*Billy Gibbons
*Steve Vai
*Jimmy Page
*Jeff Beck
*Warren Haynes
*Reeves Gabrels
*Pete Townshend

Geez...the list could go on forever...

AC

[Jaicen_solo]

True, but I want that valve pre distortion sound!!
Besides, I can also use it as a send or insert effect at the studio, so it's multi-purpose really.
I was checking out the AX84 High octane, which I think could be a contender for a versatile pre-amp pedal.
Birt I forgot to mail you my address, it's jaicen_soloREMOVETHISBIT@hotmail.com.

[alextheian-alex]

True, but I want that valve pre distortion sound!!
Besides, I can also use it as a send or insert effect at the studio, so it's multi-purpose really.
I was checking out the AX84 High octane, which I think could be a contender for a versatile pre-amp pedal.
Birt I forgot to mail you my address, it's jaicen_soloREMOVETHISBIT@hotmail.com.

You should check out Bancika's page.  I think you might find some useful info there.

[Jaicen_solo]

You're not wrong there! Great little page that. I'm particularly interested in the DIY Sustainer, the site's not exactly clear about wether you got it working or not.
The Tube reactor, looks a lot like what i'm looking to build so i'll give it a thorough going over and see what I think.

[bancika]

Just small comment for sustainer. I did finish it but never got time to install it in my guitar. It definitely works, based on test with holding driver in my hand. I hope I'll install it soon enough
Cheers

[ThomasD]

Try a Real McTube

http://www.dogstar.dantimax.dk/tubestuf/mctube.htm

http://www.tonepad.com/project.asp?id=23

It uses a single 12ax7 (or the multiple variants) and uses readily available wall-wart type transformers and diode rectification to operate at real tube voltages.

http://www.diyguitarist.com/DIYStompboxes/RealMcTube.htm

Has some useful mods.

I built mine with the etched PCB layouts from tonepad and it works great.