A first look at my Nu-Valve pedal

[Doug_H]

Here's a clip recorded by Scott Lerner using my Zendrive 2 with a Groove Tubes 12AX7-M (Mullard clone).  The pedal is running at 9V (with a DC adapter):

http://www.scottlernermusic.com/mayclips/Zen2FirstTestGT12AX7.MP3

Alf

I have heard it then. :oops:  :oops:  I forgot all about that clip, Alf. :oops:  It sounds really great!

How does Robin like his?

Doug

[petemoore]

Smooth, nice jazz playing also...I Like That Tone !!!

[Doug_H]

I tried to use the best tubes I could with the low voltage ones and only got a semi-decent tone. For me, it wasn't worth implementing them. I got lots better sounds with our transistor circuits.

I'm developing a hybrid circuit with an ECC86  right now and I'm really happy with it. To my ears it's one of the best sounding pedals I've built. Like a lot of things, you have to work around the imperfections I guess... I need to finish the prototype and do a clip.

Doug

[ahermida]

Here's a clip recorded by Scott Lerner using my Zendrive 2 with a Groove Tubes 12AX7-M (Mullard clone).  The pedal is running at 9V (with a DC adapter):

http://www.scottlernermusic.com/mayclips/Zen2FirstTestGT12AX7.MP3

Alf

I have heard it then. :oops:  :oops:  I forgot all about that clip, Alf. :oops:  It sounds really great!

How does Robin like his?

Doug

This clip is not the Nuvistor one but the Zendrive 2...but still its a hybrid solid state/tube design.  I talked with Robben's guitar tech yesterday and he hasn't done A/B tests yet to compare it with 3 different versions (solid state) that I sent him.  Hopefully I will know more about it soon.

This is Scott Lerner playing the original Zendrive (all solid state)

http://www.scottlernermusic.com/zen/ZenHelpPoor.MP3

(Compare that tone to the tube version).  

***warning: shameless plug below ***
Finally you can hear the Zendrive in Brad Paisley's latest CD - he's got a hit on the radio titled "Alcohol" where he uses the pedal all through the song.
*** end of shameless plug ***

Alf

[sir_modulus]

I like the sound of tube pedals...but I'll agree...starve tubes...just sound bad. For example...I really really like the Shakka series...but the Shakka tube was rather dissapointing...sounded really raspy and unmusical. (No offence in any way aron...I play on the Shakka Express all the time   ). I thijnk those nuvistors look awsome!

Cheers,

Nish

[Mark Hammer]

If by "Robben", you mean Robben Ford, then I am truly humbled and envious.  Making a pedal for him would be pretty much tantamount to being asked to pick out underwear for <insert name of favourite actress here>.  I consider your plug more deserving of pride than shame.

The first clip of Scott's sounded a whole lot like Ford's tone.  Which leads me to ask whether this sounds as nice with single coils and nary a spec of mahogany around.  Personally, I don't consider that a weakness in the design, but I guess it is a practical question to avoid any possible disappointment of those whose tools do not include more resonant bodies and thicker-sounding pickups.  Brad Paisley is obviously known for twang-alicious Tele-torture, but he can also afford some choice in his plank to spank, so my question is whether his Zendrive use is with single-coils or something else?

[ahermida]

If by "Robben", you mean Robben Ford, then I am truly humbled and envious.  Making a pedal for him would be pretty much tantamount to being asked to pick out underwear for <insert name of favourite actress here>.  I consider your plug more deserving of pride than shame.

The first clip of Scott's sounded a whole lot like Ford's tone.  Which leads me to ask whether this sounds as nice with single coils and nary a spec of mahogany around.  Personally, I don't consider that a weakness in the design, but I guess it is a practical question to avoid any possible disappointment of those whose tools do not include more resonant bodies and thicker-sounding pickups.  Brad Paisley is obviously known for twang-alicious Tele-torture, but he can also afford some choice in his plank to spank, so my question is whether his Zendrive use is with single-coils or something else?

A lot of people visit me to test my pedals since Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, up to West Palm etc have all sorts of musicians plus a nice group of students from the University of Miami's music dept.  I've seen strats, teles, a few PRS and less Gibson LP/SG etc.  There are a lot more people with single coils than humbuckers, from what I've seen.   Brad uses a Bill Crook guitar with Voodoo pickups - I played one at a fellow professor' house.  Robben uses Baker guitars (what Scott Lerner used in the clips), Teles and even Les Pauls.   I have a Nashville Deluxe Tele with Tom Anderson pickups in it.  This one has 3 pickups (neck/bridge are typical Tele pickups, and middle looks like a strat pickup).  They are not hot pickups but I do get "that" sound too.

Mark, here are some links for you (nobody else can look  :wink: )

http://www.online-discussion.com/RobbenFord/viewtopic.php?t=1287

http://www.online-discussion.com/RobbenFord/viewtopic.php?t=1314&highlight=zendrive

http://www.online-discussion.com/RobbenFord/viewtopic.php?t=1279&highlight=zendrive

Alf

[zachary vex]

nuvistors may not glow, but they're way sexier than these things.

[Mark Hammer]

Alf,

Well should you "run into" Mr. Ford, ask him (politely) to get his ass up here to Ottawa for next year's Bluesfest.  I should think there are at least a few of us who would very much like to see him.  For that matter, given that the Jazz Festival is usually within a week of Bluesfest, he should try and score a two-fer, with a jazz-oriented gig for the one, and a blues gig for the other.  That'd be a helluva lot of fun.

[puretube]

talking `bout preferences:

nuvistors may not glow, but they're way sexier than these things....

it may not glow right now - but:
for g**dness sakes, take a look at those plates...

(maybe not sexy: sixceethirtythreecee-bee, but almost big enough to put a Hamm*nd box into it...)

[Mark Hammer]

Didn't I see one of those on Dr. Who? Or was it "Lost in Space"?

DANGER WILL ROBINSON, DANGER!!

[Doug_H]

If by "Robben", you mean Robben Ford, then I am truly humbled and envious.

Yeah, I meant "Robben", not "Robin"... Sheesh... :oops:  :oops:  Lots of embarrassing moments for me lately...

Doug

[Doug_H]

Didn't I see one of those on Dr. Who? Or was it "Lost in Space"?

DANGER WILL ROBINSON, DANGER!!

I think it was in "War of the Worlds" this past weekend. One of those destroyed NYC... :lol:

Doug

[casey]

nuvistors may not glow, but they're way sexier than these things.

hey! ive got one of those!   :roll:   it actually has been a good little radio.

[Paul Marossy]

Hmm... first time I've seen Nuvistors in a pedal before. Some of the old Tektronix scopes used these before they were changed to SS (transistors). They're really compact little things - almost the size of those large metal can transistors...

[Bluesgeetar]

Ok I know where I can get about 200 or so nuvistors.  Question is are all Nuvistors the same?  When I opened up the little box it looked somewhat like the the one on that link just a little different.  But the same general shape.  And small.  I may be able to get them cheap.  The place that has them isn't really sure what the heck they are good for and kind of dismissed them as even being tubes when I asked about them.  

let me know, I'll be in there tomorrow and I'll get a better look at them and try and give you guys a better description.  It was hard to concentrate cause I was surrounded by alot of RCA 12aX7s JAN 12aX7 and 6l6 blackplates and every other tube known to man branded mostly either JAN or RCA.  I was amazed I even remembered to look for the nuvistors.  I was hyperventilating.

[Phorhas]

That's really cool!

I have to get some of these... I wonder how would a mini-booster sound
or a shaka-brahdah, or evert crkt with trannies... LOL

[Bluesgeetar]

If I find that the ones I saw are usable I'll buy them and stick them on the for sale area of this forum.  Cheap.  I ain't lookin to screw nobody.  Hopefully someone here will design a awsome pedal using them that we all can build.  That is what I'm shooting for.

[Paul Marossy]

There were several different types of Nuvistors available. From what I can tell, it seems like they were kind of where tubes were headed before the introduction of the transistor and the following takeover of everything being transistorized.

[SteveB]

....
The first clip of Scott's sounded a whole lot like Ford's tone.  Which leads me to ask whether this sounds as nice with single coils and nary a spec of mahogany around.  Personally, I don't consider that a weakness in the design, but I guess it is a practical question to avoid any possible disappointment of those whose tools do not include more resonant bodies and thicker-sounding pickups.  Brad Paisley is obviously known for twang-alicious Tele-torture, but he can also afford some choice in his plank to spank, so my question is whether his Zendrive use is with single-coils or something else?

I agree, the tone is so nice & round. What type of amps were both clips recorded with, & how much of the amp tone comes through on the sound of the clips?

Great stuff!
Steve