K butler tubeworks tube driver real tube overdrive effects pedal. I found this one at guitar resurrection in austin texas. This is the big daddy of tube overdrive pedals the classic tube driver from b. 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. Do you know what the bias knob does as you take it from 1 to 10. The tube driver is a holy grail type pedal, but many people, especially younger players, have never heard of it.
Wtt fulltone octafuzz, fulltone supatrem, bk butler tube driver w bias, morley distortionwahvolume wttf ocd micronano pog strymon flint or throw out some offers. Wtt fulltone octafuzz, fulltone supatrem, bk butler tube. Just go up or down a few clicks and he nails what he wants. I kept the power section from john ks version of the blue tube. Bk butler tube driver 5knob demo original bias mod vs. I found an old 3 knob version in japan for cheap so i bought it and emailed bk about its history. Hi andrea, i have the bk butler tube driver with bias mod as well, i use a nos yugo real tube tho 12ax7. Tis is the only handmade and authentic tube driver which i personally designed in 1983. Its kind of like having a section of your amp right in a pedal. Bias mod in tube driver on right made by bk butler. Hey sho, ive owned several tube drivers over the past 12 years. Skip to main content skip to footer site51244472 used 1244472 in store used used bk butler tube driver wbias knob effect pedal. Special 5th knob bias mod information butler audio.
Nov 28, 2016 both tube driver original, made by bk butler. This is a demo of the much hailed and much sought butler tube driver with added bias knob. I got an upgrade offer by mr butler to add a bias knob on it. Wtt fulltone octafuzz, fulltone supatrem, bk butler tube driver wbias, morley distortionwahvolume wttf ocd micronano pog strymon flint or throw out some offers. It is unkown which circuit was inside the 1980s tube driver, as butler stated shipped david four 911 td circuits in 2005, requested to replace the circuits in his old tube drivers. The mids control will be sacrificed and replaced by the bias control. According to mr butlers website, the bias knob is supposed to change the potential on the tube and can make it sound like a range of gain options between 12au7 very low gain to 12at7 high gain.
You could build that one if you fancy, however, bajaman took apart a reissue b k butler tube driver and posted up his own project which is verified and working, and sounds great to boot it also includes an interesting bias mod which allows you alter the voltages seen on the tubes grid which will alter the character of the clipping. Its no wonder all these top cats use bk s tube driver. A pair of adjustablebias mosfet gain stages take the place of the 12ax7 vacuum tube, otherwise the. It was designed and built by audio electronics engineer b. Heres the tube driver made famous by david gilmour. 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. Need help, bk butler tube driver fender stratocaster. Everything from hard rock to slight breakup it does it in spades. Used bk butler tube driver wbias knob effect pedal. And i would definitely love to see it as a stomp model in the kpa. In 2008 butler added began offering a bias control option, something he offered on the very first tube drivers in the 1980s.
Compatible with all electric guitars and amplifiers. The stomp box world has much more variety than what the kpa has in store when it comes to distortions and overdrives. 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. This pedal is legendary, used by eric johnson, kenny wayne. If you havent played through a bk butler tube driver, you are missing out. I run 12au7s in all of them except the baby, they just sound smoother throughout the gain knob. Bk butler 911 tube driver beigeblack for sale online ebay. Its no wonder all these top cats use bks tube driver. Heart of the tube driver is a real handselected 12ax7 tube by bk butler himself controls.
Butler tube driver with bias pot very handy, even the baby 9v. The bias control is very helpful as it adjusts the amount of current applied to the cathode of the tube. The bias control allows you to adjust the tube characteristics over a wide range. Bk butler tube driver page 2 joes guitars, amps and. Bk butler tube driver with bias knob the gear page. I have a 4 knob bk tube driver with bias control that i bought is new condition. There are videos but nothing that shows you or elaborates the sound difference with bias turned up or down or in mid. What do you guys know about the bk butler real tube driver.
When i first tried it i thought i remember the pedal. The only other problem i have had is getting it to cut through in a band situation. It was 9v powered, like most pedals, making it more marketable to a larger crowd. The first, original, one was the bk butlerchandler tube driver. The tube driver houses a preamp tube and it generates distortion by overdriving the tube rather than conventional pedal methods. Bk butler tube driver new model with bias knob jam pedals delay llama. 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.
Not sure why it does not say 12ax7 instead of 12at7 on the website for bias turned all the way up. Known the world over for creating the eric johnson violin tone and as one of two main pedals used by david gilmour. David gilmour, joe satriani, billy gibbons and many other pros now use the bias mod. Used bk butler tube works tube driver, vintage tube overdrive pedal from the 1980s. The mosfet driver is based on the legendary bk butler tube driver. I will say the box didnt make me able to play like eric johnson but i finally got that violin tone ive been. A pair of adjustable bias mosfet gain stages take the place of the 12ax7 vacuum tube, otherwise the circuit is true to the original schematic. 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. So, i started hunting for some videos or any info on bias knob.
Browse bk butler tube driver schematic bias pictures, photos, images, gifs, and videos on photobucket. Need help, bk butler tube driver discussion in the effect effect started by willeycaster000, jan 31, 2016. The first, original, one was the bk butler chandler tube driver. Shown above left to right the 1985 bk butler tube driver, the revised 198687 bk butler tube driver, the unauthorized 1988 knockoff made by chandler after butler parted ways with them, the 1990s tube works 911 tube driver, and a b. 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. 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. Bk butler tube driver by whopperplate 28 may 2018, 16. Eric johnson used to spend a lot of time looking for perfect tubes to use in his standard tube drivers, but now he can just set the bias easily with the stock tube. Find great deals on ebay for bk butler tube driver and bk butler tube driver bias.
I definitely need to try a 12at7 or a 12au7 in mine. I believe the ones bk is making now have a yugoslavian tube in them also alot of guys actually will put a 12au7 in, which is lower output and yields. Butler tube driver 5knob w bias control youtube eric johnson interview guitars amp effects on up close album part 3 of 3 duration. Feb 28, 2012 you could build that one if you fancy, however, bajaman took apart a reissue b k butler tube driver and posted up his own project which is verified and working, and sounds great to boot it also includes an interesting bias mod which allows you alter the voltages seen on the tube s grid which will alter the character of the clipping.
I am on again off again with my bk butler tube driver wbias mod. Tube driver with bias control original design by bk butler. It can be a little harsh and raspy and i assume that is because i still have a 12ax7 in it. Bk butler tube driver txba gear index texas blues alley. Each one is hand made and checked out carefully by bk himself. Aug 15, 2009 the tube driver is actually quite an aggressive sounding pedal, contrary to major belief due to the sweet, smooth tones of two of its most renown users, eric johnson and david gilmour, and so ive found it sounds nicer to my ears with the bias knocked back, which smoothens the tone out i know thats what ej does too. His classic tones did not utilize a bias knob model. Hi bk, i got the tube driver with bias last week and was too busy to test it out. In original box with documents and signed by bk butler.
Bk butler tube driver 5knob demo original bias mod vs diy bias. Chandler tube driver vs tube works 911 telecaster guitar. The bias knob allows you to reduce the gain, similar to what would be accomplished by changing to a lower gain tube like the 12au7. Heres your chance to own this legendary holy grail of overdrive pedals. Its like changing the types of tubes anywhere from a weak 12au7 to a blistering. The tube driver is actually quite an aggressive sounding pedal, contrary to major belief due to the sweet, smooth tones of two of its most renown users, eric johnson and david gilmour, and so ive found it sounds nicer to my ears with the bias knocked back, which smoothens the tone out i know thats what ej does too. Buy tube driver original by bk butler with bias control. These pedals have to be dialed in for each individual amp and guitar combination as they are relatively low output and the tube drive tends to kick in at a lower level than some pedals. Bk butler tube driver page 1 joes guitars, amps and. When i recently built an exact clone of the chandler 4knob tube driver actually 5 knobs since i added a bias controli seriously bbk replacing the entire tone control circuit with 1 a baxandall tone control circuit, 2 a variation of the tone woeks on the colorsound power boost, or 3 perhaps a 5 band eq.