"Real Tube" Overdrive

Phil_aka_Pip

Bought in 1989 (IIRC) from Doug Chandler's shop in Richmond. ATM it's the 2nd in the chain on my pedalboard (1st is an original Guv'nor, bought at the same time). I usually keep the Guv'nor scooped with lots of drive , and the actual gain is about unity so the vol pot doesn't boost it much. The "Real Tube" tends to soften up the o/p from the Guv'nor so I get somewhere near (but not exactly the same as) the smoothness that Andy Latimer gets with his Rat into a Tube Screamer. The Real Tube is set to about flat bass & treble, with a mild midrange hump. The "drive" is quite low at about 2/10, again the vol pot is set for roughly unity gain.

Had a conversation with someone (can't remember who) at the recent Huddersfield bash, who noted that the drive is set very low, and I said if you turn it up, the pedal gets fizzy, and he said that's because they put an ECC83 (12AX7A in yank-speak) in it, you should put something with a lower gain in there. Which I'm willing to try ... but he reckoned an ECC82 would do the job, whereas I always thought you could replace an ECC83 with an ECC81 for lower "gain" but not with an ECC82.

So what would @ICBM (or any of @ECC83 @jpfamps) do?

Gassage

Phil, having used loads of plate starved TD style pedals, a CV4003 will literally annihilate anything else in my experience, but they're pricey.

jpfamps

To be honest I'm not familiar with that circuit, so can't really recommend anything with any authority.

ICBM

You should be able to use an ECC82/12AU7/CV4003 in a 12AX7 circuit as long as you don't exceed the plate resistor ratings, which with a low-voltage circuit like this won't happen. (It can in amps.)

I would try a standard ECC82 first before spending a lot more.

Phil_aka_Pip

Thanks, Gentlemen