Page 1 butler audio, inc tube driverd b l u eu 2150 owners information certification. Bk butler real tube blue tube tube driver tube works. Bias mod in tube driver on right made by bk butler. Instead, it is used to introduce the sound of the 300b tube into the sound of the amp. In a control loop, the controller bias is a constant amount added to or subtracted from the action that a. This is a pedal that has been around for over thirty years and has become a longstanding favorite amongst some of the most elite players in the business for its smooth distortion and boost capabilities. I switched my 12ax7 yugoslavian with a 12au7 mullard. Need help, bk butler tube driver discussion in the. Depending on how you set the bias, i usually keep the volume at about 2.
Tube driver with bias control original design by bk butler. Able to organically create the tone of a tube amp at the point of breakup, the tube driver has been loved by guitarists since its inception decades ago for that allnatural tone and feel. Their use is strongly recommended in existing amplifiers with fixed bias of output tube control grids, as aging of the tubes causes the need for a constant readjustment of their operating points. I was at first impressed with dover drive, but decided to buy a tube driver to compare directly. The tube driver is a legendary pedal used by players like eric johnson, david. Chandler chandler tube driver rack tdr 101 vacuum tube preamplifier, real tube driver. The knobs shown on the photo are not included in the kit. In electronics, biasing is the setting of initial operating conditions current and voltage of an active device in an amplifier. It can be a little harsh and raspy and i assume that is because i still have a 12ax7 in it. Bk butler tubeworks blue tube bass driver whos using them.
Its kind of like having a section of your amp right in a pedal. This is the big daddy of tube overdrive pedals the classic tube driver from b. I have a 4 knob bk tube driver with bias control that i bought is new condition. Each one is hand made and checked out carefully by bk himself. Musical instruments ads in williamsport, pa shoppok. Although his als gradually robbed him of his ability to play guitar, to walk, and eventually even to speak, he still remains mentally sharp and, with the aid of a computer, continues composing. Your tube amplifier can easily complement circuits purely analog, allowing for fully automatic bias control and get rid of the constant adjustment of end stage which is necessary due to. Like the old fender bassman, the blue tube does an amazing job for guitar. It was necessary to introduce a controller bias because the thermocouple was not properly placed in the furnace.
The difference in this design is that the 300b tube is the only tube used by the amp. Need help, bk butler tube driver fender stratocaster. Hi bk, i got the tube driver with bias last week and was too busy to test it out. Simply put, it is a 100watt singleended zero nfb class a 300b monoblock. Heres your chance to own this legendary holy grail of overdrive pedals. 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. Hi andrea, i have the bk butler tube driver with bias mod as well, i use a nos yugo real tube tho 12ax7. Discussion in the effect effect started by jeepjones85, sep 10, 2011. The bias controls the current that flows through the tube and defines the quiescent point of the tube, so that the tube reacts immediately to an input signal and so that it amplifies that signal accurately. This kit is a creation by th custom effects in cooperation with. I got a gsystem from tc electronic and mesa amp mini recto and a tube driver.
The operational wavelength range of the mbx extends from 1250 nm to 1610 nm. How to use the caged system to play a solo duration. When i first tried it i thought i remember the pedal behaving like all my other od and boost pedals where i put the output or volume only at around 10 oclock and turning it on boosted the volume of my amp quite significantly. Get your hands on this original groundbreaking tube overdrive used by pro guitarists such as david gilmour and eric johnson it is the tone and theres nothing that comes close to imitation. Tube driver blue 2150 car amplifier pdf manual download. This is a 10 mackie neo 0025990 speaker, rated 8 ohms. The bias control allows you to adjust the tube characteristics over a wide range. When i first tried it i thought i remember the pedal behaving like all my other od and boost pedals where i put the output or volume only at around 10 oclock and turning it on. Butler tube driver blue 2150 owners information pdf. So, i started hunting for some videos or any info on bias knob. James seto introduction this application note introduces a bias control circuit that can be used with the freescale family of rf integrated circuits.
The controller bias is a constant offset applied to the controller output. I would recommend using the gain to control the amount of drive. Yep midrange all the way up and treble bass off is flat for the blue tube bass driver or real tube enhancer both exactly the same. Heart of the tube driver is a real handselected 12ax7 tube by bk butler himself controls. A bias circuit is a portion of the devices circuit which supplies this steady current or voltage. Controller bias definition and meaning collins english. Thorlabs mbx bias controller provides complete and precise control of dc bias and optical output power for any fibercoupled lithium niobate linbo3 electrooptic intensity modulator, regardless of signal speed. There are videos but nothing that shows you or elaborates the sound difference with bias turned up or down or in mid. Power triodes operating with automatic bias control are used in the output stage. The baja tube driver is basically a replica reverse engineered bk butler tube.
This pedal sounds absolutely fantastic at any volume a great transparent overdrive with no bottomend loss. Nov 28, 2016 both tube driver original, made by bk butler. Bk butler tube driver 5knob demo original bias mod vs diy bias. 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. Equipped with a drive, master volume, 3band eq, contour and bias control, this is a superb item that can make a wider range of sounds than the pedal version of the. This is the original model, designed by bk butler, built by chandler. A bk butler tube driver fabbed board would be great handmade ones suck, really hard to get them right. I definitely need to try a 12at7 or a 12au7 in mine.
Ive been using a tc electronic gsystem as a sort of control unit, but im. Tube driver bottom pcb layer parts placement and bias mod. Esp ltd te200 blk electric guitar gloss black ebay. Heart of the tube driver is a real handselected 12ax7 tube by bk butler himself. The additional bias control pot is mounted above the input socket on the rear. The knob is attached with duct tape temporarily, i. The secrets behind eric johnsons tone on cliffs of dover guitar. I got a g system from tc electronic and mesa amp mini recto and a tube driver. All listings current page auction buy it now classified ads. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation. This pedal is legendary, used by eric johnson, kenny wayne. The bias of control toggles a very clean distortion to distortion very. The mids control will be sacrificed and replaced by the bias control.
Automatic fixed bias control modules, automatic bias control and get rid of the repeatedly adjustment of end stage which is necessary due to aging tubes. The 300b tube is not used as a driver tube or as an input tube, but it somehow brings the sound of the 300b tube into the circuit so that it results in an amp with the tonality of a 300b set amp without the weaknesses of a 300b set or of a transistor amp. Butler tube driver blue 2150 owners information pdf download. I accept credit card payments through paymate, which is ebayauthorized and carries buyer protection you dont need an account, just a credit card. Trying out my new bk butler tube driver w bias knob option. The only other problem i have had is getting it to cut through in a band situation. Trying out a new bk butler tube driver with a jimi hendrix system fuzz a memory man for chorus and a space echo through a strat and an american hotrod deville. Before we talk about different types of biasing found in tube amps, it is probably a good idea to explain what exactly the bias is. The bk butler 911 tube driver has been one of those items for me. Vintage 1987 chandler tube driver tdr10 effector rack. As i said earlier, the tube is neither a driver or an input tube. The tube driver is an overdrive with real tube sound.
Bk butler tube driver page 1 joes guitars, amps and gear. During its long life the tube driver has appeared in many forms. Another good one is the bk butler real tube overdriveblack pedal, just make sure its not the genz benz version or anything but a usa made one as the import ones terrible for bass. Ive had both a dover drive for two weeks and a bk butler tube driver for about a week now. Unlike other solutions, our unique bias control does not rely on rf feedback signals derived from the data signal to control the phase electrode in iq machzehnder structures but uses internally generated feedback signals to identify and track the optimal bias setting providing a number of advantages. This is a demo of the much hailed and much sought butler tube driver with added bias knob. In the direct comparison, the tube driver is far superior in tonal quality to the dover drive imho. Bk butler tube driver with bias knob the gear page. Bk butler tube driver 5knob demo original bias mod vs diy. Vintage 1987 chandler tube driver tdr10 effector rackmount.
Bk butlers original signature below certifies that your new tube driver blue has been personally checked for proper performance. The layout included is for an offboard tube socket not mounted on the pcb. View and download butler tube driver blue 2150 owners information online. Automatic dynamic control bias system for pushpull pp amplifiers. Tentlabs negative bias supply designed in cooperation with menno vanderveen, we are proud to announce a new module when using fixed bias in your amps, the currents need constant readjustment to compensate for mains variations and tube aging. Overall in great shape considering the age of the pedal. A good analogy from the automotive world is the idle speed of a motor. Quiescent current control for the rf integrated circuit device family by.
Tube driver original by bk butler with bias control. My solution was to install a 5th control that controls the tube cathode current and enables him to dial in the. Many electronic devices, such as diodes, transistors and vacuum tubes, whose function is processing timevarying signals, also require a steady dc current or voltage at their terminals to operate correctly. The tube driver is a holy grail type pedal, but many people, especially younger players, have never heard of it. I am on again off again with my bk butler tube driver w bias mod. Isolatedsound proof control room 2 floors below live room, with talkback mic, headphone mix control and 2way video system. Nowadays most cars have complex computers that control the idle, however, in the end. Automated bias controller for lithium niobate linbo3. I got an upgrade offer by mr butler to add a bias knob on it. I used a bk butler tube driver for years but as i went from that mid. The best way to understand bias is to think of it like the idle setting on a car. Quiescent current control for the rf integrated circuit. The tube driver houses a preamp tube and it generates distortion by overdriving the tube rather than conventional pedal methods.
They are also suitable for fitting into amplifiers. With this kit you can build both variants written in the docs. Summary of contents for butler tube driver blue 2150. You can hear smooth singing sustain prs santana md,mercury magnetics,tran and choke mod, trex delay into a. This latest patent pending creation of bk butler, promises to become a classic just as his former tube driver designs have. He eventually lost the ability to speak and now communicates with his eyes via a system developed by his father. Used bk butler tube works tube driver, vintage tube overdrive pedal from the 1980s. Apr 06, 2012 4 modify the stock component values to match the reissue b k butler tube driver. I found this one at guitar resurrection in austin texas. Anyways i got a bass driver, real tube tube overdrive, and tube enhancer, all the older versionsthe blue boxnot the fancy 80s ones, and i spent a good few days experimenting with settings, and writing down my faves, one thing i noticed is that on all 3 the controls are highly interactive with each other, the bass driver and real tube the. Butler mark, eric johnsons original tube driver, the common second version with the after driver and butlers name added, and a 1987 tube driver with mids and bias pots added as a custom option. A tube is not included in the kit, you can select it suitably to your project. Automatic dynamic control bias system for pushpull pp. Need help, bk butler tube driver fender stratocaster guitar.
This was traced from a recent b k butler pedal and has the bias pot modification which. Featuring a diehard metal chassis, intuitive control interface, and highlow eq control, the tube works tube driver overdrive captures magic in a box. Bk butler tube driver 5knob demo original bias mod vs. I use the bk butler blue tube on bass sometimes, mainly as a warm tube preamp or boost. Bk butler tubeworks blue tube bass driver whos using. Highquality audio amplifier with automatic bias control.
Layout pcb tone control apex apex tone preamp layout pcb tone. This pedal is legendary, used by eric johnson, kenny wayne shepherd, david gilmour, and many. Butler has been making since 2005 could be ordered with either voltage, so be sure you are buying a tube driver with the correct voltage for your country. Get your hands on this original groundbreaking tube overdrive used by pro guitarists such as david gilmour and eric johnson it is the tone and theres nothing that comes close to imitation from the manufacturer. The operating point of a device, also known as bias point, quiescent point, or qpoint, is the dc voltage or current at a specified terminal of an active device a transistor or vacuum tube with no input signal applied. All in all, it is a pro tool type of control that each player can set to their own subjective taste. The mhvic915 device is used as an example in this paper, but the principle and theory of this controller can also. Highquality audio amplifier with automatic bias control exceptionally low distortion and uniform response over a wide frequency range are features of this audio amplifier. The caged guitar theory system is a way of organizing the guitar fretboard in a. Find great deals on ebay for bk butler tube driver and bk butler tube driver bias. Eric johnson and david gilmore couldnt get their sound without it.