Members musicdog400 Posted January 10, 2006 Members Share Posted January 10, 2006 I saw their ad in Guitar One that said true tube tone. To the best of my knowledge, the clipping in the Tonebone is actually solid state. Am I off base here ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members newstrat60 Posted January 10, 2006 Members Share Posted January 10, 2006 Originally posted by musicdog400 I saw their ad in Guitar One that said true tube tone. To the best of my knowledge, the clipping in the Tonebone is actually solid state. Am I off base here ? "true tube tone" doesnt mean that there's a tube in the box Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members musicdog400 Posted January 10, 2006 Author Members Share Posted January 10, 2006 Actually there is a tube in the box. While the Tonebone sounds good to me, it sounds like solid state, and I believe there is no tube clipping. Some of us prefer tube clipping, and seek out products which deliver this. Which makes it frustrating when companies lie about their products. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dot-dot-dot Posted January 10, 2006 Members Share Posted January 10, 2006 Originally posted by musicdog400 Some of us prefer tube clipping, and seek out products which deliver this. Which makes it frustrating when companies lie about their products. While it is perhaps slightly ambiguous, if the device contains a tube in the signal path it's not exactly lying to say "true tube tone". They don't say "tube clipping", for instance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members musicdog400 Posted January 10, 2006 Author Members Share Posted January 10, 2006 Well I would assert that the sonic differences SS and tube are most noticable in the region of mild to moderate clipping. And mild to moderate clipping is why a lot of people would buy this pedal. It would just be better to (GASP) be honest and say "Hey here's a great sounding pedal with tube buffer and solid state clipping". Anyone please correct me if the tube does in fact do the clipping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nosferatu123 Posted January 10, 2006 Members Share Posted January 10, 2006 Originally posted by musicdog400 Well I would assert that the sonic differences SS and tube are most noticable in the region of mild to moderate clipping.And mild to moderate clipping is why a lot of people would buy this pedal. It would just be better to (GASP) be honest and say "Hey here's a great sounding pedal with tube buffer and solid state clipping".Anyone please correct me if the tube does in fact do the clipping. Why not you just email tonebone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members musicdog400 Posted January 10, 2006 Author Members Share Posted January 10, 2006 A good idea. I was thinking I could be wrong about the tube clipping and someone could correct me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nosferatu123 Posted January 10, 2006 Members Share Posted January 10, 2006 Originally posted by musicdog400 A good idea. I was thinking I could be wrong about the tube clipping and someone could correct me. I bought one recently myself and its on its way and this is definitely a question ive asked the forums before but i never did get an answer. Try emailing them, and do post their reply back in this thread, i would love to know what their reply is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bankboy Posted January 10, 2006 Members Share Posted January 10, 2006 My buddy has a Hot British, and he told the tube does not do the clipping, just warms the signal...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Elliott Damage Posted January 10, 2006 Members Share Posted January 10, 2006 Originally posted by bankboy My buddy has a Hot British, and he told the tube does not do the clipping, just warms the signal...... i'm pretty sure this is the case. the tube doesn't do the clipping just warms it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gtrwiz Posted January 11, 2006 Members Share Posted January 11, 2006 Does it really matter? I mean, I think the TB classic sounds great, I could give a {censored} less if the tube or the circuit (like 99.9% of dist pedals out there) is doing the clipping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Speeddemon Posted January 11, 2006 Members Share Posted January 11, 2006 Get a Hughes & Kettner Tube Factor then. Factor 1 is pure tube signal, all the overdrive comes from the tube. Factor 2 adds a couple of clipping diodes for more gain and actually smooths the tone a bit. My favourite od/ds for almost 3 years now. Although the Hot British was pretty darn cool. But not as much as the 'dogs bollocks' as the Tubefactor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gtrwiz Posted January 11, 2006 Members Share Posted January 11, 2006 From the TB site: Look inside and you'll see a warm glow; Tonebone uses tube driven circuitry to achieve a natural even harmonic saturation that's just not attainable with transistors and modelling Q: What does the Tube do inside the Tonebone?A: The tube is used for harmonic generation and warmth but it is the combined hybrid circuit that makes the Tonebone's magical sound come to life! It doesn't say, at least I can't find it, that the TB is a Tube distortion pedal... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members musicdog400 Posted January 11, 2006 Author Members Share Posted January 11, 2006 Does it really matter? If it sounds different it matters to me. I sent them the question in email. I will let you know if they respond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members elctmist Posted January 11, 2006 Members Share Posted January 11, 2006 Guitar Player answered this last issue. They took the tubes out and it still distorted. It was just a lot quieter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gtrwiz Posted January 11, 2006 Members Share Posted January 11, 2006 Originally posted by musicdog400 If it sounds different it matters to me.I sent them the question in email. I will let you know if they respond. Look, I'm not trying to start an arguement, I just think that either you like the sound or don't. Earlier you said "While the Tonebone sounds good to me, it sounds like solid state, and I believe there is no tube clipping.", I just don't understand this, does the fact that it sounds like SS overide that it sounds good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members musicdog400 Posted January 11, 2006 Author Members Share Posted January 11, 2006 I just think that either you like the sound or don't. That is not the case for me. While I generally prefer tubes, there are times, especially with really high gain, that the solid state stuff sounds a little tighter to my ears. Each has some advantages, but my point is that they are not the same, and Radial's ad would confuse someone that knew the difference and was looking for "tube tone". does the fact that it sounds like SS overide that it sounds good? No not for me. If it sounds good, I'll use it. I have some SS pedals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dot-dot-dot Posted January 11, 2006 Members Share Posted January 11, 2006 Originally posted by musicdog400 Radial's ad would confuse someone that knew the difference and was looking for "tube tone". I would venture to suggest that a Triple Rectifier sounds somewhat different from a Champ. The concept of "tube tone" is pretty vague. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dirk_Hendrik Posted January 11, 2006 Members Share Posted January 11, 2006 I had one of these over for repair last week. Clipping is definitely done solid state after which the tube is used for smoothing up the clipped signal. Signal is going through that tube so I suspect the Guitar Player guys have been listening to crosstalk. Now, on the matter if the Radial guys are lying?... A little. The classic I had over was definitly not as True Bypass as they claim. schemmo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Speeddemon Posted January 11, 2006 Members Share Posted January 11, 2006 Uh, B. "engineering prioccess"?! What the {censored}?! Goes right up there with "if led is lim, connect to batter snap" eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bankboy Posted January 11, 2006 Members Share Posted January 11, 2006 I can't read schematics for {censored}, but if the tube did the clipping, wouldn't it be earlier in the chain? Tonebone + White lie/Marketing = $$$$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dot-dot-dot Posted January 11, 2006 Members Share Posted January 11, 2006 It's a bit late in the day and all, but I can't see any clipping diodes on that schem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members andreas Posted January 11, 2006 Members Share Posted January 11, 2006 Originally posted by Dirk_Hendrik I had one of these over for repair last week. Clipping is definitely done solid state after which the tube is used for smoothing up the clipped signal. Signal is going through that tube so I suspect the Guitar Player guys have been listening to crosstalk.Nice work with the schematic! I too don't see any of the usual SS clipping devices there (no back-to-back diodes), so if anything solid state is clipping, it's the op-amps themselves. It is entirely possible, though, that the op-amps also amplify the signal enough to get the tube to clip as well. In any case, I wouldn't exactly call them liars - at least not in regards to the "tube tone" thing - after all, the tube is in the signal path and not just there for show. Now, on the matter if the Radial guys are lying?... A little. The classic I had over was definitly not as True Bypass as they claim.Indeed - according to the schematic you drew, the Tonebone pedals has the circuit input hardwired to the input jack, with the switch only selecting the output signal (and turning the LED on/off). This is exactly the same as in any old wah or MXR pedal, and most definitely not true bypass. So while there may be merit to the "tube tone" claim, they are definitely lying about the bypass system. /Andreas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members andreas Posted January 11, 2006 Members Share Posted January 11, 2006 Hmm... I wonder how the bypass system in this one is wired... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members musicdog400 Posted January 11, 2006 Author Members Share Posted January 11, 2006 So while there may be merit to the "tube tone" claim I am afraid I disagree. All you have to do is dial in just a little distortion and listen. At the end of the day, the sound is all that matters. And it sounds good, but it sounds like SS, which it is, not tube. An honest ethical company would say "great ss distortion with tube buffer". "great pass thru sound, but not true bypass". (tonebone classic) It gets pretty bad when we not only start to accept that there is a lie in every ad, but start defending companies' right to lie to us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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