Behringer TO800 Vintage Tube Overdrive

Very easy to use - If you want to have a reasonably quiet pedal - don't max the drive, level, and tone. I get a great boosted sound for my Traynor custom valve amp by putting the level at 12:30, the drive at 11:30, and the tone at 11:30.

What a bargain - for 22 bucks, this pedal is the bomb. I use a Samick Greg Bennet Interceptor through a Traynor Custom Valve 50 Blue amp (sweet amp). This pedal (setup as mentioned above) sounds phenomenal as a boost to the amp's lead channel. It sounds MUCH better than the amp's own "Boost" footswitch for that channel, do I use the pedal for those creamy, rich solo lines.

Hmmm...we'll see - knobs are the biggest worry. The case is plastic (hard enough), but the knobs are pretty flimsy. What do you want for 22 bucks?

Don't know.

Great pedal for almost no money whatsoever. I love it...can't believe it costs less than 25 dollars.

Very easy to get a great sound out of it. Knobs very easly understood and well laid out

Ooohh momma! I can get some ripping sounds out of this baby with my 20-year old Profile Vintage through a Marshall 8080 Valvestate amp running flat with a little bit of mid boost and the effect's knobs all set to about one o'clock. Surprisingly quiet too compared to my previous DigiTech multi-effects unit.

I'd probably buy a backup because the build quality is definitely not all that it could be. I will probably manufacture an aluminium case for it. A little nervous about the knobs that seem to be all attached to a PCB in the case. I will probably replace the knobs with heavier duty ones once the warranty expires.

Never actaully had to deal with CS so I really couldn't say

Top shelf. I tried a TC Electronic unit similar to this one which was going to cost about fifteen times as much. Was it a better unit sound-wise and build-wise? Honestly, yes. Was it fifteen times better? No way. Even the DigiTech "Bad Monkey" was not as good in terms of sound though it was built really well. At the end of the day, the Behringer is on the top of the heap in terms of value for money. You'd be mad not to at least give one a go. If it got stolen? You bet I'd buy another. I guess I'd really like an aluminium case and heavier duty knobs. For that I'd pay the extra however many bucks.

The unit is very easy to use. Just three knobs:
Gain
Tone
Level
Each of them does excactly, what you expect.

The Manual is very basic. No suggested settings, just short exlanation of the knobs, the jacks an how to change the battery.

The sound is amazing. It's much better than the Boss Stomps in my GX-700. Very, very old school Tube Screamer like.
I use it on my Triple XXX.
Clean Channel - I use it to get a decent "Marshall Clean" or light crunch sounds. Very well!!!
Crunch Channel - I use the TO800 to boost the sound. Thins out the Bass and adds more highs. It's very good for single note licks or solo lines. More bite, sustain and presence.
Ultra Channel - Like Crunch Channel with even more bite.
Best deal I've ever made for 39 bucks.

The look and feel of the TO800 is ok. The reliability of the knobs is the only thing I'm not sure of .

I dealt a lot of time with the Behringer support.
The guys at Behringer are always kind and cooperative.

Sound's amazing, the price is fantastic. What more can you ask for.... oh, one thing: a remote jack like the Nobbels Stomps. That's a very useful thing for remote switching.

Very easy to get a useable sound from it. Just drive, tone and level.
Battery compartment is in a bit of a strange place but I use a 9v power supply anyway.

I use a beat up old strat and a guitar I built myself, alder body, maple top, maple/rose neck. I use the T0800 in the house with a Fender Champ 12 valve amp.

Some great sounds can be dialled in with this pedal. I tend to use it on the Fender clean channel to just break up the sound a little.
Drive on min, Tone on low and Level at 12 O'clock gives me a nice little bite when playing songs like Lenny / Mary Had a Little Lamb (SRV) or Little Wing etc...

Turn the vol up on the Champ and adjust the drive and tone of the TO800 and it's creeeammmy leads! :)

I've never used a TS808 but this is what I hoped it would sound like!

Not had any problems with it, yes it's plastic but I only use it in-doors anyway.

Fantastic little box.
For the price I have never come across any other pedal that can touch it.
Behringer really came up with a winner here and I recommend it to anyone looking to enhance their valve amp and open up some new tones.

As mentioned in many of the other reviews the poor design aspects are as follows:

* Horrible battery compartment. Getting into it is one thing, trying to put the lid back on is a pain. Once it's on, you don't feel the urge to open it again to disconnect the battery. Don't be alarmed when the top falls off when you release the springs (and the inside springs) none of which are glued down to prevent either from doing so.

* Power Jack is on the side of the box which I believe causes issues for people using power over batteries. I use batteries so it doesn't phase me a whole lot at this stage.

* The manual does what it's supposed to do. It shows you the features of the pedal without going into any detail. This is like 2 pages of information that is pretty much what you expect - very simple for a very simple item.

The good points:

* Great overdrive tone! This comes from a blues guitarist who has been using a Ibanez Tubescreamer TS7 for the last few years. I thought I'd try the $39.95 (AUD) Behringer TO800 as a cheap replacement for my TS7 since the on/off foot switch on the TS7 no longer works consistantly enough to use it live.

* This pedal is more like a cleaner true overdrive guitar tone even more so than my old Ibanez TS7. With this in mind you do have to favour the Ibanez in terms of build and construction but tonally the TO800 is very nice and very simple to use (once u work out how to get the battery in). Even with lots of drive which I don't normally play with the notes still kept a clean sound - each note was easily heard. I play with minimal overdrive (love that clapton and john mayer fender tone) and it seems to do the job very nice indeed.

Great blues tone, I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in an OVERDRIVE pedal (not distortion). I keep the tone pot turned all the way to the LEFT for nicer tone otherwise it gets too sharp. This would vary between amplifiers. I am using a 50th Stratocaster with S1 switching and a Fender Hot Rod De-Ville 212 and I love the tone of this thing. Like I mentioned the Ibanez overdrive pedal was nice but this seems to have a clarity to it - great value for $39.95 (AUD)

* There's no background noise when the pedal is plugged in and not in use, nor when you switch to it. I wish I could say the same for Behringers Ultra Octavier pedal - I am returning that tomorrow. This Tube Overdrive pedal rocks, if you like blues or stuff that required a clear yet subtle overdrive check it out, seriously! :)

***Tone/Sound Rating 9/10

The cheap plastic case is one thing - I mean, yeah it's sturdy but it's still plastic. I'd rather pay $10-$15 more and get a metal case pedal. That aside, the main point of issues are with the battery and power supply insert.

I just go it, so I can't say how reliable this is long term. If it lasts 1-2 years it's more than worth it. for $39.95 Australian Dollars, you can't beat it. If it breaks, I'll buy another one even though it comes with a 12 month warrenty.

If it broke at a gig, I would just use my amps overdrive - there's not a whole lot of difference. I can't imagine there being any problems with it at gigs - it's not like I throw it around or jump on it.

***Build/Construction 5/10

Behringer have good support from past experience with another item. I have had no trouble with them and they are great guys in Melbourne, Australia.

Value - 10/10
Phenomial value for money - I paid lots more for my TS7 and this does a better job at 1/4 of the price. Pity Behringer don't re-release it with a metal case and a click to open battery compartment. Other than that - sounds good for blues nice sound that doesn't take away and qualities of your guitar.

It's hard to get a bad sound. just don't go to far with the tone.

as advertised the ic chip is a 4558, but it isn't a jrc or rc. it is a subminiature surface mount chip, not the sort of thing that makes for easy modding. Luckily it sounds great like it is.

It has a nice smooth lead overdrive tone with the tubescreamer sonic signature. Mid hump is go. I think it combines a bit more of your clean sound than an ibanez tubescreamer. It's a little more transparent. I don't think this is a tubescreamer clone. I think it is more tubescreamer inspired. Honestly i think it sounds better than a tubescreamer.

The behringer TO100 sounds pretty close to this but has a more flat and neutral signature. I like to use them together.

I don't have a vintage ts-808, but it does sound better than my ts10 and most of the the tube screamer style pedals i have compared it to. It is not quite as smooth or creamy as the Cusack screamer, but it is close. Some settings i could not tell them apart, others i prefered the behringer unit.

The build is solid. I would gig it without backup.

I highly reccomend this pedal. It is great value for the money. You could spend a lot more and the pedal might not sound as good as this one.

3 knobs : drive, level and tone...this is guitar-distortionbox-basics one o one people. Anybody should be to figure this one out!

This is where i was really surprised. I was looking to buy a overdrive pedal for a while now because i think the boss ds-1 i used loses too much definition in sound when cranked. I wanted to get a tubescreamer but they are way too expensive for my budget...so on a recommendation from this site i tried the TO800, and i'm really glad i did! It's true this isn't a very gain heavy box, but it isn't supposed to be! This pedal is meant to push a tube amp on the verge of going into overdrive over the edge. It keeps the sound you already have but gives it a really nice boost, very touch sensitive and cleans up nicely when you back off the volume.
It's also funny to realise that this effect is one of the more expensive ones from the Behringer pedal range, and with good reason they realise they've made a kick-ass pedal. And using this with my Flying V and a Vox practice amp (15 watt) i think it's a pathfinder, one of the old ones that arn't made anymore, but with a little tube inside...no when pushing that little tube i can get a absolute killer sustain, way better then with my old Boss DS-1 pedal.

I won't bash the pedal too much in this catagory because of it's cheapness. But i do think that this is the only catagory where this pedal fall short because of the cheap plasic contruction. Allthough i think if you don't go skydiving with this thing and use it normally it should last a while...

never dealt with them...

For the price (eventhough it is pricier than the other behringer stompboxes) this pedal is the sjit. A very nice smooth and warm overdrive boost, notes can now be heard separately without it turning into a big distortion mush, this is a really good thing that helped me gain a bit more control over my sound and was exactly what i was looking for. Remember people true good distortion tone conmes from overdriving your amp and letting the tubes do the hard work...if broken or stolen i would buy 2 replacements...this pedal is indeed a hidden gem...but remember it's not a gain monster, get a metalzone like pedal for that...but for smooth overdrive with nice sustain get this one!!!

Its easy to use
Simple three knob arrangement, the best in my opinion.

Man....
I have a/b this pedal with a TS-9 Tubescreamer and liked the Behringer better.
I found it just felt better and was slightly smoother than the Ibanez.
I dont like the build quality though but what do you expect you cheap bastards.
The Behringer had slightly more gain than the original too.
Sits well in a band situation, cuts through like wildfire,

I would not depend on it....
Just buy two!

Unsure

I play classic rock, Marshall plexi 50w, strats with low output pickups, I depend on my amp to give me output that does not mush up, hence my pickup selection.
The T0800 is a good sounding pedal in the right applications, lets your guitar and amp shine through.
The downside is bad build quality and cheap looks but who you trying to fool... but who cares anyway because it sounds so good.

Easy to use, once I figured out how to install the battery!

Simple controls, no trouble getting a nice tone, I am a bit of a Luddite, if I can get a good tone from this gadget anyone can

BTW, what's firmware?

Godin Solidac or Profile strat copy with GFS alnico vintage pups, into Traynor ycv 40 and/ or Roland JC 77, via Blue Tube preamp, Behringer tremolo, Boss RV2.

Its not noisy, and the sound I am after - valve amp overdrive - is very easy to dial in. It seems to be pretty touch sensitive for tranny gear (as is the much maligned distortion on the Jazz Chorus I might add)

A/B'd this with my valve amp o/d channel, for very similar sound, so I guess it does exactly what its suppposed to.

First one I bought was u/s, no sound, nil, nyet, nein.

Thank God for Harmony Central - I had read reviews stating that there can be problems with this cheap stuff, and one review indicated that, once you actually get one that works, they then seem to keep going. So with that in mind I bought from my local dealer, and was glad - i simply returned it and he swapped it for another. His price was the same as national e - discounter, so i was happy.

The replacement pedal works a treat, but I do think it is inevitable that I will at some stage leave the patch cord plugged in after playing, and will as a result suffer flat battery as this leaves the unit switched on - so I need to carry spare batteries, at least until I get a power supply organised.

Longevity may be an issue, as the pots and fittings seem flimsy - but its fine for the price

I was going give it a 5, pretty harsh by my standards, but this reflects 50/ 50 success rate, and also the cheap feeling build, loose feel to pots etc. However, I feel I must balance this with the price, so I will give it a 7

I play blues, some jazz standards, some funky stuff. This pedal is great for when I want some nice gritty drive.

Been playing on and off for about 20 years - a lot of off time though. I have had an old Butler Blues Tube which I used to swear by, it is good in that it serves as a nice useful valve preamp, with 3 band EQ, but for simple drive, or gain boost, I think this 50 buck cheapy is better.

I used the reviews here on Harmony Central to help me decide on this pedal, and they were very helpful. Same process helped me to choose the Traynor amp (a beauty) the GFS pups, and the Godin Solidac. All good stuff, and all given mostly great reviews on Harmony Central.

Back to this pedal - I cant fault it really, the sounds are great, its even a bit touch sensitive which I think is amazing, and the cheap build is IMHO fair enough for the price.

How much easier can you get? Drive, Tone, and Level. If someone finds that the slightest bit difficult to use control wise, they should stick to acoustic. I'm giving this a 9 though because well, you guessed it...the battery compartment.

I'm using this with a Super Reverb with a Weber MASS attenuator and a Les Paul Standard as well as an American Standard Strat. I use it as a volume boost for solos with the Les Paul and to give my Strat some grit. Works very well for both purposes. I also own a Blues Driver and have played a Bad Monkey through a Super and the overdrive on those sound extremely harsh to me compared to the TO800. It's a more musical OD than those two pedals. Nobody can totally nail SRV's tone because well, he was SRV, but with a Strat, Super Reverb, and this pedal I can come pretty darn close.

I feel like this is a dependable product (despite the plastic) if you don't abuse it but that goes for anything really. Only thing I worry about is a battery going out during a gig and it taking 10 minutes to change it. haha

I play mainly blues and jazz but just use the TO800 for the blues/rock type stuff. If this thing were stolen or lost, I'd buy two of them next time just in case. There's nothing sound wise to not like about this pedal. If there is anything I wish this thing had that it doesn't it would be a Boss style battery compartment. Considering the price of it though, I think it's worth the hassle. Still gets a 10 from me.