Chandler Tube Driver

If you can`t figure out how to use this,then you`re lost.Only has four knobs,just tweak and go with your ears.

Maybe I got a bunk one,but to me,it`s mush city.Like it does`nt like humbuckers,the sound is-how can I put it...squashed and REALLY unusable.Not natural and open sounding.I put in a different tube,which only helped a little.I`ve been playing for like 20yrs and have for the last 12yrs been a rack/processor user.My main pre-amp is my ADA MP-1 through the clean channel of a tube amp.Even plugging the Chandler straight into my Marshall TSL`s clean channel did`nt help,mush city.My Chandler does`nt like full bar chords or single note lines on the E,A,or D strings-like it`s clipping the input stage of the unit.I`m very dissapointed in this box,my Ibanez Tube King IMHO,smokes it.I bought it for all the "hoopla" surrounding it,but I find it totally useless.Like I said,maybe I got a bunk one or it`s damaged internally,I don`t know...

Well after my bad review of it;It seems to be a rugged(though big/bulky)box.The power supply does`nt unplug so damage/fraying at the flex point of the wires(at the base of the unit) could eventually happen.No,this thing will never find it`s way on stage with me(for sound reasons).

Never delt with them...N/A

The Tube Driver I bought was(I think) the second generation Chandler TD(the ones that are supposedly desirable).The first ones had an internal transformer.And the third(and later) were made by Tube Works.I would have loved to give this a rave review,but can`t!It sounds like crap-pardon my french,but it does.Totally unusable...I`m gonna sell it.

This pedal is extremely easy to use. Input, Lo, HI, and gain controls.

Play with the settings and you get what ever your looking for.

I use the following - 50's strat with DG 20 EMG pickups, Boss Cs-3, MXR Dyna Comp, Muff, Chandler, Cornish Soft Sustain, Mistress, MXR Phase 90, Ibanez Delay/echo to an ampeg superjet.

The Pedal is not noisy at all.

Can I get the sound from my favorite artist - YES! In fact try blending this pedal with an overdrive or another distortion and your there!

It works very well with some distortion units, but I find that it is a great Rhythm pedal

Can I depend on it. Well, yes, but I've had a problem with an intermittant hum on start up. See customer service section. I replaced the tube, and after the new tube heats up, it is good to go.

With the hum problem I've contacted both Chandler and Tube Works. Both Companies were Very helpful. Even though Chandler no longer makes the pedal, they offered me good tips, as did tube works.

I play mostly Gilmour type stuff. This pedal is an important piece to that sound if your into it. Great for blues or the like.

I would get another one of lost or stolen

How easy is it to get a good sound out of it? Easier than squeezing hard or relaxing your cheeks for that perfect pitched scent:)
How about Editing patches? N/A
How is the manual for it (if there is one)? Dunno. Mine's used.
Do you know the firmware revision number? N/A
Has your unit been upgraded? Well, I put a 1960 Mullard N.O.S. ECC83
tube in it but I have to say the Czech tube it came with was great quality. The circuitry and electrolytic capacitors in it are perfectly
designed for a high quality pre-amp 12AX7 (U.S.) equiv.

What setup (i.e. what guitars and amps) are you using this with? I use two amps; One, a 1959 Fender Bassman RI w/ a completely N.O.S. tube rectifier /pre-amp and power amp switch out to vintage Mullard and Svetlana. The other, a MusicMan HD210 One-fifty w/ SS pre-amp and 4 Svetlana 6L6GC's for power output.

Is it noisy? No. On what settings? N/A

Are the effects weak or do they always sound great? 110% Juicy analogue overdrive distortion.

What amp are you using it with? Both,either or Direct Injection through mixing board.
Can you get the sound of your favorite artists? YES!
Who are they? Well David Gilmour and Eric Johnson are dedicated fans of the CTD! I use it w/ a Zoom GFX-8's other effects. It overrides the Zoom's digital distortion via Effects Loop patch insertion. Drive selection: "EXT DIST."

Are certain effects (distortion, chorus, ...) very good? THERE IS NO BETTER OVERDRIVE DISTORTION. IT'S THE BEST EVER MADE.

Can you depend on it? Like the Zoom GFX-8, it's metal encased and rugged as a rhino's nose hair.
Would you use it on a gig without a backup? I wouldn't want to...

If you've dealt with the company, how helpful/friendly were they?
N/A. Don't think they make these anymore. Must go pawn shop, EBay, lucky find, word of mouth. Mine is direct plug in, no wall wart. Old.
Ever get an upgrade, or try and get it repaired? No. When you open it up you enter the world of solid and rugged. Tank.

What style of music do you play? Blues, funk, rock, jazz
Is this a good match? YUP!

How long have you been playing? Several decades.
What other gear do you own? Small studio.
If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else? I'd do what it took.

What do you love about it? Tonal range and range within the specific tone chosen...think about it:). Kewl vibe 2.
What do you hate? Putting down the guitar:). Seriously, when you plug it in, it's ON, but the OVERDRIVE isn't on until you stomp it. I put a line switch in so I could insure that the tube doesn't ever have to idle for too long.

What is your favorite feature? TONE Control via Four Pots; Output level, Hi and Lo EQ, and Tube Drive.

Did you compare it to other products? Yes. Which ones? Too long to list; most recently, the custom designable circuitry via GUI software/MIDI transfer capability of digital distortion w/in the Zoom GFX-8.
Why did you choose this one? No contest. From thunder to squeal and everything sonically sexy inbetween, THIS O.D. represents guitar-playing culture at its peak. Back when men were men, women were women, "Dude/dog" was "man", "yo" was a Sylvester Stallone expression
and musicians played the entire neck of the guitar confidently *laughing*.

Anything you wish it had? An identical twin:)

Does it help you make music, or does it get in the way? Good question.
It's one of those tools that helps call the muse in to play.Excellent.

Anything else you'd like to share? Find one, put the highest quality
<NEVER A SOVTEK "Groove Tube" or anything Made in China!> pre-amp tube in it (ECC83 / 12AX7 Equiv; preferably Telefunken or Mullard) and never part with it. If someone tries to steal it,have them urinated upon by a bouncer in the alley after appropriate body parts have been superglued to a car battery as a means of bringing them back to consciousness. Bring a fan and a lawn chair. Call CNN.

You've got problems if you can't operate this unit.

If I was Nigel Tufnell I'd give this thing an 11.

My set up is:
Gibson LP Standard, Fender Strat or Ibanez Moderne >> Tube Driver >> Marshall JCM 800 Combo

I use this unit for one thing and one thing only: getting the most full on fat mid overdrive tone imaginable! My band goes for that big, fat mid heavy tone (think pre-Melancholy Pumpkins meets Blue album Weezer meets MezcalHead era Swervedriver) and this thing kicks. Crank the Drive, Bias, Master and Mid controls to 10, with all other controls on 5. Plug into a JCM 800 and bow at the alter of tone. The other guitarist in my band has been through vintage Plexi Heads, Musicmans, customised vintage Bassman Heads, a few different quad boxes and about 10 different distortion and overdrive pedals to get a tone that's almost as good.

Used it hard gigging for 6 years no probs. Had to replace the tube last year as too much gain had taken its toll;)

As with all tube gear, make sure that the tube is in good nick (the simple test without going for the oscilloscope is to check that the tube doesn't rattle).

I've tried the Tube Driver in front of other amps (see above), but it tended to sound a bit mushy, especially when using a quad box. The unit needs to be matched to the right amp and to get the best sound out of both it and the amp, my suggestion is any Celestian equiped tube combo. I've used it in front of a Line 6 Pod when I was recording some overdubs last year and it sounded fine on the 2-speaker Marshall, Vox and Mesa settings.

I bought the unit with the money my Gran left me in her will, and I like to think that she's responsible for my tone - the Tube Driver was sent from Heaven to crank the hell out of the preamp stage of a JCM 800. RocknRoll!!!

10

10 (with a 12AT7 tube)

10

Progressive rock - PINK FLOYD
Try to use a tube 12AT7. The gain will be superior and the dist will have bitten more. Fuzz killer sound!!! E-mail-me!!!

Very easy 4 knops, what can i say nice

This pedal is the best overdrive I have EVER heard!!
I use a Blade Texas Custom strat type guitar thru the tube driver ,then into a ground control loop system. where i have i hottubes modifyed tubescrimer ,a hottubes booster thru a groovetubes trio preamp into a roctron hush noise gate into a lexicon mpx1 multi effex. Finaly into my awesome vht 2/50/2 power amp into my two mesa boogie halfback 2*12 kabs.
After i got the thandler tube driver i hardly use other than my clean channel in my trio, cause the over drive this pedal i delivering i so nice! It is so varm and sweet when u rool the volume knob on the guitar a little back and a sinning lead tone when u givet it full volume. I simpley gat to have me another one.

Just got it. Works fine

I give this pedal the best. Because the tone in it is the bedst i have ever heard. The sweetest nicest tone, you can get.

Very Easy to use- knobs for Level, Drive, Hi and Low. AC powered. Just plug it in and turn it on. I got it used with no manual. It was previously owned by Phil from Monstar Magnet.

Overall, it sounds pretty good. It seems to be a bit midrangy and flat, but I think that is caused by the Marshall JCM 800 that I am using. I heard that these really rock when you use a Plexi. It really pushes a Marshall very well, although I haven't tried it into my Fender. Mine seems to be kinda noisy, which is weird because I heard that they are really quiet. The switch pops when turned on and off, and it hums a bit when on. This may, again, be caused by the Marshall that I am using. I am using it in my lead channel, which goes strat> origional 1969 Italian Vox V846> Roger Mayer Octavia> 1969origional 1969 Fuzz Face> Tube Driver> Marshall JCM 800. This pedal really nails the Eric Johnson tone, or the Hendrix "clean" tones from the live albums. It also boosts the Fuzz Face really well, to get that raunchy Hendrix lead tone. It also works well with a wah pedal.

I haven't had it for very long, and I haven't giged with it yet. But it does have a tube in it, which can cause problems. I would keep extra tubes and maybe a backup on hand, as it seems a bit fragile. On the other hand, I give this category a high rating because mine was owned by Phil from Monstar Magnet and constantly toured with, and seems to be in really good shape for being taken all over the country.

I mostly play blues, blues-rock, funk, classic rock and jazz. This is a versitile pedal to use with any style. Works well with most pedals, and can go from a smooth clean overdrive to an all out cranked Marshall. I would buy another one if anything happened to this one, as it is one of my main stomp boxes. My only beef with it is the noisy switch and the humming. It doesn't "sing" as much as a tube screamer at lower drive settings, but it sounds warmer than a tube screamer. I prefer the tube screamer into a Fender amp, for that SRV tone. The tube driver seems to be made for a Marshall, although I have never tried it into the Fender. I would like to try it with a solid state amp, just to see if it works well with it, or if its best into a tube amp.

Easy to use. This is the floor unit as opposed to the rack-mount version. The "level" and "drive" knobs are the main features to be used. I don't really see a need for the EQ, but sometimes it is helpful to use it sparingly. The straight driven signal is good enough for a cranked up amp. The pedal is pretty versatile - ranges from smooth to gritty to not quite heavy. But why would you buy one for heavy music anyway? Bought it with no manual.

I currently use a Gibson SG standard through a Crybaby wah, the Chandler tube driver, Boss equalizer, and Boss dd-3 digital delay to an Ampeg 212 combo. I also use a Boss chorus ensemble for clean tones. My setup is designed for a killer clean sound, and a smooth clear distortion. I play mainly blues and jazz-rock. The Chandler pedal is not noisy at all, even at high volumes. I should note that this pedal sounds its best in two different ways. First, just put it in front of an amp with the amp volume cranked all the way up. Then use the "level" and "drive" between the 3 and 5 o'clock without using the EQ, and you get a pure smooth signal and a stellar tone. Eric Johnson, my main influence, uses the tube driver in this fashion. If you don't have the luxury or convenient location of playing that loud, then it is best to use the tube driver with another distortion pedal, with the amp at a lower volume. The sound quality of this unit is astounding and majestic. Using just the tube driver at low volumes can produce a nice gritty blues tone, but does not take full advantage of the pedal. But since I don't use the pedal that way, I give the overall sound a 10.

I have not had problems with this pedal. However, it does rely on a tube, and that does not count for much in the area of dependability. It's plastic knobs seem flimsy as well. But I do treat this pedal with the utmost care, for it is the backbone of my sound. So having said that, I am not too sure of what kind of damage can be done to it since I have been so protective of it. I do use a backup on stage, although I haven't had to use it, but having one on hand is a good idea.

Company stopped making these years ago.

This pedal is a perfect match for my playing style. I have been playing for about nine years, and I have gone through many distortion and overdrive pedals. I got so disillusioned from trying to find a good distortion unit, that I ended up just using the distortion built in to my amplifiers (they just seemed to sound better with the amps). However, I tried a Chandler out and quickly realized I had found what I was looking for. I would definitely buy another one; in fact, I am going to. I love the fact that it's a no-bullshit pedal. It's just made for pure tone. I've compared it to fulltone and tubeworks products, but they don't really compare. They are good pedals, but I just don't get the same feel from them. The Chandler totally refines and punctuates my lead playing with solid smooth tone.

Couldn't be easier. I have the rack unit. All the controls are knobs, and they all do what you'd expect. You can get an amazingly wide range of drives and tones out of this effect. Only thing I wish it had was an LED indicator for the boost, not just for bypass, so I'll give it a 9.

This is a great real tube overdrive. I has wonderful dynamic response, a wide range of drive levels and lots of tonal control. I have my tube driver in front of solid state and tube amps. It sounds good on any amp, but you need a good tube head to really do it justice.

I've virtually never played without this rack since the day I bought it (new). It's seen a good bit of use and travel. I've never had a single problem with it.

No problems, so I never needed support.

I play mostly blues influenced rock guitar (both lead and rhythm). I use the Chandler in front of a Budda 1x12 Stringmaster combo. The Chandler's sweat overdrive combined with the Budda's awesome tube power amp results in fantastic tone. I play a custom made Strat type guitar as well as a Les Paul standard. They have radically different sounds, but the tube driver works great on both. I also have a Marshall tube pre-amp (9001) that cost me more than twice as much as the Chandler, has lots more knobs & buttons, and sounds half as good. The Chandler Tube Driver is a great bargain.

Very easy to use!

I use humbucking guitars with it for a big sound with more gain.The rack model Chandler Tube driver is incredible for Rock rythym guitar.
By playing with the contour,mid,treble and bass knobs you can get almost any overdrive sound you can think of.All of the notes in a chord shine through with clarity.Doesn't produce a huge amount of gain
(ala. Rat,Smash-box,SM-9)but your rythym racks will ROAR with the ferocity of a Tyrannasaurus!

It's pretty dependable,just don't drop it.It'll change the sound.
Gigging with can be a hassle.It's not heavy,but it's a little bulky cause it's a rack unit.But in the studio,this thing is sheer hell!! Just don't forget to change the tube.

IDUNNO.

I play Metal,Fusion,Funk ect.,ect.The Chadler Tube driver makes the
TS-9 look like spam on a cracker...LUNCH! When you turn off the boost,
you'll get a classy,low-gain overdrive that can give you the BLUES.The
weird thing is,when playing lead on high gain it doesn't sound as good
as rythym...go figure.I wish it had a richer,nastier sound for lead, but for power fifths,fourths and barre chords it's AWESOME! Your lead
player better have his shit together cause this thing is NO JOKE! I like it because it's NOT overly nasty.Check one out.