Chandler Tube Driver

I have the rack version of this pre-amp
You can't really get a bad sound out of it. I like it because there's a little more control(bias and contour controls and of course the Boost switch) than the pedal version

There are very few pedals/preamps that I would rate a 10 in sound quality. This is it for distortion or overdrives.

I can only describe the tone as awesome. Just everything I want in an overdrive. It has a crunch that you can't get in any other preamp or pedal. The best way to descibe this is through Eric Johnson.just add a decent delay and chorus pedal. Listening to his Bloom album pushed me over the edge of being a tone freak.

The only issue I ran into with this is using other distortions/fuzz/overdrives in the line with it. For some reason it just doesn't jive right with distortion pedals that well. It sometimes gives a little buzz. Tubescreamer-like overdrives usually do fine, but with the Boost switch on the rack version, don't really need an additional boost.

For a while I was using a Ruby tube (not too sure who makes them) but I think I put a Sovtek in it a couple years ago. That or a J/J. I guess to a degree its all hearsay. I'm not sure anyone listening would give a **** what kind of tube you're using regardless of the sound difference you think it makes... so maybe I'm not that much of a "tone freak"

I blew a fuse once at a show, thats when I was relieved to discover it's true bypass. At the time I was using a Boss SD-1 in front of the Tube Driver, so I just cranked up the drive and I stayed in business. If I had a spare fuse on me at the time it would have been a 10 second fix.

That coupled with the freak possibility of blowing a tube, or shorting out for some reason (I think its at least 25 years old) I'd have to say its a bit less reliable than most overdrive/distortion units

I kinda support myself these days

If I lost both my arms, I still wouldn't sell this unit. I might let my little brother use it... but only under my supervision. I honestly don't think the modern emo junkies and metal head high schoolers would find any interest in stealing this type of equipment. It looks old and beat up. these new kids just want anything that says Mesa on it. ::rant complete::

I've been playing a mex strat with some Dragonfire pickups in the neck and bridge and a DiMarzio Blue Velvet in the middle. Pretty much using the Fender Blues Jr amp, but occasionally I'll use a Fender Bassman 50. I once ran the tube driver through a Roland Jazz Chorus, and really liked what I heard, but not near as much as the fender tube amps.

At first I was afraid this unit would limit me to playing classic rock or blues, but I actually played some newer cover songs with it and people really loved the sound. My initial fears of this being a one-trick-pony were quickly absolved.

I'm interested in trying the Butler Audio reissue. They've supposedly done some nice improvements. If anyone has one and wants to trade out for it, I got a closet full of effects pedals I'm ready to get rid of. just email me

This is a mid eighties model, the Chandler by Butler, not the wall wart version. I bought it new and I still like it best, above all the zillion other distortion stompboxes I have and it never let me down. Now, after 25 years, it is available again by the original designer so suit yourself.

It took some time to get a good sound out of it. A bit fizzy, as I recall, but the glowing tube had some magic and it had some tuby sound qualities the sillicon/transistor squad just didn't provide. At one time I replaced the original tube -still have it, it is chandler branded- for a old amperex at7 or something like that. You get less distortion but a broader range of clean to overdrive. Or maybe because it's old and all the values have shifted but it sounds better than ever. I recently bought the old 19 inch version, just for backup. Never really tried that one, lying under the sink, just in case..

Oh yeah, I never give 10's. Don't trust those reviews..

Well, how does this thing sound? Well, glad you ask.. you caught me in the middle of writing this review....
The funny thing are the smart tone knobs, no fender style (where they act like volume pots) but the Vox way. Treble does high or mids, Bass does low-end or no-end, they are interactive.That makes a difference. Turn everything on zero -like Eric Johnson- and you got still a great sound, try that on your fender.
But it doesn't sound Voxy or fenderish, it sounds euh... Marshally or, more exact, trainwreck alike. Strong open lower mids and smooth highs that goes into violin Hendrix teritory when pushed. It can growl, there is some nice medium thick grind in there but they show up only when playing Gilmourisch slide on a strat, it will sound more throaty with a Les Paul junior. I hear a bit difference when I try to match the clean sound but that's okay, we are not talking digital hifi here.
And yes, I agree with the poster a few reviews below. The underated Vox bulldog sounds pretty goed in the same way but lacks the lower mid oomph and sounds a bit thinner and "colder" overall.

In 30 years it had one repair, some loose jackets.. no biggie.

Never contacted Mr.Butler. He seems reluctant to repair products he never sold and never gave warranty to (Gee, how strange..)
I dont think the Chandler company would service either...

Though the Butler tube driver is still my main stompbox, there are some great devices out there. For a great strat sound I would use my old TS808 into a Fender amp, a tellie and a Vox AC-15 sounds great with a treble booster and my 335 loves my Zendrive. The tube driver is not a "specialty" box, it also not like a Matchless Hot box that make every amp sound like a angry hooligan from Liverpool. It does the Billy Gibbons very well but for me it exels in bluesy poweramp sounds that puts a baby to sleep or starts a mayhem with just a turn of your guitar volume knob.

Very easy to understand, only 4 controls and very basic. Output level, hi/low eq, and tube drive. My unit is an early rev, but not the first run. I have the one Eric Johnson uses (the originals were a bit different, and the rev3 versions had the wall wart).

The sound is great, but it's very iffy depending on the preamp tube used. Case in point - I ripped out the original tube years ago and put a Sovtek (I think it's a 12AT7)in place of it. I then ignored the pedal for the longest time because of scratchy pots, etc... that I was apparently too lazy to look into. I eventually changed that tube to a Groove Tube 12AX7 which, quite honestly, sounded terrible. Very high gain, crunchy tone, not what I was looking for. Up until the other day I had that same crappy tube in there until I decided to find the old Sovtek and put it back in. I also cleaned the pots and switch. WHAT a difference. Now I can actually use this pedal and it sounds exactly like it should; warm and punchy. Add this next to a TS-808 and you have great overdrive. The thing about this pedal that I think makes it versatile is that you can vary your tone based on the tube. The Sovtek is very warm and smooth, and doesn't have a dirty gain, but once it's boosted you can hear the warmth come through. It's a very pleasant sound. The manufacturer didn't really intend for the end-user to change the tubes, but I found it to be pretty easy and non-threatening to the unit, and in the end I'm much happier.

The pedal does have some hum, but it goes away sometimes. I'm leaning more towards thinking it's a grounding issue but I can't figure out why.

I give this a mid-rating because it's old, and even though it seems to function better since cleaning the controls, there's still that chance that it won't operate perfectly the minute you have an audience. I generally have another overdrive in the chain anyway so if I needed to it would make a worthy backup.

Never dealt with Chandler, but they were just the distributors. BK Butler is the brains and hands behind these pedals. His design; hand-wired and very well made. These pedals turned up for a while under the Tube Works name, as miniature versions of the original, and the same concept is in the Tube Works Blue Tube. The Chander version is designed better, IMO. BK is actually re-issuing these pedals under his own name but in the same outfit and design as the originals. I would think if you needed support he would be the one to talk to, and from what I've read he's very friendly and answeres all his e-mails.

Overall a great addition to my setup; gives my overdrive a warmth that is missing from most solid-state pedals. I originally bought it about 8 years ago because Eric Johnson uses it, and I figured I'd get magic tone..heh. Well, that never happened but I've found my own settings that work well with it and sometimes can get that velvety, violin-type tone when used with the right combination of instrument/amp. Besides the Tube Driver, my chain of effects are: Ibanez TS-808, ProCo RAT, EH Small Clone, EH Small Stone, MXR 1500 Delay, and MXR Analog Delay. My amp is a Fender Deluxe Reverb re-issue, and my guitars are: 68' reissue Stratocaster, vintage blonde Telecaster, Gibson SG standard, and an Ibanez AEL10 acoustic.

My Tube Driver pedal is an original B.K. Butler that I purchased in 1987. Four controls (Output, Hi EQ, Lo EQ, Gain). One foot switch with an indicator light to tell whether it's on or off. Very simple to operate, although it does take a little tweaking to get "your" tone. Have to be careful with the Hi EQ because it will produce a grating, shrill sound that will annoy you.

There is no substitute for this pedal. My chain is: Eric Johnson signature strat > Crybaby Wah > Tube driver > all tube Marshall JTM 30 (usually clean channel only). Have a Memory Man deluxe reissue and a TC Electonics Chorus plugged into the effects chain. Am I trying to duplicate Eric Johnsons signal chain...YES! Can I get his tone...NO! That's 75% fingers and skill rather than equipment, but that's another story. I can get my own approximation of his tone and to my ears, it's awesome. The tube driver produces a very warm, mid range boost to a slightly over driven amp that cannot be duplicated. You have to be careful with this pedal because it won't hide your sloppy playing like a lot of distortion pedals. Every note is clearly defined but fully distorted, if that makes any sense. The pedal is not noisy at all, even at ridiculous volumes.

I've owned this medal for almost 20 years. Used it with a variety of different amps, guitars, bands, indoors, outdoors, etc. It's a tank! About 10 years ago, I replaced the tube and that was it until about 2 years ago. Then it started getting flaky - pots didn't work or produced scratchy sound; footswitch didn't work, tube sound was awful.

See above. To make a long story short, I contacted Mr. Butler himself (the man who originally designed and produce the Tube Drivers). I sent him my aging pedal and he completely refurbished it; new pots, footswitch, tube, etc. He sent it back and its like a completely new pedal. He also wrote a note telling me what year and batch my pedal came from and signed the bottom of the pedal. Needless to say, I rate customer support 110% (even if I've only had to use it once in 20 years!).

I've been playing the guitar for over 30 years and now I play mostly 70's and 80's rock; heavily into Rush, Led Zep, etc. Also play covers and anything else that strikes me as interesting (yeah, including EJ). It would kill me if I lost this pedal, not only because of the sound but because I've had it so long it's an integral part of my chain. I've priced these pedals on ebay and they're going for $600 bucks or more for the orginal versions. Supposedly you can get reissues from Butler Electronics for a reasonable price. I would definitely buy another one if this one disappeared or crapped out completely. It gives you the sweetest, warmest tone you could ever possibly want.

I picked up this pedal recently (4months ago)after searching for one for a while.. I use this daily, mostly for recording. Expensive, but the search for tone can be that way. Can not get much easier... dial in your tone to taste. It's important that you pair this pedal with a compatible amp..

Simply put, this is perfect tone for my needs. Smooth overdrive, incredible sustain.... and no added noise... I use it with a Bassman LTD or my vibrolux and it gives me the earlier break up I am looking for. Super smooooth and creamy.... Guitar wise, i'm a big fan of Gibsons with P90's. I really can't speak to this pedal in conjunction with Fender guitars, but it seems pretty friendly with any guitasr I've fed it

Considering the age of this pedal, I would have to give high marks on reliability. I have had zero issues (knocking on wood)and I have a fairly early model

n/a

Overall, I love this pedal. Probably (ok, it is..) overpriced, but there is a reason they are sought after by some. I also dig the "hugeness" of the pedal, you can't miss it in a crowd.

At least as simple as most amps today to operate.

Paired with a MARSHALL JCM OR JMP it gets a 9. I have tried it on a 78 TWIN REVERB with dismal results. This thing was designed around the older Marshall tone, as a supliment to a slightly overdriven Marshall. I imagine it would sound great on any Carvin, Laney, Hiwatt or the like. With a slightly overdriven Marshall, the Tube Driver WILL DELIVER THE REST OF THE GOODS IN A FRIEGHTLINER.

If you're a 40 something, still enjoy the REAL monster George Lynch or Satriani sound, and have a suitable amp to accomodate the Tube Driver, Buy one! But if you are using a 70's fender silverface, Berringer, or Peavey solid state combo, get a Boss Metal Zone or something. You're only gonna make the Chandler mad at you. It's just not intended to co-exist with this type of amp.

There solid enough if you don't bash 'em around. There's still a lot of them around. It seems guys who have them don't come off of them too readily.

c'mon!

Very easy to use. Level, hi, lo, and Drive controls. I believe its true bypass switching. Got it used.

Great sound quality. I used to have one back in the late 80's, not sure which model it was but remember it had a really cool vibe to it, but not exactly my cup of tea at the time. I was more into the metallica super smooth heavy metal at the time. I think I had a later version which don't sound too hot.

This review is for the original 1987 "designed by BK Butler / San Francisco" model which are the ones demanding top dollar. $450 -- (Ouch!) but cheaper than the ones going to full auction on Ebay. They can top $500. Is it worth it...who knows, it depends on what you're looking for. This thing has a really cool vibe to it, it squishes a bit and is very thick sounding with a nice lower mid hump to it. I really like the sound. Up until now, my fav tube distortion pedal was my Vox Big Ben. Side by side, the Big Ben is more Voxy sounding (upper mids, treble)and thinner sounding than the Chandler. The Big Ben hands down beat all the other pedals I've owned - Peanut Butter, Barber-LTD,DD,SS, Ibanez ts808 - modded and stock, Vox Valvetone, Tube Driver (later 5 knob versions), Hot Box, etc. etc. The Chandler holds the title now. The leads are singing, thick, chewy, etc. At low gain settings and with a 12au7, its without a doubt the best sounding blues pedal i've ever heard. I see a 4558 op amps chip in there, but I don't beleive its the gain unit, but the boost to drive the tube into overdrive. Could be wrong though, don't matter, the pedal rocks.

Only negative is that it can be a little noisey. Also, if you pick one up - make sure you change the power chord to a 3 prong for safety. There's a reason for 3 prong plugs and your life shouldn't come second to resale value!!!! If you play out, you can't be sure if the house wiring is properly grounded!!

Not sure, haven't had it too long, but its a 1987 and its all original except for the power chord (was a two prong shocker!).

Don't know, got it used.

Great pedal. The best I've played. I own a Fuchs OD50 and a handmade Princeton clone amp. PRS, vintage Aria guitars and a Cort hollowbody guitars. Excellent pedal and I'm sure it will continue to go up in value.

really easy to use. All you need is to know what your after. Many paople are looking for the holy grail of tone and when they are asked what or who they want to sound like, they have no answer. well, this is easy enough for even those people to get great tone.

so, the one i have is the rack mount version made in about 1983. and, i play bass, so iam using a fender usa 2001 passive 4 string to drive it. it came with a 12ax7 and it sounded great but i use it for more a pre-amp and then use the overdrive as an added effect to freak people out. well, i put a 12at7 in and it seems to have given me a bit more headroom and it isn't as dirty when it's as saturated as it can get. it was a huge improvement on an already great tone.

i haven't had any problems with it. also, changing out the tubes is five year old easy.

they are closed....

it works great as a bass preamp. i've been playing professionally 5 years now. it is quite a unique application that i use for...think about it, a guitar tube driver! but as a bass preamp, it makes an swr pro series tube preamp head just sing.

I have the old, white, non-wallwart, made in San Francisco Chandler Tube Driver pedal. I bought it used without a manual, but it's easy enough to figure out and get good sounds from it.

I run the Chandler Tube Driver through an odd mix of equipment: '87 Fender Strat (made in Japan) with the EMG DG20 "Dave Gilmour" electronics package into the Chandler Tube Driver, then into a POD XT, out of the POD XT to a Rockman Stereo Chorus, then a Rockman Stereo Echo, plugged into a 120 watt Behringer keyboard amp with a big 15". The Chandler isn't really noisy, less than most stock distortion pedals, I'd say. I must say, though, that I have played a bit with four different tubes, and I'm most happy with the following two tubes: 1) an Electro-Harmonix 12ax7EH sounds great for higher gain rhythm crunch, and 2) a NOS Tesla ECC802S (12au7), which is GREAT for smooth leads - the Tesla is really, really nice. I can go from a smooth overdrive for blues, to ZZ Top grit, to Gilmour leads, and classic rock rifs with this thing when using a clean amp setting.

I haven't had it very long, so I don't know how much longer it'll last, but it's lasted this long, so I'd say that it has a good track record. Would I gig without a backup? Hell No! Backup isn't an issue, though, since I'm using a POD XT to begin with, but pedal wise, I also have some other very nice pedals.

Chandler doesn't exist anymore, so I can't comment on their customer support.

I mostly play blues and blues based music, and the Chandler Tube Driver is a great match. I've been playing for about 15 years, and my gear includes a whole rack full of Rockman half rack modules, a POD XT, Rockman X100's, a Keeley Compressor, a customized Keeley Phat BD-2, a Keeley modded MT-2, a stock TS9, and other assorted gear. If the Chandler was stolen or lost I'd probably try to get another one, because I really dig the smoothness from it. This pedal definately helps me make music rather than getting in the way.

I like the knobs and feel of the unit - no need for a mid setting. The newest versions (generation 3 as taken over by tube works) have graduated rotations - seems better for setting levels. Wouldn't need a manual unless it had guides for various settings but this can be figured out easy enough

I've compared three generations of this pedal: (1) as released by Chandler with no wallwart (2) second generation (I assume) with wallwart) and (3) as taken over by tube works with three-prong plug (no wallweart).

I am fond of using Gibson acoustics (J200, Southern Jumbo and a Sheryl Crow Country and Western issue) through a tube pre-amp through a host of effects (chorus, compression, trem, vibe, phsae wah etc) to a tube amp. The distortion is middway through the chain and I've treid all kinds of pedals and configurations with it. (I'm inclined to prefer what David Gilmour is using as in Compression Boss CS-2 and Boss Chorus version 2 and P90 phase etc). I've also just used the Chandlers separate to everything for testing purposes. The tube pre-amp is a presonus pretube unit with a 12ax7. As last in the chain is an aphex sound exciter (adds nice punch but has a very cheap on/off foot switch - BEWARE)

While most of the reviews here have either a love of the preamp tube inside (or prefer to change it for less gain), I've found the only realy difference is in the gain. The 12ax7 vs 12au7 overall tone is not really that different but the gain is quite different altogether as you'd expect. What is different is the generations of the unit themselves in what they offer the tube!

The first generation is in the middle (call it a 7) while the second is quite weak (5 or worse). The Tube Works version is actually best which I found surprising. What can I say? Side by side test confirm the Tube Works has the most versitile sounds. Everything from hard bass to light treb with all in betwen and what I like most is that it doesn't colour my sound unless I want it to. I can drum up the distortion with on change in tone. If I treb up the signal I get some real nice cut through. Really it does everything I want it to.

Even with out the tube amp it sounds great. (The tube amp I'm using is a custom "kit" amp made in Montreal in 1944 that my Dad giged with back then (some 60 years ago!)- just had it rebuilt for guitar at 25 watts out - I imagine it's very close to what an old Gibson sounds like - not too dirty unless you want to blow your ears - the tube drive supplys the dirt).

The 10 rating is for the tube works version of this drive. The Wall wart is lowest for sure at about a 5. The original Chandler would be a 7 or 8 on a good day.

The original Chndler goes back a very long time (to mid 80 I guess - bought used as were they all). This one has original Chandler preamp 12ax7 tube in it and sounds quite fine. I think tells how sturdy it is.

Have no opinion to offer here since the originals can't be serviced by the original manfacturer. It looks like a failry simple set up though if other than the tube were to go.

By the way the electric tele that I have sounds great through it too. If you are like me, though, and interesteed in having an acoustic sound (true sound) that can ramp up all of sudden to distortion for blues, then the unit is quite good. Listen to David Gilmour's unplugged show on DVD from a few years back and you'll hear what I'm after - he ramps it up quite nice on a few of the songs using just his Martin and effect.

I've also tried Ibanez, American Women, Boss, Muffs, et al and nothing offers up the range ('cept maybe the American Women pedal) as the tube driver. No doubt the tube is one of the reasons. Nothing quite beats the tube sound from a tube amp (though I have solid state Fender Princetons as well). When you add the Chandler leading to the signal of the tube amp you really get classic sounds.

I've worked hard at getting the tone I want and for sure I'm satisfied now with the tube drive. i bought the tube works version from a store whereas the others were over e-bay. It was the cheapest, I could try it out and was really surprised how much more punch it has. Though the Chandlers are harder to find in used shops it may be worth the search to try it out before you buy it. I would have saved around 600 bucks if I could have landed on the tube works version first.

Finally, the reviews may mislead somewhat based on subjectivity. I was going on two things: David Gilmour's taste and the reviews. I was avoiding subsequent generations of the unit based on the opinion from these pages. All I can add is that perhaps side by side comparisons were not done by anyone else of the same units. So, don't let the collections aspect deter you from trying a newer generation of the product. I guess up to the present time tube works offers a version of this drive. While normally the older the unit, the better, I can't tell you how pleasantly surprised I am with the third generation version.

I would add that even at a 5 the worst of the units still sounds great compared to the other pedals I've tried. I would take the 5er over the Ibanes DS9 (reissue but colours you) and BOSS and even the muff (harder to dial in the ranges). My only disapointment with the weaker units is the lack of bass punch - it flys off somewhere and you have to do a lot of tweeking at the amps, eq or pre-amps to get some bottom end back. That's why I like the last tube works one so much 'cause all the bass is still there when you switch on.

Sorry for any spelling errors in the above - need a spell check as much as I need another pedal.

4 knobs- how hard can it be?

My set-up are as follows; '54 strat R.I./Gibson LP>Crybaby wah>Tubedriver>Soulbender>Experience pedal>Vibe unit> Choralflange.
It puts an original Ts-808 to shame. I know 'cause I had a few. Comparing the two, the TD has much more gain and you can dial in the right amount of Hi or Lo end to suit your taste. It is much more rich sounding than that overated TS-808, which is thin sounding and overpriced ridiculously.

Built like an M-1 tank. Don't see a need for a back-up.

They aren't made anymore, but mine hasn't given up. I still have the original 12Ax7 on it and it still kicks ass.

Great for everything except death metal. Think Led Zeppelin playing Heartbreaker and Eric Johnson doing Camel's night out. An awesome pedal.

It's extremely easy to use. I have the rack version of the Chandler Tube Driver. Front panel has Drive, Contour, Bias, Master, Hi, Mid and Low. Just a few knobs, not rocket science. In the back there's also two inputs and outputs (line and instrument level for each) and footswitch inputs for bypass and boost.

I use it with either a ADA MP-1 Classic + Marshall EL34 100/100 rig or a JCM800. This unit does two things very well, in my opinion. One is getting some dirt to a clean amp (you know, the kind of dirt you can't get by turning the gain up a bit) and the other is giving a nice, smooth, great sounding lead boost. Used on a clean amp with a strat, it's SRV all over the place, nice cleanish warm tone with a little dirt. Sounds great on the neck/middle pickups. Boosting an already distorted tone, it gives a very nice round, smooth tone, with a lot of sustain. The boost feature is nice if you want both a lead boost and dirt on the clean amp, but I prefer to keep it in boost mode for both situations (using the volume pot on my guitars), because it sounds warmer to me (for whatever reason).

I've had it for a couple of years and I haven't had any problems. I know the previous owner, and the unit has been working fine for the last twenty years or so.

Never had contact with Chandler.

I hate to give all 10s (and I mean that, I usually don't give much credit to all 10 reviews), but this little box helps me get some serious tone (to my ears, at least) and it's very cheap for what it does. I don't play any type of music in particular, I go from classical to metal, to blues, to jazz, to some pop now and then, and pretty much everything in between (or so I like to think). I just try to get a wide range of good tones, and the Tube Driver allows me to get some tones otherwise impossible with my gear. The thing I love about it is that it's so smooth and warm. Just a great tube overdrive.

EASY TO USE, SPIN 'EM & DIAL 'EM IN, NO MANUAL NEED (OR SUPPLIED)

MINE IS THE OLD "MADE IN SAN FRANSISCO" RACK MOUNT VERSION. A LITTLE NOISY AS IT IS NOT TRUE BYPASS, I USE A TRUE BYPASS LOOP ON IN WITH A LIMITER/GATE AFTER IT IN THE CHAIN. I USE IT WITH GIBSON LES PAUL AND FENDER STRATS. ADDS A NICE WARM BLUESEY TONE AND JUMPS THE SIGNAL UP WITH THE BOOST SWITCH ON.

BUILY WELL, NEVER LET ME DOWN IN MANY YEARS, (HELL, I HAVE NEVER EVEN CHANGED THE TUBE!!!)

HA HA!!!

I PLAY EVERY TYPE OF MUSIC AND THIS GEAR IS SUITED FOR BLUES AND CLASSIC ROCK TUNES. BEEN PLAYING MANY MOONS AND IF IT WAS LOST, BROKEN OR STOLEN, I'D JUST OFF IT ON EBAY BECAUSE I HAVE SO MUCH GEAR AND SO MANY DIFFERNT WAYS TO PRODUCE EQUAL OR BETTER DISTORTION, FUZZ OR BOOST THE SIGNAL. TO BE HONEST WITH YA'ALL...RIGHT NOW I AM USING THIS UNIT IN FRONT OF AN OLD HARMONIZER/DELAY TO BOOST THE HARMONIZER AND RUNNING A THERIMIN THROUGH IT. IT DOES VERY WELL AT BOOSTING THE HARMONIZER @ 10 CENTS OFF FOR A NICE DOUBLE TRACK SOUND.

IF your serious about putting some hair on the ass of your tube amp this thing is a monster,I recently bought a rack mount tube driver after having a floor stomp box unit that i flushed due to too much noise.This unit{rack mount}is all i need for either HENDRIXIAN distortion or beleive it or not RANDY RHODES LIVE TRIBUTE SOUND.

Full range dynamics from low to mid to high,EXCELLENT overall performance.REAL TUBE SOUND ALTHOUGH A 12AU7 TUBE WORKS BEST FOR SMOOTH NO GRAIN BREAKUP.

sOLID AS A ROCK.

m ETAL,BLUES,CLASSICAL

This unit is very easy to use, it has six or seven knobs and you can tweak them to your personal touch

The sound quality is very good when you finally get the right guitar and amp/effect setup. I find that my `82 Ibanez artist or any Gibson type guitar works best with this. When I bought this used about 5 years ago, I was playing U.S. strats exclusively and I was hard pressed to get the tone I desired.

This is very reliable. I`ve dropped it many times and it still works excellently. Ive used it on many gigs without a problem, however I would use various different pedals to get the sounds I want.

This is good for getting any classic overdrive sound however I would recommend using this in a mixer because the bypass sound is really brutal. I bought this from Moze Guitars in 1998 for 20 bucks probably for the reason that the front is painted black. Another cool thing is that you can plug the output into a 4x12 and get a killer sound at low at-home practice levels especially with a tech 21 sansamp and wha
pedal.

Very easy.

The tone is better than any other tube pedal I ever heared. David Gilmour uses two of these and it is a major part of his sound.

I bought mine used on Ebay and it came with a GE 12AU7B. I knew that they shiped with the 12AX7. So I popped a EH 12AX7 from my EH Hot Tubes (another amazing pedal). The 12AX7 sucked ass! You need the 12AU7 or the like. It will give you super warm tone with a gorgous overdrive that doesn't break up.

The PROBLEM with this pedal is that even on bypass it makes a lot of noise. Does anyone know how to fix this? If so contact me.

From the look and weight of it you could beat on it with a crowbar and it wouldn't matter.

Aren't they out of buisiness?

I think I said it all.

Takes some time twiddling knobs for a good sound

It has a tube, and to my ear still sounds better than 95% of the transistor pedals out there. The strong point on this one is putting the gain on 10 -- Hendrix-time!!! Totally flips my Twin Reverb and makes it totally unpredictable, absolutely perfect for out-of control Hendrix!! For a mild, controllable sound for R&B it was always a little too fuzzy/harsh for my taste. When it died I replaced it with an Ibanez Tube King which I use to this day.

HAHA!! I'm like the second person ever to have a problem.

First of all- about the tube- you don't have to baby this pedal, the thing's built like a tank!! Carry an extra 12AX7 and a screwdriver and you're set.

Mine died on me after like the third beer spilled on it. SOmehow, the Tube King has been soaked with beer 6 times and a few with rain and it lived -- Just a couple of beers made something fail in the Chandler. It still functions but has a real loud static that makes it unusable, I'm replacing parts to try to find the culprit, anyone out there have any ideas?

I'm sure if you don't play live around beer, rain, and falling cabinets this thing is perfectly reliable, it just happened to fail on me....

Yea, uhh, where are Paul Chandler and BK Butler now? If you know how to get ahold of either of them, ask them to PLEASE help me determine the failed component!! HAHA, right.

Blues/SRV/R&B/Funk

Not really a very good match for my style, the Ibanez Tube King is closer....

Been gigging for 10 years with my 79 strat and 72 twin

I wouldn't replace it, but I am TRYING to fix it :)

I love the totally whacked-out sound with the gain all the way up, never know what you're going to get :)

I chose this initially because it has a tube, and like I said I think even with the drawbacks it sounds better that most of the transistors... Not as smooth and controllable as the Ibanez Tube King

I wish it had all new components so that it worked!! haha

Good pedal, but to me not worth the crazy $ these things seem to go for these days.

Then again, this was a new concept when it was introduced, tube in a pedal.....

This is the old mid-80s four-knob Tube Driver, not to be confused with the Tube Works reissue of the mid 90s. The reissue is not nearly as good. The oldie says "Chandler Industries, San Francisco" on it whereas the reissue doesn't. Easy to use, drive, level, and hi and lo eq. This one has the Attached AC cord, not the transformer adapter. I give it a 9 for ease of use, because you do have to experiment with the two eq knobs to get the best sound out of your guitar and amp.

The unit doesn't seem to handle low end notes very well. Power fifths, low note runs, and especially drop-D stuff just make it sound constipated. Where this thing shines is as a lead pedal. For solos into an old Marshall it's hard to beat. It's more aggressive and gainier than a Fulldrive, but less so than a Rat. Don't automatically assume that it will make you into Instant Eric Johnson.

Hard to rate. For solos it's great, bluesy with a strat, very powerful Texas Tone with a Les Paul. More dynamic than the Tubescreamer based pedals. I give it a 9 for solo tone, and only a 2 for rhythm tone. Better get a Fulldrive or Maxon 808 reissue and use that for crunch and the Tube Driver for leads.

This pedal is better suited for blues, and the Ibanez Tube King is a better hard-rock or metal pedal.

It's almost 20 years old and still works. In fact, mine has the original Chandler Industries tube in it! It gets a 9 for exterior construction, but only a 5 for interior: The circuit board is not positively mounted to the chassis; it just hangs on the leads of the controls. Not hi-quality construction.

Don't know; they haven't made this one for years.

This pedal is no good for rhythm. But through an old Marshall or similar quality tube amp, it makes great solo tone. With a Les Paul it's no problem at all to get great early-ZZ Top solo tone, or really any kind of classic-70s rock solo sounds.

simple to operate but takes a bit of tweeking to get rid of the "bee-in-a-bottle" preamp overdrive sound. the contour and bias controls have little effect, as far as i can tell. leave these dimed. eq is effective but a little tedious.

well, it's not an overdriven marshall. not bad for 85 bucks. fulltone this is not, but until the fulldrive comes in a rack unit, this will have to do. how many rack overdrive units are there? not many. it contributes a small amount of noise, as can be expected. this won't provide high-gain sounds. it does moderately overdriven sounds. i don't crank it lest i lose all note definition. i leave the boost on. it does a nice cascade into the overdrive. i haven't tried replacing the old sovtek 12ax7 that's currently installed, but i plan on it...maybe a svetlana 12au7. as i mentioned, the eq section is effective but there's a very fine line between "huh, not bad at all" and "wow, that sure does suck" so just take your time and roll those highs off. i'm using it in between an alembic preamp and vht poweramp.

well, it's 12 years old (signed and dated 1990 b.k. butler) and still kicking. the guts look pretty basic, so if you're handy with a soldering iron, you could probably fix it yourself.

uh...nope. note around any longer. b.k. does car amps now. tube works is useless in regard to the chandler unit (even though they sold the same product with a different logo).

as i mentioned, not a bad unit. don't pay more than 100 bucks for it, though. this isn't the best and it isn't the worst. it sounds like preamp overdrive, which is patently different from poweramp overdrive. i don't think anybody would steal it. fulldrive beats the chandler hands-down, but there's no fulldrive rack unit.

Very easy to use, 4 controls Level,HI,LO,DRIVE .I have the BK Butler version with the built in AC.

I usually use either a PRS Custom 22 Semi-Hollow or 57 Reissue Strat .HIWATT Custom 50 1x12.WOW what a tone! You can get an excellent range of tone from overdive all the way to Heavy dirt.You can use this with an ECC83,ECC81,or ECC82 depending on what you want to do with it.I use a Mullard ECC82 and find that it's the very best tube when using this unit as an overdrive.I have tried all 3 different tubes. It sounds awesome when combined with another dirt box ala ProCo RAT 2 or Big Muff as long as you keep the drive low on the Chandler it won't squeal.I do highly recommed taking the extra time and $ to get the earlier BK Butler version , it is definitely superior to the versions that came later with the wall wart.I have had several of each and had the opportunity to A+B them.If you get one on EBAY you will more than likely pay alot more than you can get one on Harmony Central for. I would post a want ad and see if you can get lucky. This works well with any other pedal or pedalboard. I know that David Gilmour of Pink Floyd and Eric Johnson use this pedal in the studio and live.I am sure there are many others though.Defintiely BLOWS AWAY THE Tubescreamer by leaps and bounds even the older ones.

This pedal is extremely reliable but I wouldn't gig without a backup because no pedal is perfect.Had it almost 2 years, no problems at all.The guy I bought it from had it in a closet since 85.

They are out of business,these pedals were only manufactured fo 1985-1988.

I always use this pedal as an overdrive unit with another dirt box. You can also use it by itself as dirt box but you are better of with an ECC81 or ECC83 for that. It works well for blues and classic rock. I'm sure it would fit in quite well with any style.The tube really adds a distinctly more responsive feel to your playing.If it went down I'd try to have it fixed, if that doesn't work then I'd get another in a heartbeat. There will never be another overdrive on my board.Buy one!!Used prices range from @$180-$360 , You can probably pick one up for $200 on average depending on the model and condition.

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!!!