Sounds great! Excellent demonstration and explanation of the schematics as well. I would like to have heard it going into an amp, but other than that, a great video!
Thanks for watching! And Thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate it! I hadn't watched this video since I uploaded it, and after watching it again just now, I realized I didn't talk about the signal chain at all! 😆 This was one of my earlier videos and I was still trying to figure out how to make it all work. In all my more recent videos, I have the signal chain written in the video description, but I'll paste it here: The signal chain: Late 80's Fender Japan Telecaster with Seymour Duncan Broadcaster Pickups - the pedal - 70's Japanese "BF Princeton inspired" tube amp - analog cab sim - computer.
Great channel! I found this video just by wanting to hear a demo for this pedal, but these seem well made with very useful information. I find the circuit diagram explanation very useful, as a novice guitar tinkerer just making sense of diagrams is seemingly the hardest part so far. I'm about to start binging videos.
Thanks so much! Your comment is really encouraging. The TO-2 is a unique, great pedal, but as I mention in the video, I feel the stock diodes really ruin its potential, reducing the dynamics and articulation. Circuit diagrams may seem intimidating at first, but once you start noticing certain patterns and break up the whole circuit into blocks, it'll make more sense.
I have one of these on the way in the mail. Have quite an affection for Shawn Lane's tone so thought it might be fun to try out. So what is the contribution of the tube if it isn't providing the clipping?
Thanks for watching! As far as "contribution" goes, it's hard to say, but it is essentially a "true" tube preamp (minus the diode clipping) with absolutely no transistors or op amps involved, so you get real "tube tone" and that is probably the largest contribution. The "problem" is that because it's running at 180 Volts (as opposed to a starved plate design), it has TOO MUCH headroom which is probably why the designers had to add diodes to make it work as an overdrive. If you removed the diodes, it would make a great tube clean boost since it has so much output volume on tap.
Thanks for watching! I'd never heard of the 12AE7, but doing a quick search, it looks like a cool little tube used in car audio! Obviously, I have no experience, but that should work with 12 volts. The 12AV7 is much closer to the 12A_7 family (relatively speaking), designed for 100+ volts, so probably not optimal for a starved plate design.
@@arito thank you for the correction, I updated the information on my little video on my channel to reflect that. I will try to post some 12AE7 theoretically less "starved" tube pedal content soon.
Great detailed explanation. Do you know what the difference is between the TO-2 and the Guyatone Flip Valve PD-1? I have a TD-1 distortion and I love it. Thinking of getting one of the overdrives if I can find one. A PD-1 came up nearby but seems more high gain than TO-2 to me.
Thanks for watching! I've never played or owned the PD-1, but googling images of the inside circuitry, I'm guessing it's a modern starved plate design where the tube has very little effect on the tone and the overdrive is coming from the op amps. Also, the 9V power supply is a pretty solid indication that it's starved plate. So you can think of it more like a typical op amp overdrive pedal with a subtle tube "flavor" added on top, which is what most of the "tube" pedals on the market are. Still, if you can get it for cheap, it should be a fun pedal to play around with.
@@arito Thanks for reply. Right, the 9V should have obvious. I've had some tube studio gear in the past with starved plate designs and the tubes were basically just for show and marketing.
@@Imagesbykenny I totally agree. I recently bought a used Behringer vt911 for crazy cheap, and tracing the circuit, it's all op amp distortion and the signal just passes through the tube. I had some fun modding it, and sounds a lot better now. Hope to make a video sometime soon.
Thanks for watching! They are very similar, but not the same pedal. The TD-1 is a "hard clipping" circuit while the TO-2 is a "feedback soft clipping" circuit.
Interesting, never seen THIS one before.. Its kinda like the lil Krunch channel i did - but without the LED's - try just lifting them both and play thru THAT, perhaps ?
Thanks! Actually, there is a part 2 to this video where I talk about a switch I made to bypass the LEDs and use it purely as a tube preamp. But, because it runs at 100 volts on the plates, it has soo much headroom that it stays clean all the way, and barely starts overdriving with the gain at max... Possibly why the engineers at Guyatone added diodes.
I have a TO-2, I dont know if its true for the TO-2, but the TD-1 I have read has an unearthed power supply, this means if a wire shorts, the case becomes conductive and lethal voltage from the wall will be carried from the box to your guitar strings... Are you running yours into a tube amp? Im using one into a JC40 and it sounds far more harsh and less warm than your examples, is this to do with not having the LED's you put in? Its nice to have an explanations of the pots, i thought mine were broken for along time haha.
Thanks for watching! Yes, unfortunately this and the TD-1 have unearthed power supply/chassis. This is also true for a lot of the older Japanese tube amps. Still to this day, there are no laws in Japan mandating earthed 3 prong outlets. I'm not a touring musician or anything, so I won't be throwing this pedal around that something might get loose and short circuit, but it's still a little scary when you think about it... I am running this into a tube amp. It's and old Japanese amp with a BF Princeton inspired circuit. The stock diodes make it sound mushy and compressed, less dynamic. But, I don't know if harshness would be caused by the diodes. I played a JC-120 a long time ago, and felt like it had a lot of upper frequency presence that was comfortable and nice when playing it clean. But with a drive pedal, maybe the upper harmonics get a little too exaggerated? Yeah, the treble and bass pots are a joke... But with a lot of the low budget Japanese brands like Teisco and Guyatone, they definitely cut corners where they could, so it makes sense if they just bought a box full of the same pots. I hope to post part 2 of the TO-2 video by this weekend, there will be a comparison of the diodes and without :)
![Guyatone TO-2 - Simple Mod For Great Overdrive Tones & Comparing Different Clipping Options [TD-1]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/KE8a3xfL_XI/mqdefault.jpg)
![Guyatone TO-2 - Simple Mod For Great Overdrive Tones & Comparing Different Clipping Options [TD-1]](/img/tr.png)
![Real Tube Overdrive Pedal - Is It A Gimmick? Guyatone TO-2 Saturation MOD [Nady TD-1 Westbury W-20]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vkerrHRvgis/mqdefault.jpg)
I've made a completely new video about this pedal! ruclips.net/video/vkerrHRvgis/видео.html
Sounds great! Excellent demonstration and explanation of the schematics as well. I would like to have heard it going into an amp, but other than that, a great video!
Thanks for watching! And Thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate it! I hadn't watched this video since I uploaded it, and after watching it again just now, I realized I didn't talk about the signal chain at all! 😆 This was one of my earlier videos and I was still trying to figure out how to make it all work. In all my more recent videos, I have the signal chain written in the video description, but I'll paste it here:
The signal chain: Late 80's Fender Japan Telecaster with Seymour Duncan Broadcaster Pickups - the pedal - 70's Japanese "BF Princeton inspired" tube amp - analog cab sim - computer.
Great channel! I found this video just by wanting to hear a demo for this pedal, but these seem well made with very useful information. I find the circuit diagram explanation very useful, as a novice guitar tinkerer just making sense of diagrams is seemingly the hardest part so far. I'm about to start binging videos.
Thanks so much! Your comment is really encouraging. The TO-2 is a unique, great pedal, but as I mention in the video, I feel the stock diodes really ruin its potential, reducing the dynamics and articulation.
Circuit diagrams may seem intimidating at first, but once you start noticing certain patterns and break up the whole circuit into blocks, it'll make more sense.
@@arito Of course! I find your videos encouraging so I had to say something.
@@emmarossignol4445 Thank you! Hope you enjoy my other videos.
Great analysis. Subscribed!
Thank you! I really appreciate it. Will be posting part 2 of this, following with many more pedal/amp/guitar videos soon, hope you enjoy them!
I have one of these on the way in the mail. Have quite an affection for Shawn Lane's tone so thought it might be fun to try out. So what is the contribution of the tube if it isn't providing the clipping?
Thanks for watching! As far as "contribution" goes, it's hard to say, but it is essentially a "true" tube preamp (minus the diode clipping) with absolutely no transistors or op amps involved, so you get real "tube tone" and that is probably the largest contribution. The "problem" is that because it's running at 180 Volts (as opposed to a starved plate design), it has TOO MUCH headroom which is probably why the designers had to add diodes to make it work as an overdrive. If you removed the diodes, it would make a great tube clean boost since it has so much output volume on tap.
@@arito right on, thanks for the content and the reply. I look forward to trying mine when it shows up :)
@@superdupes987 Glad I could help! Have fun with the pedal!
What do you think about 12v tubes like 12AV7 or 12AE7 (I think) in starved plate type tube pedals? I'm playing around with them in those circuits...
Thanks for watching! I'd never heard of the 12AE7, but doing a quick search, it looks like a cool little tube used in car audio! Obviously, I have no experience, but that should work with 12 volts. The 12AV7 is much closer to the 12A_7 family (relatively speaking), designed for 100+ volts, so probably not optimal for a starved plate design.
@@arito thank you for the correction, I updated the information on my little video on my channel to reflect that. I will try to post some 12AE7 theoretically less "starved" tube pedal content soon.
@@progresspedals Good luck with the 12AE7, would love to hear how it sounds in a low voltage pedal!
Great detailed explanation. Do you know what the difference is between the TO-2 and the Guyatone Flip Valve PD-1? I have a TD-1 distortion and I love it. Thinking of getting one of the overdrives if I can find one. A PD-1 came up nearby but seems more high gain than TO-2 to me.
Thanks for watching! I've never played or owned the PD-1, but googling images of the inside circuitry, I'm guessing it's a modern starved plate design where the tube has very little effect on the tone and the overdrive is coming from the op amps. Also, the 9V power supply is a pretty solid indication that it's starved plate. So you can think of it more like a typical op amp overdrive pedal with a subtle tube "flavor" added on top, which is what most of the "tube" pedals on the market are. Still, if you can get it for cheap, it should be a fun pedal to play around with.
@@arito Thanks for reply. Right, the 9V should have obvious. I've had some tube studio gear in the past with starved plate designs and the tubes were basically just for show and marketing.
@@Imagesbykenny I totally agree. I recently bought a used Behringer vt911 for crazy cheap, and tracing the circuit, it's all op amp distortion and the signal just passes through the tube. I had some fun modding it, and sounds a lot better now. Hope to make a video sometime soon.
does the TO-2 and
TD-1 are the same pedal ?
Thanks for watching! They are very similar, but not the same pedal. The TD-1 is a "hard clipping" circuit while the TO-2 is a "feedback soft clipping" circuit.
Interesting, never seen THIS one before..
Its kinda like the lil Krunch channel i did - but without the LED's - try just lifting them both and play thru THAT, perhaps ?
Thanks! Actually, there is a part 2 to this video where I talk about a switch I made to bypass the LEDs and use it purely as a tube preamp. But, because it runs at 100 volts on the plates, it has soo much headroom that it stays clean all the way, and barely starts overdriving with the gain at max... Possibly why the engineers at Guyatone added diodes.
I have a TO-2, I dont know if its true for the TO-2, but the TD-1 I have read has an unearthed power supply, this means if a wire shorts, the case becomes conductive and lethal voltage from the wall will be carried from the box to your guitar strings...
Are you running yours into a tube amp? Im using one into a JC40 and it sounds far more harsh and less warm than your examples, is this to do with not having the LED's you put in? Its nice to have an explanations of the pots, i thought mine were broken for along time haha.
Thanks for watching! Yes, unfortunately this and the TD-1 have unearthed power supply/chassis. This is also true for a lot of the older Japanese tube amps. Still to this day, there are no laws in Japan mandating earthed 3 prong outlets. I'm not a touring musician or anything, so I won't be throwing this pedal around that something might get loose and short circuit, but it's still a little scary when you think about it...
I am running this into a tube amp. It's and old Japanese amp with a BF Princeton inspired circuit. The stock diodes make it sound mushy and compressed, less dynamic. But, I don't know if harshness would be caused by the diodes. I played a JC-120 a long time ago, and felt like it had a lot of upper frequency presence that was comfortable and nice when playing it clean. But with a drive pedal, maybe the upper harmonics get a little too exaggerated?
Yeah, the treble and bass pots are a joke... But with a lot of the low budget Japanese brands like Teisco and Guyatone, they definitely cut corners where they could, so it makes sense if they just bought a box full of the same pots.
I hope to post part 2 of the TO-2 video by this weekend, there will be a comparison of the diodes and without :)