Behringer Vintage Tube Overdrive VT911 = B.K. Butler Tube Dr
Information
- Posts: 3
- Joined: 16 Jul 2012, 18:17
Hi All - bumping this thread in hopes of getting a little help. Just grabbed one of these and thought it sounded decent. Not mind blowing but actually more like a pretty decent muff. Anyhow I thought it might benefit from some of the easy improvements mentioned here: tube swap, changing the gain pot value and running it at 12v.
I started with trying it at 12v since it was the easiest to try first. I used a godlyke charge pump from a 9v source. The pedal just made a horrible white noise when engaged. I disconnected that and went back to 9v to check and now it's quiet but sounds like its running at starved voltage. VERY splatty and sputtery. I would never have tried 12v if some didnt report it not only working but a better sound. Did I destroy the pedal or maybe just blow a cap/filter?
Thanks in advance for any help!
I started with trying it at 12v since it was the easiest to try first. I used a godlyke charge pump from a 9v source. The pedal just made a horrible white noise when engaged. I disconnected that and went back to 9v to check and now it's quiet but sounds like its running at starved voltage. VERY splatty and sputtery. I would never have tried 12v if some didnt report it not only working but a better sound. Did I destroy the pedal or maybe just blow a cap/filter?
Thanks in advance for any help!
Sorry, can't help with the 12v question.
Don't think I will try that one for now
But for all owners of a VT911:
Indeed. Bought it new years ago, sounded horrible.
I could only use mine on drive set on 2. tried different tubes I had around (they are ±10 euro a piece, so not expensive)
and settled for a JJ. Sounded best, but only at drive knobposition 2.1. So never really used it.
After reading these posts swapping the potmeter made the most sense. Had a very old one laying around that was actually 50K.
Taking out the original one was a bit difficult, with force you will damage the plate it is attached to.
1-A cheap solder sucker (looks like a syringe) to loosen the main clamps. (has been a lifesaver already for other repairs, so recommended)
2-Just cut the three contact pens with a small cutter. Easy to solder new wire to those ends.
3-Soldered the new "small" dime pot to the new wires, made sure the soldering ends did not short (touch) the housing after mounting . Metal body of the pot itself touching the housing did not matter.[/img]
It now has a wide range of distortion sound. Guess the 25K will do even better. Log or linear don't know, forgot to check..
All the other mods not needed.
So:
New 50 or 25K pot to make it actually work.
New tube to taste, for the "colour" of the sound.
(Although another post said the tube only is used for the volume bit, not for the distortion bit ? No idea if that is true)
Enjoy! download/file.php?mode=view&id=37932
Don't think I will try that one for now
But for all owners of a VT911:
Indeed. Bought it new years ago, sounded horrible.
I could only use mine on drive set on 2. tried different tubes I had around (they are ±10 euro a piece, so not expensive)
and settled for a JJ. Sounded best, but only at drive knobposition 2.1. So never really used it.
After reading these posts swapping the potmeter made the most sense. Had a very old one laying around that was actually 50K.
Taking out the original one was a bit difficult, with force you will damage the plate it is attached to.
1-A cheap solder sucker (looks like a syringe) to loosen the main clamps. (has been a lifesaver already for other repairs, so recommended)
2-Just cut the three contact pens with a small cutter. Easy to solder new wire to those ends.
3-Soldered the new "small" dime pot to the new wires, made sure the soldering ends did not short (touch) the housing after mounting . Metal body of the pot itself touching the housing did not matter.[/img]
It now has a wide range of distortion sound. Guess the 25K will do even better. Log or linear don't know, forgot to check..
All the other mods not needed.
So:
New 50 or 25K pot to make it actually work.
New tube to taste, for the "colour" of the sound.
(Although another post said the tube only is used for the volume bit, not for the distortion bit ? No idea if that is true)
Enjoy! download/file.php?mode=view&id=37932
Well, what does it say on the chip? I can't make it out from your picture. It's probably a quad op amp, but better make sure.
Also, how are you sure that that ic is the problem? Some of the soldering looks dodgy, like that black lead hanging by a thread at the bottom.
Also, how are you sure that that ic is the problem? Some of the soldering looks dodgy, like that black lead hanging by a thread at the bottom.