Seymour Duncan is known for its outstanding pickups, and I’ve known they’ve made pedals for awhile, but haven’t really paid attention until they came out with the Twin Tube Blue (SFX-11). This is a very cool little preamp/overdrive box that sits – gain-wise – right in the middle between their Twin Tube Classic and their Twin Tube Mayhem.
Run by two 6111 mil-spec, USA Philips-Sylvania tubes, the Blue can get you some nice, pre-amp snap, to sweet, sustained gain. Here’s the description from the Seymour Duncan site:
Too often, inexpensive tube gear runs in “starved plate mode,” where the tubes function like clipping diodes and do not actually amplify. The Twin Tube Blue’s high-plate voltage and 100% vacuum tube signal path allows the tubes to operate at their fullest potential and provide maximum dynamic range. This means you get the most gain and all the smooth tone you expect from a high-quality tube preamp. Two channels provide versatility. Like all Seymour Duncan stompboxes, the Twin Tube Blue is true bypass and features a fully encapsulated toroidal transformer for quiet operation. Heavy duty steel chassis.
Sounds impressive, huh? Here’s a video:
At about $229 street, it’s a bit on the pricey side, but it sure sounds good. Check it out at Seymour Duncan!
I think you may be wrong about the gain of the Blue- It has the least gain of the Twin Tube series. Just thought I’d point that out!
Cheers-
Brian
Interesting, Brian. That’s what the dude in the video said. Could just boil down to a different gain profile and where SD sets the EQ for the gain it produces. But thanks for the insight!