Big Tube Tone | Gear Nebraska

by Brendan G-W

This week, we take a look at the Tube Works Blue Tube Enhancer. I purchased this pedal a few weeks ago on craigslist without really knowing what I was getting. The price was low enough and I knew I could always resell it if I wasn’t satisfied. I realized within a matter of minutes of using it that I would be keeping it around.  

The Tube Works Blue Tube Enhancer is a compact tube preamp in a stomp box chassis. The pedal is powered by a 12AX7 vacuum tube, but that can be switched out based on user preference. The controls of the unit are pretty basic. “Output” controls master volume, while “Drive” adjusts how hard you run the tube. You can get a pretty gritty sound by pushing the drive on this pedal. The three-band EQ is geared toward the lower end of the sound spectrum. “Low” controls around 150 Hz, “Mid” covers between 800 Hz and 1.5 kHz and “Hi” is everything about 2.5 kHz. The EQ is a nice feature, especially if you use the pedal for bass overdrive, as most distortion/overdrive pedals suck the low end out of the sound.  

Overall, this is a pretty nice sounding and versatile pedal. 

Brendan G-W is an Omaha native. Some of his fave things this week are sleeping in and the new Digital Leather/Cola Freaks 7-inch split. Yikes, it's good! Got a gripe or suggestion? Leave it here or send an email to brendan.gwalsh@gmail.com