Yes, Brian. The answer is yes. If you made a pedal with actual tubes, we’d gladly buy it.

50 years of experience right here! Happy belated birthday Brian 🎉

The "Magician" Brian Wampler playing through a Behringer VT999 and saying that is real good. I never thought I'd live to see that. A lot of people must be hanging themselves. Cheers from Brazil. By the way. Happy Birthday man. Love your pedals.

@DMSProduktions

Күн бұрын

VT999 FTW! \m/

@MikeSmith-tx2lp

7 сағат бұрын

Get over the Behringer bias problem. They make excellent value kit nowadays. “Not made in USA” does not mean anything is automatically crap.

@DMSProduktions

4 сағат бұрын

@@MikeSmith-tx2lp I agree! I've had alm 0 trouble with any Behringer thing I've ever bought!

The Hughes and Kettner Tube Factor was a cool pedal I used for a bit and still own. I swapped out the stock tube for a lower gain 12AU7 or 12AT7 and it sounded even better. It was equally great as both a boost to an already dirty sound or as a distorted rhythm tone on the clean channel.

@mesasavage

3 күн бұрын

12AY7 or its industrial 6072 counterpart is the sweet spot between those two and my favorite for replacing a 12AX7. AU is too low and AT is strange as the first gain stages. AU is better as a cathode follower and AT is better in the phase inverter spot on a PP or PPP amp. Each tube has its purpose, but I think the AY is vastly overlooked as a way to ideally knock some gain down from an AX.

That Radial pedal is the best sounding one I think. I have the Hot British version and it’s a favorite of mine. Radial should bring these pedals back.

@allenlocke1935

3 күн бұрын

I love my Tri Mode Radial clean, and two distortion options with an effects loop on the lead channel. Always makes me smile!

@herculesrockafeller

3 күн бұрын

It has the tightest sound I think.

@jenniferlawrence2701

3 күн бұрын

I read somewhere they're based on an old Japanese pedal Shawn Lane used to use. Could be wrong.

Harlot v3 from kingsley, my all time favorite drive pedal. versatile, powerful and enough features to allow me to use any kind of guitar on a set and compensate accordingly, love it to death!

@adielelgi

3 күн бұрын

Definitely ! My favorite pedal!!!

@andrewgalvin2616

3 күн бұрын

Second this

@laurentperez5229

2 күн бұрын

I have a lot of Tube drive pedal and the Harlot V3 is the best I ever bought. Really really great pedal. And most of my Kingsley (Maiden D and Page TS) pedals are the best I ever tried or owned.

@TeleBlaster

22 сағат бұрын

I just got a Harlot V3. Its splendid. My fav drive pedal b4 that was also a Kingsley …a Page. The Harlot is like a Page +.

@adielelgi

21 сағат бұрын

@@TeleBlaster I have had so many overdrive and boost pedals.. Kingsley is simply the best.. at least for me

I have an old Mesa Boogie v twin and I don't care what anyone says. put a ts9 or mojo mojo in front of it and it's as good as any amp you can mane. It chugs even with my cheepie Squier tele.

@vancepitman2105

2 күн бұрын

I have a Mesa Bottle Rocket. Simpler, a bit crisper, very crisp (seemed to cut through a bit more cleanly than the V Twin, for me), solid on its own, and stacks fantastically with other drives, or into a medium gain amp channel. Although it’s just volume, drive, and two band EQ, I definitely prefer it over the Tube Driver and Ibanez circuits. I’m curious if the Mesa pedals follow a similar design with high power Op Amp and starved tubes.

Ive been playing 2-4 shows a month for the last year. I quickly gave up my precious half stacks and twins for a friedman IRX and a class D power amp pedal, and a 1x12 cab. I don’t even think of it as a pedal. My amp is at my feet now. Its not digital (unless I use the IR’s) and it sounds “real” at home I still use a 6505+ for distortion. And fender twin for cleans. But live, its friedman IRX doing both. The high voltage tube gain is my only acceptable path. If i played clean only:id of gone digital eventually. Friedman is worth every single penny

@guttedEwok01

19 сағат бұрын

What power amp pedal do you use?

Enjoyed this, and the way you basically explained how each circuit worked. Thank you Mr. Wampler!

I watch tons of videos showing different drive pedals. This is the first one where they ALL sound great.

You're the Man Brian. Technical Genius.. I think tube driven distortion and overdrives are cool..

I have the VOX Silk Drive and love it. I'm getting the AC30 sounding one next month as soon as my $ deposits.

@trebleboost7

3 күн бұрын

Really want to try these!

@terryenglish7132

3 күн бұрын

​@@trebleboost7Nu Tubes sound just like tubes, amp tubes, not the low V current starved "Tube Driver" kind. Silk sounds great w effects as well.

Very informative video!

Thank you for this video Brian. I'd love to see how you would approach building a vacuum tube based pedal

Tube Monster is a great one. I was surprised when I got one a played around with it.

I have a tube pedal running into a tube amp. Its all so vintage & tube driver-ish that the clocks go back 15 minutes every time I power up.

Yes, happy birthday from the Netherlands, Brian!

I know I’ll never be able to replicate this tone no matter what I do but I do enjoy watching and listening. It’s just so thick sounding.

Happy 50th Brian! You rock! I recently got a "Tsakalis G (Gravity) Spot" pedal, and find it's heads and tails above just about every other pedal I have. It sounds heavenly. Thanks for the video!

I used the Behringer with a tube screamer for 2 years and loved it. I only paid $15 for it on Amazon. Probably the most value I've ever gotten from a pedal. In fact, I had a couple of their pedals, most I didn't like except for their tube drive and their reverb. Effectrode is by far my favorite tube driven pedals nowadays.

Really love your videos Brian always informative and always enjoyable. And I just love all the more in depth videos being an electronics engineer every show with a schematic gives me the chills 😉 And the fact that I really enjoy your playing makes it all so much better!

I have the behringer with a less gainy tube in it and it has always been amazing

The Tubesteader stuff is fantastic

Thank you for explaining the why/how of the starved plate.

Brian I recently got a Carvin x1 pedal for Father's day and I love it. Bought a 2 channel looper pedal to run it with my amp so that I can switch between my amps preamp and the preamp pedal to give me versatility for blues, country, and rock, but still only using one amp. I'm very impressed with it and I am shocked more people don't know how good it is. I'd love to see you do a video on it being you're my go-to pedal guy. I have a Belle and an Ego compressor run in front. Please consider doing this from a fan of your pedals and your perspective videos.

Man, I don’t know if it’s just that guitarists aren’t wise to it yet; but Sushibox are doing some UNBELIEVABLY great things with tubes in a pedal form factor

well brian, i have been a huge fan of your od/dist stuff for a long time. i used a sovereign pedal for a few years, then the pinnacle, then the tumnus. of course the natural progression for me then is the combo gearbox. LOVE IT! thanks for your relentless dedication to making guitar players sound great!

My favorite would be the Kingsley Harlot, 3-knob version.

I love that guitar you're holding! very cool

i typically have a Valvecaster and Mosfet Boost ‘always on’, running close to unity, into a tube amp. They fortify the signal and can induce overdrive, if needed 🤙

Blackbird really shines once connected to a clean amp with high headroom, it sounds fantastic ever~!

I have original Chandler rack Mount Tube Driver and rack mount Blue Tube units. Plus the black Real Tube Overdrive pedal. For years I used them but actually have found as much if not more satisfaction in specialized pedals like your Wampler Plexi-Drive Deluxe and Plextortion, Pinnacle, Tweed ‘57, Black ‘65, etc., because of giving me these sought after amp tones. After seeing this video I will be pulling some of these out of mothballs to use with the MOSFET amps I have like the Orange Crush 35 RT, Peavey red stripe Bandit and Roland late 90’s 60 watt Blues Cube. As it was I hadn’t played though my tube amps that much because of the MOSFET amps and AIAB pedals but have played through my Marshall Class 5, Studio 15.

I have the tube driver rack version of this. It is very versatile. From gated fuzz to pretty modern high gain.

I picked up an Ibanez tube king (tk999us) a couple years ago, and I’ve played it through my 90’s soldano, my hardwired ac30 and my fender concert, and it sounds great on each of them, with some tweaking.

I loved my Ibanez PUE 5 Tube!! And I still own a half rack unit Hughes & Kettner Blues/Cream Machine!

I don't have much experience with tube pedals. I do have the Vox V-8 which uses a higher-voltage circuit for the tube. To run it with batteries requires SIX AAs, with 600 milliamps minimum. It has a good range of overdrive to distortion options and works great with our Marshalls. My son has one and loves it also.

I’ve been using the IRX as my overdrive into a clean tube amp for low volume playing. No IRs engaged. Does the job well.

Have been using the Friedman IR-D for a direct solution and am loving it!

I love my VT999. The pots are very smooth. I put my VT999 in front of my Silvertone 1482 tube amp. I then put my tube amp in front of my Pod-Go (using load box' line-out). I route the AMP out of the Pod-Go to my Orange Crush 12. I route the cab-sim out of my Orange Crush through a Zoom MS70-CDR back into the Pod-Go through the stereo effects-loop. It is awesome. I made a gear vid of the above (along with lengthy description).

@czarofzonk1360

3 күн бұрын

As for my VT999, I use a full 1-AMP dedicated power supply driving a Genalex Gold Lion 12AX7. The VT999, out of the box, uses a 230 mA power supply driving a Bugera 12AX7 (those do pair well, actually), but when you pump up the power to drive a darker pre-amp tube, it's pretty magical.

@VintageSG

2 күн бұрын

@@czarofzonk1360 Try a 12V power supply in place of the 9V and a 12AU7. Long plate 12AU7/ECC82 respond really well. The gain control still allows for utter filth, but the control is now useable over a much wider range. 12V won't hurt anything, providing you ensure the correct polarity. The main reason for using it is the valve heaters. If you meter the voltage applied, you'll notice they're a little 'starved' with the 9V.

I'm 62 and I always loved the Chandler, but I own the tone bone❤..Good stuff. ❤

It is , you have a good one there ( the BK butler tube driver ) yes..!! There are other versions that don’t sound anything like the version you have .. Eric Johnson uses that one and yes David gilmour but EJ really utilizes his tube driver It’s one of his signature tones we’ve all heard many times

I use very compact E730 tube preamp, mod of Engl E530. 4 channels, 2 separate full controls for clean and lead, contour and brightness switch. Sound exactly same as Engl. And has a size of two mini pedals. Custom order. I use it with power tube emulator + IR + effects(delay/reverb) => and then straight into active speakers or phones.

I’ve had quite a few OD/distortion pedals with tubes. All of them running at proper high voltage. Some sounded great, others just ok. Bottom line is, I’ve had plenty of dirt pedals without tubes that sound just as good, or better. Believe it or not, the Boss OD-3 remains one of my favorites. What I’ve learned is that tubes in a pedal doesn’t necessarily make it sound/feel any more amp-like than a good solid state pedal.

Love my Kraken v4 preamp. 4 tubes, high voltage. Sounds amazing.

Few notables from my years of playing. Mad professor 1, gets evh sounds plus reverb. RAT from 88 non led great for early Nuno tones. Rack mount Chandler Tube Driver. Marshall classic tone. Sansamp first rack mount. Very versatile.

@damonb3939

3 күн бұрын

Note only the Chandler had tubes in it.

Hey Brian, great video! I'm really surprised and fascinated by the Tonebone. I had no idea it had such versatility and character.

I still got the Ibanez TK999, great pedal. And a nice choice for Bass Guitar too

I got the Behringer to mess around with some MOD ideas. The enclosure has lots of extra room. When I got it and played through it I was shaken at how good it sounded. The gate is really good to. I still have not done any mods as it is really good just the way it is. Think I paid $99. I thought that Radial sounded really good. I never tried one.

I'm using a Kingsley Page inside the fx loop. Nice pedal.

To my ears the Butler drive was a favorite. That and the Synergy. They were all cool and I’d be happy with any. I hadn’t heard the tone bone, that was my 3rd fav for sure. My gig rig is an OD-3 and an Xotic SL into a 12 watt, cathode biased amp.

I used to have a rack unit from Digitech called the GFX-1 Twin Tube that did great tube distortion. It had a built-in noise gate, 5-band graphic EQ and a really sweet compressor (among other effects). It did a great simulation of a cranked Marshall, really good tone. Try one of those if you can find one. They seem to be rare these days, but not expensive.

Gotta love the Lovepedal woodrow for tubey overdrive tones!

Tube Monster is a great one. I was surprised when I got one a played around with it. Radial stuff is all good as well. I have Tonebone and the Tri-Mode. Still break them out frim time to time.

Friedman have done a very good job with the IRX.

I keep a Behringer VT999 Tube Monster (with a 12AU7 tube) pedal on my board as my preamp. My whole DI board is based around that pedal.

@rayzorback88

Күн бұрын

Just curious what you're using as power amp sim and cab sim?

The radial and the one by Butler sounds the best to me. The one I use for "rock" is the "Red Rox" from the company Dawner Prince, quite amazing. I paired that once with a 1964 Super Reverb Black face and wow... closest to a "Brown sound" I ever had.

I have tried playing various pedals through solid state amps for years, then a neighbor let me play on his marshal jcm and it blew me away! I have since bought a mesa boogie mark v 25, and absolutely love the fat and crunch modes on channel 1. On the 25, the mid control turns into a boost past noon. So I have that pretty high and back the gain off. I have treble up high and bass low on the first eq. play it soft and it's clean with a little grit, dig into it and it roars. It has a huge range and super responsive to how I'm playing. And the crunch mode is awesome too. That behringer tube monster sounds the closest and my favorite of these!

I kinda miss that Behringer tube driver, I used to use it when I didn't have the money for a tube amp. Eventually had some tube amps around so I tossed it. But you're right Brian, loads of people had some type of tube drive on their board a decade back.

@sparkyguitar0058

3 күн бұрын

Want another one ? I have the Behringer vintage O D that I did the Bitmo mod to. And then for now I'm using a 12a7u tube which is the weakest of the 12a style. I use a early 3 knob T Driver that has been modded with a bias knob up front by Fromel. Also using a 12a7u tube and running it at 18v for more headroom. It stacks very well with a Alchemy modded Blues Driver and a Meat and 3 modded Soul Food. None of these need very much gain so noise level is reasonable.

@stoneysdead689

3 күн бұрын

@@sparkyguitar0058 What is a "Bitmo" mod? I might be interested in it, if you're serious about selling.

I have the Tube Driver as well as the B.K. Butler Real Tube and both are worthy secret weapons in one's arsenal. I highly recommend grabbing the Tube Driver with the Bias Mod; it gives you fine-tuning over the feel of your crunchiness. Also, the Plush Valve Job by Fuchs is a sleeper pedal that is not discussed. I love all three of these pedals with a Klon(e) pushing the front end.

I’ve never had a tube amp, although I want to get one because I’ve been led to believe there’s a feel to them that you can’t get elsewhere. What I use right now until I can afford one is a NU>X Amp Academy that I run into the Power Amp in on a Boss Katana. In particular, I like their Vox AC30 tone and their JCM 800 tone. Honestly, the tones I get make me happy, so I’m not sure I’ll feel I got my money’s worth when I eventually do get a tube amp even if it is a better experience.

Synergy rules! So does the Ethereal! Will there be a Wampler tube pedal???

@trebleboost7

3 күн бұрын

Agree!

I have a Kingsley Minstrel V3 and it is a great pedal. I use it with my Ge Tumnus in front to push it or I use them independently. Together they are awesome and very versatile. I’m not into super high gain sounds though. I have put other ODs in front too like the Pantheon, Prince of Tone and ThorpyFX Gunshot. They all give different flavors. The Pantheon is super versatile too.

For the record I think they all sound fantastic

I own the Effectrode Blackbird and it sounds great. I maybe would not say it is better, since sound is very subjective. However, it is more versatile with two separate drive channels. I also have the tubesteader lightkeeper, which I like to stack with my analog drive pedals to get a tube feel and that sound great as well.

So, I've built 3 tube pedals from a DIY web site and all 3 sound great and they are all very different than any of my overdrive/distortion pedals sound wise. The tube pedals do use an inductor to ramp up the voltage to over 200volts, so the tubes are doing what tubes do. I've compared the tube pedals to everything from the Pallisades by Earthquaker Devices to the VH4 by Diezel. I love the pallisades and it probably comes the closest to the tube pedals, but the tube pedals definitely have their own sound, and yes, it's tubey!😁

Happy belated Brian!!

The butler was crunchy like an overdrive, the behringer was more like a distortion. Those were my favorite. I have a clone (DIY) of the Soldano GTO that I like.

Yaaay, Effectrode got some love, even for a split second! I have a Helios Fuzz, and it's pretty dadgum awesome. I wish you'd actually played through a Blackbird, but I really did enjoy the ones you did show us.

I prefer the variety you can get with OpAmp and especially FETS in dirt pedals. They also have less problems on a big board interfacing. My board is actually in effect wired as 3 boards used as 3 channels on a pedal switcher. I actually have and use 63 pedals in total. Even live! I use a Marshall left just before crunch. I did have a shot with a tube pedal and I could only get one usable dirt sound. I gave it to my bass player. It gets used as an always on pedal with a rig that uses a studio rack amp not a bass amp. .

I have a Mesa Boogie V Twin that I bought back in 2009. It's one of my fav pedals.

I have a TK999HT, this one actually runs on high voltage (it needs 12Vac and have a transofrmer inside). Amazing sound, I it mostly stays on my shelf. Don't want to give it away cause it was was first real tube sound, but I'm happy with my board and amp sound so my stuff stayed the same since some years.

The TC Electronics TubePilot is the least-expensive of the pedals with tubes in them. Back in the day, I built a Stak-in-a-Box tube guitar pre-amp kit from Paia Electronics. Craig Anderton designed it. It's still available. It is a hybrid, starved-tube circuit.

I bought a tube pedal from a brand called tubesteader, the lightkeeper is awesome. I also have a ibanez TS10 modded with a tube sounds incredible

I’ve got a few tube drive pedals (Maxon ROD881, Blackstar HT Dual and a Mozztronics TD2) and they’re great but all need specific power packs, are more susceptible to noise and can be unpredictable and hard to control when you get up to gigging levels. So they get left at home and the Indyguitarist Pinnacle stays on the board 😊.

I run a tubescreamer 808 into a Vintage Tube Monster and into a Peavey Valve King. I dime the level and tone on the tubescreamer. The drive is at zero. The Vintage Tube Monster has the gain at about three and my amp gain is about 5. I basically use it as a gain stage and eq. The distortion is beautiful but the clarity is definitely there. It makes my two channel amp effectively a four channel amp.

I do like the drive channel of my Revv G20 which gives me my tube fix. But right now I'm way into the wampler pantheon and the germanium tumnus. I also just put the tumnus deluxe back on my board.

One of my favorite old pedals is a Digitech RP7. Something about the tube preamp that gives it the right saturation.

been checking out this Telecaster, nice to see someone rock some riffs with it, other videos all bluegrass stuff haha

All of them soundet good in there own way. 😄👍

I love the pinnacle V2, that’s my main distortion pedal

Nice demo and comparison,Tonebone and Tube Driver are the best in my opinion,thanks a lot ;-)

I’m using a mod kits Pusuader, it’s point to point, no ic or magic fairy dust. It is an extremely low voltage unit so it gets fuzzy fast.

I just got the TC electronics tube driver. It only sounds good cranked. Spits and fizzy sounding at lower settings. When you click it off, it still has some bleed through, I guess, and spits on your single notes when off. Diode bad, maybe? Sweetwater will be getting it back. Thanks! Love the channel!

I used to have a Mesa V-Twin but never really found a way to use it with my rig. Lat year I picked up an old Ibanez PUE5 Tube which is mains powered and has a "Tube Drive" section with a 12AX7 in it. I suspect that with the main power it is running the 12AX7 at "real voltage" levels. Sounds pretty good though. The same unit also contains the best sounding Tubescreamer that I have, and I have a few.

Ever played a Soldano Supercharger GTO? I borrowed one for a while from my friend Bruce at Brit-Tone amplification and it was pretty cool. Noisy but tons of gain and according to him, one of the only tube drive pedals that runs at a proper voltage.

The Radial trimode and plexitube are some of my favorites! Still regret getting rid of those

I had an Ibanez PUE5 Tube as my main Pedal Board for 30 years and it had a tube in it. It had my favorite Tube Screamer and my favorite distortion in it that was warm and could handle any style. I wish I could find out why that Tube Screamer and Tube Driver sounded so good. There was no “mid hump” at all.

I got an English muffin EHX to mod it. Ended up redoing all circuit in it. Sounds good. I replicated the eq shape of my Sweet honey pedal. Mid focused.

I found my HK Tubeman in my storage tub a few weeks ago. Gonna bust it out and see what do.

@SH-pq5zq

3 күн бұрын

I own 3 of the HK tubeman from the 90’s….great pedal and very versatile….u have to clean the pots regularly (in my experience)

@lostinpa-dadenduro7555

Күн бұрын

@@SH-pq5zq. I’ve been plugging my pedals into my interface and using Genome just for power amp modeling and cab IR. I like it because I can reach over and turn the knobs on the pedal and I don’t get lost in endless virtual amp tweaking.

The effectrode tube drive is a really good that uses high voltage and three tubes And changing out the tubes makes a big difference .. you might like that one

@mrmatthew2443

3 күн бұрын

Oh and the SUB varidrive is quite good

I have the kraken preamp. But recently I bought the Xotic sl drive, didn't use the kraken for 1 month now. But the kraken has a very good marshall type of sound.

Vintage tube monster is 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾🔥🔥🔥🔥 and that tone bone!!!

I use a Mesa V-Twin, and the Seymour Duncan Twin Tube, as my tube pedals. Love them both. Just the “Dirt in my chain” - (other effects left out for ease of explanation, my board is huge) Fuzz Face ->JHS NOTAKLON ->TS9 modded with JRC4558D chip -> Keeley modded Blues driver -> Mesa V-Twin -> Seymour Duncan Twin tube -> ZVex Fuzz factory -> Radial twin city switcher -> Mesa Boogie Heartbreaker & Hughes & Kettner Triamp MKII. Mr. Wampler, I would love to hear your thoughts on my dirt choices… am I missing anything? Thinking of adding maybe a (Wampler SLOstorion? Or Diezel VH4? For even highe gain madness) had an MXR Fullbore metal, but could not come to terms with its tone, as a crazy high gain pedal) Thank you for your amazing videos and content and all your pedals/amps etcetera!

Been using a Ramble fx marvel drive V3 for my core tone (through a clean amplifier) and it does the Marshall thing beautifully!

Big fan of the channel! I don't know why mesa v-twin never gets onto these tube pedal comparisons, I have 2 of them! Main rig is genz benz el diablo and mesa 2x12 half back metal grill slanted. I use v-twin wherever I would use an actual preamp. I do love the synergy stuff but don't own any, yet, and haven't directly compared.

@wampler_pedals

3 күн бұрын

You have a great point, I’m going to hit up reverb.com and grab a v-twin asap!

@SteveTose

2 күн бұрын

@@wampler_pedals cool, I'm looking forward to it! If you have trouble finding I could lend you one happily.

Hello Brian Right now i'm enjoying the last circuit I’ve made. A boss sd-1 based circuit with no buffer stages and some tonality options with switchs. By it’s own with some clipping, already sounds good but with a tube pedal in front, with the right amount of drive and level, it sounds even better. The tube based pedal is a fender mtg and because the fender pedal doesn’t allow using the boost alone, i’m testing a fet booster in the middle just for fun :) Maybe it could sound better if i could get sag from el34 power tubes, without using the power amp from the guitar amp. Cheers

I like the Tube Monster best. Sounds really smooth.

Of course, what's missing from the vast majority of tube-based drive pedals, regardless of the plate voltage they use, is the impact of the power stage. Not ONLY the use of these power tubes vs those ones, but the output transformer itself, and the negative feedback from the speaker side of the OT that is used for the "Presence" control. Steve Daniels generously sent me an Eleca clone of the BK Butler unit sometime ago. OK, but didn't exactly turn my crank. I suspect probably the only tube "pedal" that really nails a tube amp tone is the Garnet Herzog, which is really an entire Fender Champ comparable, modded to be used as a drive unit to feed another amp.

@david25876

3 күн бұрын

And the speaker. Output stage, iron and speaker contribute a lot.

@markhammer643

3 күн бұрын

@@david25876 Of course, the speaker (and cab) will always shape the sound, whether coming from a pedal or amp, since we don't really have many other ways of hearing the result.

I still have a couple of the VOX "tube garage" pedals. The clean boost one can make super crispy vox type classic rock edge of breakup sounds if it's hit just right, but it's a PITA to hit just right and thn it had limited usefulness. Fun as a toy, but a Blues Jr does the same thing without as much fuss. IIRC it's the voltage starved type.

@trebleboost7

3 күн бұрын

Was very curious about their more recent Valvenergy line.

Two variables... 1) How do they feel to play on - not just the tone. 2) Personal preference. I say that because I do find a nice tube amp to be a bit more "fun" to play with the natural sag and compression. Note that I'm talking about a really good tube amp (personally, I play a Zinky). On the other hand, I also really like to play pedals direct into the board. Even though the feel of the tube amp give and take is really nice, it's subtle for the money - and I also really love playing in stereo (in fact, on a limited budget, I'll choose the stereo modeling rig most days). On to personal preference: I really didn't hear a huge amount of difference in the tones. If one of them stood out, it would be the Seymour Duncan because it has that low end growl (or mush, depending on how you think about it). That said, I used to hate that flabby low end. Nowadays, I kind of like it because there is a bit of the "amp about to blow up" tone to it. That said, I can get that with a lot of different analog dirt pedals that are out now (interestingly, I have an inexpensive TC Electronic Cinders for exactly that reason). But you said it best. People change. Styles Change. Tastes change. Ears change. I've changed.