06/13/2026
Always try something new! Bought a few of these sub-miniature low power tubes originally made for battery powered hearing aids and radios. At 20mA heater current I figured these could be a game changer for pedals. Tube tone at low power?
So I got this prototype up and running, sounding good, but not really enough gain to be an overdrive for anything but humbuckers. Will try a transistor front-end for higher gain, let the tube do all the clipping.
Anyhow, maybe it's all for naught? People warned me about this! Every time I hit the footswitch the tubes would ring like a Banshee for about ten seconds. High pitched whine in the low kilohertz. Silicone glue did not help and possibly made it worse. How could these have possibly worked in hearing aids?
Stay tuned...
06/04/2026
Doing some advanced research for future products. This tiny pentode tube operates with a heater of 1.25V at 20mA. That's like nothing! Perfect for a pedal.
Quick test shows it fires up and puts out a very nice, clean signal with a plate load of 100k. The gears are spinning in my head...
06/03/2026
Version 4 of prototype breadboard. I'm expecting a lot out of this one. ;)
05/13/2026
Sammy and my OVERDRIVER pedal getting ready for tour. Credit to Avi Ronen :)
05/06/2026
Wow, biggest order yet! I am so grateful for everyone's support and love for my pedals. Mahalo nui loa!
PS - This is also how to get a bulk discount, as shipping is charged only once per order... :)
04/16/2026
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60Bac-m7VSI
Joe Perkins
7 likes, 2 comments. "Hagerman Tsar Octave: The New Original!"
04/15/2026
Version 2 of new Tube Overdrive up and running. This time with a 20dB preamp section before tube and tone control after. Very well behaved. Can go from warm to edge of breakup to a bit more. Very tubey.
04/15/2026
Review coming up in future episode of TONE Magazine...