Uploaded January 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
🔥 Interested in learning how to design or build guitar pedals?
My newest course, *“Complete Beginners Guide: How to design your own guitar pedal circuits”* will detail exactly how to do this, even if you have *zero experience with electronics*
I’ll personally teach you using easy to understand language, no math involved, and we’ll do it with a guitar in hand.
guitarpedalcourse.com
*Use coupon code ➡️ youtube15 ⬅️ to get an automatic 15% discount!*
All of my courses are ABSOLUTELY RISK FREE - 100% money back guarantee within 30 days of your purchase. If you don’t love the courses, I’ll refund you, no questions asked.
âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–
In today's episode, I'm taking you on a unique journey - a challenge I set for myself to see if I can emulate the warm, rich tones of a tube amp using nothing but solid state circuitry just like we use in analog guitar pedals.
We start off with a nostalgic piece - the Crate V50, 5212, a budget tube amp that's been a trusty companion for many guitarists over the years. My mission? To replicate its sound using analog pedal circuitry, blending FET and NPN bipolar transistors. It's a fascinating process of breadboarding and tweaking to get as close as possible to that beloved tube amp sound.
Join me as I walk you through the design a little bit, sharing my thoughts and observations along the way, shall you? ;)
I also go into the technicalities of using a breadboard as a preamp, and how it changes the way you connect to your amp. Plus, I'll share my initial reactions to the higher gain settings, and how dialing back the gain reveals some interesting characteristics of the solid state circuit.
This video is a little peek into the experimental side of pedal and audio circuitry design, where trial and error lead to discovery and innovation. And, of course, I want to hear from you! Did this breadboard circuit capture the essence of the tube amp? Did it sound better, worse, or just different?
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Introduction - Trying to capture the sound and feel of a Crate V50 tube amp using a solid-state pedal-style circuit
1:47 Breadboarding the circuit - Working through the basic design using FETs and NPN transistors
2:25 Baseline amp tone - Playing through the original tube amp so we have something to compare against
3:05 Using the breadboard as a preamp - Running the circuit into the effects return to bypass the amp’s preamp section
3:33 First high-gain test - Hearing the solid-state circuit through the power amp for the first time
4:00 Gain and EQ observations - Looking at why the mids were pushed and where the breadboard differs from the amp
4:45 Mid-gain and cleaner sounds - Backing off the gain to hear how the circuit responds
5:06 Tweaking the controls - Adjusting the gain and volume to dial things in a little closer
5:43 More sound samples - Testing the breadboard at different settings and listening for what works
6:50 Final thoughts - What I liked, what still needs work, and a quick note about the upcoming pedal design course
As always, we value your input - drop your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. Did this experiment ignite your curiosity? Would you like to see more of these hands-on, experimental videos? Let me know!
*****************************************************
🔥 Interested in learning how to design or build guitar pedals?
My newest course, *“Complete Beginners Guide: How to design your own guitar pedal circuits”* will detail exactly how to do this, even if you have *zero experience with electronics*
I’ll personally teach you using easy to understand language, no math involved, and we’ll do it with a guitar in hand.
guitarpedalcourse.com
*Use coupon code ➡️ youtube15 ⬅️ to get an automatic 15% discount!*
All of my courses are ABSOLUTELY RISK FREE - 100% money back guarantee within 30 days of your purchase. If you don’t love the courses, I’ll refund you, no questions asked.
âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–âž–
In today's episode, I'm taking you on a unique journey - a challenge I set for myself to see if I can emulate the warm, rich tones of a tube amp using nothing but solid state circuitry just like we use in analog guitar pedals.
We start off with a nostalgic piece - the Crate V50, 5212, a budget tube amp that's been a trusty companion for many guitarists over the years. My mission? To replicate its sound using analog pedal circuitry, blending FET and NPN bipolar transistors. It's a fascinating process of breadboarding and tweaking to get as close as possible to that beloved tube amp sound.
Join me as I walk you through the design a little bit, sharing my thoughts and observations along the way, shall you? ;)
I also go into the technicalities of using a breadboard as a preamp, and how it changes the way you connect to your amp. Plus, I'll share my initial reactions to the higher gain settings, and how dialing back the gain reveals some interesting characteristics of the solid state circuit.
This video is a little peek into the experimental side of pedal and audio circuitry design, where trial and error lead to discovery and innovation. And, of course, I want to hear from you! Did this breadboard circuit capture the essence of the tube amp? Did it sound better, worse, or just different?
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Introduction - Trying to capture the sound and feel of a Crate V50 tube amp using a solid-state pedal-style circuit
1:47 Breadboarding the circuit - Working through the basic design using FETs and NPN transistors
2:25 Baseline amp tone - Playing through the original tube amp so we have something to compare against
3:05 Using the breadboard as a preamp - Running the circuit into the effects return to bypass the amp’s preamp section
3:33 First high-gain test - Hearing the solid-state circuit through the power amp for the first time
4:00 Gain and EQ observations - Looking at why the mids were pushed and where the breadboard differs from the amp
4:45 Mid-gain and cleaner sounds - Backing off the gain to hear how the circuit responds
5:06 Tweaking the controls - Adjusting the gain and volume to dial things in a little closer
5:43 More sound samples - Testing the breadboard at different settings and listening for what works
6:50 Final thoughts - What I liked, what still needs work, and a quick note about the upcoming pedal design course
As always, we value your input - drop your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. Did this experiment ignite your curiosity? Would you like to see more of these hands-on, experimental videos? Let me know!
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