WHO USES OUR PEDALS

Tommy Rehbein, Farewell Continental and Party House Tim Andrews of Amused To Death Gary Vogel, Red On Red and Listen To Pluto Justin Pierre, Farewell Continental and Motion City Soundtrack Taylor Froelich, Oblivion Mike Baillie, Oblivion Jon Colman, 28 North Ed Ackerson, Flowers Studio Tim Andrews, Amused To Death and Bimanic Studio Productions Chuck Schultz, Maybe We're Dangerous Jason “Hoss” Hoskins, Brian Gleason Band Will Maravelas, We Are Legion

Justin Pierre of Motion City Soundtrack with The Loud Button WTF pedal on his board – Photo by Joe Lemke

For years, Loud Button has been engaged in the study and testing of thermionic electron tubes a.k.a. vacuum tubes.  The biggest problems with tube amplifiers center upon reliability issues and perhaps most significantly; the number of people using such amplifiers who don’t fully understand how tubes work or how to properly maintain them.  This is nothing to be ashamed of as the learning curve is extremely steep.  Don’t fret.  Loud Button can help.  The Loud Button laboratory employs a number of calibrated tube testers to give you the clearest picture possible regarding the condition and characteristics of your tubes.  Our capabilities include the ever-important mutual transconductance test along with plate current draw at specific voltages.

Our equipment consists of the following:

Hickok 6000A, calibrated

Weston 798 Type 5A, updated and calibrated

Various emission testers

Loud Button Mk III custom, lab-grade tube tester – capable of testing tubes at voltages up to 500VDC.  In terms of accuracy, this tester is second to none.  Tests are conducted via the static grid shift method as well as the dynamic mutual conductance method.  All of the electrode potentials are independently adjustable and the grid signal is supplied via lab-grade generators and analyzers at selectable frequencies (including swept ranges for curve tracing) from 10 Hz to 3GHz.  This tester is primarily used as a calibration standard for the other testers in the lab.

Loud Button offers tube amplifier repair in the Twin Cities Metro Area (Minneapolis and Saint Paul, MN).  Though our main focus is the manufacture of high grade effect pedals, we occasionally have time for amplifiers.  When available, initial diagnostics (including testing of any installed tubes) is $60.  Contact us for details.

Bias check and adjustment (depending on make and model) of push-pull tube amplifiers is available for a $40 flat fee.

Tube amp modifications are available.  Our most popular mod (especially for Fender amps with touchy volume controls) is the installation of a Post-Phase Inverter Master Volume (Also known as PPIMV).  This is the safest way to get cranked tone at lower output volumes.  Perfect for attenuating loud amps in smaller venues.  The PPIMV mod is available for $120 and invloves drilling a hole for the control pot in your amp’s faceplate.  Every effort is made to make the control appear “stock”, including the use of a matching knob where possible.  Contact Loud Button for more information regarding your specific application. 

Testing and matching of customer-supplied, loose tubes is available for $5 per tube plus shipping where applicable.

We’ve serviced and calibrated everything from vintage test equipment, to tube testers and analog synthesizers.  Consultation is free and friendly!  Contact us with any questions or vacuum tube needs and we’ll be happy to help you in any way we can.  Customer service is of the utmost importance and we enjoy talking about electronics – especially pedals and tubes! 

contact@loudbutton.com

Important Notice Regarding Tube Testing:

Loud button tests tubes for shorts, gas and transconductance (Gm) as well as the reduced heater voltage “life test”.  Where applicable, plate current draw at specified volatges will also be tested.  Different testers – even calibrated testers of the same manufacture – will give different results.  Tube testers give an indication of a tube’s ability to amplify a sine wave at a given voltage as compared to a “Bogey” value which is the published average value of a good tube.  So a good tube should test within acceptable standard deviation of normal distribution.  Loud Button sets this “reject point” at below 70% of the Bogey value.  In the hands of an educated user or with our guidance, these test values can be used to make decisions regarding a tube’s fitness for duty.

The Internet has proven that “a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing” in that there is much misinformation floating around on The Web.  Some of it even originates with manufacturers who ought to know better.  Loud Button has devoted a significant amount of time to the thoughtful study of electronics.  Still, we’re not afraid to admit what we don’t know.  Anything we do assert is data-driven; either based on our experiments or those of reputable sources – mostly The RCA Radiotron Designer’s Handbook, 4th Edition.  Thoughtful debate is welcome. 

Loud Button is proud to endorse the scientific process! 

That’s where the best pedals and your best tone come from…no snake oil…just the facts and excellent, well-built circuits!

Vacuum Tube Testing & Amp Service

Tone Consultation

Loud Button has performed extensive, hands-on research related to the search for good, balanced tone. We offer substantive tone consultation to guitar players, recording studio production personnel and producers alike.

Loud Button can help you develop a plan to get more out of your existing gear or recommend new gear to best serve your needs.

Contact us via this link: contact@loudbutton.com

or give us a call at 651-587-7786

OTHER SERVICES