The Bartolini Tube-It is a distortion overdrive pedal made in Livermore, California, USA, probably in the mid 1980s. It was designed to emulate the distortion characteristics of an early 80s Marshall JCM-800, and it is a rare pedal: Guitar FX Layouts describes it as "a fairly rare overdrive pedal fetching up to $500," and notes that "this may be the only pedal Bartolini ever made."1
Controls
The Tube-It keeps its panel simple: four knobs and a three-way switch.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Treble | Treble cut and boost of the overdriven tone1 |
| Bass | Bass cut and boost of the overdriven tone1 |
| Sustain | Amount of overdrive and sustain1 |
| Output | Level of the effected signal1 |
| Boost switch (3-way) | More or less overdrive across three positions1 |
The boost switch and the sounds it makes
The three-position boost switch is the heart of the pedal's range. According to the Guitar FX Layouts write-up, the pedal "does anything from smooth, cleaner OD to straight up blistering, sustaining lead tones." In the first position it "can get a sound like a healthy Tube Screamer." Moving up one notch adds a little more, and the third position gives at least double the gain increase of the step from one to two.1
"The pedal can get a sound like a healthy Tube Screamer in the first position."
That puts the Tube-It in the same family as pedals you can read about on the Overdrive Pedals and Distortion Pedals pages, though its JCM-800 target and three-way boost set it apart from the usual one-knob-per-function overdrive1.
Inside the box: epoxy, trim pot, and a known issue
The circuit is set in a giant block of epoxy, so there are no clones or schematics available. That potting is why the Tube-It remains one of the more mysterious overdrives of its era.1
Some units hide one extra control. As the write-up puts it: "Whip the bottom off the tube-it and inside there's a little trim pot for adjusting the sound to be bit more, or less pre[sent]." It is a small plastic wheel, and it is not fitted to all models.1
Some Tube-Its were said to be mercilessly treble boosted. If you come across one, the internal trim pot (where fitted) and the treble knob are the places to work on that.1
Rarity and the DIY layout
Because the circuit is set in a giant block of epoxy, there are no clones or schematics available, and the original design has never been documented.1
For players hunting one secondhand, the up-to-$500 figure from 2016 gives a sense of what a clean example has been worth, though rarity like this means prices move around.1
Questions
Is the Bartolini Tube-It the only pedal Bartolini ever made?
Possibly. The Guitar FX Layouts write-up on the Tube-It says it may be the only pedal Bartolini ever made. The company is better known for its pickups, and the Tube-It, built in Livermore, California, probably in the mid 1980s, is described as a fairly rare pedal that can fetch up to $500 when one comes up for sale.
Can the Tube-It circuit be cloned?
No. The circuit is set in a giant block of epoxy, so there are no clones or schematics available. That has not stopped the DIY community entirely: Guitar FX Layouts published a stripboard layout for the Tube-It in December 2016, but the original circuit itself remains undocumented because of the potting.
Does the Tube-It sound like a Tube Screamer?
In the first position of its three-way boost switch, the pedal can get a sound like a healthy Tube Screamer, according to the Guitar FX Layouts write-up. Moving up the switch adds more gain, and the pedal covers everything from smooth, cleaner overdrive to sustaining lead tones.
What does the boost switch do on the Tube-It?
It is a three-position switch for more or less overdrive. Position one can sound like a healthy Tube Screamer. Position two adds a little more. Position three gives at least double the gain increase of the step from one to two, pushing the pedal into blistering, sustaining lead territory.
Is there a presence control on the Tube-It?
Not on the outside. Some units have an internal trim pot, a small plastic wheel, inside the enclosure for adjusting the sound to be a bit more or less present. It is not fitted to all models, so you would need to open the bottom plate to see if yours has one.
Is there a Vero layout for the Bartolini Tube-It?
Yes. Guitar FX Layouts posted a stripboard (Vero) layout for the Tube-It on 17 December 2016. The original circuit is potted in epoxy with no schematics available, so the layout is a reconstruction rather than a verified trace of the factory board.
Sources (1)
- Guitar FX Layouts: Bartolini Tube-It, Guitar FX Layouts (tagboardeffects.blogspot.com), 2016-12-17