The Hagerman Amplification TUBEKLØN Mythical Beast Tube Overdrive Kit is a build-it-yourself overdrive pedal that puts a real vacuum tube inside a Klon-style circuit. Pedal of the Day, reviewing the kit in July 2024, called it "the world's first tube-based mythical beast overdrive pedal interpretation," and its reviewer found "some of the warmest Klon-type tones we've ever heard" in it1. It sits in the overdrive family, with a midrange boost as part of its core character, alongside other overdrive pedals and boost pedals.
What it does
The TUBEKLØN takes the classic Klon design and changes it in two ways. First, Hagerman removed the minimum gain flat bandwidth feature, and instead offers that sweet midrange boost as the new minimum gain tone. Second, the entire circuit is recreated using five transistors, two triodes, and zero opamps, with a real tube doing the work that opamp clipping would otherwise do1.
The result, according to Pedal of the Day's reviewer, is a pedal whose tonality is the same as the original, except at high gain, where you get real tube breakup and sag instead of opamp clipping1.
"this one has a REAL tube inside, for some of the warmest Klon-type tones we've ever heard"
The kit and the build
This is a kit, but not a from-scratch soldering project. The kit contains a fully assembled and tested circuit board, tube, and enclosure; you only need to perform final assembly1. For players who want to skip the build step entirely, a pre-assembled TUBEKLØN is available for just a little bit more money1.
Related Hagerman pedals
Hagerman applies similar tube-based thinking elsewhere in its range. The Neokløn Mythical Beast Overdrive is another pedal from the maker, and the TUBEKLØN itself is also sold as a pre-assembled unit: "if you want to skip the build step, you can even get a pre-assembled TUBEKLØN for just a little bit more money"1.
Videos
TL Toneworks
Pedal of the Day
Jim Hagerman
Questions
Do I have to solder or build anything to use the TUBEKLØN kit?
Very little. The kit contains a fully assembled and tested circuit board, tube and enclosure, so only final assembly is needed before the pedal is ready to play. If you would rather skip even that step, Hagerman offers a pre-assembled TUBEKLØN for just a little bit more money.
How does the TUBEKLØN differ from a Klon-style pedal with opamps?
Hagerman deconstructed the classic Klon design and rebuilt the entire circuit using five transistors, two triodes and zero opamps. The reviewer at Pedal of the Day found the tonality is the same as the original, except at high gain, where you get real tube breakup and sag instead of opamp clipping.
Sources (1)
- Hagerman Amplification TUBEKLØN Mythical Beast Tube Overdrive Kit, Pedal of the Day, 2024-07-28
