The Lightning Boy Audio LB II is a hand made stompbox from Buffalo's Lightning Boy Audio that puts a real 12AX7 tube inside an overdrive pedal. Delicious Audio billed it as the "Lightning Boy Audio LB II High Voltage Tube Overdrive with CH2 Sidecar Module", and it is an overdrive in the plainest sense: a stompbox that is otherwise just either on or off.1
Power: the adapter is not optional
The tube runs at 100 volts internally, and to drive that high voltage device a powerful adapter is required. That adapter is sold separately, but it is needed for the effect to work, so it is not an optional accessory.1
The LB II will not function without its separately sold high voltage adapter. Budget for it alongside the pedal: the reported launch pricing of $257.99 to $287.99 already includes the adapter.1
Tubes: stock and upgrade
The pedal ships with a stock J/J 12ZX7 tube made in Russia. The manufacturer also offered an upgraded tube, a NOS 12AX7 made in the US, for an extra $30, which is where the top of the price range comes from.1
The chassis has a vent hole for the tube, and the sidecar port on the pedal is the connection point for the CH2 Sidecar Module, the add-on that gives the otherwise on-or-off stompbox its expansion path.1
The LB II ships with a stock J/J 12ZX7 tube, made in Russia, and Lightning Boy Audio offers an upgraded tube option: a NOS 12AX7 made in the US, installed for an extra $30 on top of the base price of $257.99 to $287.99 with the adapter, depending on tube choice.1
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Questions
Does the Lightning Boy Audio LB II use a real tube?
Yes. The LB II is a high voltage tube overdrive with a real 12AX7 inside it, running at 100 volts internally. It is a stompbox that is otherwise just either on or off, and it is hand made by Lightning Boy Audio in Buffalo.
Does the LB II come with a power adapter?
No. Driving the high voltage circuit requires a powerful adapter, and that adapter is sold separately, but it is needed for the effect to function at all. Pricing for the pedal with the adapter ran $257.99 to $287.99 depending on the tube you chose.
What is the sidecar port on the LB II?
The LB II has a sidecar port on its chassis, which is the connection for the CH2 Sidecar Module, an add-on that expands the pedal beyond a simple on or off stompbox.
What tube does the LB II ship with?
The stock tube is a J/J 12ZX7 made in Russia. Lightning Boy Audio also offered an upgraded NOS 12AX7 made in the US for an extra $30.
Can you swap the tube in the LB II?
Yes. The manufacturer gave buyers the option of installing an upgraded tube, a NOS 12AX7 made in the US, for an extra $30 over the stock J/J 12ZX7, and the pedal has a vent hole for the tube.
Sources (1)
- Lightning Boy Audio LB II High Voltage Tube Overdrive With CH2 Sidecar Module, Delicious Audio, 2017-03-24
