Home › Forums › Help/Technical Questions › My TubeZipper (used) won’t self oscillate!

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  • August 13, 2009 at 8:40 pm #78785
    yeskeys
    Member

    I’ve tried everything. Does it need new tubes? Just bought it used. Is there anything I’m missing?
    Thanks in advance from new member! Even though I had a Big Muff back in high school – 1975!

    August 14, 2009 at 3:01 am #100573
    ghost
    Member

    I’d say try the tubes. Should self oscillate without to much work, as they are usually hard to keep from self oscillating : )

    August 14, 2009 at 11:58 am #100582
    fuzz0r
    Member

    I’ve got the same problem!
    Tried changing tubes but that didn’t help. The unit doesn’t do all the crazy effects like in the video on youtube.

    August 14, 2009 at 12:44 pm #100583
    yeskeys
    Member
    Quote:
    I’ve got the same problem!
    Tried changing tubes but that didn’t help. The unit doesn’t do all the crazy effects like in the video on youtube.

    What tubes did you use? I have GOT TO GET THIS THING TO OSCILLATE! I have plans for it – heheh.

    August 15, 2009 at 3:44 am #100597
    julian
    Moderator

    well you want the highest gain 12ax7s you can get

    August 18, 2009 at 4:07 pm #100676
    fuzz0r
    Member

    Tried Mesa tubes from my V-Twin, didn’t help.
    I don’t think it’s a tube problem…

    August 18, 2009 at 7:00 pm #100680
    yeskeys
    Member
    Quote:
    Tried Mesa tubes from my V-Twin, didn’t help.
    I don’t think it’s a tube problem…

    I also swapped the tubes from my Mesa Bottle Rocket (also used, no idea the history of IT’S tubes..) and noticed a more responsive unit, but still no oscillation. Can anyone recommend the best tubes to try???

    August 18, 2009 at 7:10 pm #100682
    Fender&EHX4ever
    Moderator
    Quote:
    I’ve tried everything. Does it need new tubes? Just bought it used. Is there anything I’m missing?

    It’s sometimes tricky to get it to self-oscillate. The Resonance has to be set above 3:00, for starters. After that, it’s a matter of getting the knobs to trigger it.

    August 18, 2009 at 7:39 pm #100684
    fikus
    Member

    My Tube Zipper was bought used and it has some Chinese SHUGUANG “SILVER DRAGON” 12AX7B tubes in it.

    With some work, I can get self oscillations, but I can’t change the FREQ and get different notes like in the demo video. I need to have the RES, DRIVE & GAIN cranked and I have to get the FREQ knob in just the right sweet spot between 11-12 o’clock to find a very narrow squealing pitch.

    August 19, 2009 at 9:07 am #100715
    fuzz0r
    Member

    I can get the normal auto wah sound from the tube zipper, but can’t get any of those weird effects or self oscillation. I actually bought it more for those crazy sound then for the normal auto wah…

    August 23, 2009 at 7:37 pm #100868
    fuzz0r
    Member

    anyone? :

    January 31, 2010 at 6:14 am #106966
    tasatter
    Member

    I have the same problem. I bought my Tube Zipper brand new (though I’ve played with it for some time now), and it has never been able to get that “wooo, WOOOOOOOOOooooo” that Peter Stroud does in the demo with the Frequency knob. EHX, are you reading this thread? Do we have defective units, or is it truly the tubes, or what? Pedals are finicky, but this one is advertised to be “WOW, that’s freaky.” Where is my WOW? I want my freaky. I want that “this’ll give you some idea of why it’s called the Tube Zipper” and be able to crank out that jownkoh koh, koh wowkoh koh sound that Stroud did. How do we do it?

    February 2, 2010 at 12:25 am #107041
    John J
    Member

    you have to turn the input gain ALL the way up and the resonance most of the way up (all the way, if you want), then fiddle with the sensitivity and frequency knobs until you get it to go. i find it works best between 7 and 11 o’clock on the frequency knob, sensitivity plays a larger role in TRILL mode. also, play with your tone/volume controls on your guitar.

    mine doesn’t oscillate NEARLY as hard as peter stroud’s does – i would go so far as to call mine reluctant – but i also bought it used and have never tried replacing the tubes on it.

    FWIW he is using high-output, stacked-coil pickups in the video (fender hot noiseless) – i am not sure how much your guitar’s output level affects the zipper’s oscillations, but i know it makes a noticeable difference with other feedback-based pedals such as the zvex fuzz factory. something to consider.

    February 2, 2010 at 12:47 am #107047
    tasatter
    Member

    John J, I’ll work with it, thanks! I tried most recently with a Schecter C-1 Classic, but I have Gibson pickups in another guitar that I might mess around with, too.

    February 2, 2010 at 3:05 pm #107064
    merdujapon
    Member

    I have one of the earlier Tube Zippers (2003/04, so not the first issue but the first time they moved to the new look dials) and mine doesn’t really do the crazy oscillation either. I recently played a newer one whilst testing out a few other pedals and you could really make that one do the oscillation trick. Might be a unit to unit or a tube thing.

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