I’ve never actually tried the vintage unit. I’ve always wanted to. It cracks me up to see the inside of the enclosure. The circuit board could easily have fit inside a smaller enclosure, but I guess they used the deluxe enclosure to make it easier to implement the direct out jack.

I’ve heard from various sources that the vintage Hot Tubes gets a very muffled sound, not much definition.

The reissue is brilliant, for what I want. You can set it to be very subtle, with just a hair of dirt, to all-out Big Muff style sustain. The EQ is the best part. It is not at all conventional, and the bass and treble controls are interactive (paracyclic) allowing you to get some very mid-range, throaty tones.

I used to have a vintage one and kind of miss it
I didn’t think it sounded muffled at all
it had a nice tonal range, from booming bass to icepicky treble
prety versatile, cleanish boost with some grit, plenty of tight overdriven sounds , over ratty distortion sounds, nothing too crunchy but definitely fuzzy as well
and a treble booster

I’ve got original Hot Tubes.

I can post gut shots later if you want ( don’t have other pictures atm)

As for the pedal, I think it’s great and it’s probably one of my favorite pedals. It have really sweet and warm tone. Could be a very light overdrive and could be a beast combined with an overdriven amp.

I’ve used it for years with my JCM800 2203 and it was the only pedal that could really volume boost that MV head.

This guy is using it as a mastering box :

“…I use the Hot Tubes as a kind of mastering box, for pianos, anything digital that sounds a bit plasticky goes through it.”

hot set-up

Yes, that’s a really good idea. It is amazing how nice everything sounds through that box.

Got an old one like gigantOr.Actually never tried one of the new ones with tubes!..
I agree on the sound…Pretty versatile actually.Love it!.I believe the old ones were only made from 1978-80??

Got an old one, like it alot now when I use a VOX. With the Fender amp I hade earlier not so much.

/DM