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Sweetwater
4.5 (36)
$79.80
Reverb
5.0 (4)
$256.92 1 available Used
zZounds
4.5 (1)
$79.80
Thomann
4.6 (84)
$58.00

Average Price: $106

Standard/Professional

$50

$176+

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High-end

Price History

Based on price data from 5 merchants for "Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes". Prices shown reflect NEW condition. Tracking began Apr 2, 2026.

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Description

Transform your guitar's sound with the Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes overdrive pedal—a reimagined classic from the 1970s. This compact powerhouse is engineered to deliver the warm, dynamic tones reminiscent of the original CMOS Hot Tubes pedal. Whether you're chasing crunchy blues or searing rock tones, this pedal reacts intuitively to your playing style, offering a responsive and touch-sensitive experience.

As you dig deeper into your strings, the Hot Tubes erupts with rich, aggressive overdrive, while dialing back your volume reveals a clean, articulate sound reminiscent of a tube amplifier. For purists seeking a direct connection with their amp, the pedal includes a tone circuit bypass switch that removes any coloration from your signal path, preserving the authentic character of your guitar.

Housed in a durable die-cast chassis, the Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes is built to withstand the rigors of the road while consistently delivering stellar performance. Whether you're a seasoned performer or an aspiring guitarist, this pedal provides a versatile overdrive solution that enhances both your sound and playing dynamics.

Key Features:

  • Overdrive pedal inspired by the 1970s CMOS Hot Tubes design
  • Highly responsive to touch, adding life and depth to your tone
  • Tone circuit bypass switch for an unaltered signal path
  • True Bypass design maintains the integrity of your guitar's signal
  • Operates on a 9V battery or optional AC adapter (sold separately)

Product specs

Brand Electro-Harmonix
Model Hot Tubes
Finish Silver
Year 2002 - 2009
Categories Overdrive and Boost Pedals

FAQs

What is the Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes based on?

The Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes is based on the original 1970s CMOS overdrive design, known for its dynamic response and vintage tone.

How does the tone bypass switch on the Hot Tubes work?

The tone bypass switch on the Hot Tubes completely removes the tone circuit, allowing for a more direct and uncolored overdrive sound.

Is the Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes suitable for both rhythm and lead guitar playing?

Yes, the Hot Tubes is versatile enough for both rhythm and lead playing, offering touch-sensitive dynamics that respond well to your playing style.

Can the Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes be used with a bass guitar?

While primarily designed for electric guitars, the Hot Tubes can also be used with bass guitars, providing a warm and gritty overdrive that enhances low-end frequencies.

What power supply does the Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes require?

The Hot Tubes requires a 9V DC power supply and has a current draw of 18mA.

EHX

EHX

Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes Overdrive (EHX Pedal Demo)

Video thumbnail for Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes Overdrive (EHX Pedal Demo) by EHX

Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes Overdrive (EHX Pedal Demo)

EHX

EHX

Video thumbnail for Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes by Prymaxe

Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes

Prymaxe

Prymaxe

Video thumbnail for Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes Overdrive Pedal (Demo by JJ Tanis) by EHX

Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes Overdrive Pedal (Demo by JJ Tanis)

EHX

EHX

Video thumbnail for Electro Harmonix Hot Tubes: A Quick Review by Steven Anthony

Electro Harmonix Hot Tubes: A Quick Review

Steven Anthony

Steven Anthony

Reviews

PROS

  • True tube-based distortion creates rich, authentic tones

  • Versatile, offering everything from vintage to modern overdrive sounds

  • Allows for tonal tweaking with changeable tubes for different sound profiles

  • Unique filter delivers clear lows, mids, and highs without unwanted noise

  • Compatible with guitar plugins for enhanced studio use

  • Beefy, character-filled sound enhances guitar tone significantly

  • Offers wide tonal and textural variations

  • Highly interactive controls enable precise sound shaping

CONS

  • Takes up significant pedalboard space

  • Not suitable for bass, best results with guitar

  • EQ controls can be confusing and produce extreme effects at their limits

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes.

Use cases and applications

  • The EHX Hot Tubes is praised for stacking with pedals like the RAT, producing tones reminiscent of Black Sabbath and older Dance Gavin Dance.

    Source
  • Works exceptionally well with Telecasters, providing a clean tone that breaks up with stronger pick attack, making it ideal for Fender enthusiasts.

    Source
  • Owners report it can achieve a "nasty gnarly" drive when both volume and overdrive are cranked, appealing to those seeking aggressive tones.

    Source
  • The Nano version of the EHX Hot Tubes is favored as a tone sweetener, often placed after an initial EQ to warm solid-state amps like the Boss Katana.

    Source
  • The pedal is praised for enhancing low-end tones when used as a boost for fuzz pedals, with volume up and overdrive around 1 o'clock.

    Source

Features and functionality

  • It's noted that the tone knob past noon enhances the sound, but below noon can deaden the tone rather than boost low end.

    Source
  • Users describe the Nano Hot Tubes as having a notably bassy overdrive, contradicting assumptions about reduced bass compared to the larger version.

    Source

User experience

  • The pedal is highly responsive to the guitar's volume knob, allowing for dynamic control over sound and drive intensity.

    Source
  • Some users find it too muddy with Les Pauls but suggest turning the tone knob all the way up to clear issues.

    Source

Comparisons

  • In combination with the Sovtek Big Muff Deluxe, the Hot Tubes emulates the Hot Wax pedal, offering a blend option between fuzz and overdrive.

    Source
  • A user notes that the vintage big box version of the Hot Tubes delivers a powerful sound, especially into a breaking-up amp, suggesting a preference over the Nano for some.

    Source

Value and pricing

  • Some report finding the Nano Hot Tubes at clearance prices as low as $30, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious buyers.

    Source

5.0 out of 5

Based on 1 Review and 4 Ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
guedzilla

All-tube overdrive/distortion with strange EQ

Not to be confused with the vintage non-tube EHX Hot Tubes, this version is an all tube distortion. According to a review on analogman's website, there's no sand on the signal path, so all you get is oozy 12VAC 1000mA powered valve distortion. The stock tubes are 12AX7WB (supposedly, there might be some variation). I think this one came out before the English Muff'n. So it's all nice, then we get into the EQ, and things get strange. You have BASS and TREBLE controls, and from my experiments, they work like this: With both off, you get a straight up overdrive with nothing changed on EQs. This usually sounds a bit harsh and trebly. When you start rolling the BASS up, you a frequency peak that begins appearing between 2khz and 3khz, and as you keep rolling up, it rolls down all the way to 150hz, and increases in gain. The TREBLE control does the same, but instead of moving down it goes up to 7.5khz. Apart from that there are GAIN and DRIVE controls, and I'm not sure in what each of them differentiates from the other, but they're different. Maybe gain is the input gain and the EQ is applied after the tube gain and the DRIVE is applied after that… who knows? If you roll the GAIN and both EQs down, and roll the DRIVE all the way up you get a slight breakup sound. As EHX states, the controls are very interactive amongst themselves. I find myself using it mostly with the EQ off or with both set almost all the way up. Apart from that there's a master volume control, which does exactly what it's supposed.

Artist usage

Add artist
See how Les Claypool uses Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes

Les Claypool

Singer, Bassist

Primus

...
Verified via Indstate

In this interview Les states that he used the Hot Tubes to "sweaten up" his tracks on the Brown Album.

See how Gustavo Cerati uses Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes

Gustavo Cerati

Singer, Guitarist

Soda Stereo

...
Verified via YouTube

En el video sobre la grabación de Fuerza Natural (minuto 10:04) se lo ve a Gustavo utilizando el Electro Harmonix Hot Tubes para grabar unos arreglos (interpretados por Gonzalo Córdoba) en la canción "Dominó". Este pedal también formó parte de la Pedalboard para la gira de Ahí Vamos (2006/2007).

See how Brian Molko uses Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes

Brian Molko

Singer, Guitarist

Placebo

...
Verified via Photo

In the bottom right corner of this photo, Brian's Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes can be seen.

See how Larry "Ler" LaLonde uses Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes

Larry "Ler" LaLonde

Guitarist

Primus

...
Verified via Indstate

Used on Tales From the Punchbowl and Brown Album, as stated in two interviews archived on the fansite Jim Wade's Sucky Primus Page.

"CyberFunk: Primus go multimedia on their juicy new album, TALES FROM THE PUNCHBOWL"

And then I have piles and piles of effects, too many to name. I'd just start plugging and unplugging things. My main sound was an Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes, going through that Boogie, or sometimes through an old Ampeg Portaflex. The super-distorted, crazy stuff is usually the Boss Metal Zone pedal with the wacky EQ in it. I used some harmonizer on "Professor Nutbutter," as well...I hope you're going to edit this to make it look like I know what I am talking about.

"A New Kind of 'Brown Sound'"

Les thumped and plucked his treasured Carl Thompson 6-string fretted and fretless basses, which he tunes BEADGC . On “Over the Falls” he used “an old no-name electric upright that sound amazing.” He also plugged in an Italian-made, Hofner-style Eko. “I’d always wanted an Hofner,” says Les, “but the Eko just smokes the Hofner--and it cost $250! It has a real nice percussive attack.” His amp? A small solid-state Gallien-Krueger, which he would occasionally sweaten [sic] with a Hot Tubes, a Systech Harmonic Energizer and the tremolo filter on his ADA preamp.

See how Anton Newcombe uses Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes

Anton Newcombe

Singer, Guitarist

The Brian Jonestown Massacre

...
Verified via Twitter

Anton Newcombe uses the Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes Nano pedal to add vintage color to his guitars, as mentioned in his Twitter post.

See how Max Richter uses Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes

Max Richter

Composer

...
Verified via Soundonsound

"Outboard gear is a TLA Indigo EQ2012 parametric EQ, which is very nice, SPL Vitalizer and Transient Designer, which is fantastic for shaping the front of the note; if you want things to sound a little further away you just make the attack a bit softer. The TC Gold Channel is a nice mic preamp; my TC M3000 is a beautiful reverb, very true. The FAT PCP330 vocoder is something I use all the time, and I like the FAT Resonator. The Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes is very cool, as well as my Bob Moog Moogerfooger. I use the Hot Tubes as a kind of mastering box, for pianos, anything digital that sounds a bit plasticky goes through it. It's a fuzzbox, it adds a bit of grit. If you listen to the final track on Memoryhouse, 'Quartet Fragment', you'll hear it on a 60-piece string section. The drums on the track 'Arboretum' on the Notebooks also went through this."

See how Amir Derakh uses Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes

Amir Derakh

Guitarist

Orgy

...
Verified via Facebook

Amir Derakh uses the Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes overdrive pedal, as shown in a photo on his Facebook page.

See how Kristin Hersh uses Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes

Kristin Hersh

Singer, Guitarist

Throwing Muses

...
Verified via Photo

Can clearly be seen in this tweet from 24 Oct 2016

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Electro-Harmonix Hot Tubes, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

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Community setups

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licha_vece

licha_vece

Gear IQ 4204

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