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Tube Works 901 Real Tube Overdrive

Tube Works 901 Real Tube Overdrive main image

Tube Works 901 Real Tube Overdrive

$141.00 Price Tier: Standard

4.5 (4)

This product is Vintage or Discontinued

Find out who is using Tube Works BK Butler Real Tube

5 wishlisted

20 saved

Page last updated Jul 05, 2026

Pricing and availability

We compare 600+ stores and found this item at 1 store. Prices updated July 5, 2026.

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Reviews

Price

5.0 (20)

$141.00 10 available Used

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Average Price: $141

Standard/Professional

$50

$176+

Price Tier

In the Overdrive Effects Pedals category, Tube Works 901 Real Tube Overdrive is priced in the Standard/Professional range. This is quality gear at a fair price point, suitable for beginners, hobbyists, and pros alike.

Budget

Standard

High-end

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Description

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Introducing the Tube Works BK Butler Real Tube, a classic piece of musical gear that has stood the test of time. This overdrive effects pedal, hailing from the '80s, is as user-friendly as it is vintage. With its intelligently designed layout featuring five control knobs, it offers musicians the ability to shape their sound with precision. This pedal has been the secret weapon for famed guitarists like J Mascis and continues to be a sought-after gem for its output and drive controls as well as high, mid, and low boosts.

Key Features:

User-friendly layout with five control knobs
Capable of shaping sound with precision
Output and drive knobs for tone control
High, mid, and low boost controls for sound variation
Vintage design from the '80s
Favoured by renowned guitarists

Product specs

Bypass	buffered bypass
Analog/Digital	analog

Videos

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Reverb

Tube Works Real Tube Overdrive | Reverb Demo Video

Reverb

Tube Driver vs Real Tube

shnobel

Real Tube Overdrive Tube Works B K Butler

daCod77

Real Tube Tube Works

shnobel

Tube Works Real Tube Overdrive - A tube inside a pedal??

Uhlik Music

Reviews

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PROS

Warms up to deliver heavenly tube amp sound quality
Adds unique, dynamic overdrive to guitar sound
Versatile, with ability to produce a wide range of sounds
Enhances the natural sound of vintage guitars significantly
Superior design compared to similar products
Excellent for stacking with other pedals for complex setups
Maintains clarity and richness even with low EQ settings
Durable with hundreds of hours of playtime without losing quality

CONS

Requires a warm-up period of 3 to 5 minutes before optimal performance

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Tube Works 901 Real Tube Overdrive.

Features and functionality

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The Tube Works 901 Real Tube Overdrive utilizes a single 12ax7 tube for the preamp while maintaining a solid-state power amp.
Source

Use cases and applications

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To achieve more drive at a lower volume, users recommend turning up the tube drive and turning down the tube master.
Source

User experience

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Some owners find the amp too loud even at low settings, necessitating additional tools like a JHS Black Box for volume control.
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Mods and upgrades

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The original combo was noted for its robustness, but some users experienced safety issues with stripped screws on the amp's top.
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Comparisons

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Josh Homme from Kyuss and QOTSA, as well as Billy Gibbons, have been known to use Tube Works models, emphasizing their appeal in professional settings.
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4.5 out of 5

Based on 0 Reviews and 4 Ratings

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Artist usage

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David Gilmour

Guitarist

Pink Floyd

Verified via Gilmourish

David Gilmour used the Tube Works 901 Real Tube Overdrive during the 1993 recording sessions at Olympic Studios, as documented by Bjorn on Gilmourish, the largest David Gilmour tone resource on the net.

J Mascis

Singer, Guitarist

Dinosaur Jr

Verified via YouTube

At 13:35 in this video interview, J Mascis talks about his Real Tube Overdrive Pedal, saying, “I haven't had that one that long, a couple years. It was pre-beat up when I got it. The gold doesn't age as well as the black one. I really like the sound of that… That’s what I would call my clean sound, which I use to kind of turn it down a little bit so when I hit the Big Muff, it gets louder.”

J demonstrates the Real Tube at 22:45.

Jeff Buckley

Singer, Guitarist

Jeff Buckley(band)

Verified via Jeff Buckley

Listed on the official Buckley site, as stated by former Buckley tour manager.

Paul Banks

Guitarist, DJ

Interpol

Verified via Photo

In a Rolling Stone article titled Paul Banks: My Style, Paul Banks talks about some of his gear. He shows his B.K. Butler Tube Works Real Tube Overdrive, and says:

A classic Real Tube Overdrive pedal.

Original article can be found here.

Robin Trower

Guitarist

Procol Harum

Verified via Gibson

"All of those are available today as reissues, although Trower has now downsized his pedal board to a Jennings or Vox wah, a Tube Works Real Tube Overdrive, a Boss Tremolo, and a Fulltone Deja Vibe."

Poison Ivy

Guitarist, Composer

The Cramps

Verified

In the August 1990 issue of Guitar Player Magazine, Poison Ivy stated, "I use two distortion units, a Univox Super Fuzz and a pedal called (Tube Works) Real Tube, which supposedly simulates overdrive."

Kevin Rutmanis

Bassist

Melvins

Verified via Photo

Kevin Rutmanis uses the Tube Works BK Butler Real Tube, as evidenced by an image from his time with the band Cows. The image can be viewed here.

Eddie "King" Roeser

Singer

Urge Overkill

Verified via The Gear Page

Used live in 1993, as recalled by The Gear Page user SonicVI in this April 23, 2009 forum post.

I also recall King having a Real Tube overdrive, the black one, and Nash had just a volume pedal and a pedal called a Dyna Soar which I've never seen since. It was blue and small, like MXR sized, maybe Memphis?

Album Usage

The Tube Works 901 Real Tube Overdrive has been featured on the following albums:

The Division Bell

Pink Floyd (1994)

Genre Usage

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

Rock

Folk, World, & Country

Similar

Add recommendation

8 alternative and related items for Tube Works 901 Real Tube Overdrive, curated by the Equipboard community.

Dean Markley Overlord Overdrive Effects Pedals

Vintage or Discontinued cheaper alternative

The Dean Markley Overlord was a blatant clone of the 901 Real Tube, created after Dean Markley left Tube Works.

Improve this

Tube Works 903 Blue Tube Enhancer Overdrive Effects Pedals

Vintage or Discontinued similar sound

The Blue Tube is a lower gain version of the 901 Real Tube, more focused towards blues players.

Improve this

Ibanez Tube King TK999US Overdrive Effects Pedals

$164.00

1 available store

4.5 (7)

Vintage or Discontinued mod

Built by B.K. Butler under license for Ibanez, the US version of the Tube King was based on the Tube Works Real Tube circuit with an added output buffer.

Improve this

B.K. Butler 911 Tube Driver Overdrive Effects Pedals