Pedals that are cheaper than a TS but does the job better?

[J.custom]

I know the Ibanez TS808 is supposed to be the 'holy grail' of OD pedals blah blah blah.
But there are certain issues that players are constantly complaining about, lack of bass, mid range bump causes 'muddy-ness' etc. But others find that it is because of these characteristics that make a TS unique.

What pedals do you know that are cheaper than a TS808, talking about the current reissue and not the original ones, but they do the job better than a TS?

The main purpose of this thread is to help guitarists(maybe even bassists) who are looking for a pedal that replicates or has a similar tone to that of a TS or just for a beginner who is starting to venture into the world of pedals and GAS.

I know there are many other factors that have to be taken into consideration such as amp(s) that you're playing thru, pickups, genres of music that you're playing etc. But lets just try to get that out of the way for now.

For me, the pedal that has been through the whole journey(which is still ongoing) with me is my trusty Danelectro Transparent OD V1. Has controls for gain, volume, treble and bass. Works well as a drive on its on or as a boost. IMO, this pedal is better than a TS as a drive(some may disagree with me here) simply because it has a treble and bass control which allows you to fine tune your tone more and not sacrifice more trebly-ness for less bass as a normal tone control would do.

What do you guys think?

 

[subversion]

the TS will continue to be manifesting that midrange hump because it's a TS, it's about the circuitry, it's about perpetuating what worked initially. along the way people have different expectations from the TS because there are other pedals out there manifesting a variation of the same theme. they prefer the competition, they embrace that slight difference more readily because those pedals meet their needs more than anything else.

when ibanez discontinued the TS7 recently, i thought they did an unwise thing because this pedal cost about 1/3 of the next most affordable TS in the family, the TS9. then again, TS fans won't substitute the TS9/ TS808 for the TS7, their bionic ears detect some tonal differences there. so in doing away with the TS7, ibanez knows there will still be strong demand for the other TSes. so in your search for an affordable TS alternatives, know that there used to be an affordable TS which didn't go by another name but the hallowed 'Tubescreamer' label.

 

[AzNjT]

the bad monkey is the choice for philX and its great because his tone is so- pronounced, might dampen/compress too much for some though.

 

[J.custom]

Yes I agree with you Sub about the TS7, a rather cheap pedal but produces some pretty decent TS tones, since it is supposed to be a TS anyways. It provides a good starting point for someone who is starting to venture into 'TS Land'(if I may call it that) and does not want to pay about $200 odd dollars for a brand new TS808/9

 

[J.custom]

the bad monkey is the choice for philX and its great because his tone is so- pronounced, might dampen/compress too much for some though.

Always heard good stuff about the Bad Monkey, but just never had a chance to try it. I like the fact that it has a 2 band EQ as well.

 

[Godspeed64]

Danelectro TOD is very different. It is flat in the mids hence the 'transparent' in the name.

TS is known for the EQ. Works really well in front of a TUBE amp, sounds different on solid state and is more of an acquired taste.
The 2 cheapest pedals in the same tonal zone as a TS is the Digitech Bad Monkey and BOSS SD-1. Both wonderful pedals at the price, and can beat most boutique pedals in tonality and functionality.

Plus TS are quite cheap in the second hand market, especially the TS9dx. Modding to 808 specs is basically changing VERY FEW components.

Other than that, cheap boutique alternatives that are great would be the MJM Phantom OD (previously known as the Blues Devil) and the Effects Pedal Boutique SRB808.

 

[EugeneSmasher]

I don't know if the Digitech Bad Monkey is better than the Ibanez TS808, but it's a good overdrive. Just that it's quite a heavy overdrive and even with the gain set to the lowest, it's still quite saturated. But it's great with both humbuckers and singlecoils and can do anything from blues, indie and alternative to classic rock, especially when used as a boost on an already-overdriven amp. It also works great with solid-states. So it's a good pedal, from my experience. And super-reliable and solidly built. But whether it's better than TS808, let your ears decide.

 

[backpacker]

My 'tubescreamer' onboard is the Biyang OD-7. Sounds good as a mild overdrive and boosts my muff pedal very nicely. I also like that it's inexpensive and from all places, China. It has a reverse snob appeal quality to it ;-)

 

[j_m_s]

I think the best "cheap" tubescreamer "variant" of some sort is the Ibanez TS7. It is slightly different from a ts808 but simple mods can help you change it to 808 spec.

not completely tubescreamer-ish but..

the Dano TOD (first version) and the Digitech Bad Monkey are very good for what you pay for it.

 

[AaronSoFat]

guyatone od-2 is pretty cheap and good i guess.

 

[J.custom]

Who's the guyatone dealer in singapore? Their mini pedals sound pretty good and look pretty cute. haha. I especially like the one that Guthrie Govan uses, the auto wah. Sounds super funky.

 

[relinquish69]

My vote goes to the digitech bad monkey. built like a tank and sounds great.

 

[AaronSoFat]

Who's the guyatone dealer in singapore? Their mini pedals sound pretty good and look pretty cute. haha. I especially like the one that Guthrie Govan uses, the auto wah. Sounds super funky.

i'm not that sure. i think guitar workshop has them. i had two and cascaded them. as in the od-2. sold one away. the other is lying somewhere in my house. served their purpose and takes almost no space on the board. haha