TubeScreamers Galore!~

[edder]

Hey Edder... sometimes a slight tweak in tone is all it takes to make us go ga ga.... Thats the thing abt the TS808... I understand that it had been overrated somewhat but its a neat device nonetheless, esp when modded to restore the tone sucking attribute...

sighs... what tone sucking attributes are you talking about?

Tone suck happens only when you hear treble loss in the Bypass state NOT the Effected state. What everyone is raving about is the EFFECTED sound of the 808 pedal. Not the BYPASSED sound.

the real deal 808 mod does not even does anything to tone suck. it just change the output impedance of the effected sound.

what I'm trying to reiterate here is that the 808 conversion mod does not do anything significant to the sound esp if you're running it thro a solid state amp.

what makes a difference is mods on the other sections that makes a difference.

EDIT:

what I'm trying to do here is to dispell the urban myth of the 808 pedal.

if users continue to rave about their emperors new clothes... there's really nothing i can do.

 

[nebo1981]

hmmm... wots the BIG DEAL about the 808? 2 resistors and an opamp will not make any significant changes to a TS9 going into a solid state amp.

It'll make a difference albeit SLIGHT difference into a tube amp.

Mods that include the clipping section, frequency shaping, gain etc is what that makes a difference. Not some 808 specs mod. I believe Randolf does all those.

So next time anyone tells you that the TS808 is da bomb? Just smile and walk away. :twisted:

TOTALLY AGREE ~!


Especially since the tubscreamers were based on the SD1 circuit ~
:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[theblueark]

Especially since the tubscreamers were based on the SD1 circuit

Dude what have you been smoking.

The TS808 has been known to cause some loss in bass. I dunno if that is what shredcow is referring to. I actually like that it does that. I've heard some modded pedals that add a bass boost but I don't really like it. Maybe cos it just doesn't have the 808 sound anymore.

edder, you're right, it makes not shit difference through a ss amp. The tubescreamer was designed to PUSH a tube amp with more gain. Hence the name, tubescreamer. If you are using a ss amp, you're better off getting another overdrive with clipping circuits and all that. Or like he said, you could mod the tubescreamer with them. But I think that's really silly.

 

[edder]

Especially since the tubscreamers were based on the SD1 circuit ~
:lol: :lol: :lol:

I don't really think I can agree with that.

Which came first? Got no time to do a proper research on google.

The TS9 or the SD1?

My hunch? The TS808. SD1 may have came out much later.

 

[nebo1981]

Actually got that info from Randolf.
supposedly boss patented the sd1 circuit, so ibanez tried to go round it.

Also .. the only reason that the tubescreamers gained popularity was becoz SRV used it.
kinda like Vai and the DS1 ... (where the distortion is set to zero)

 

[edder]

I love a challenge when it comes to using www.google.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibanez

Tube Screamers - Based on the earlier Overdrive I and II pedals, Ibanez began releasing the first Tube Screamer, the TS-808 in the late 1970's

As far as I can remember BOSS first overdrive pedal was the OD1.

As told here

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec04/articles/roland.htm

1981

BOSS PRODUCTS
CS2 Compression Sustainer.
DM2 delay.
FV100 volume pedal.
FV200 volume pedal.
GE7 EQ.
SD1 Super Over Drive.

 

[nebo1981]

Especially since the tubscreamers were based on the SD1 circuit ~
:lol: :lol: :lol:

I don't really think I can agree with that.

Which came first? Got no time to do a proper research on google.

The TS9 or the SD1?

My hunch? The TS808. SD1 may have came out much later.

Okay ...
did the research on which came 1st .
i apologise for my former post ...~

Edder ... you're right ~


The first Tube Screamer was the green TS-808 overdrive pro in the late '70s.
tubescreamer histoy at http://www.analogman.com/tshist.htm

The OD-1 was sold from November 1977 to July 1985
The SD-1 was sold from February 1981 to present
BOSS pedals http://www.bossarea.com/loadpage.asp?file=boxes/od1.xml

Seems like BOSS and Ibanez have been "fighting" for quite sometime,
od1 vs ts808,
sd1 vs ts9

 

[theblueark]

The first Tube Screamer was the green TS-808 overdrive pro in the late '70s. Then there were some TS-808s made in the 1979 period. These had a different circuit with more distortion using two 1458 chips.

Some TS808s use the Malaysian Texas Instruments RC4558P chip instead of the normal Japanese JRC4558 chip. Some even the TL4558P chip.

The JRC chip is generally the one that people are talking about.

The TS9 history is even more complex with lots of quite bad versions out there. Also, around 2002 Maxon stopped making the Ibanz TS9.

Do note that the Maxon OD 808 is actually a TS10 circuit. The OD9 however is the actual TS9 circuit and i'd reckon is even better than the ones Ibanez is pumping out nowadays.

The Boss SD1 was sold from February 1981 onwards. It has the same basic design as a Tube screamer but with asymmetrical clipping. It supposingly gives it a bit more volume, harmonics, and crunch. Boss has a patent on this and I reckon this is what you are talking about. You may like the extra edge, or not. If you are using it as a gain boost I'd gather you rather not have it.

SRV used 2 tubescreamers together. If I remember, he uses one as a pure gain boost, so the 'overdrive' is turned down all the way. The other one he uses to add some grit.

 

[edder]

So I was not the only one that was doing research. :wink:

Good on you guys for using the free and widely unused function of the web called www.google.com esp on music forums. :lol:

Trust no one... even me. :twisted:

That reminds me of an old Stussy tee...

"KNOWLEDGE IS KING"

 

[edder]

Seems like BOSS and Ibanez have been "fighting" for quite sometime,
od1 vs ts808,
sd1 vs ts9

The OD-1 circuit is not at all similar to the TS808 and its variants. The sound is quite different too plus it doesn't have a tone control.

The difference between the SD1 vs the TS9 circuit other than the method of electronic bypass is that it has higher gain thro the use of a higher resistance drive pot, extra diode in the clipping circuit for the "assymetrical, lively, tube sounding and insert your favourite marketing buzzword for a $0.10 component" and slightly different tone control.

 

[nebo1981]

SRV used 2 tubescreamers together. If I remember, he uses one as a pure gain boost, so the 'overdrive' is turned down all the way. The other one he uses to add some grit.

kinda like Vai and the DS1 ... (where the distortion is set to zero)

hai ....
endorsements and the impact they have on us ...~

 

[nebo1981]

The OD-1 circuit is not at all similar to the TS808 and its variants. The sound is quite different too plus it doesn't have a tone control.

The difference between the SD1 vs the TS9 circuit other than the method of electronic bypass is that it has higher gain thro the use of a higher resistance drive pot, extra diode in the clipping circuit for the "assymetrical, lively, tube sounding and insert your favourite marketing buzzword for a $0.10 component" and slightly different tone control.

true ...

was just using the date...~
lol :wink:

Ts808 wins by date~

 

[theblueark]

hai ....
endorsements and the impact they have on us ...~

The DS-1 not much affected by the endorsements mah. Still can get 2nd hand one at $50 quite easily. The tubescreamer is harder hit, but if you know your stuff, there are lots of other pedals which offer the same circuit, just that the cover looks different, some with other functions as well. Usually much more value for money. At least you not paying for the name.

If you like clean gain chcek out the Crusack Screamer. Tons of gain with very little edge. Heck, the less experienced would probably say its not gainy at all.

 

[Weiht]

Funny why no one mentioned the Digitech Bad Monkey, after all the rave review they got.

Yup TS type pedals will sound shitty thro SS amps, cuz its design to drive the tubes, and not emulate tubes like what many of us think.

I like the SD1, its like gg for only $70 at swee lee after discount. But i cant wait to try the bad monkey, anyone has experiences?

I heard that the TS808 reissue does not have the same circuit as the original one... Not too sure abt it, but if its really the 808 spec, why r pple still modding the reissue?

There r other boutique ones gg for like US$200 and above, and im thinking whether they r really worth it??? STill sounds crappy thro lousy amps.

 

[theblueark]

I haven't tried the Bad Monkey myself but I encourage people to be skeptical about magazine reviews. You'll notice that guitar magazines seldom give bad reviews. Best to check it out yourself. Also, different guitars, amps and everything will also affect the overall tone.

The reissue TS808 has the same circuit but doesn't have the same quality board that Maxon used in the past. Shouldn't affect the tone much.

People still mod it because people like to mod stuff. They like to add things which they feel will improve the tone. For example, some guitar players feel it is a bit too heavy in the midrange and loses a bit too much bottom end. So maybe they'll want to add a bass boost. Or some (like me) feel that even the TS808 is not transparent enough. So they may want to do a mod to make it even less edgy.

True story: I went to Swee Lee at Aljunied once. Was trying out delay pedals. Nobody was around so I had free reign and the sales dude was pretty friendly, letting me try out anything I like. So I saw the TS9DX and was like hey, why not, I'll try em out. The guy obviously was into heavy metal and was asking me to try out all those high gain amps like the Peavy XXX and JSX. So anyway, I plugged in the TS and played. My immediately reaction was "wow this has too much gain, I like something smoother". And his was "Is the effect on?"

Ok I'm exaggerating. He knew it was ON cos of the LED. But he felt that the gain was low like hell.

So.
Try out the pedals.
Buy whatever rocks your boat.

 

[edder]

Yup TS type pedals will sound shitty thro SS amps, cuz its design to drive the tubes, and not emulate tubes like what many of us think.

I'm not too sure about that. It does sound OK thro my SS amp. But mine is a Vox and Vox they tell me is for the blues. :lol:

I heard that the TS808 reissue does not have the same circuit as the original one... Not too sure abt it, but if its really the 808 spec, why r pple still modding the reissue?

Now who told you that? 8O

Why they mod? Cos the 808 circuit is nothing to shout about.

The question should be WHAT they mod. The mods done these days are much more than the "808 conversion" mod.

There r other boutique ones gg for like US$200 and above, and im thinking whether they r really worth it??? STill sounds crappy thro lousy amps.

Some are ok, some are so-so. That said... no pedal in the world is going to save a lousy sounding amp.

Don't expect a Fulltone or a Banzai or even *sniggers* WMUM OD pedal to sound like a million dollars thro a 6" 5W transistor amp.

 

[mikemann]

The strongest part of a singal chain is where the weakest link is.

From the strings to pickup to cable to effects to effect loop circuitry to cable to amp input preamp to amp power amp stage to speaker to cabinet of speaker. Can you identify the individual part of your signal chain, it could make you play better and sound better.

This is just the technology part of the sound, a good guitarist to boot is essential.

 

[thor666]

the Bad Monkey is good by itself. excellent overdrive pedal.

however if you're looking to use it as a boost, i would frankly say, it doesn't bring that kind of a toneshaping as TS9 does. it feels more TS808 to me.

 

[edder]

the Bad Monkey is good by itself. excellent overdrive pedal.

however if you're looking to use it as a boost, i would frankly say, it doesn't bring that kind of a toneshaping as TS9 does. it feels more TS808 to me.

pardon me... but what is the difference do you hear when you compare a TS9 and an 808 when use as a booster.

eg.

Drive at almost zero. Tone to taste. Volume at almost full.

 

[thor666]

i find TS808 having more gain than a TS9. Of course again, the production model varies.

A TS808 generally sounds more fuzzy to me, and I liken it more to a SD1 of sorts.

A TS9 sounds more clear and more suited for a clean boost, and I find most people using it put it to boost their other overdrive/distortion pedal.

all imo.