The Truth About Tube Screamers

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: The Truth About Tube Screamers

I have a Spina SD-1. It is the key ingredient to my tone (and I've had lots of complements from people from guitarists to bassists to sound guys).

The spina SD-1 is smooth and complements the dual rectifier's orange channel with the gain on about 11:30 veeery nicely.

Thanks Grandor....Let's not forget also,that we're talking about a $40 to $50 pedal here...I just payed close to $200 for a CM Plexitone that I hope is worth alot more than one of my modded Boss pedals? Seems it will be though.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: The Truth About Tube Screamers

Stratdeluxer - Any idea where I could find a schematic on how to convert my TS-5 to true bypass (I know I'll have to change the box and add a DPDT stomp switch). Are there any tricks to eliminate the pop when switching?

I don't ever feel the need to convert to true bypass on the series! Just change R12 in your TS5 to 620K and then plug your TS5 into your amp and you'll see you have nice unity gain between the pedal on and off....Don't waste your time doing that unless you plan on building a TS from scratch via one of the DIY websites!

 

[Guitar Toad]

Re: The Truth About Tube Screamers

Is the Marshall BB-2 Bluesbreaker II pedal categorically a Tube Screamer?

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: The Truth About Tube Screamers

I don't ever feel the need to convert to true bypass on the series!

I think this is another thing that we would do well to discuss.

True bypass....

I just dropped some cake on a Keeley that's supposed to have true bypass and I'm excited to hear what the difference really is with it.

Anyone with a better knowledge of the topic than I do care to give the schpiel about the different types of true bypass?

 

[Spark]

Re: The Truth About Tube Screamers

I think this is another thing that we would do well to discuss.

True bypass....

I just dropped some cake on a Keeley that's supposed to have true bypass and I'm excited to hear what the difference really is with it.

Anyone with a better knowledge of the topic than I do care to give the schpiel about the different types of true bypass?

there is some good stuff here...

http://members01.chello.se/pastorn/fx/mods/bypass.htm

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: The Truth About Tube Screamers

I think this is another thing that we would do well to discuss.

True bypass....

I just dropped some cake on a Keeley that's supposed to have true bypass and I'm excited to hear what the difference really is with it.

Anyone with a better knowledge of the topic than I do care to give the schpiel about the different types of true bypass?

The Boss and Ibanez series of pedals use an FET Buffered system in their pedals so that when the pedal is disengaged,you get very very little difference between pedal in and pedal out tone....Some pedals are better than others at keeping your output and your highs where they should be,but the FET circuit does work really well...

 

[ErikH]

Re: The Truth About Tube Screamers

I think this is another thing that we would do well to discuss.

True bypass....

I just dropped some cake on a Keeley that's supposed to have true bypass and I'm excited to hear what the difference really is with it.

Anyone with a better knowledge of the topic than I do care to give the schpiel about the different types of true bypass?

Read this too... http://www.muzique.com/lab/truebypass.htm

Killer info on there.

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: The Truth About Tube Screamers

there is some good stuff here...

http://members01.chello.se/pastorn/fx/mods/bypass.htm

I read through that awhile ago. Interesting read....lengthy though highly informative.

 

[Dave Z]

Re: The Truth About Tube Screamers

Jack Orman's (muzique.com) stuff is great - built his mini-boost pedal, added a 5-way capacitor switch so it goes from fat boost to treble booster, added a tone crtl, love it! Use it more than the Son of Screamer. I call mine the Tristan, which means loud, also my kid's name.

Schem here: http://hot-muffin.com/StompLab/StompLab_Tristan/index.html

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: The Truth About Tube Screamers

I read through that awhile ago. Interesting read....lengthy though highly informative.

I like building my own pedals and I like having true bypass also,but I think alot of us get too caught up in the true bypass thing also...Just plug into 1 pedal at a time,listen to it....Then play through your amp without the pedal in line and see if it's actually the pedal you think is robbing your overall tone "or" is it the length of cable you have between your guitar and amp?

After you do this test,then plug into your entire pedal chain and into your amp....Do you now here a loss in your highs,muddy,loss of output? Is it actually a pedal(s) or the cable lengths?

Sometimes just a buffer pedal or something like the SD Pickup Booster is the amazing fix for every pedal you have in line between your guitar and amp...I myself have been down this road before....Cable lengths are a guitar players nightmare! If I want to run alot of pedals(more than say 6)I'll stick a buffer first in line or I'll just use the SD Booster with a slight level boost and the problem is solved:wink:

A wah without true bypass on the other hand does rob alot of your tone!

 

[gripweed]

Re: The Truth About Tube Screamers

There's also the TS10, the Soundtanks, and everything Maxon did. Actually, Maxon makes the Ibanez line. Maxon's being the higher quality. Then there's the bazillion and one clones out there.

Thanks for mentioning the TS-10. I have one and its my favorite overdrive. Its better than any of the other Tube Screamers that I've tried.

Come TS fans, lets see more love for these things!

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: The Truth About Tube Screamers

Sometimes just a buffer pedal or something like the SD Pickup Booster is the amazing fix for every pedal you have in line between your guitar and amp...I myself have been down this road before....Cable lengths are a guitar players nightmare! If I want to run alot of pedals(more than say 6)I'll stick a buffer first in line or I'll just use the SD Booster with a slight level boost and the problem is solved:wink:

I find this minorly ironic because most of my hunting for the ultimate Tube Screamer has been so that I only have to have one pedal in my chain rather than a whole gaggle of them!

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: The Truth About Tube Screamers

I find this minorly ironic because most of my hunting for the ultimate Tube Screamer has been so that I only have to have one pedal in my chain rather than a whole gaggle of them!

Tell us what you feel is the Ultimate Tube Screamer? I'm finding the Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive to be a Tube Screamer that is at least 1 step above and beyond the TS9 and the 808...If I were going to buy another TS clone it would be the SD pedal....These pedals(after I Mod them)have more depth and are more open sounding to my ears...That clean knob is a real nice plus also...

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: The Truth About Tube Screamers

Tell us what you feel is the Ultimate Tube Screamer? I'm finding the Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive to be a Tube Screamer that is at least 1 step above and beyond the TS9 and the 808...If I were going to buy another TS clone it would be the SD pedal....These pedals(after I Mod them)have more depth and are more open sounding to my ears...That clean knob is a real nice plus also...

Ya know.....it's a tough call...and I still feel like I have so many options I haven't really looked into.

The TS9DX you modded is probably my "desert island" pedal for Tube Screamers. Just with 4 modes there's more versatility there and the range of usable tones is above and beyond.

But by the same token I like the stock TS-9 Reissue I have for it's authentic sound. The downside is that it's very "generic" sounding to my ears after awhile....."authentic" is it's strength and it's weakness.

The SD-808 you did for me is the hot-rodded TS sound I totally dig! I'm hard-pressed to find anything about it I don't like, and I'm always reluctant to chime in on something that I haven't really had 6 months to play with and give a serious going-over.

I was looking at the SparkleDrive the other day; there's alot to like about them. I may have to look harder....

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: The Truth About Tube Screamers

Ya know.....it's a tough call...and I still feel like I have so many options I haven't really looked into.

The TS9DX you modded is probably my "desert island" pedal for Tube Screamers. Just with 4 modes there's more versatility there and the range of usable tones is above and beyond.

But by the same token I like the stock TS-9 Reissue I have for it's authentic sound. The downside is that it's very "generic" sounding to my ears after awhile....."authentic" is it's strength and it's weakness.

The SD-808 you did for me is the hot-rodded TS sound I totally dig! I'm hard-pressed to find anything about it I don't like, and I'm always reluctant to chime in on something that I haven't really had 6 months to play with and give a serious going-over.

I was looking at the SparkleDrive the other day; there's alot to like about them. I may have to look harder....

I've modded a ton of Tube Screamers and their clones....To date my fav is the Sparkle Drive pedal after the mods...As I said,I feel it's more open,I Love to be able to blend the clean/gain tones with the 4th clean knob,and I even feel this pedal is more transparent and just slightly less compressed at higher drive settings...I would much rather have this pedal now and part with my modded reissue TS 808 that I thought was the cat's meow for awhile now..

Do a search on the forums under Sparkle Drive or Sparkle Drive mods as I Know my buddy Milkbone and a few others wrote reviews..

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: The Truth About Tube Screamers

I don't ever feel the need to convert to true bypass on the series! Just change R12 in your TS5 to 620K and then plug your TS5 into your amp and you'll see you have nice unity gain between the pedal on and off....Don't waste your time doing that unless you plan on building a TS from scratch via one of the DIY websites!

Roger that. I'm gonna move this potato bug to a new case and change the switch to something reliable while I'm soldering in the new R12.

Thanks for the directions.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: The Truth About Tube Screamers

Roger that. I'm gonna move this potato bug to a new case and change the switch to something reliable while I'm soldering in the new R12.

Thanks for the directions.

That resistor change will give you better unity gain between your on and off settings by changing impedence a bit....You could just as easily build yourself a nice 808/TS9 clone via JD's site...General Guitar Gadgets...Check this out.I'd be more than happy to help you out if you needed it during the build.
http://www.generalguitargadgets.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=90&Itemid=118


http://www.tonepad.com/getFile.asp?id=81