To sum up... my usual mods to ODs

[Pierre]

1) Replace most cheap looking ceramic caps by monorose blue Ceramic or by metal film caps. Stock values at first.
2) Replace usual crap 4148s clipping diodes with either 2 1N4001/002 (same sound), or one 1N4001 and another with a LED in series. IDEALLY I'd use two switches. One side being left with the 1N4001, another with a switch for 1N4001 or 1N4001 + series LED. AND another for symmetrical vs assymetrical clipping Though that's not always possible... you need room for that.
3) Replace the 4558s, if it's a cheap version, but a better version. In most circuits with a 4558, the DD comes stock. The D and Ps are improvement, the TL072 and other variants sound even different. I only tried the TL072 and loved it.

This should work already towards a more transparent, hi-fi and clearer sound. Obviously it's all a matter of taste though.
Hope this may give some of you ideas. They're all cheap and easy mods.

 

[HolyDirt]

Re: To sum up... my usual mods to ODs

I don't mean this offensively at all, but I don't really agree with some of this... With some of these mods. it really does depend on what circuit you're working on, in my opinion. Sometimes, a 4558 sounds wonderful in a circuit, sometimes a tl072 is nice. I mean, take the Rat and DOD 250 for example. They use an LM308 and a LM741, respectively. Those two IC's would usually sound pretty bad in most circuits, but in those two pedals they're amazing. I don't think it's necessarily wise to always put a TL072 into overdrives. I do however agree with the diode switching idea and the cap swaps. Those two mods almost always add good tone and versatility to any pedal.

Another neat mod that I do sometimes is a switch to remove the clipping diodes all together to create just a simple clean boost! Works great! Secondly, you can wire the diodes up to a potentiometer to create a sort of clipping threshold knob. It kinda moves the clipping from a hard tone to a soft one. Sounds great in some pedals!

 

[Pierre]

Re: To sum up... my usual mods to ODs

Sorry I shouldn't have phrased it like this... It's just that usually pedals with a 4558 come with a DD version... Even a D or a P is an improvement. My own favorite is the TL072 for TS style circuits. Good call!

Good idea of the clean boost. I honestly never tried that for some reason... I should as soon as I get another SD1. These pedals are great for cheap mod tries

 

[HolyDirt]

Re: To sum up... my usual mods to ODs

Sorry I shouldn't have phrased it like this... It's just that usually pedals with a 4558 come with a DD version... Even a D or a P is an improvement. My own favorite is the TL072 for TS style circuits. Good call!

Good idea of the clean boost. I honestly never tried that for some reason... I should as soon as I get another SD1. These pedals are great for cheap mod tries

Definately! And the best part is you can unsolder the componenets, and put in different ones to create an exact replica of a TS808 for about 10 bucks! That's like a TS808 for $50! Good stuff.

 

[Pierre]

Re: To sum up... my usual mods to ODs

Who would want to do that? :laugh2:

Hehe sorry dude... read my past posts for my ideas on the TS sound Not a big fan. All these changes + the TL in a TS circuit contribute to making it more transparent sounding. The mid hump would still be there though...