TS-808 & Stevie Ray Vaughn & Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

[Lewguitar]

Just some thoughts.

My buddy AJ and I climbed Green Mountain in Boulder yesterday and had our usual talk about our latest gear, insights, etc.

AJ pointed out that when Stevie Ray would switch to a solo and click on his TS-808 that his tone would change but not to the degree that it changes when
most folks stomp on their TS-808.

I pointed out that Stevie Ray recorded with multiple amps and maybe he didn't have the TS-808 going through all of his amps and so what we might be hearing is the TS-808 mixed with another amp that doesn't have the TS-808 plugged into it.

Which brings us to the Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive. The Sparkle Drive is a TS-808 with one extra knob that blends in a clean signal with the overdriven signal.

I would guess that the Sparkle Drive splits the guitar signal at the input, takes half of the signal and feeds it through the TS-808 circuit and leaves the other half "clean".

Then the two signals (one distorted and one clean) are blended back together again with the fourth control on the Sparkle Drive.

If my theory that SRV may have blended an amp overdriven with a TS-808 with a clean amp when he recorded, then the Sparkle Drive is doing something similar.

All just theory! I dunno if SRV did that when he recorded or not - but I will say that it sounds like it.

Lew

 

[ErikH]

Re: TS-808 & Stevie Ray Vaughn & Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

Well, Stevie used not just one TS-808 but two. I get where you're coming from and you may be right about that. The Sparkle Drive is a very cool take on the 808. It's the only one out there with that blend feature, at least that I have seen.

Now, if you want the dual 808 thing going on, the Visual Sound Double Trouble is the ticket.

 

[Gunny47]

Re: TS-808 & Stevie Ray Vaughn & Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

Stevie Ray also pretty much left the drive on the pedal all the way down and the volume all the way up so it functioned like a clean boost and slight EQ shift.

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: TS-808 & Stevie Ray Vaughn & Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

Lew, You might be right? Around 92' or 93' I was in my local Tower records
waiting for the ABB to show up for a record signing. My buddy Phil had a Non-working TS-808 he wanted Mr. Betts to sign. Low and behold about
a hour B4 the band got there, Warren Haynes was there browsing the CDs.
He immediately spotted us with the TS-808 and came over to talk to us!
We where SHOCKED! (He's a really cool guy) My memory is a bit fuzzy, But
I recall him showing us how SRV used the pedal. Warren maxed the Level
knob, tone at 12 O'clock, Gain on 1 or 2. He then said something about a 2nd amp set to match his tone when he kicked the TS in? So basically the TS just
goosed a 2nd amp.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: TS-808 & Stevie Ray Vaughn & Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

Part of what we hear is more than one amp going at a time and the other part is that SRV did use 2 TS pedals as well...2 808's, 2 9's even 2 TS-10's later on and sometimes it'd be one 808 and one TS-9 but anyway he'd leave one on for his rhythm tone then kick in another one with the gain set low and the volume set high as a boost...

 

[millsart]

Re: TS-808 & Stevie Ray Vaughn & Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive

Sparkle Drive is a cool pedal but even though you can blend in some clean signal with the OD's signal, it really doesn't sound the same as using two amps. It sounds like one amp but with a bit more definition and low end that you usually get from a TS style pedal as that bit of clean fills out the bottom end.

Its a bit of a boosted signal though under most user circumstances and as such still is going to make your amp respond with some boost, so your overall tone will usually change a bit more.

I swapped a much larger knob for the blend on mine so I could sort of go from clean boost to more dirt on the fly, that proved a more useful and musical style for me

The Analogman Silver mod TS-808 actually sounds not that different as it has the same fuller low end sound and is quite responsive so its another way to go.

Really though to get that true SRV sound, I think you do need to run two amps, one a bit cleaner and one more on the edge of breakup so when you step on one or two TS style pedals, your two amps are both going to respond differently and create that huge SRV tone

*obvious disclaimer but figured I'd beat some wisenheimer to the punch and say that yes I know its also his 13's (which personally I don't think he played that often), his fingers, yada yada but using multiple amps definatly makes a single guitar sound much, much bigger.