JHS Bonsai: 9 Tubescreamer variants in one.

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colourofsoundcolourofsound Frets: 393
edited January 2018 in FX
https://reverb.com/news/video-jhs-offers-nine-tube-screamers-in-one-with-new-bonsai-pedal

This is going to bring in the pitchforks. Turning off notifications for this post!

For what its worth, the pedal sounds pretty nice. The TS10 mode is cool. But I guess thats just me liking TS10s...

However, is it necessary? Not sure. Whatever you think about JHS and all that shit, I think his concept is good: it's a study of a gear phenomenon.

I'll be sticking with my Mojo Hand Rook though I think!
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Comments

  • english_bobenglish_bob Frets: 5128
    edited January 2018
    If turning a dial is supposed to get you the sound of all those different pedals, one of two things is true:

    1. There's very little difference between them.

    2. This pedal isn't *really* replicating each circuit electronically, just approximating its sound.


    It seems gimmicky to me- show me the real-world gig where anybody needs to replicate nine different kinds of Tubescreamers. It seems more like a discussion piece for guitar nerds, or something a builder does because he can, not because anyone wants him to. 

    Image result for jurassic park just because you can

    Don't talk politics and don't throw stones. Your royal highnesses.

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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26753
    All I can think is how meta it is that this will probably be bo Got mostly by guys who already have 6 tubescreamers.

    probably a good pedal tho
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • sgosdensgosden Frets: 1993

    could be useful if you want a TS but not sure which variation to get. and don't wanna spend out a load to find out.

    I originally bought the EQD palisades because of all the TS options, I figured the EQD could point me in the right direction.

    turns out the clipping variations and all sorts and very nomical. and its actually perfect for me to get the sound I like by boosting driven amps.


    I wonder how much having 'the Keely name on there has cost.

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  • Finally! Another Tubescreamer
    How very rock and roll
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  • sgosden said:

    I wonder how much having 'the Keely name on there has cost.

    JHS have a business arrangement/friendship with Keeley. Apparently they now do all of Keeley's after market mods, and they have done collaboration pedals together.
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    I saw a video yesterday. I guess it would be interesting to borrow one and see if you have an ideal TS then go get one of those. But, otherwise it's a solution in search of a problem. If they turn out to be £70 maybe but as they won't I'm not going to get excited. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • SassafrasSassafras Frets: 30273
    What's a 'Tubescreamer'?
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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    I guess the muff thing he did sold well, so it's just applying that concept to a different pedal. Klon next?
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  • I guess the muff thing he did sold well, so it's just applying that concept to a different pedal. Klon next?

    Have there been many variations on the Klon? I thought it was pretty much the one circuit...

    A RAT based one would probably work, but that's been done before...

    Don't talk politics and don't throw stones. Your royal highnesses.

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  • OctafishOctafish Frets: 1937
    edited January 2018
    Ah another highly original design by JHS priced at over £200+, hope he has gooped the pcb
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71959
    If turning a dial is supposed to get you the sound of all those different pedals, one of two things is true:

    1. There's very little difference between them.

    2. This pedal isn't *really* replicating each circuit electronically, just approximating its sound.
    Both.

    I once had a TS-9, which I fitted with a switch to swap the two resistor values to the TS-808 ones, which are the only difference between the two circuits.

    There was NO difference. None. Zero. You couldn't even hear the switch was working. (It was, I checked very carefully.)

    That doesn't necessarily mean that every TS-9 and every TS-808 sounds the same - component tolerance variations and drift in the rest of the circuit do make a noticeable difference between individual examples, as the JHS chap himself says. But there is really nothing inherent in the difference between the models.

    The TS-10 is quite a different circuit though, with an extra buffer stage if I remember rightly - not something that's easy to put on a rotary switch.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • DrBobDrBob Frets: 2998
    We've only got his word for it that the rotary switch is even hooked up ..
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  • ricorico Frets: 1220
    At about 1:05 in this video he states that the 10 different circuits are perfectly replicated.


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  • english_bobenglish_bob Frets: 5128
    edited January 2018
    rico said:
    At about 1:05 in this video he states that the 10 different circuits are perfectly replicated.

     
    We all love Andy, but I don't think an in-depth knowledge of electronics is what we love him for. If he says the ten different circuits are perfectly replicated, it's because it says so in the saleswank.

     It's still weasely enough language that it's unclear if they mean that they're electronically identical, or that they sound exactly the same despite *not* being identical. I suspect the latter.

    Don't talk politics and don't throw stones. Your royal highnesses.

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  • OctafishOctafish Frets: 1937
    You'd think for £219 they would have made the effort to upgrade that crappy white washer on the bypass switch to a steel one. Shitty LED position as well, you can't see it when your foot's on the switch.
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  • ricorico Frets: 1220
    rico said:
    At about 1:05 in this video he states that the 10 different circuits are perfectly replicated.

     
    We all love Andy, but I don't think an in-depth knowledge of electronics is what we love him for. If he says the ten different circuits are perfectly replicated, it's because it says so in the saleswank.

     It's still weasely enough language that it's unclear if they mean that they're electronically identical, or that they sound exactly the same despite *not* being identical. I suspect the latter.
    Did you watch the video? It's JHS taking through all the different features and variants.

    I think the term 'perfectly replicated' is just a more polite way of saying 'exact clone'
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  • BoromedicBoromedic Frets: 4700
    edited January 2018
    This is from TGP about the same thing might help:

    I have some personal insight on this that might be interesting....

    One of my oldest friends (40+ years) is the engineer (read Engineer not dude who knows resistor values and can read a schematic like me) who worked on this pedal design.

    It was a major undertaking that involved several, in my opinion never before seen, ways of switching methods and circuits to literally rewire the circuit to recreate each independent version. There are multiple component swaps being done at the same time as each version is truly independent of the others with a minimal amount of shared paths.

    The tools and technology used to recreate each version were of such a high caliber during the development stage that the differences in each circuit were tweaked and compared hundreds of times before the really hard part, the switching, was even started.

    As is often the case, a simple idea turns into a monster very quickly and it takes a genius to make it happen.

    Hate all you want but, once these are in the wild, people will be scratching their heads trying to figure out how it was all accomplished and fit in such a small box.

    Bonus fun fact, there's not a lot of difference in tube screamers.

    If this is true that it's actually hardware switching components around then it's pretty awesome engineering within the confines of a pedal surely? I have no reason to doubt the veracity of what he claims, because it would be easy enough to disprove when they ship and people take the back off and do gut shots.

    Who cares anyway, if you want it buy it, if you don't want to buy it and fall for the saleswank as you put it, walk on by...........

    I won't be buying it as my Timmy is awesome and I have a TS anyway, but if you're in the market it's a decent option for those with the cash.

    My head said brake, but my heart cried never.


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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27581
    Octafish said:
    You'd think for £219 they would have made the effort to upgrade that crappy white washer on the bypass switch to a steel one. Shitty LED position as well, you can't see it when your foot's on the switch.
    The plastic one doesn't mark the paint and is thus the better solution.
    "[Sporky] brings a certain vibe and dignity to the forum."
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  • TeetonetalTeetonetal Frets: 7801
    I guess the muff thing he did sold well, so it's just applying that concept to a different pedal. Klon next?

    Have there been many variations on the Klon? I thought it was pretty much the one circuit...
    That was sort of the point :)
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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2328
    ICBM said:
    The TS-10 is quite a different circuit though, with an extra buffer stage if I remember rightly - not something that's easy to put on a rotary switch.
    I seem to remember with the Muffeletta that people were saying that the rotary switch didn't actually exactly mimic all of the different circuit variables. Assuming that was true, I'd assume the same is true here...
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