Who really likes the Tubescreamer?

RandallFlagg

The Tubescreamer, lauded and heralded as a classic overdrive. I have tried a few including some of the many boutique derivatives but really struggle to like it's dry, barky tone, yet I always feel compelled to keep trying one every now and then. It's more a case of I really want to like it I guess.

Anyone loving their Tubescreamer?

stickyfiddle

I've never had a proper TS. 

I had a Bad Monkey which I could never get the hang of, but now I have a Ninevolt Surfing Bear, which is supposedly a lightly-tweaked TS808, and a Selah Feather Drive, which has a TS mode, which I like, but isn't as good as its other two modes.

Dopesick

I've really learned to appreciate it over the last few months, and now I really can't do without it.

Have owned a Bad Monkey the past six months and it's been fantastic at pushing my distortion pedal, but I've just bought a s/h Green Rhino Mk IV which might very well replace it. The GR Mk II was the best TS-type pedal I've ever owned so I'm anticipating good things.

p90fool

Tubescreamers work well with some of the amps which were around when they were invented.
Big, squishy, non-master volume heads being run at very high volume respond very well to that mid hump, it tightens everything up beautifully and makes perfect sense. 

I sold my last one when I sold my last JTM45.

Modulus_Amps

The bad monkey doesn't really do what the TS pedal does, The TS performance depends on the amp and guitar big time, it works well with slightly less mids in the amp, but if you have loads of mids then it may be overbearing. it is certainly not a one pedal for all occasion.
Also It is most often used a boost into an OD or overdriving amp.....

stratman3142

I really like my Maxon OD9. I've not had the opportunity to do a direct side by side comparison with the Ibanez version through exactly the same amp. The OD9 worked well into a clean amp for gigs.

punchesjudy

I love my Palisades which is apparently a TS of sorts, I pretty much use it as my clean sound though and use the second switch to dirty up more. Never tried the real thing so I dunno..  

MartinB

I do like the Tubescreamer, and still have the plastic TS5 I've had since about 1993, but I don't use it all that often.  While I can get some sounds that I really enjoy with it, it seems so strongly voiced in the mids that I want different amp settings with it on than I do with it off.  This could be fine if it's always on though.  Some amps don't flatter it either - for my own tastes I like it with blackface Fender-y voiced amps or older Marshall circuits, but it was nasty (not in a good way) with an AC30 I tried recently. 

guitarfishbay

Prefer the SD1 typically but yes.

midlifecrisis

i still have an original one fom 1982 i bought new.  i used it up until a couple of years ago then used the tubescreamer setting on the zoom g3, which is pretty identical but with a wider range. these days im using a boss katana and the boosts on the amp but yes, i like the tubescreamer

TTBZ

Only as a boost into a dirty amp. They're shit as a standalone drive imo. 

Winny_Pooh

Into a dirtyish amp with a strat they're perfect, which is why mine's in a box.

mudslide73

I've got a Thorpy built byoc od2 which I like with my Strat. I like it for tightening up the neck pickup v. much. 

darcym

Love a tubescreamer, really understand how to use it now so it's a key thing for how I enjoy playing.

sweepy

The only time that I got a decent sound out of a tubescreamer was using an old Mk1 with my late 60's 100w Plexi, then it was glorious and v v loud, since then I can't abide them 

JD50

I've had a few of them. Currently have a gearmandude 808 clone.
It' a pedal I always come back to, just works for me more often than other overdrives.

GavRichList

My first ever Pedal was a TS808. Meh. 

randella

I'm not sure there's a big enough difference from my SD-1 to bother splashing for a TS, but as a concept (middly boost into already overdriven amp) I love it. 

darcym

randella said:

I'm not sure there's a big enough difference from my SD-1 to bother splashing for a TS, but as a concept (middly boost into already overdriven amp) I love it. 

everyone always says they are basically the same thing, yet the SD-1 sounds totally different to an 808/TS-9/TS-10 when I've compared, even tried the Keeley modded one, it was a fine pedal on it's own but it just didn't work or sound like a tubescreamer when I tried them

Roland

p90fool said:

Tubescreamers work well with some of the amps which were around when they were invented.
Big, squishy, non-master volume heads being run at very high volume respond very well to that mid hump, it tightens everything up beautifully and makes perfect sense. 

I’ve always like a tubescreamer as an amp driver. Used on its own into a clean amp it’s going to sound nasal.

Phil_aka_Pip

Not had one myself but knowing that Andy Latimer uses 2 on his pedalbaord + a Rat makes me think I should invest in some.