Who really likes the Tubescreamer?

Ro_S

best suited to single coil pickups and into a Fender voiced amp, but not into an amp set clean. 

Ro_S

darcym said:

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

They're voiced eq wise the same, but the asymmetrical clipping of the SD1 adds a gritty edge to it. 

bingefeller

Yeah, I got a Tubescreamer Mini earlier this year and love it.  I use it to tighten up any distortion pedals I use, mainly I use it as a boost.  

Sassafras

For me, there are only 2 overdrive pedals and one of them isn't a tubescreamer.
I remember years ago trying a TS and a big-box Rat in a shop. I ended up walking out with the Rat.

guitarfishbay

A tubescreamer sounds a bit softer to me than an SD1. It seems to make for a nicer sound with cleaner amps and single coils. With higher gain and using as a boost I usually prefer the harder edge the SD1 has, but theres probably merit in owning both, especially as the SD1 is so cheap

Danny1969

Strat into TS into a clean Fender amp is a sound I like a lot, obviously great into a dirty amp as well. A bit overpriced now though for what it is, hence the cheaper clones everywhere

thermionic

I've just looked at some ebay sold listings. Used TS-9s go for around £70, used SD-1s for half that, £35. The Tube Screamer name is obviously worth a lot! You get an extra diode with the boss as well.

This is magnified with older pedals, old TS-808s go for far sillier money than OD-1s.

randella

darcym said:

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

@darcym - fair do's, I will freely admit I've never used a TS of any description. I was scratching around for suggestions of bits that Mrs. R. could get me for Christmas years back and I needed a replacement for my fried drive. 

I remembered a friend from school had an SD-1, this was a long time ago. It was his dad's, but we used to use it to kick our amps up a bit, so I went with the Boss as I remembered it working well. £39 from Anderton's, done.

I've made my sound around it now, so not convinced I'm missing anything that I could magically get from a TS, if you see what I mean. I could have been a bit clearer in the first post. 

randella

Speaking of that fried pedal, it was a Joe Satriani Vox Ice 9 that I got for buttons in a GAK sale on a whim. It was a great pedal, a bit smoother than the Boss so I guess a bit more like a TS and it had a great mid hump. And a second boost too. 

I've tuned everything around the SD-1 now and love it, but I do miss that Vox. 

siraxeman

Danny1969 said:

Strat into TS into a clean Fender amp is a sound I like a lot, obviously great into a dirty amp as well. A bit overpriced now though for what it is, hence the cheaper clones everywhere

The overpriced bit really applies to that name "Tube Screamer" which of course is an Ibanez trade mark. But fortunately you can buy many a good 'tube screamer' for SD-1 kind of prices just by other brands under other names. There are tons of decent TS clones out there that sound as good as a TS-9 (or an 808 etc). Digitech CM-2/Bad Monkey, Moorer Green Mile, Joyo Vintage Overdrive etc etc all make doe a very decent sounding clone....the Digitech Hardwire Overdrive I'd say is BETTER as it has extra features added. Another notable mention is the Visual Sound Route 808 has a handy bass boost option for those that dislike the TS's inherent bass cut. I had the Double Trouble pedal for a while - that was great (2 TS's in one pedal).

Basic point being - if one isn't fussed about the actual name/look sitting on their board they can have that sound for cheapo money....via another brands clone.

darcym

randella said:

darcym said:

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

@darcym - fair do's, I will freely admit I've never used a TS of any description. I was scratching around for suggestions of bits that Mrs. R. could get me for Christmas years back and I needed a replacement for my fried drive. 

I remembered a friend from school had an SD-1, this was a long time ago. It was his dad's, but we used to use it to kick our amps up a bit, so I went with the Boss as I remembered it working well. £39 from Anderton's, done.

I've made my sound around it now, so not convinced I'm missing anything that I could magically get from a TS, if you see what I mean. I could have been a bit clearer in the first post. 

no no you're right, everyone says the SD-1 is a tubescreamer, but for me, I just don't get it at all, they sound nothing alike, no matter how many people tell me they are basically the same circuit or voicing.

I like the SD-1, but I like it because it doesn't sound like the tubescramers I love.

ICBM

The SD-1 and the Tube Screamer *are* basically the same circuit, but the small differences add up to quite a different sound, if that makes sense.

It's a bit like the Fender Bassman and the Marshall JTM45, which are even closer in circuit terms but sound quite different.

It's not just big non-MV amps the TS sounds great with either - they work extremely well into a Mesa Dual Rectifier at any volume, for the same reason - they tighten up a loose, scooped sound and produce a singing lead tone that the amp won't do by itself.

I prefer the TS with Mesas and the SD-1 with Marshalls.

57Deluxe

Yes - any TS dynamic and I'm happy.

builttospill

Had a late 70's TS-808, now have and OD-1 and the OD-1 won. 

Lestratcaster

I've got the TS9 which I acquired back in 2008 I think, I mainly used it to boost for solos over an already overdriven amp, and it worked well. 

Now I use it to add extra bite and tighten up my 6505+'s flubbiness sometimes, by dialling in lower gain on the amp, setting drive to zero and level to around 3/4's of the way up. You get a mid-hump and more punch which is great and I like it. Usually flit between that and a Maxon OD808, I find the TS9 is creamier and ballsier, the OD808 is tighter sounding low end wise.

english_bob

ICBM said:

The SD-1 and the Tube Screamer *are* basically the same circuit, but the small differences add up to quite a different sound, if that makes sense.

In a nutshell, this is basically why 9 out of every 10 boutique OD pedals is more or less a Tubescreamer, isn't it? 

ICBM

english_bob said:

In a nutshell, this is basically why 9 out of every 10 boutique OD pedals is more or less a Tubescreamer, isn't it? 

Yes. It's a basically good circuit, and the sound can be tweaked quite a lot by changing component values, or sometimes adding slightly different elements, like a Rat tone stage.

And the other 1 out of 10 is more or less an Electra Distortion .

english_bob

ICBM said:

And the other 1 out of 10 is more or less an Electra Distortion .

That reminds me. I need to dig out the stripboard Lovepedal COT50 I made that doesn't distort and work out how the hell I managed to screw up something so simple. 

I digress. Back to Tubescreamers.

ICBM

english_bob said:

ICBM said:

And the other 1 out of 10 is more or less an Electra Distortion .

That reminds me. I need to dig out the stripboard Lovepedal COT50 I made that doesn't distort and work out how the hell I managed to screw up something so simple.

Didin't connect the clipping diodes at one end? Then it's just a single-transistor booster.

To also digress, it absolutely amazes me the hype there is around this company and these pedals, and the various other stupidly-named variations they do - they seem to be rated for "just adding more " and "sounding great into a cooking valve amp"… well of course they do, the clue is in the cooking valve amp bit! And that they're not really adding much at all - one transistor and some diode clipping.

Emperor's new clothes in a marketing package. At least the Tube Screamer circuit is a bit more sophisticated.

jpfamps

Tubescreamers work well will a BF Fender-style amp and a Fender guitar.

Fender BF-style amps have a pronounced mid-cut and this is complemented by a mid boost of the Tubescreamer.

However, I can't imagine a Tubescreamer workng well with say a Les Paul and an AC30.