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I’d guess the reason SRV had one is because when one of his older models broke he just bought a new one, and that was the current version at the time... nothing to do with the sound.
They are slightly different - more than the TS-9 is from the TS-808 - but they still sound like a Tube Screamer.
"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
Ts10
Ts9
Behringer Tube overdrive
And Keeley Tone Workstation
To be honest they're such small differences.
@guitarcookie I just paid £195 for this one for the purpose of these videos....
@icbm you're handy with a soldering iron etc arent you? Would be interesting to get a perspective from a real person about what the differences are...
The only difference between the 808 and the 9 is two resistors in the output buffer, but having fitted a TS-9 with a switch to select the 808 values, I’m sure there is no audible difference. There can be noticeable differences between *individual* pedals due to component tolerance variations and drift over time, but that applies as much to any two TS-808s or TS-9s - and probably 10s - as it does to ones of different models.
In short all Tube Screamers sound the same to a very close degree, and the only tiny differences you can hear are down to random variations. Assuming they all have the JRC4558 chip, anyway - there *is* a difference with other types, but ironically it’s only apparent when the gain is up close to full, which is not how it’s fashionable to run them nowadays!
There’s a video by JHS where he A/B’d an original vintage TS-808 with a Behringer Tube Overdrive too, and they’re indistinguishable even when he switches in the middle of a held chord.
Save your money...
I like the TS-9 because it’s physically the most robust of all the versions, but I wouldn’t pay more than a reissue sells for. Otherwise I’d buy the Behringer.
"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
I couldn't really tell the difference between them enough to care, so I sold the original one I'd bought for £16.50 for £225.
(Kind of annoyed I like the 808 the best though)
PA Hire and Event Management
Then John Mayer dumped the Keeley and started rocking a TS10.
It was around this time I really stopped giving a shit about overdrive pedals made of pixies and fairy dust
Of course now the Ts10 is worth about as much as a tone workstation anyway so it's no longer much of a choice.
In any case I think I kind of prefer the Behringer to the Keeley TS based on some experiments. Weird.
Been uploading old tracks I recorded ages ago and hopefully some new noodles here.
But recently I had two old TS-9s to work on at the same time - both from 1983 as well, so essentially 'identical' in every way - and they sounded noticeably different from each other, both at the same settings and if I deliberately tried to match the sounds rather than the knob positions. Both were definitely original and unmodified, so the only explanation can be that the component tolerances matter.
My guess would be that two of a more recent version would sound less different, since component tolerances and resistance to drift over time have improved, but I haven't done any actual A/Bs.
In any case, all of them sound like a Tube Screamer and I would defy anyone to identify the version if they played through one without being able to see which it was.
"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
the above video pits the TS10 against the TS9, the Behringer Tube Overdrive, and the Keeley Tone Workstation (which has a red dirt in it)...Which sounds best? No idea.
@icbm thanks for all that info, really helpful! That's what I figured might be the case...
The op amp chip definitely makes a difference. I had one of the TS9 reissues that didn't have the 4558 chip (75558?). It definitely made a difference when I swapped the chip for a 4558.
I thought I heard a difference when I swapped the resistors to mod it to 808 spec as well, which I did at a different time. I didn't have it on a switch like @ICBM so that may have been my imagination.
"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
How simple things were back then,
still got the pedals, still sound good, wish I still had the amps, the Cube died not long ago, and I didnt know what the Marshall was until much much later.
I replaced it more recently with a JCM900 MK3, but more for nostalgic reasons, and I mainly use a Code or a Katana these days-no pedals.
The ST-9 is quite rare and sought-after now, which you probably know already... one of the only vintage pedals I had which I actually sold *after* it had gone up in value, rather than before.
"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
The pots are quite fragile too, because they're also PCB-mounted with no chassis support, and I've even seen one with a broken battery cover - it's a neat design, but the whole thing is too flimsy really, especially compared to the 9 series which is built like a tank.
"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