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question about Tubescreamer...

low_lightlow_light Posts: 251
edited November 2003 in Musicians and Gearheads
Okay so I am going to order a tubescreamer... so should I just get the regular TS or the Turbo TS? anyone have any feedback on if the Turbo version is any better?

-low
www.myspace.com/eotoband
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    the reissue TS9 and TS9DX use different chips.

    the maxon TS9 uses the same chip as the ibanez TS9DX.
    http://www.buzzfox.com/ma-od9.html

    most of the boutique tubescreamer clones are using this JRC4558 chip.

    http://www.buzzfox.com/ma-od9.html

    i don't know if the extra settings on the TS9DX are worth it but 62strat has one so maybe he'll chime in.
  • low_lightlow_light Posts: 251
    thanks, greg. i just need a good "rock" distortion nothing fancy. im not really digging my amps overdrive recorded. im going to try and just crank the gain up on my clean channel and see how the distortion sounds that way but i cant do that live... i need a pedal to bounce back and forth.

    anyway, i knew youd be out there to help out, thanks again.

    -d
    www.myspace.com/eotoband
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    the vast array of overdrives boggles my mind. i finally found a set-up i'm happy with after years.

    take a look at a boss blues driver (BD-2) as well.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Low. The cheapest and best option you have is the Barber Direct Drive.

    All the Tube Screamers are more expensive and some don't even use the correct chip.

    http://www.barberelectronics.com

    or buy at http://www.musictoyz.com

    I own one, it is a fantastic tube screamer (TS-808) It has the correct 4558D chip in it. Keeley prefers the TI chip if you want to spend 40 bucks more. It's every bit hand built with excellent components maintains your bass and provides a smooth top end. It is about 50% louder than the regular TS or TSDX as well because of the much better capacitors. It also has the 18 dollar fulltone 3pdt switch with LED.

    Check the ratings at http://www.harmony-central.com

    At 99 bucks I challenge you to find a better pedal. It will blow the doors of any Ibanez or Maxon TS. Keeley or Analogman make excellent ones of course but the Barber has a harmonics boost as well and you can easily mod it your self if you want through diagrams off his website.

    Equally outstanding and more customisable is the Direct Drive SS.

    Read the reviews, then get one, I promise you will not be disapointed if you want a Tubescreamer. I love mine. Especially as a clean boost.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    avoid musictoyz.com

    the guy's a toolbelt. don't give him your business.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by exhausted
    avoid musictoyz.com

    the guy's a toolbelt. don't give him your business.

    really? I never had a problem what happened?
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    Originally posted by Pacomc79
    really? I never had a problem what happened?

    he's been a dick to me in the past and i've read nightmare reviews of his service on HC.
  • low_lightlow_light Posts: 251
    hehe, toolbelt.

    cool. damnit does musicians friend sell that pedal? i have to go through them.

    i listened to the demo for the blues driver it actually sounded pretty nice. its cheap too. god my head is going to explode.

    -low
    www.myspace.com/eotoband
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    you just have to sit yourself down in a shop and try as many out as you can. people search for years for overdrives that they like.
  • low_lightlow_light Posts: 251
    yeah I figure as much. I'm guessing MF doesnt sell the barber so I am debating on the Ibanez TS, the OD9, or the blues driver.

    there is a song we are recording now called "i know" and the distortion is just the overdrive from my amp and im not happy with how fuzzy it is and we've messed with it back and forth and its just not a good clean rock sound.... i dunno.

    -d
    www.myspace.com/eotoband
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by low_light
    hehe, toolbelt.

    cool. damnit does musicians friend sell that pedal? i have to go through them.

    i listened to the demo for the blues driver it actually sounded pretty nice. its cheap too. god my head is going to explode.

    -low

    go directly through David Barber. He'll answer all your questions too.

    it's 99 dollars direct. http://www.barberelectronics.com

    Bluesdriver is a great pedal in itself but it is NOT a tubescreamer copy, it has more gain and does not clean up as well. YOu want a good duo. Get a TS style pedal (the barber is mahvelous I know I own one) and a Blues Driver of which Robert Keeley
    http://www.robertkeeley.com has perfected, you can ask EX about that one.


    At least look at it first low. you can hear a real musicians honest review and soundbites at http://www.steelbender.com. Jason Barker is an amazing blues guitarist from the NC triangle area.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • low_lightlow_light Posts: 251
    thanks, Pac. I'm just going to buy a friggen pedal and just start my long path down the limitless pedal search. I cant go through barber because im using my musician's friend card. or believe me i would.

    thanks again for all of your helop guys

    -low
    www.myspace.com/eotoband
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    damn. damn. damn. well you could always trade. If you are heart set on one of the foreign jobs. I suggest either the Maxon TS-808 or the Maxon verson of the TS-9. Another great one is the Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive and yet another TS-808 copy with compression the Visual Sound RT-66. all great pedals. Maxon built all the famous Ibanez pedals from the late 70's early 80's. These new ones are supposed to be much more accurate copies. when you get some more dough, send it off to Keeley to modify and make it perfect. You'll be happy.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    i just like watching low fall into the quicksand that is effect pedals. it happens to all of us.

    i'm finally down to only 2 or 3 things that go (mostly) unused.
  • low_lightlow_light Posts: 251
    yes hehe so far I have the dd-3 boss and thats it. im very happy with it too. nice lil pedal. now I add the Maxon to the list since I cant get the barber...

    good lord!

    now i need to find a board to start putting them on. i hate loose wiring and pedals being drug around my feet.

    -d
    www.myspace.com/eotoband
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by exhausted
    i just like watching low fall into the quicksand that is effect pedals. it happens to all of us.

    i'm finally down to only 2 or 3 things that go (mostly) unused.


    right, but things like a wah, delay, reverb and distortion overdrive, you can't go wrong there you can always use more. I'll use compression all the time.

    Next overdrive, either Barber Blues Driver or ZVex Fuzz Factory. So cool. So damned expensive.

    Compressor and Delay first, but only after I pay off the recorder, responsibility is good but it sucks too.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    Originally posted by low_light
    yes hehe so far I have the dd-3 boss and thats it. im very happy with it too. nice lil pedal. now I add the Maxon to the list since I cant get the barber...

    good lord!

    now i need to find a board to start putting them on. i hate loose wiring and pedals being drug around my feet.

    -d


    just buy a kitchen cutting board and some velcro. :)
  • low_lightlow_light Posts: 251
    okay so this is the one i should get, right? of the Maxon. just checking before I click BUY hehe

    od9:
    http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=031112073438012075001065145575/g=home/search/detail/base_id/79113

    -d
    www.myspace.com/eotoband
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    that's the one!

    what kind of amp do you have Low?
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • low_lightlow_light Posts: 251
    here is me amp:

    http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=031112073438012075001065145575/g=home/search/detail/base_id/59651

    its a loud little fucker too. Im happy with it for the shows we play and even mic'd is sounds pretty clean on larger stages.
    www.myspace.com/eotoband
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Run the gain low on the amp and the Volume high on the amp and run the pedal at a all middleto start out with then adjust to taste it may take a while. I suggest going to guitar center or otherwise and hooking up various pedals to find one that is perfect with your amp. My Barber sounded good with my old solid state fender so your Maxon should sound good with the Marshall adjust gain to taste and enjoy but it may take a while to get it perfect. Have patience. You are going to play all night long Ha!
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • low_lightlow_light Posts: 251
    hehe thanks, Pac. I'd be lost without you guys helping out. i really appreciate the advice

    -david
    www.myspace.com/eotoband
  • blackredyellowblackredyellow Posts: 5,889
    Originally posted by Pacomc79
    go directly through David Barber. He'll answer all your questions too.

    it's 99 dollars direct. http://www.barberelectronics.com



    Here's one on ebay:

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2572248728&category=41416
    My whole life
    was like a picture
    of a sunny day
    “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
    ― Abraham Lincoln
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    cool that's a new one. Mines the 1st run with the led in the middle and graphics written with a silver pen It' looks kind of sad compared to that one but It sounds awesome.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by low_light
    hehe thanks, Pac. I'd be lost without you guys helping out. i really appreciate the advice

    -david


    Glad to help anytime David.

    - Paul
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Bumfuq, MT Posts: 6,395
    God Bless the Tubescreamer...

    You'll have to let me know how it sounds in front of your Marshall. The Tubescreamer really screams in front of a Fender tube amp, so I'm interested in the results in front of a solid-state Marshall. Of course, one of my favorite tones is a Tubescreamer direct into an old Pignose!

    The Maxons are certainly as good as, if not better than, the Ibanez units. I love my Ibanez TS-9 to death, but the Maxon definitely holds its own. Like these guys said, there are probably better curcuits out there, but there's a reason why Keeley and AnalogMan do a bunch of mods on the modern versions! And you can always get the one for now, and then get it modded down the road with the right curcuit, better caps, and so on.

    The #1 thing about the Tubescreamer is, you can't hide behind it... everything you play comes through, it doesn't get lost in the mud. So if you want a distortion that will cover for lousy playing, the Tubescreamer isn't your thing. If you want a smooth, tone-rich overdrive that lets your playing come through... it's Tubescreamer or bust.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • low_lightlow_light Posts: 251
    yeah, i dont want a muddy distortion. im tired of bleeding fuzzy shit. i want it to be crisp and accurate.

    ill let ya know how it sounds. i should have it tomorrow in time for practice. i did the next day deliver.

    -d
    www.myspace.com/eotoband
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by mccreadyisgod
    God Bless the Tubescreamer...

    You'll have to let me know how it sounds in front of your Marshall. The Tubescreamer really screams in front of a Fender tube amp, so I'm interested in the results in front of a solid-state Marshall. Of course, one of my favorite tones is a Tubescreamer direct into an old Pignose!

    The Maxons are certainly as good as, if not better than, the Ibanez units. I love my Ibanez TS-9 to death, but the Maxon definitely holds its own. Like these guys said, there are probably better curcuits out there, but there's a reason why Keeley and AnalogMan do a bunch of mods on the modern versions! And you can always get the one for now, and then get it modded down the road with the right curcuit, better caps, and so on.

    The #1 thing about the Tubescreamer is, you can't hide behind it... everything you play comes through, it doesn't get lost in the mud. So if you want a distortion that will cover for lousy playing, the Tubescreamer isn't your thing. If you want a smooth, tone-rich overdrive that lets your playing come through... it's Tubescreamer or bust.


    Maxon built all the original Ibanez units of the late 70's and 80's. Kind of Like Sammick Korea builds all the Korean Units for everybody.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    The tubescreamer does a "warm" boost like no other, the scoop control on the marshall basically a mid cut should allow you to tune the "mid hump" the TS pedals give. Myself and many like me like this hump, some prefer a more transparent boost but I think you will enjoy the TS. Gain Down. Tone up and Volume Maxed drive that preamp and power stage, that's where all the tone comes from.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Bumfuq, MT Posts: 6,395
    Originally posted by Pacomc79
    Maxon built all the original Ibanez units of the late 70's and 80's. Kind of Like Sammick Korea builds all the Korean Units for everybody.

    Yeah yeah yeah... I know... spare me the lecture...

    Come on, Paco, it's me. I may not be the quickest sperm in the birth canal, but I know THAT, at least...
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
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