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OutlawSteph1975 · January 6th, 2007, 01:34 PM

Someone left an Ibanez TS9 Turbo model in my office. I took it home
until the owner could be found. I don't have one of these. I've got
a Sparkle Drive.

I thought the Tube Screamer was terrible! It's not very hot and
the overdrive isn't warm like the Sparkle Drive. The Tube Screamer
has four different modes from "Turbo" to plain ol' TS9. They don't
sound very different at all.

I've heard it said that even the original Tube Screamers were not
consistent; some were hot and some weren't. Unless something is
wrong with this pedal, I'd have to say that must be true today.

Can someone else to a side by side with a Sparkle Drive and a
Tube Screamer? It supposed to be the same chip.

furrfurrfurr · January 6th, 2007, 01:38 PM

clearly i need to change professions. What do i need to do to put myself in a position to have people leave equipment on my desk?

Ringo · January 6th, 2007, 02:22 PM

To my ears, Tube Screamers sound best with single coil pickups and used as a mild to medium boost / overdrive, I've never really cared for the sound of a TS with the gain cranked up.
Tube Screamers have a lot of midrange , so with some amps / guitars they don't sound as good.
Your Sparkle Drive is just a TubeScreamer clone that has the option to mix in some of the clean signal which makes the OD clearer sounding.
FWIW I've had a bunch of Tube Screamers and clones over the years, to my ears they all sounded pretty similar, some were better than others but they all have a signature tone. I don't think there is that much mojo to them.

zeeman · January 6th, 2007, 02:41 PM

I've had a TS9 and just got a sparkle drive and blues driver. If the sparkle drive clean knob is set so that no clean is coming through (far left) it is very, very, similar to the TS9. I think "clone" is a good word for it. Maybe a little more bass on the SD but I don't know that I could pass a blind listening test between them. It's a good sound but I think I'm a little fatigued with the midrange hump and I'm really enjoying the blues driver at the moment. It seems to be much more transparent.

tazzboy · January 6th, 2007, 03:27 PM

The Sparkle Drive to me sounds like a TS 808 Tubes screamer more then a TS9 if you ask my opinion.

JohnnyCrash · January 6th, 2007, 05:48 PM

The TS9 is not very good sounding to me either.

The TS808 on the other hand... WOW.

+1 to them sounding good with single coil pickups. The midboost helps the thinner sounding singles.

Ringo · January 6th, 2007, 07:56 PM

I've never played through an original TS808 or TS9, but I did use a TS10 for years, a buddy did some ts808 mods per the GEO site, it was an improvement but a very subtle difference , my TS10 did have the JRC4558D IC which is supposedly the "good one".

Everyone hears things differently I know but to my ears all the Tubescreamers and clones and variations I owned sounded VERY similar, I think it would be hard to tell much difference in a blind test.
I'm using a M.I. Audio Blues Pro now which I like a lot more than any TS that I've had in the past.

OutlawSteph1975 · January 7th, 2007, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by furrfurrfurr

clearly i need to change professions. What do i need to do to put myself in a position to have people leave equipment on my desk?

The fun part about working in a music venue (being very sarcastic here) is when the bands call and want to talk about their riders and argue about how much liquor they are getting.

Most of the time, I can't wait to get home and play with my own stuff.

January 6th, 2007, 01:34 PM	#1 (permalink)
OutlawSteph1975 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 2,289 7 Photos	Reissue Tube Screamer (bad one?) Someone left an Ibanez TS9 Turbo model in my office. I took it home until the owner could be found. I don't have one of these. I've got a Sparkle Drive. I thought the Tube Screamer was terrible! It's not very hot and the overdrive isn't warm like the Sparkle Drive. The Tube Screamer has four different modes from "Turbo" to plain ol' TS9. They don't sound very different at all. I've heard it said that even the original Tube Screamers were not consistent; some were hot and some weren't. Unless something is wrong with this pedal, I'd have to say that must be true today. Can someone else to a side by side with a Sparkle Drive and a Tube Screamer? It supposed to be the same chip.

January 6th, 2007, 02:22 PM	#3 (permalink)
Ringo Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Memphis TN Posts: 2,080	what are you using it with, that makes a difference To my ears, Tube Screamers sound best with single coil pickups and used as a mild to medium boost / overdrive, I've never really cared for the sound of a TS with the gain cranked up. Tube Screamers have a lot of midrange , so with some amps / guitars they don't sound as good. Your Sparkle Drive is just a TubeScreamer clone that has the option to mix in some of the clean signal which makes the OD clearer sounding. FWIW I've had a bunch of Tube Screamers and clones over the years, to my ears they all sounded pretty similar, some were better than others but they all have a signature tone. I don't think there is that much mojo to them.

January 6th, 2007, 03:27 PM	#5 (permalink)
tazzboy Friend of Leo's Join Date: May 2005 Location: Oregon Age: 32 Posts: 4,785 1 Photos	The Sparkle Drive to me sounds like a TS 808 Tubes screamer more then a TS9 if you ask my opinion. __________________

January 6th, 2007, 05:48 PM	#6 (permalink)
JohnnyCrash Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Fullerton, CA Posts: 8,746	The TS9 is not very good sounding to me either. The TS808 on the other hand... WOW. +1 to them sounding good with single coil pickups. The midboost helps the thinner sounding singles. __________________ -- I constantly have to remind myself I'm a grownup and it's just the internet.

January 6th, 2007, 07:56 PM	#7 (permalink)
Ringo Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Memphis TN Posts: 2,080	re TS9 vs TS808 I've never played through an original TS808 or TS9, but I did use a TS10 for years, a buddy did some ts808 mods per the GEO site, it was an improvement but a very subtle difference , my TS10 did have the JRC4558D IC which is supposedly the "good one". Everyone hears things differently I know but to my ears all the Tubescreamers and clones and variations I owned sounded VERY similar, I think it would be hard to tell much difference in a blind test. I'm using a M.I. Audio Blues Pro now which I like a lot more than any TS that I've had in the past.

January 6th, 2007, 01:38 PM	#2 (permalink)
furrfurrfurr Friend of Leo's Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: South of Heaven Posts: 3,095	clearly i need to change professions. What do i need to do to put myself in a position to have people leave equipment on my desk?

January 6th, 2007, 02:41 PM	#4 (permalink)
zeeman Tele-Meister Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Ohio Posts: 349 5 Photos	I've had a TS9 and just got a sparkle drive and blues driver. If the sparkle drive clean knob is set so that no clean is coming through (far left) it is very, very, similar to the TS9. I think "clone" is a good word for it. Maybe a little more bass on the SD but I don't know that I could pass a blind listening test between them. It's a good sound but I think I'm a little fatigued with the midrange hump and I'm really enjoying the blues driver at the moment. It seems to be much more transparent.

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