Finally added a Tube Screamer to the collection and......meh

[Festofish]

Kinda underwhelmed. It’s fine but I’ve got other pedals that do it better. Digitech Bad Monkey adds a bass and treble knobs. Tone city Bad Horsie is great for this too. I got the TS-808 in a group purchase when I bought my cousin’s loaded board. Way better than the Digitech Metal Master I also got in the trade. Now that pedal is worthless unless you want Ride the lightning buzz and fizz without any bass. We will call it the electric razor box.

 

[teletail]

I'm with you on this one. I play with a guitarist that kept raving about it, plus almost every article you read on them makes it sound like a "must own" pedal. I finally borrowed my friend's tube screamer. I thanked him and gave it back. I have several pedals that I like much better.

 

[8trackmind]

Did you try it at bedroom volume through a clean amp perhaps? Tube screamers (and SD-1s) sound pretty awfull and useless in isolation. They come alive in a band situation at volume though.

 

[Maroonandwhite]

I’ve discovered it’s far easier to make certain pedals sound bad than good. I think the TS is one of them. SRV had a lot of things a certain way to get his sound (that’s usually the case with all the famous sounds). I’m convinced he could get it with other methods though if needed.

I’m not knocking it though. I’ve decided that if I can get at least one “good” sound out of a pedal I’ll keep it. Even if it’s not the sound I initially wanted.

 

[uriah1]

Never had fizz or fuzz on any ts9 . Just fills in the crunch holes with fat mids that are usually missing........ Imho

Funny had billions of stomps , still do, but always have that as fallback on boards.

My new fav is Greer lightspeed.

Ps this thread should be on the pedal thread next time

 

[Tele Slacker]

Building one now. Like many overdrive pedals, I believe they are very underwhelming at bedroom levels. As mentioned previously, they come alive when introduced to a tube amp that’s already sweating. They supplement the sound, they are not the foundation.

 

[Gardo]

I've got a TS9DX Turbo Tube Screamer. I never really cared for the TS9 mode but switch it up to the turbo mode and it comes alive ,even at "bedroom" levels. Much better than the drive channel on my amp but that's another story
So Yeah, I like mine , add reverb and I'm good

 

[nocastermike]

I have had a couple thru the years. I never thought they improved or added anything to my sound. I used an EQ in its place and thought is substantially better.

 

[bftfender]

Vol all the way up..just a tad of gain..tone to suit..in front of a Marshall at proper level..then you will experience what it does best

boosted VM 2266 yesterday into brootz yesterday & loved every minute of it

 

[ReverendRevolver]

They aren't for everyone. I don't own one, but I'm sure I will eventually. They add mids. They don't respond the same way to most el84 amps as they do 6l6 amps. (Its not the tubes, but the circuits, but yea....).

They're so embedded in guitar culture that everyone has opinions. OD pedals in live situations even very depending on what is in the mix anyway. Good to own, and neat to stack at any rate. I refuse to buy into the vintage hype on these. I can hear a difference on lots of pedals, especially AD9s. I can see build quality concerns on some stuff, but I just don't buy the hype on old TSs. Maybe the ones I tried just weren't magical anymore?

 

[Frodebro]

Building one now. Like many overdrive pedals, I believe they are very underwhelming at bedroom levels. As mentioned previously, they come alive when introduced to a tube amp that’s already sweating. They supplement the sound, they are not the foundation.

This is the key to it-rarely do people use them on their own to generate a sound, they are most often used in conjunction with either an amp or a second pedal that is already right on the edge. I've got two on my board, and they are never used by themselves.

 

[ponce]

I haven't played one in years and when I did it was through the solid state amp. I'm sure I'd find an application for it now but I don't have any space on my pedalboard and adding another one would only make my band mates cross themselves and throw some jokes in my direction. And this is all I have, mostly handmade:

 

[bftfender]

This is the key to it-rarely do people use them on their own to generate a sound, they are most often used in conjunction with either an amp or a second pedal that is already right on the edge. I've got two on my board, and they are never used by themselves.

Agreed !!

 

[FenderGuy53]

This is the key to it-rarely do people use them on their own to generate a sound, they are most often used in conjunction with either an amp or a second pedal that is already right on the edge. I've got two on my board, and they are never used by themselves.

Wouldn't it be easier to simply roll your V knob?

 

[marc2211]

I sold my ts-808, and also a ts9. Never could get them to sound good for my playing.

 

[Frodebro]

Wouldn't it be easier to simply roll your V knob?

They're two completely different things, though, and should be viewed as such. A TS can boost the signal and hit the very first gain stage of an amp harder than the guitar can do alone. Simply turning up the gain on the amp is not the same thing, either, as the input voltage does not change going into the amp and the first gain stage still sees the same signal. Hitting that first stage with a boost or TS will bring things to the table that the amp simply cannot do on its own.

 

[bftfender]

If you have killer amps..use the amps tone mated with guitar controls...then pedals to dial in. To change the tone of all these great amps with a pedal is kinda defeating purpose of the amp..why not just a power amp & pedal up. then..or get an amp with mids already part of the equation. I bounce back n forth F & M all day every day..use pedals to enhance these beasts...each one has it own unique sound..play em at intended levels..that makes a huge dif..when the break is at a certain spot..then 5--7ish-dime for control on guitar knob..throw the tone knob into the equation..endless possibilities...then ad pedal & get3+ more bumps to that..set it & forget..grab right amp for the job..and use them in their intended range..sorta think that it what they were made for..notice ..it's right at kick drum level when the natural amp mojo is

 

[ce24]

Agreed !!

Put one before a joyo british with the TS knobs a 12 oclock tweak the joyo and you got great marshall crunch. Fat and juicy. Its been said SRV used two...

 

[bftfender]

Put one before a joyo british with the TS knobs a 12 oclock tweak the joyo and you got great marshall crunch. Fat and juicy. Its been said SRV used two...

gain staging is cool..sorta like subtle compression used with a couple compressors used in the mixing phase of recording...don't grab it all at once,,build it just right...work at some areas that need attention...

my example of TS recently .. got my jtm45 on 1960bx cab..to do the brootz..with TS...it actually is heavy in an insane way...wouldn't think it would but it had that super deep bottom that was just pushing them green backs in a way my modern amps weren't,,the TS totally lit that amp into a range that even shocked me..think have about 7 variations of it..all volume knobs are dimed..then gain to suit..not much,,just brought up to maximum fullness

 

[gridlock]

I’ve tried most Tubescreamer’s (Ibanez, Maxon, etc.) multiple times and my keeper TS pedal is the Ibanez Handwired pedal. It seems a little mellower, softer clipping, and warmer than the others TS pedals that i have owned. With my Tubescreamer’s I usually keep the gain set low (1/4), the tone at 9:00 and the volume set where needed.

I primarily use the TS pedals with my Fender amps and often in front of my Wampler Black ‘65. These two pedals with a Strat and into a Fender amp get me pretty good SRV tones at any volume.

I use a Greer Lightspeed and J-Rockett Dude with my Marshall’s.