Suggest me a TS-style pedal

[RaistMagus]

I've tried the MXR GT-OD. It had a nice sound but after a few minutes my ears started to ache from the piercing, edgy, artificial distortion. Moreover it wasn't true bypass and though it sounded nice when on, when off my guitar's tone went down the drain.

I tried the Digitech Hardwire CM-2 Tube Overdrive which I liked. Nice distortion and true bypass. But I'm concerned about it's big footprint (and weight), shiny, not clearly visible knobs and reliability issues (knobs mainly).

I did like a lot the only TC Electronic pedal I've owned, the Flashback delay. Awsome switchable buffer, superb construction (you can't dent the paint while in MXR pedals the paint falls of almost by itself), small footprint and great audio quality.

Does TC Electronic have a TS style pedal? Could you suggest any other TS-style pedals with true bypass, more drive than the original TS and nice overall quality, under 150euros?

[jlagrassa]

MI Audio Blues Pro is very nice its small and true Bypass, I'm using a Fulltone Full Drive 2 Mosfet which can do Tube screamer and so much more especially when using the Mosfet mode but is a large pedal.

[LeeJ]

I think the Green Rhino is a great TS type pedal. However, it is a little big, although it weighs almost nothing.

[Franklin]

Analogman modded Sd1

[mangoman]

Vfe the scream

Totally tweak able. If it don't work for you, you don't like TS types.

Plus totally affordable

[Structo]

Alpha Drive?:eeks

[jb4674]

Get a TS-9 30th Anniversary.

[solitaire]

Hm... I surprised you seem to have found something edgy in the GT-OD. It's one of the fattest TS-style ones around, to my knowledge...

Ah, well, I agree on the MI Audio pedals. If not the Blues Pro, then the Blue Boy Deluxe, which allows you to put in the Op-Amp of choice.

Also the Fulltone PlimSoul is a sweet sounding pedal with that Stage 2 turned down.

[Vedt]

Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive is my go to TS. It's $130 in the U.S., so maybe 160 euro? It's true bypass, has a classic TS sound, and has a blend / clean function, so that you can blend in some clean signal. Makes it sound like two guitars.

[rummy]

Maxon OD-9.

[wundergussy]

Maxon OD9 Pro Plus; the mid-boost switch and 9-18v conversion makes it more open and fat-sounding than a typical TS, but still has all the magic of a Maxon-made screamer.

[thetangmang]

Byoc od2

[papersun]

I think the Green Rhino is a great TS type pedal. However, it is a little big, although it weighs almost nothing.
Top-mounted jacks means it takes up far less space than otherwise. I'd try one of these out.

[ItsaRat!]

+1 on the green rhino. I like a TS style pedals in general but the strong mid hump and bass cut sometimes don't work for me. The green rhino addresses both of those issues since you can dial the bass back in and chill the mid hump out considerably.

[a1briz]

Eternity, not sure of the Euro price though.

[ungarn]

Maxon OD9 Pro Plus; the mid-boost switch and 9-18v conversion makes it more open and fat-sounding than a typical TS, but still has all the magic of a Maxon-made screamer.

+1000

On a budget...BBE Green Screamer (fighter jet graphic)

[DigzumJay]

Its its a TS style you are after, then how about getting a TS? TS-808, TS-9, or something like a TS-808 with the Analogman TV mod, and you will be in business.

Maxon is good suggestion too, considering they are the makers of the original TS circuits.

[NHBluesMan]

Visual Sound Route 808

[big mike]

Alpha Drive?:eeks


Shit stirrer. LOL


I"m dying to try the green rhino..

Some TS Flavored pedals I use and have used that I'vebeen pleased with:

HBE Power Screamer. 3 way voicing and built in boost.
Greer Relic Drive - (caveat i had some input on design, it's a great pedal. I'm not affiliated though..just a friend)
Greer Burning Goat -Different mid voicing, less mid 'presence' than the relic drive.
Xotic AC....I found this TS-ish. REALLY liked it. Stacks well with other stuff too.
Digitech Bad Monkey - best 40 bucks or so you'll ever spend.
TS9 RI. Damn good sounding. I liked it.

The Relic is my favorite, no surprise..but i still have a Powerscreamer I use and love, andhave a yen to get another AC boost just based on how it stacked. Certain pedals work better with certain amps too of coiurse.

[Muzzy]

I like the SRB 808 plus. Has TS, marshall, and dumble sounds in it. There's alot of great sounds in that box.

[Polynitro]

garagetone drivetrain...has bass knob and great visual sounds buffer.

[telepunk]

I really like the Cusack Screamer and the Fulldrive 2. Both great options for around $100 used.

[sanhozay]

fulldrives are insanely good but a lot different than most ts808 or ts9's that i have tried - especially the flat mids models. they are smooth but cut less bass and have a lot more gain available and sound more focused, not quite as spongy.

cusack screamer is excellent. it has more gain and more clarity and is more articulate.

ts9 analogman silver mod is my favorite "modded" tube screamer because it sounds like a screamer but "corrects" some of the low end and woof that makes some of the newer ones sound dark and harsh. it is much clearer. not a lot of gain on tap.

also, the new plimsoul by fulltone is quite easy to play and adds sustain and dynamics and has way more gain stages. it can get dirty quickly but it also can be dialed in to the sweet spot that most tube screamer guys dial in. probably not a great suggestion to a tube screamer purists but certainly a sound worth exploring if you want more gain and way more tonal tweaks.

[edgie]

XTS Multi-drive. I have it on one of the channels of my XTS Preamp and it can even go beyond what a TS can do not only in gain levels but also EQ flexibility. None of the scooped out bass, boxiness and overly-nasal tone of most TS-type pedals.

[papersun]

+1000

On a budget...BBE Green Screamer (fighter jet graphic)
The Green Screamer is a GREAT TS. Seriously awesome.

[jetstrat]

MJM Phantom Overdrive. It's fantastic!!!

[sfarnell]

Joyo Vintage Overdrive. A very good TS type pedal for less than $40.

[bug0711]

Analogman or Keeley modded TS9 or 808


:horse

[yerbluesrob]

HBE Powerscreamer, Sparkle Drive, VS Drivetrain. These have been my favorites.

[Painasusual]

Green Rhino is the best TS I've tried and I have tried plenty.

[batsbrew]

Barber DDSS

the tube screamer killer.

[drolling]

Great thread! It would seem I've been thru' an awful lot of Tubescreamers over the years. There's probably a whole bin out back i've forgotten, but here's my take on the ones kicking around the studio todayMI Audio Blues Pro is very nice its small and true BypassIMO, it sounds a little thicker & greasier than your average TS clone, but that's a good thing. Some can be a tad 'bass-lite'. Not the BPMJM Phantom Overdrive. It's fantastic!!!Jan rebranded his flagship pedal for some reason:huh.. He used to call it Blues Devil. To date, it remains my all-time favorite 808 clone. If I could rent Eric Johnson for the day and have him sort thru' 47 vintage Tubescreamers to select the very best sounding of the bunch, my BD would still kick its ass nineteen ways from Sunday!garagetone drivetrain...has bass knob and great visual sounds buffer.The original Reverend DTII's also a great TS-style OD. A bit on the big & clunky side, but i've found that extra tone control to be quite usefulAnalogman modded Sd1Yes indeed! I've got a bone-stock MIJ SD1 that sounds more like a Tubescreamer than many of Ibanez' own iterations. IIRC, the only difference between the two circuits is the symmetry of the clippingEternityOh yeah, baby! While this one doesn't really sound like a traditional TS, apparently it is. One killin' OD pedal, in any case. Gotta love the glassDigitech Bad Monkey - best 40 bucks or so you'll ever spend..Scored an American-made one in the initial feeding frenzy, and have been waiting ever since for someone to do a shootout between it and its Chinese counterpart. Stopped holding my breath some time ago, tho'

FWIW, I paid a nickel less ($39.95) for my Nobels ODR-1, and IMO it slays the chimp. There've been many attempts at cloning this one, but I still prefer the original, flaking paint, wobbly knobs & allBarber DDSS

the tube screamer killer.Really?

That's kinda disappointing, as I've never heard anything built by Dave that sounds even remotely tubescreamerish. That's the thing I LOVE about his original designs!

[geodr]

I liked the Maxon OD-9 a lot, Green Rhino even more so with the added flexibnility of the bass control, but CMATMods Signa Drive is my "TS-type" pedal of preference now - sounds great, as they say, in the mix

[whackystrings]

...That's kinda disappointing, as I've never heard anything built by Dave that sounds even remotely tubescreamerish. That what I LOVE about his designs!

While I do not have a DD Super Sport, there are many comments I have read from people that swear by the "808 Killer" setting when they follow the suggested internal trimpot adjustments.
I wonder if anyone has ever set up a DD Super Sport that kicked off a TS pedal from their pedalboard.

[Ramblin390]

mi audio blues pro for me

[whackystrings]

I liked the Maxon OD-9 a lot, Green Rhino even more so with the added flexibnility of the bass control, but CMATMods Signa Drive is my "TS-type" pedal of preference now - sounds great, as they say, in the mix
While reading up on the trimpot adjustments one can make in the Barber DD Super Sport, one such adjustment can make the drive "tight, focused" all the way through to loose and vintage-y.
"Tight and focused" is how I would describe the Signa Drive. That's probably why I am not gelling with it. I like my overdrive to be a little loose but still articulate.

[fulltone1989]

I like my Fulldrive II Mosfet's Vintage standard setting. Great reviews and the pedal can do other OD styles as well. They're always one or two lurking around the emporium also.

[RaistMagus]

Wow! This thread turned into a 3-page monster in no time!

Seems that there are tons of tubescreamer pedals out there! I should have been more specific in my first post then.

This pedal is going to be off most of the time so I need it to be true bypass. I don't have a long chain and tb pedals are the way to go for me.

I want more drive than the grit of the original tubescreamers. And I'd like the sound to be well defined even in the higher drive settings.

I found something annoying, fake and artificial in the MXR GT-OD's sound. (I don't know if clipping is the right word). Will all TSs sound like that?

Small footprint, versatility and green color are pluses.


From the suggestions you guys have made, I checked the VEF Scream, Green Rhino and MI Audio on youtube. I liked the Rhino the most.

[moaningrooster]

Its its a TS style you are after, then how about getting a TS? TS-808, TS-9, or something like a TS-808 with the Analogman TV mod, and you will be in business.

Maxon is good suggestion too, considering they are the makers of the original TS circuits.

+1 you read my mind!

[rvf263]

I like the Maxon OD9 the best from the ones I've tried.

Here's another one:

GearManDude

Luther Drive!

[Trojan]

Why not get an actual TS808 or TS9?

Why are you after a TS style pedal?

What do you don't like with the TS808 or TS9?

:confused::confused::confused::confused::confused:

[RaistMagus]

Why not get an actual TS808 or TS9?

Why are you after a TS style pedal?

What do you don't like with the TS808 or TS9?

:confused::confused::confused::confused::confused:

More drive and higher value for money.

see post #38 for more details

[batsbrew]

That's kinda disappointing, as I've never heard anything built by Dave that sounds even remotely tubescreamerish. That's the thing I LOVE about his original designs!

in only mentioned that, because it's on the DD manual......!
LOL


I wonder if anyone has ever set up a DD Super Sport that kicked off a TS pedal from their pedalboard.

well, i had an original tube screamer, for quite some time, and much prefer the DDSS, both for its sounds, and the ability to actually dial it in.

with the original TS, you only get what you get.
being able to actually tweak the tones you want, gets extra credit from me!

bottom line is, it's a tool, and a very useful one, that for me, has knocked off every previous drive pedal I've had. and that's a bunch.

[Progbusters]

Homebrew Doomsday Device: has two modes: traditional tubescreamer (like a TS9) and then the tubescreamer without the highs and lows cut (like a Maxon OD9/VOP9). But it has more gain marketed to the metal players (think Mercyful Fate and Slayer). You can dial it down to get the traditional tubescreamer tones though. It also has a boost (which I don't use since its just too much boom and muffiness). It has a clear articulate sound compared to my Ibanez TS808, but the Ibanez is smoother and throatier.

[David Garner]

I prefer the SD-1 or its boutique upgrade, the FDII. Neither is really a "tubescreamer," but they're often compared with them.

Of the true TS variants I've tried I prefer the Maxon OD9. I'm considering having mine modded by Analogman to include the silver mod and the Bad Bob boost.

[rburkard]

While a little bit on the expensive side, the Ibanez TS808 HW is the very best TS pedal I have ever played through. Better than all vintage TS 808s.
Rene