What's the best boutique Tube Screamer?

[Pedro58]

To me, it's a confusing question for two reasons...
One: "Best" is always a problematic issue...
Two: Most boutique TS style pedals try to deal with the mid-range hump or compression that the TS, by definition, introduces. So, it seems that you are asking the near-impossible. It's like asking which full-size pickup is best, the Volvo or the Honda?
That said, I would say an original 808!

[bjm007]

Analogman "true vintage" mod on an 808 reissue. To my ears, it sounds the same as an original...

[Deaj]

Originally posted by tonemandan
A reissue TS9 with the Keely plus mod is the best I've tried. The Voodoo lab Sparkledrive is very good too-I just never cared for the "blend the clean back in" feature.

Dan

+1 for the Keeley Plus Mod - mine is a Maxon OD-808 RI (same board as the Ibanez RI according to Keeley) and it is an absolutely indespensible part of my signal chain.

[muddy]

Originally posted by TTrahan
It sounds nothing like an 808 in my opinion, so it can't really classify as an 808 style pedal, ya know?

yeah, i know, but it is meant to kinda serve the same purpose. that was the original intention though, no? it's marketed as such. only it came out sounding a lot better, i think. for a ped that DOES sound like a ts, it's hard to beat the blues devil. but i was totally bowled over by the tour pro. hey, do you have a cot5o? it's pretty awesome isn't it!


ml

[Pointbreakd]

Originally posted by hawkeye17
I just sent my TS808 Re-Issue to Keeley to have it modded. He does mod the pedal for True Bypass also btw. I'll let you all know how it sounds when I get it back.

you are right. TS808 can be true bypass....TS9 cannot.

[TTrahan]

Are you sure the TS9 can't be true bypassed?

I'm almost positive that one of my buds has a Keeley TS9 Baked Mod that was true bypassed, I could be wrong though.

[Ed Reed]

I've got a Analogman TS-9 silver on the way. Also have a FD II a Keeley and a Aman brown and an original TS-808. I'll let you know how it stands up. To me the Analogman brown, so far, sounds the closest to the original. The Keeley is nice but not exactly the same. Not sure but I think any pedal can be true bypassed, correct me if I'm wrong but the Maxon reissue is true bypass and it's very close to a TS-9.

[imissmj]

I'm pretty sure Keeley and Analogman's mods are not true bypass but I could be wrong. I remember reading somewhere that they could make them true bypass but it requires installing a true bypass switch on top of the original switch so you have to drill the case. I've seen pictures of these mods before too.

Chris

[GM1]

Originally posted by bjm007
Analogman "true vintage" mod on an 808 reissue. To my ears, it sounds the same as an original...

I just got one of these and I think if you want true vintage Tube Screamer tone this pedal does it.

[stephenyi]

Just my 2 cents but the MJM Blues Devil does it for me... I sold my Keeley-modded TS9 after I got it.

[TTrahan]

Originally posted by stephenyi
Just my 2 cents but the MJM Blues Devil does it for me... I sold my Keeley-modded TS9 after I got it.

I sold my Keeley TS9 too, but kept my Keeley Baked TS9. I think the baked mod is a cool "take" on a TS9 circuit.

But for now, I'm with you on the MJM BD. I'm using the custom 2 channel MJM BD right now.

[captben41]

I have a TS-9 with the Analog Man Silver mod. Sounds awesome with a lot of clarity. I have played the Keeley mod to and liked it as well. I feel that the Analog Man Silver mod allows for a lil more play in the tone control where you can really shape your sound a lil better. But, just like everything, what I may think sounds good does not sounds as good to others.

[TTrahan]

[burningyen]

IMHO the answer totally depends on your amp. You just have to try a bunch and pick what works best for your setup.

[El Kabong]

Thank you for all of the responses. It's nice to see people from the HFC board over here.

I had been using way to many pedals. None seemed right for my practical use. I was pedal dancing at home and getting nothing done. They all sounded great, but not one spoke to me as the *correct* pedal for me.

I had an AC Booster, an original Hot Cake, an MMFX Tube Killer, a Toadworks Mr. Ed, a Sobbat Octave Fuzz, a Metal Zone and a Tech 21 GT-2.

I also had an analog Boss delay, a Visual Sound H2O, a Boss parametric eq and a Holy Grail.

I took all of the toys to my local shop on consignment, which also happens to be Japan's premier tone snob shop.

There, I tried the *first* prototype of an 808 housed in in a Maxon Compressor box. It was *the* best version of the tube screamer, that I ever heard. The prototype was from '79 and a gift from the company to Ishi San. It is clean, articulate, buttery and transparent. It utilises a JI chip that was not used in the production model. ( I have no idea why, it sounded great!)

The shop owner, Ishi San, loved my MMFX tube Killer. It is billed as a Tube Screamer on steroids, but in reality, is the best clean boost I have ever heard. He offered me in trade, an original issue Fulltone Flull Drive 2. It does the TS thing extremely well at low volumes and I am told sounds phenomenal at full volume. So far, I have had it up to 1/2 volume in the store. The tone, comp. cut and two foot switches sold me. It does a lot of things very, very well. I never thought of it before.

The double MJM Blues Devil gave me extreme PAS,( thanks TTrahan), but as I am relegating myself to only one pedal for now, I will play with the Fulltone.

Michael at MJM was prompt and informative via e-mail. Many of the responses to date on this thread recommend his product. I thought all along that his may be the way to go...

( How long is this self-restraint thing supposed to last?)