Hey guys - apologies for having dropped off the planet for a bit. Anyway, for you guitar geeks out there, Id like to talk today about what are, (IMHO of course) among the two best commercially available Tube Screamer (TS) mods Ive played out there - Analog Mans Silver and True Vintage TS 808s. Basically, Analog Man takes stock, brand new Ibanez TS 808 Reissue pedals, modifies them and resells them, so you get a brand new but modified version of the product, that (again, IMHO) is superior. He has many different pedal mods (e.g. he also does Maxon mods), but for this post Im referring specifically to the TS 808 Silver and Vintage mods. Now, I wont pretend to know all of the hard core circuitry stuff - I can direct you to Analog Mans website where complete explanations are given. But those of you who know Ibanezs infamous TS line of products may have come across two things: (1) nothing quite sounds like the original, early 80s TS and (2) even with the classic ones, the mid-range bump/bass cut the pedal provides can be a bit much, especially when used with high gain amps and speaker cabs tuned for mid-range emphasis of their own (by the way, many other overdrive pedals on the market are based on the same classic TS circuitry design and therefore have the same issue). These are the issues Analog Man addresses; (1) is what you get with the True Vintage mod and (2) is addressed with the Silver mod. Note that you dont get both in one pedal, and understandably so - just two different sonic goals when you think about it, so depending on your tastes and gear, one or even both pedals can become great additions to your pedalboard. The True Vintage mod is meant to be an exact replica of those early 80s TS, down to the Japanese made, JRC4558D chip used (vintage old stock), to give you that classic TS 808 sound that even Ibanez lost sight of over the years (e.g. component changes to cut costs). You can also get a true bypass option (they change the switch for this option) and different color LEDs at extra charge. However, as such it does not address issue (2) above, so be forewarned that while it sounds amazing, you will get that mid-range bump and some low-end loss when engaged. I therefore prefer to use this pedal with my Fender blackface amps. And brother, it will absolutely cook on those amps! But dont be deceived by the mid-range/low end loss issue either. No one ever complained about SRVs tone, right? Its all about what and how you play, not about the box. I love this pedal, but personally I prefer not to use it on my Mesa Boogie amps because those are already mid-rangy when pushed and Im a set it and forget it guy on stage - I dont like to tool around with base tone settings when performing. The Silver mod on the other hand is a refinement of the classic TS 808 tone. While it uses the same JRC4558D chip, its not meant to be a replica like the True Vintage; rather, a much more transparent and subtle pedal - high fidelity as Analog Mike puts it - so that your base tones are preserved when the pedal is engaged. So I use this baby as a lead boost pedal with my Mesa Boogie amps. When engaged, it keeps things cleaner, tighter, with no bass loss but adds that wonderful JRC4558D sustain and warmth, bringing out more life and definition to my notes. And it works great to thicken up overdriven power chords too. So this guys actually on my main board, since my Mesas are my gigging amps these days. But the True Vintage is definitely hotter. Theres more growl in its overdrive than the Silver. So since I have both, there are times Ill have both on my board. The possibilities that opens up are insane!! Layering those overtones can be incredible! Below are pictures of both (the Silver mod has the sticker). Youll notice that my overdrive settings are relatively low, because of my tendency to use them as lead boost pedals with my Mesas overdrive channel. But this same setting absolutely kills on a clean channel (or amp) with the level set high. You get great, crystal clean-ish tones with lots of chime and some bite. These pedals arent cheap. They start at $235 (Vintage or Silver mod included) with other options like true bypass at extra cost. But if youre a TS fan, youll be hard pressed to find a better sounding pedal. You might spend as much or more, hunting around, going through OD pedals as I did. For me, the search is over. Bye for now and Keep Rockin!!
Posted on: Fri, 14 Nov 2014 03:05:54 +0000
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