5150 tubescreamer

[tides]

I'm no newbie to the TS, and don't want to start any discussion on Ibanez/Maxon/...

I just want to know from the 5150 owners here; is your tubescreamer really worth it? Is it a great improvement in sound (balls-to-the-wall metal), or does it just add some detail to your sound?

I have to make some hard choices between FX, (MXR 10-band EQ, ISP Decimator, ...) so I'd be happy to take some advice from you guys.

 

[Lasse Lammert]

a TS plus a Decimator is all I ever need with ANY amp.

 

[slayercannibalsuffohead]

Maxon 808! You will not be disappointed. (Good enough for Machinehead, Killswitch, Devin Townsend etc).
Oh, and make sure your leads are good quality, not $10 shittas!
To answer your other question, 5150 alone is already balls to the wall! Add Maxon and it tightens the arse end and adds a midrange grind that I cant live without.

 

[Metaltastic]

The $40 Ibanez TS7 is identical to the TS9 (well, it has the same op-amp, and JBroll here says they're identical PCB's, Lasse disagrees ), but more importantly, I love mine!

 

[Lasse Lammert]

The $40 Ibanez TS7 is identical to the TS9 (well, it has the same op-amp, and JBroll here says they're identical PCB's, Lasse disagrees ), but more importantly, I love mine!

nah, I completely agree with JBroll that it's the exact same circuit...I'm just saying the TS-7 used different components and hence sounds a bit different......
to settle this once and for all I'll take some gutshots and samples of both, that'll clear things .

but yes, the TS-7 is great and will suffice...
acoustically the difference it that the ts-9 sounds a bit more open and 3d, the ts-7 a bit "thicker" with less detailed high end.

I've modded both to 808 specs btw, the above described differences describe the sound after that mod, before I modded them they sounded even much more different....originally the TS-7 came with a 4558 chip, the TS-9 didn't (they're using TA75558 in the RI ones. the early ones have random chips in them).
The PCB is indeed quite different, the TS9 uses boards designed for the TS-9, the TS-7 used multible purpose boards.

but as I said, JBroll is right, the schematics are the same.....


here's a great read btw:
http://www.analogman.com/tshist.htm

 

[TravisW]

I'm using the TS10 with mine, and while the effect is slightly subtle, it's pretty well necessary for the type of sound that I like.

 

[PhilTheBeard]

i own 5 tubescreamers and they all work great it is just they all sound a bit different so you have to find one you like. the maxon od808 and od820 pro are great ones and the ts808 and ts9 are great and even the boss sd-1 is badass.

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

I'm no newbie to the TS, and don't want to start any discussion on Ibanez/Maxon/...

I just want to know from the 5150 owners here; is your tubescreamer really worth it? Is it a great improvement in sound (balls-to-the-wall metal), or does it just add some detail to your sound?

I have to make some hard choices between FX, (MXR 10-band EQ, ISP Decimator, ...) so I'd be happy to take some advice from you guys.

Are you talking about live or for recording? I wouldn't normally use the TS live but it's always on my 5150 recordings.

 

[Metaltastic]

Why wouldn't you use it live dude?

 

[TheWinterSnow]

Why wouldn't you use it live dude?

exactly. One thing that turns me off live is when a band has that rubber band mud tone, when i hear some syncopated core lick I am out the door in horror thinking OMFG this was a bunch of fucking 14 year old noobs who don't know how to dial in tone.

Every time I hes a band play without one (end usually without an eq in the rack) I always think that the guitarist doesn't know jack shit about getting a good tone or generally how to use their equipment.

 

[Skyweaver]

I've got a Maxon 820 and TS808 both are great, it's personal but can't really go wrong with either of them

 

[xmortumx]

Quick question guys when using an amp sim and recording DI... do you guys prefer to put in tube screamer like if you would with regular amp??? or just use the TS plug in instead.
\M/

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

Why wouldn't you use it live dude?

exactly. One thing that turns me off live is when a band has that rubber band mud tone, when i hear some syncopated core lick I am out the door in horror thinking OMFG this was a bunch of fucking 14 year old noobs who don't know how to dial in tone.

Every time I hes a band play without one (end usually without an eq in the rack) I always think that the guitarist doesn't know jack shit about getting a good tone or generally how to use their equipment.

I play live with more gain than in the studio (doesn't everyone?). I've found that while the TS tightens the bottom nicely, when you have a lot of amp distortion, the TS adds unwanted color to the mids. Along with the 5150's gain, it turns out to be a muddy mess that cancels out the benefit of the tighter bottom end.

 

[tides]

Thanks for all the help!

Anyone have personal experience with the Digitech Bad Monkey (the El Cheapo solution) ?

 

[Gnash]

essential- the ts is

 

[Last_Confession]

afaict if your shopping for a bad monkey just get a ts7 theyre around the same price in the uk last time i looked and you might as well get the ts7 as it has the same chip as the ts9 by all accounts as metaltastic stated above

 

[tides]

I just bought a bad monkey, because of price and availability Can't wait to try it out.
Just another quick question for you tubescream
ers out there; do you also use a screamer for the high gain channel, or just for boosting the rhythm channel?

* edit: just to clarify, I bought the BM to "test" a tubescreamer of some sort on my amp, when satisfied, I'll be piking up a Maxon OD808 soon*

 

[GuitarHack]

Green and Red channel on the 5150 dude. Rhythms and Leads. For me anyway.

 

[Dylan S]

I never play either of my amps (Recto and 6505+) without having my overdrive. I use a ZW-44.

 

[Gary Coreman]

I started using the TS9 recently on the front end of my amp for live performances and it smokes everything away. Just beautiful, the picking and the tone sound amazing.

Ibanez RG470 > EMG-81 > NS-2 > TS9 > Dual Rectifier (channel 3 modern, bold, silicon diodes) > Marshall 1960.