Do it yourself tubescreamers?

[Splat88]

I searched the forum but falied to find worthwhile results for DIY tubescreamers. I have found some stuff online but I'm not sure which ones are actually worth looking into.

Are there any recommendations anyone has for DIY tubescreamers? Do they sound decent and is it cost effective?

 

[kev]

im interested too, otherwise im saving for a keeley'd ts 808 with a baked function...

 

[Kazrog]

I've heard nothing but good things from those who've tried it. If you know what you're doing with electronics, give it a try and post your clips here!

 

[JBroll]

GeneralGuitarGadgets.com , GeoFex.com , and DIYStompBoxes.com would be the first places I'd try. I've been building stuff for a while and those are some of the best resources for one of the easiest pedals in existence. GeoFex actually has a great article entitled "Technology of the Tube Screamer" that'll help you understand what's going on, as well as start switching and modding different things wherever you want.

I've built some stuff here and there and would recommend maybe trying a simpler boost first but if you just buy a PCB from GGG and color by numbers with RadioShack parts you'll have your TS, even if with less knowledge about it if you had read all the different things here and there and gone nuclear with trimpots and switches up and down every surface of the box.

Keeley's mods are excellent and he's actually a great guy to talk to about this stuff if you know a bit about the stuff, as is AnalogMan (who also frequents the DIYStompBoxes forum) so if you're not happy with it right away they'll show you some really cool stuff.

In case you didn't get the impression already, I'd say DO IT and spend some time at DIY forums and with any other DIY people you can find so you can make and mod more stuff - always worth it.

Jeff

 

[Mutant]

http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/TStech/tsxfram.htm

 

[Splat88]

Very nice. Thanks for the info on this. I'll probably be ordering a circuit board soon. Anyone have any good luck with good metal tones with a Marshall Guv'ner pedal? I think Carcass used one on Heartwork with a 30th ann. Marshall and 5150, no? They have DIY kits for that pedal too, apparently.

 

[Daunt]

OH YES! I just finished my "Insekt Overdrive". I used only the best parts I could get my hands on:

- Tonepad PCB
- Aluminium case
- Alpha pots
- 3PDT switch (many boutique pedals use the same model)
- Switchcraft jacks

I designed, drilled and painted the case and my friend did the soldering work. I should sound exactly like the original TS808. True bypass. There's one mod though. The switch in the back changes the "Overdrive Mode". It has two modes:

- Green (symmetrical clipping, like Tubescreamer)
- Yellow (asymmetrical clipping, like Boss SD-1)

I haven't really counted the price but I think the parts cost me about 100 euros.

 

[Splat88]

OH YES! I just finished my "Insekt Overdrive". I used only the best parts I could get my hands on:

- Tonepad PCB
- Aluminium case
- Alpha pots
- 3PDT switch (many boutique pedals use the same model)
- Switchcraft jacks

I designed, drilled and painted the case and my friend did the soldering work. I should sound exactly like the original TS808. True bypass. There's one mod though. The switch in the back changes the "Overdrive Mode". It has two modes:

- Green (symmetrical clipping, like Tubescreamer)
- Yellow (asymmetrical clipping, like Boss SD-1)

I haven't really counted the price but I think the parts cost me about 100 euros.

Wow, that looks like a quality piece of equipment. 100 Euros though? That's $125 U.S. I guess yours is probably much better than the 'new' tube screamers though. I'm hoping to do this mod for under $50 or it just may not be worth it to me.

 

[Daunt]

Wow, that looks like a quality piece of equipment. 100 Euros though? That's $125 U.S. I guess yours is probably much better than the 'new' tube screamers though. I'm hoping to do this mod for under $50 or it just may not be worth it to me.

Well, I'm sure you can get the parts cheaper there and you don't have to use the most expensive ones. I was aiming for perfection

 

[musickey]

Thats bad ass man give me one!!! lol

 

[kaomao]

Hey Daunt that is not a DIY, that's a killer pedal, seems like a production pedal.
the pedal you made is so professional!!!
We have to hear a clip please!

 

[Daunt]

Hey Daunt that is not a DIY, that's a killer pedal, seems like a production pedal.
the pedal you made is so professional!!!
We have to hear a clip please!

Thank you! You can hear the pedal in my Fool's Crown mix. If I remember correctly the settings were:

- Green mode
- Drive 0
- Tone 5
- Level 10

I used it with Peavey Rockmaster preamp and cab impulses. I mixed two cab impulses together.

http://www.arthor.fi/demo/Daunt-FoolsCrown_v3.mp3

I will make some more recordings soon.

 

[JBroll]

Personally I wouldn't bother with a Guv'nor - at DIYStompBoxes there are some pretty killer boxes like the Cauldron of Gain, Dr. Boogey, Blackfire, and Obsidian.

For a first build I'd also try a Smash Drive - one op amp with a bunch of shit tacked on to it, it'll take a matter of minutes and sound killer.

http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/schems/smashdrive.gif

Oh, and for the record Splat, your avatar kicks ass. World needs more Strangelove, you know.

Jeff

 

[kaomao]

http://www.arthor.fi/demo/Daunt-FoolsCrown_v3.mp3

I will make some more recordings soon.

Killer!!!!
Nothing to say more!!
it's smooth as a good screamer should be!
I like it a lot !!
street price ?

 

[Daunt]

Killer!!!!
Nothing to say more!!
it's smooth as a good screamer should be!
I like it a lot !!
street price ?

If you have to ask the price, you can't afford it

 

[Daunt]

Here's another sample of my Insekt Overdrive:

http://www.arthor.fi/demo/Insekt_Overdrive_Demo.mp3

Settings were:

1. Rockmaster without overdrive and with more gain than the boosted ones
2. Green mode (symmetrical clipping)
2. Yellow mode (asymmetrical clipping)

- Drive 5
- Tone 5
- Level 10

Normally I wouldn't use some much drive but it's very hard to hear the difference between the two modes when gain it set to zero. In a nutshell: Yellow mode has more distortion and lows.

 

[006]

Lol the text to speech is fucking hilarious on that clip, haha. Sounds great though. The casing and everything looks great, really does appear to be a production unit for some company, great job.

~006

 

[JBroll]

Normally I wouldn't use some much drive but it's very hard to hear the difference between the two modes when gain it set to zero. In a nutshell: Yellow mode has more distortion and lows.

Wouldn't say that just yet, unless you've done the clipping diodes completely backwards from everyone else who has done it - asymmetrical clipping means that because one half of the waveform is clipped more than the other you'll get more highs and more 'open-ness' but technically less gain, and the only 'more distortion' would be either increased harshness from the highs or more output (which can easily seem like more distortion, but isn't). If the modes seem very similar it's because the clipping is not coming from the diodes that would be clipped in that stage, so you'll get more out of that switch by (a) running more gain or (b) reducing the transistor distortion and putting more signal to the diodes by putting more transistor stages (with less gain each) before the diodes to ground. Just a thought. Now, if I'm completely wrong about how you did the asymmetrical distortion (i.e. actually turning OFF a diode and not adding one for asymmetrical, like every other asymmetrical box in the world) let me know, but if you're going from schematics or even a 'conventional' new build you're 100% guaranteed to be adding diodes, as removing can just be a mess (unless you put seven or eight diodes on a switch just to make a point).

Jeff

 

[Daunt]

Jeff, it was done using this schematic/PCB:

http://www.tonepad.com/getFile.asp?id=81

The one extra diode was soldered to the switch. I made my description from what it sounds to me. Didn't know too much about the theory behind it. Thanks for the info.

 

[JBroll]

Yeah, that would be what I thought - and that's a great layout, pulls out all of the bullshit in the complicated switching and the entirety of the tone section is left intact.

If you have the time to try playing through both modes into a recording project and equalize the volumes you'll notice more clipping in the symmetrical mode. Higher output often sounds like more distortion, but in this case it isn't. Now, if it's driving a tube distortion that you really like by all means throw in more clippers and make it asymmetrical so you'll have even more asymmetry in the tube section and even more of that 'tube' feel, but on its own just keep in mind that diodes in series will let more voltage through unclipped than one diode. GeoFEX has tons of the theory stuff if you're interested - that pedal does sound as good as if not better than the Maxon and Ibanez reissues, so there's no telling what else can be done with it.

Jeff