Tweet
OK, so I just got my Tubescreamer TS-5 modded by John (JGCable) and I really didn't have time to play with it, but I broke it out anyway and A/B'd it with my Korean Boss SD-1 pedal tonight.
All I have to say is WOW!
The mods he did are the 808 Mod and the Gain Set Mod. I don't know what all is involved in them (how much they differ from keeley or analogman mods) but they made this pedal not suck, far from it this one has moved passed useable to 'right on'.
Before the mods, hands down I would use the stock SD-1 over the TS-5, the TS-5 thinned the tone out pretty noticeably (I used the level up and tone on about 4-5 with the drive around 4 on both). Also, the drive or gain on the TS-5 didn't do much and then bam, it was giving it all it had.
John's mods honestly took the thinness out and now the pedal sounds a hair less noisy and good bit more 'crisp and clear' than my SD-1. It must have given it a little more low end because I remembered the pedal being more 'tinny'. I think the SD-1 still has slightly more bass, but that may be what contributes to it being more muddy than the TS-5 now. Also, the gain reacts more linearly? after the mod if that's the word I am trying to use. The gain gets pretty beefy up near the top and is overall more even across it's range. There doesn't seem to be a ton more gain than my SD-1, but that may be because I am not actually pusing an amp at this point (11:45pm)
It was hard for me to A/B them, and I just ran my stock USA Fusion HSS through the TS-5 or SD-1 and into my alesis wedge to some headphones for now, so I haven't pushed a real tube amp with it (hopefully this weekend) but I did use the same setup just before I sent the pedal off, and the SD-1 killed the TS-5 before the mods hands down.
Now, the TS-5 just smokes the SD-1 and I can see that the SD-1 could use some help - a little noisy and muddier than the TS-5.
I wouldn't take out a second mortgage for the mods, but I can't wait to send a better pedal to John (SD-1 maybe?) and then see if it smokes the TS-5, then a real TS-9, rinse, mod, repeat [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
I have probably half what a TS-808 RI costs into this pedal (maybe less) and could not be happier.
Dealing with John was a real pleasure, he ships when he says, replied to all my questions, and his packing job was excellent.
One last thing, the way John described the mod is EXACTLY the way they turned out. I know people use words like rich, buttery, and creamy in reviews like they are going to a fancy restaurant, but John used no BS terms in describing what the mods would do, and then I experienced them. After reading a review of his wah mods and experiencing the TS-5 mods, I would like to plead that you listen to John. If he says it will do something or sounds like XXX then unless you are unusually gifted or tonedeaf, that's probably what you are going to hear in the finished product.
All I have to say is WOW!
The mods he did are the 808 Mod and the Gain Set Mod. I don't know what all is involved in them (how much they differ from keeley or analogman mods) but they made this pedal not suck, far from it this one has moved passed useable to 'right on'.
Before the mods, hands down I would use the stock SD-1 over the TS-5, the TS-5 thinned the tone out pretty noticeably (I used the level up and tone on about 4-5 with the drive around 4 on both). Also, the drive or gain on the TS-5 didn't do much and then bam, it was giving it all it had.
John's mods honestly took the thinness out and now the pedal sounds a hair less noisy and good bit more 'crisp and clear' than my SD-1. It must have given it a little more low end because I remembered the pedal being more 'tinny'. I think the SD-1 still has slightly more bass, but that may be what contributes to it being more muddy than the TS-5 now. Also, the gain reacts more linearly? after the mod if that's the word I am trying to use. The gain gets pretty beefy up near the top and is overall more even across it's range. There doesn't seem to be a ton more gain than my SD-1, but that may be because I am not actually pusing an amp at this point (11:45pm)
It was hard for me to A/B them, and I just ran my stock USA Fusion HSS through the TS-5 or SD-1 and into my alesis wedge to some headphones for now, so I haven't pushed a real tube amp with it (hopefully this weekend) but I did use the same setup just before I sent the pedal off, and the SD-1 killed the TS-5 before the mods hands down.
Now, the TS-5 just smokes the SD-1 and I can see that the SD-1 could use some help - a little noisy and muddier than the TS-5.
I wouldn't take out a second mortgage for the mods, but I can't wait to send a better pedal to John (SD-1 maybe?) and then see if it smokes the TS-5, then a real TS-9, rinse, mod, repeat [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
I have probably half what a TS-808 RI costs into this pedal (maybe less) and could not be happier.
Dealing with John was a real pleasure, he ships when he says, replied to all my questions, and his packing job was excellent.
One last thing, the way John described the mod is EXACTLY the way they turned out. I know people use words like rich, buttery, and creamy in reviews like they are going to a fancy restaurant, but John used no BS terms in describing what the mods would do, and then I experienced them. After reading a review of his wah mods and experiencing the TS-5 mods, I would like to plead that you listen to John. If he says it will do something or sounds like XXX then unless you are unusually gifted or tonedeaf, that's probably what you are going to hear in the finished product.
Comment