Picked up a new 30th Anny Tube Screamer for use as booster. Kinda pricey but they do deliver - made in Japan, has the coveted chip the old ones have, blah blah. I never had a TS back in the very old days but did have an 808RI a few years ago as well as a Maxon 808. I know they're all more or less variations of the same thing, not to mention the hundreds of mods and clones for both more and less money. Third times a charm though and I'll be keeping this one. Lesson learned.
I like neutral, non coloring pedals for boosting as well (OCD), but I didn't have something that flavors in a specific/focused way for use with the Marshall (because the Jetted Red Shift is THE SHIT with the Budda, lol). Got it now. :)
First thing I tried with it is a simple doubled rhythm. Set the amp for a medium crunch and the TS for a clean-ish boost. Came out nice and balanced I think, not too bright, too dark, etc.
TS 30th Clip / Download
Sounds great to me. Definitely has that "screamish" tone. They roll off top and bottom (which is why they are hugely popular with the Mesa crowd). It's why they sound so great as "solo" pedals because they push the mids way up, so they mate perfectly with a scooped rock rhythm tone. I currently use a Barber LTDv2 for this.
Re: the chips... I don't know if you'd notice much difference when starting with a pretty crunched up tone, but after lots of experimenting (and all "classic chip mojo" stuff aside) the best chips I've heard in a screamer are the Burr Brown 2604 and the mosfet 2272. Both are cleaner and more transparent, but it's not night and day.
Of course, if it's just right as is, leave it. :)
Also, the OCD works SO well with the Budda because it is Vox voiced and the OCD can add back some of the treble sizzle that the VOX voicing lacks IF you want that. Obviously we both love it!
A tubescreamer is a tubescreamer... honestly. It's the most copied and altered pedal on the market, basically because it does "more me" so well. As DTR said, big upper-mid boost. Personally I don't like them stock.
The "coveted" chip is a JRC4558, and it's coveted for no good reason... it was the most easily available, and cheapest, chip available in Japan when TubeScreamers were being pumped out en masse, it could just as easily have been 5 or 6 other chips in there, all of which sound so remarkably alike that no one would hear the difference without the aid of an oscilloscope. It's probably soldered in so changing it out would be non-trivial, but I have found the NE5532 and the NJM2068 to be in all ways better in a non-specific circuit, like the TS
For my part, I use small, low wattage amps, and I need extra capacitance on my TS to add bottom end. The xotic AC and RC boost are good example of adapted tubescreamers, instead of the singe tone knob, they use active baxandall (low and high) EQ knobs to give you all the options... roll the tone knobs back and you get TS-mid hump, bring them up and you get loads of bass and treble. Makes a pedal that is essentially a tubescreamer sound like something way different, and perform far differently.
Incidentally, the gain of the clip sounds good, but the tone is a little harsh on the top end to me (which I wouldn't attribute to the pedal, it's probably a pretty bright amp, close-miked?)...
BTW this is a TS9, not 808, right?
Yep, TS9 30th. I like the little sizzle on the top, makes it more on the angry side vs smooth, something I guess I prefer for rhythm sounds. This is an Alder guitar w/Super Distortion BTW. I can get a less zingy result probably without touching a thing and grabbing a different guitar. May try that later actually just for an A/B.
Mic(s) are 2" back.
Thanks for listens!
Yeah, like I said I can tell the amp sounds good and it's got great response. I am just too treble sensitive to be listening to amps 2" from the cone!
I understad!! Just imagine it sitting in a mix, thats really the only way I aim for my clips to sound anyway! Should cut through while leaving some room for hopefully lower mid vibed leads.
OK Charger, see if this is better (less abrasive top end). The amp settings are adjusted and I'm using a different pedal as well. Definitely has less presence and upper mids and at the same time adding some low mids. Same guitar and mic positions - it's really the pedal swap here making the difference.
EDIT x 2... totally differnt thing here:
Crunch / Download
That's more satisfying to me...
Thing is when I listen back to the other one, I can totally hear it sitting fine in a sort of Van-Halen style mix, big drums and a solid bass line. Neither sound will clutter a mix. Ultimately if you're aiming for a mix sound you're there, probably a less satisfying tone to sit down and just play solo guitar with.