Tube Screamer Clone Mod

[M29]

Hello duhvoodooman,

Man this stuff is well appreciated! I am curious what relationship our guitar picks have to the level it takes to break the threshold. Is it attack that breaks or the volume? Say the attack of our picks or the volume that the amp is turned up to? I guess what I am curious about is, does it make much difference in volume to break the threshold of the diodes and get this thing singing and would either one work better at low volume compared to a louder volume. Or maybe it just has to do with the smoothness of the breakup itself.
I understand how it works but maybe not compared to our playing.
As I read my own post I don't know if I am saying exactly what I am trying to say. Sorry...

Thanks duhvoodooman for all your time and help on this I am getting a lot out of this. My only problem is I just recently got a Boss DS-1. Now I wants a clone like yours

M29

[duhvoodooman***]

I got to crank up the volume a little higher tonight while I had the house to myself. Here are two more clips using the Epi LP through the modded pedal. The first is basically a repeat of the third clip in my previous posting--the Who's Won't Get Fooled Again outro riff, but with more authority this time. Repeated 4 times--first with no pedal, then germanium diodes (soft clip), then silicon diodes (regular TS type), and lastly with the hard-clipping yellow LED's. The latter is the only way to go for this tune, IMO!

The second is just a little of the familiar ZZ Top Tush riff, using the yellow LED setting with the drive at about 3/4. The gain range is stock TS-808, as is the bass rolloff frequency.

WGFA

Tush

[Spudman***]

Meet the new boss - same as the old boss Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!

That sounded really good. Very nice piece of circuitry you got going on. Congratulations too. You've got me gassing again. You won't get gassed again. Yeaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!

[duhvoodooman***]

I am curious what relationship our guitar picks have to the level it takes to break the threshold. Is it attack that breaks or the volume? Say the attack of our picks or the volume that the amp is turned up to? I guess what I am curious about is, does it make much difference in volume to break the threshold of the diodes and get this thing singing and would either one work better at low volume compared to a louder volume. Or maybe it just has to do with the smoothness of the breakup itself.
I understand how it works but maybe not compared to our playing.
As I read my own post I don't know if I am saying exactly what I am trying to say. Sorry....

I think I understand your point, M29. As I understand it, it's the strength of the input signal that the pedal sees that determines how much the diodes clip at a given gain setting, and that can be modulated either through pick attack or the guitar's volume setting. So picking softly or rolling back the volume knob will definitely clean up the sound. Now, once the clipped signal leaves the pedal, there's obviously a lot more that can happen to it through the remaining pedal-preamp-power stage-speaker chain. I would assume that if you had a perfectly clean chain--no sources of harmonic distortion at all, no matter the volume setting--then you'd just hear the pedal's output amplified. But that pretty much never happens, even with a "clean" amp like a big ol' Fender Twin. There's always going to be some degree of further "character" added to the sound, and it will be volume-dependent. For amps that break up substantially with increased volume--or with amps where additional distortion is intentionally added--the pedal's output signal will be altered very substantially. What finally comes out of the amp speaker may sound great or not-so-great, depending upon how that interaction occurs.

[Hogfullofblues]

I listened to every clip 3 times, and can imagine Dr DuhVoodoomanstein, "IT IS ALIVE.....ALIVE.....MY CREATURE IS ALIVE!"
You have added some beauty and some beast to an already sought after tone and I also prefer your mods to the stock after all those side by sides. One hellava accomplishment. Say, ever see that movie the Stepford Wives? Now, if you could just.......

[Mark]

Really cool what yer doin there DVM. I just moded my TS-9 and and put the chipsocket in so I can can switch the chips, and they do sound different. You've taken it to the next level sooo where do we place an order? I love to support fledgling biz owners.

Plus I want one before you become one them there rich famous Boo-Teek pedal business owners with swimmin pools......rock stars in limos in your driveway awaiting and audience with DuhVoodooman of Toneification.
Good work man!!!!!!!!!!

[tot_Ou_tard]

Very sweet. That yellow LED could be in a box by itself (with a yellow LED indicating when it's on, natch).

[duhvoodooman***]

I just moded my TS-9 and and put the chipsocket in so I can can switch the chips, and they do sound different.

Just curious, Mark--did you do the 808 resistor-change mod, too? Tried any IC's other than the usual JRC4558D and RC4558P?

You've taken it to the next level sooo where do we place an order? I love to support fledgling biz owners.

The jury is still out on whether or not I'll try selling a few of these. As I mentioned in THIS THREAD, the issue is how long this work takes me to do. I really won't know if it's feasible until I build one from scratch. This "prototype" was a mod of the BYOC Overdrive pedal kit, so I was in experimental/learning mode through most of it, figuring out how to do the mods and physically arrange them in the wider enclosure, plus a dozen other details. I've got a pretty clear idea of how to put one together now, and have to just try it and see how many hours it takes. Of course, I'll need a customer who's willing to buy Zonkin' Yellow Screamer Serial No. 1....

Plus I want one before you become one them there rich famous Boo-Teek pedal business owners with swimmin pools......rock stars in limos in your driveway awaiting and audience with DuhVoodooman of Toneification.

I think the old Buddy Holly tune title says it best--That'll be the day....

[Mark]

I got a mod kit, couple of resistor changes with a socket and those two chips. It always goes slow on a first build of something like that, still its a bit of labor putting those boxes together. But If people take a liking to them and you find a price point that makes it worth it could turn into a hobby with a little profit.

[duhvoodooman***]

Put the decaling on tonight. Now, it's just gotta dry thoroughly and I'll spray on a couple of coats of clear lacquer and the Zonkin' Yellow Screamer prototype will be finished.

[oldguy]

It's BEAUTIFUL, Dvm. When will you start taking orders? I want one with a LOWWWWW serial #, just in case....

[ted s]

Looking good DVM, but, uhm.. where is the Mojo dial ?

[duhvoodooman***]

...where is the Mojo dial ?

Well, since there's a chance I might actually try to sell a few of these, I figured that the prototype should probably stick with the usual Level-Drive-Tone designations that people are familiar with on overdrive pedals. But fear not--the mojo is INSIDE!!

[oldguy]

So...if you actually sell some of these things...
Can I get one with a low serial #, just in case?

[tot_Ou_tard]

Well, since there's a chance I might actually try to sell a few of these, I figured that the prototype should probably stick with the usual Level-Drive-Tone designations that people are familiar with on overdrive pedals. But fear not--the mojo is INSIDE!!

I think you'd sell more with a mojo dial, but what do I know?

[F_BSurfer]

Awesome looking pedal DVM and can't leave out great sounding If I didn't already have a modded boss Sd-1 I would be on board for one of these You do have me remodding though already changed tone pot out The boss had a 20k and flattin out between 10 and 1 excellent now with the 2K Now will do my homework and change the two position switch for the three and incorperate the Led Like you said op amp chip changes are kind of minor I have had RC4558P, RC4559P, JRC4558D and Burr Brown OPA2134PA the brown to me makes the pedal more transparent and adds clarity which to me benifits single coil pickup and the splitting of humbucker

[duhvoodooman***]

All done after 3 coats of clear lacquer:

[Spudman***]

That is too pretty to play. The first one should go in the display case. Awesome job. (toast to Voodoo)

[oldguy]

Really nice, DVM! You definately have a talent for this, and your attention to detail shows. Kudos to DuhVoodooMan !

Hey, DVM, did you get my PMs ?