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Tubescreamer mods 
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Michael Anthony Fanclub President
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Post Tubescreamer mods
So I have a BYOC tubescreamer (808 spec iirc, JRC chip) that I fancy tinkering with. At the minute I find it too polite sounding, just doesn't give my sound much of a kick up the arse like I want it to. I've seen some vids of the SD1 which seems to do a much better job. Where do I start - any websites I should read? I think I want more output, gain and less of a smooth bluesy tone. Asymmetrical clipping doesn't seem too hard to do? It'd be cool do some mods on a switch if it's not too difficult so I can revert to stock toanz but that isn't essential to me.

I have a little baggie of parts that came with the byoc kit but no instructions for them and they don't seem to be listed on the manual on the byoc website. But looks like I have a few of the glass diodes, 2 black ones and some capacitors and resistors.


Thu Feb 23, 2017 6:38 am
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Winston Wolf
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Post Re: Tubescreamer mods
Did you get the standard BYOC Tubescreamer, or the everything+kitchen sink TS-based Overdrive II or whatever they call it?

Personally i didn't get too much out of asymmetrical clipping arrangements. In general, i find a lot of clipping options to be pretty subtle. Germaniums sound different, LEDs do too. But a lot of the clipping mods can be a bit of a let down.

Things i like in tubescreamer-like pedals:

• LEDs for clipping diodes. I like them because they make the pedal seem/act crunchier. If you try them, only use boring old diffuse LEDs, not the crystal clear type. I tend to like 5mm red ones because they clip pretty early. Green ones will clip later. 3mm types have different characteristics as well. If you try just one, try regular old diffuse red 5mm.

• Try a bigger gain pot. I think standard TS is 500k. Try a 1M instead for a wider range. This in conjunction with changing values for the clipping feedback rolloff section below are a big part of TS-alikes/copies like the Landgraff and Clay Jones style ODs. Also, related in ways to what the Timmy does in this part.

• Mess with the frequency rolloff section in the clipping stage if you can. Standard values should be a 0.047uF cap and a 4.7k resistor. My own personal favorite for this is to do it like the Timmy, which may not be too simple to do on a BYOC PCB, but basically involves replacing both components with a 50k pot that kind of blends between two capacitor values (1uF and .039uF) to function as a combination bass/gain type of control. This section has a lot to do with the mid hump thing that TSs do and this is a allows some pretty different sounds to come out. Very interactive with the gain control too. Again, i don't know if it is very compatible with the BYOC board though, unless you got the mod-friendly version.


I mean there are tons of things you can mess with on a TS. It can get kind of crazy. I don't know how deep you want to go.

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Fri Feb 24, 2017 9:32 pm
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Winston Wolf
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Post Re: Tubescreamer mods
Ah, this is actually not bad for a premier guitar article, being that it is written by Wampler who knows what is going on, and is accompanied by decent descriptive pictures:

http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/5 ... D-1?page=1

I would go for Mod#2(clipping diodes to try LEDs) and Mod#3(clipping feedback frequency rolloff) for sure.

Those two by themselves might be enough for what you want. :idk:

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Sat Feb 25, 2017 9:12 am
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Michael Anthony Fanclub President
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Post Re: Tubescreamer mods
I saw that article just after posting my thread haha should have Googled it! How does one go about putting the various clipping diodes on a switch? Like have a 2 way switch to choose between LEDs and the stock ones. It'd be cool to do that and some kind of bass switch to go from stock/high pass to flat or just a bit less rolled off.

Mines just the classic OD from BYOC which seems to be an 808. Although mine is different to the pcb in their current instructions. Mine has an extra slot on the pcb that looks to be for another diode which is currently jumpered.

Yeah I think those two mods you suggest would probably sort me out.


Sat Feb 25, 2017 3:03 pm
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Winston Wolf
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Post Re: Tubescreamer mods
Alright, pardon the scribbliness of it. I was looking for an image that showed something like it but then became impatient with google and just drew it:

Image

EDIT: I inadvertently incorrectly scrawled a "+" and "-" on the lower diodes which would indicate they are facing the same direction, which is wrong. The stripes are drawn correctly though, one facing each direction, the way you want to do it. :red:

You want to remove the current diodes from the PCB. If you don't care to fuck around too much with desoldering them, you can also cut them off. You will only need open pads for one of them. That is where you will attach the two wires that go to the clipper switch. All of the diodes will live on the switch itself, none on the board.

Basically you need:

• DPDT "On-Off-On" toggle switch. Make sure you don't buy a momentary one [a momentary switch would be indicated by parenthesis like this: "(on)-off-(on)". Avoid them.] Also make sure it is an "On-Off-On" (also called "On-None-On" sometimes). You do not want an "On-On-On".

• 2 Diffuse Red LEDs

• 2 or 3 silicon diodes. (i.e. 1N914, 1N4148, whatever.) Two is stock, three would be for an asymmetrical arrangement.

I drew it sloppy, but basically both the LEDs and silicon diodes have polarity. For a clipper switch, you just want to make sure that one of each is facing each way, i.e. one forward one backward. The polarity of an LED is indicated by there being a little flat spot on the rim of the plastic shell. You can also see inside usually and there is a big bit and a little bit that indicates direction as well.

EDIT: Like this: Image

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Sat Feb 25, 2017 4:32 pm
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Winston Wolf
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Post Re: Tubescreamer mods
Oh, also i forgot to mention, that switch will give three options: LEDs, NO DIODES, and Stock.

No diodes kind of makes it into a very loud clean(er) boost type of thing. Great big volume jump to hammer your amp, though with less pedal based distortion. It is basically a free sound if you use the on-off-on.

If you just want the LEDs and stock settings, you could go for a DPDT "On-On" switch, i.e. only two positions rather than three.

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Sat Feb 25, 2017 4:37 pm
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Pendulous
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Post Re: Tubescreamer mods
I haven't tinkered much with mods (well I did some OD9 to 808 mods with my Maxon and didn't hear a difference), but I can tell you that the SD-1 does sound quite different to me. It is a lot gnarlier in the high mids. I actually did a compare a few weeks ago:



As far as I know the big difference between the two is that the SD-1 has asymmetrical clipping. Also I think the Drive pot might be different so it gets a lot more gain.

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Sat Feb 25, 2017 8:40 pm
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Michael Anthony Fanclub President
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Post Re: Tubescreamer mods
Cheers Chris, I have some time off coming up soon so I'll get a switch ordered and do the clipping mod for sure. So to clarify - remove both diodes from the pcb and put the switch in place of either of them - does it matter which way round the wires to the diode pads go?

I'll czech out that video when I get home as well :D


Sun Feb 26, 2017 4:04 am
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Winston Wolf
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Post Re: Tubescreamer mods
El-Todgo wrote:
So to clarify - remove both diodes from the pcb and put the switch in place of either of them - does it matter which way round the wires to the diode pads go?


Aye. The switch replaces all of the diodes. Two wires come from the switch and they take the place of one of the old diode's two leads.

It does not matter which wire goes to which hole on the board. Just make sure that the diodes on the switch are correctly set up with one of each pair of diodes facing opposite the other.

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Sun Feb 26, 2017 10:06 am
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Pendulous
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Post Re: Tubescreamer mods
Image So do this in reverse and make yours kick ass :love:

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Mon Feb 27, 2017 7:59 am
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Michael Anthony Fanclub President
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Post Re: Tubescreamer mods
Awesome thanks. I dunno why I've struggled to find mods for one of the most modded pedals ever, I could only find that premier guitar article and people on forums talking about it. I'm blaming my inadequate Google skills on new parent brain :red:


Tue Feb 28, 2017 3:37 am
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