TS808SE Studio Mod | Green

The Legend ... Even Better!

What is there left to say about the TS808? Some love it, others hate it. And like probably many others, I can count myself among both groups.

I bought my first TS when I was 17, plugged it in, set everything to noon and then ...! Nothing happened. “This pedal doesn't do anything at all,” I thought. Nu Metal was in full swing at the time, and that was exactly the kind of sound I expected when I put it in front of my transistor combo. So off it went again ... what a pointless pedal.

It wasn't until 20 years later, through YouTube and talking to other musicians, that I finally understood what this pedal actually does, what it's supposed to do and what it can be used for. From Delta Blues to Death Metal, this pedal finds its place in pretty much every genre imaginable.

The formula with a TS is actually pretty simple:

Perfect Sound + TS = Super Sound.

So why mod this pedal at all? Good question! Next question: Why are there so many mods then?

I think there are two simple reasons. First, because you can. And second, because even in a crowd we're always looking for something individual. Just like with fashion, we don't want to look like everyone else. Our own sound is no different. Individuality is probably something every musician eventually strives for.

Some of today's cult mods were originally created for studios, session musicians or very specific purposes. Pros from all over the world have contributed over the decades, constantly finding new ways to reinterpret the Tube Screamer.

All I have to say is ...

Fuck off! My mod is better!

A Ton of Mods

True Bypass
All components of the original switching system removed
Soft Switch
Optimized Output Buffer
Internal 18 V Power Supply
Socketed JRC4558D
Glass Mod ... switchable
Low End Boost ... switchable
Second Clipping Stage ... switchable
6 dB Solo Boost on Footswitch ... lockable!

Feet too big for two switches?

Don’t worry ... I fixed that too!

Mods

True Bypass

The buffered bypass is completely replaced by a relay switching system. In addition, all components of the original switching system are removed. That's actually more components than you'll find in the audio circuit itself. They're not simply bypassed. This keeps the ground, audio and power supply paths clean and unaffected.

The Output Buffer in the audio path has also been optimized in the process. Not least because this is where we generate the 6 dB Solo Boost, right at the very end of the signal chain.

Soft Switch

I only use Soft Switches with relays in my pedals these days. No switching pops, much nicer to operate and especially convenient when recording at your desk. Simply a more premium solution.

Socket

The JRC4558D installed in the Reissue is just as good as the same JRC4558D from the Japan Radio Company. If I refine sugar in Japan, sugar made in the USA isn't suddenly going to taste any different.

Think otherwise or would you rather try some stevia or artificial sweetener? No problem. The socket I've installed allows you to swap the OP Amp easily and without any soldering. This lets you experiment with different and interesting OP Amp variants yourself.

Real 18V!!!

Internally, I don't just double the 9 V supply. I also generate a negative voltage. This gives you considerably more headroom than a conventional 18 V mod.

Why more, when 18 V is simply 2 x 9 V? We need to dig a little deeper for that.

When we run a pedal at 9 V, the virtual ground sits in the middle at 4.5 V. After all, we need room for our audio signal to swing in both directions. With a simple “Ready for 18 V” mod, we would power the pedal with 18 V and the midpoint would sit at 9 V. Compared to the standard version, that would roughly double the available headroom.

With my mod, I internally generate +18 V and −9 V. The reference point of the audio signal remains at around 4.5 V. This theoretically gives us roughly 13.5 V of swing in either direction. Component losses and the real world circuit naturally reduce that somewhat. Even so, there is considerably more headroom available than simply running the pedal at 18 V.

Don't even think about feeding the pedal 18 V because of this. You'll destroy it ... and I'll find out!

Glass Mod

Just a fancy word for treble?

The Glass Mod changes the frequency response and brings more upper mids into the mix. If you think the TS needs even more top end than it already has, this is exactly where you want to be.

Second Clipping Stage

This activates a second diode stage that further rounds off the clipping. This kind of rounding is a major part of the tube like character the Tube Screamer was originally designed to achieve.

With the second stage, the clipping becomes even rounder and softer, giving the pedal a completely different character. The top end is particularly affected because the signal peaks are the first thing to be rounded off more heavily.

You can easily compensate for this with the Tone control or the Glass Mod. Combined with the three controls already on the pedal, this gives you an incredible number of variations. That's ultimately where the name comes from ... Studio Mod.

Low End Boost

For everyone playing at home or generally playing on their own, the Low End Boost gets your speakers moving more air. The additional bass is an awesome addition when you're not trying to cut through bass and drums at band rehearsal.

6 dB Solo Boost

The left footswitch lets you boost the volume by 6 dB right at the very end of the pedal. Basically, it's like turning up the Volume control for your solo and turning it back down afterwards.

If you're thinking there's no way you'll reliably operate the whole pedal with your shoe size or while moving around on stage ... no problem. I've already thought about that.

Hold down the Solo footswitch for three seconds and wait for the LED to flash twice. The Solo Boost is now locked. If you hit both footswitches at the same time, the pedal will only respond to the right Bypass switch. The left footswitch remains inactive.

Hold it down again for three seconds and the Solo Boost is unlocked.

Product information "TS808SE Studio Mod"

Technical Specifications


Length	124mm
Width	67mm (74mm incl. jacks)
Height	53mm
Weight	580g
Voltage	9V DC (center-negative)
Current Draw	85mA (9V)
Power Supply Included	No
Battery Compartment	No

RoHS Compliant
CE (EU) Compliant
Made in Japan - Modded in Germany